Sneak Peek into le Nid | Fiona's back!

You may remember that at a certain time here at Lingua Franca two of our team were expecting babies within days of each other. On était tellement ravies* for Fiona and Josephine, of course, but their temporary departures left a very big trou* here au nid*.

Well, in great news, they're back, and here's an update on what Fiona's been up to. (Attention* Josephine, we're coming for you next!)

we were so delighted | hole | at the nest | Beware

Alors, Fiona, any big news from you?

Je suis de retour au nid!
I am back at the nest!

How old is Félix now and what is he up to?

Il a un an et il marche déjà!
He is one and he’s already walking!

Does he have a favourite French snack?

Il adore les petits Babybel.
He loves mini Babybels.

How about Vegemite? Is he a fan?

Il n’a jamais goûté encore. C’est trop salé.
He hasn’t tasted it yet. It’s too salé*.

Has he said his first word…?

Pas vraiment. Il dit “mamamamama”.... C’est presque “Maman”, non?
Not really. He says “"mamamamama"… It’s nearly “Maman*”, right? 

You were a very busy person even before having your baby, I imagine even more so now! Were you able to keep up with any of your other interests in the last little bit?

Malheureusement non. Je n’ai plus assez de temps...
Unfortunately, no. I don’t have enough time anymore…

And have you managed to get back to France?

Oui. Nous sommes partis en famille pendant 3 mois, de juin à septembre.
Yes. We went en famille* for three months, from June to September. 

How was your return to work?

Super. Je suis contente de retrouver tout le monde!
Great. I am happy to see everyone again!

And when will our Chouchous* get to see you?

Je suis au nid tous les lundis et mardis.
I am in the office every Monday and Tuesday. 

Do you have anything special planned for Nöel*?

Comme nous aimons bien manger, nous allons faire plusieurs repas de Noël avec des amis: le 24, le 25 et même le 26 décembre! ;-)
As we love to eat, we’re going to have several Christmas meals with friends: on the 24th, the 25th and even the 26th of December!

Merci, Fiona et Joyeux Noël!

salty | mummy | as a family | students | Christmas

Sneak Peek into Le Nid: Deborah's back!

If you knew Lingua Franca in the days when we used to do our lessons in cafés and bookstores around Brisbane, il y a de fortes chances* that you knew une jeune femme française* called Deborah.

I met Deborah in her role as nounou* to the child of one of our clients, Sue-Ellen, whom I was tutoring. Deborah had not long arrived in Australia, elle avait 21 ans* and she was as brown as a berry, having made the most of the sun she’d missed out on while living in Ireland.

A few months later, and preparing for a new year, I realised I needed a tutor to help me. I ran the idea past Sue-Ellen and she told me I’d be mad if I didn’t approach her as apart from being lovely, reliable and fun, she was just so capable*. So I did, and Deborah said oui* and I’ll never stop thanking Sue-Ellen for encouraging me to ask her.

So capable was Deborah, in fact, that shortly after she’d started I took myself off to India for my 40th birthday, promising to call every day. Dutifully, I did call that very first day, somehow getting the very sketchy wifi to connect Pondicherry to Brisbane. I needn’t have bothered. Deborah clearly had everything so sous contrôle* that, in fact, I didn’t bother to call again, landing back in Brisbane ten days later to a better business than the one I’d left!

Flash forward a few months, and Deborah was an integral part of the Lingua Franca team. In fact, along with me, she was the team, and it remained that way for a very long time. Until it came time for her to leave…

there’s a strong chance | a young French woman | nanny | capable | yes | sous contrôle.

Salut Deborah, so remind me, when did we last see you?

Coucou! * I left Australia almost 3 years ago, déjà*.

And what made you want to return to France after so many years wandering the globe?

After 10 years spent overseas, it felt like the right time to head back to France for a while. My husband, Geoff, and I had lived together in Ireland (il est irlandais*) and in Australia, but not in France yet. We also wanted our then 3-year old son, James, to spend time with family and be exposed to the French culture and language. France felt like a safe place for us to slow down, recharge, and get ready for our next adventure ensemble*.

And I suppose your plans went exactly as envisaged? No major hiccups?

Let’s say our timing was intéressant*. We moved in December 2019, just in time for a great Noël* spent with family. We settled into our new place in January 2020, started planning a year full of travel and long overdue catch-ups and even adopted a puppy, Rio. Then came March 2020, and I believe the rest is history.

Well, apart from that little glitch, what did you love most about being back in France?

There was something very special about taking James to places I used to visit myself as a child. A trip down memory lane was exactly what I was looking for while over there. I also loved seeing Geoff push himself out of his comfort zone, learning French on the spot and adapting to our new lifestyle. He unsurprisingly became quite the star in our voisinage*.

We loved the proximity France offered to other European countries and will give a special mention to the food, the fromage*, and the vin*. As cliché as it sounds, it is la vérité*.

The most important aspect of all, though, was to spend quality time with our families, both in France and in Ireland. James is lucky to still have 4 grandparents, 3 great-grandparents and 20 cousins in between the two countries so we wanted him to develop real-life relationships with them all and create plenty of memories of his own.

I loved being able to pop over to see my parents without having to book flights months in advance, hang out with my brothers and sisters-in-law, play with my nieces and nephews and share stories with my grandparents. Enjoying the little things has been huge for us.

Where were you exactly?

We moved to the medieval town of Lescar, near Pau, in the South West of France. Pau is the birthplace of King Henry IV, a regular stage town of the Tour de France, and is as close to the Atlantic Ocean as it is to the Pyrenees mountains. Gagnant-gagnant*.

Did you get a chance to do any of the travel you thought you might?

Our plans were pushed back by a couple of years but we were very chanceux* to still get the opportunity to do some of the travelling that had been on the bucket list for a while.

When borders re-opened, we were close enough to Spain to be able to enjoy its beauty by doing day trips. Driving for less than an hour to find ourselves immersed into a completely different environment was truly mind-blowing.
We made sure to go back to Ireland as often as possible and also snuck in a couple of trips to visit friends in Germany. We bought and renovated an old camping-car* and spent a summer driving around South East of France : an unforgettable experience. We played tourists in Paris, explored Brittany and Normandy and discovered Annecy (in the Alps) all over again. We spent a few incredible days in Rome as well as a truly magique* week around the Greek islands. We’re still pinching ourselves and feel so grateful for these life experiences.

And what were you doing for work?

I continued working remotely for Lingua Franca which has been amazing. Lingua Franca will forever hold a very special place dans mon cœur.* I also developed my own graphic design activity, helping businesses create their brand identity. After many years spent tutoring at LF, teaching was back on the cards for me as I became a training consultant in graphic design for a French training centre. Work has been varié, enrichissant et flexible.*

What did you miss most when you were away from 'home'?

Our friends would be the very first answer, but I also missed the laidback lifestyle and the easy-going mentality. France counts many wonderful traits, but not these ones. I won’t hide the sunshine was also missed on those dark winter days. Although we had an amazing time in Europe, it inexplicably felt like a very long holiday and never quite like home. Australia is home, at least for now.

Well, we are so glad to have you back here. When will we get to see you?

Merci*, it’s great to be back. Very soon, j’espère*!

Hey! | already | he’s Irish | interesting | Christmas | neighbourhood | cheese | wine | the truth | Win-win | lucky | camper van | magical | in my heart | divers, enriching and flexible | Thank you | I hope!

Our French Adventure

We met Rhylee back at our old nid* in Masters St, Newstead. She used to attend lessons with her aunty which we all thought was such a great bonding thing to do (we’d all love une tante* like that, I think).

After a few terms, Rhylee and her aunty drifted off, as often happens. The road to learning a language is rarely a straight one.

Then, to our great delight, just a couple of months ago, we received an email from Rhylee to let us know she was de retour*. And this time, she was bringing someone with her…

So great to have you at the nest, vous deux*!

What made you decide to study French?

Rhylee & Ryan: We are moving to Montreal (Canada) in the near future and want to be involved as culturally as possible. Learning a language also seemed like a fun way to spend our evenings

How long have you been studying French?

Rhylee: We have completed four lessons with Absolute Beginner 1 and have completed some further private lessons with Julie. Our private lessons were a great introduction to learn new phrases tailored to our travels and answered our questions on how we can immerse ourselves in the day-to-day culture of living in a French city. This was Ryan's first introduction to French, however I had attended Lingua Franca way back in 2016. Lingua Franca was fantastic then and I knew it would be the best way to pick it back up again (it is!).

What do you like most about French?

Rhylee: French sounds very pretty and melodic and I especially like being able to read it. I have always adored French culture - it oozes style, art and sophistication and shamelessly I have always wanted to involved in that!

Ryan: I like learning something new and figuring out how it contrasts with the English language.

Any hard bits?

Rhylee: I love using different mouth muscles that I never have before but speaking is certainly difficult. Hopefully a few more lessons and I can build up that confidence.

Ryan: I find learning the indefinite/definite articles difficult and the gender identity of inanimate objects still gets me.

Do you have a favourite French word/phrase?

Rhylee: Enchanté - the reminder in my head is that it is always "enchanting" to meet someone new and it is also a delight to say.

Ryan: je ne comprends pas - this is a phrase not only fun to say but a reliable one and one I am sure I will refer back to many times in my French learning journey.

Goals with the French Language

Rhylee: I love the brightness and positivity of Lingua Franca and felt it was the best way to reach my French speaking dreams. My main goal is to be able to order dinner and drinks in a restaurant and I am sure I will be there in no time!

nest | an aunt | back | you two

Sneak Peek into le Nid | Marque

France is home to many iconic brands. Think Evian, Moët & Chandon, L’Oréal, Longchamp, Sofitel, Peugeot and Bic. The list is as impressive as it is extensive. So which are the favourite marques françaises* of the Lingua Franca team? Read on.

*French brands

My French Adventure: Sam Rees

We credit Sam with a lot of things here at Lingua Franca. Among others, Sam’s suggestion we do her lessons via Skype when she moved back to Perth made the wholesale switch to Zoom relatively painless during the pandemic. Another student says it was Sam who inspired her to get her French ‘r’s under control (Sam’s are great!). So it’s lovely to see that learning French brings a lot to her life, too. Merci*, Sam!

I started French at school – and loved it, although never thought I was particularly good at it.  There was always someone else who seemed to have a better accent, a better understanding of the pesky grammar and the teacher at school was particularly scathing if she didn’t think you would get good grades.  But I loved it, so I kept at it….

Over the years, I kept returning to studying French – at Alliance française in my 20’s, for work in early 30’s – always with enjoyment and a love of anything French but an underlying belief that it wasn’t something that I would ever be ‘good at’.  I was lucky enough to have amazing opportunities to work and travel in France and Canada, with colleagues who would insist that I use my French whenever I could (they also told me that if I would only date a French man, my French would improve no end!)…. But still, I always believed that I would never be anything other than a basic French speaker, with a bad accent, who could get by…

All that changed when I walked past a sign on a Teneriffe Street in 2016 – a very chic sign for some place called Lingua Franca.  I must have walked past it for a month before garnering the courage to call and book in for classes.  From the moment I walked in, I felt very French and very comfortable…. The classes were different from anything that I had done before – they were fun, the materials were engaging and so stylish, the topics were real (no more ‘où est la librarie?’!) and all the other students shared my love of Francophilia….

When I moved back to Perth in 2017, I begged Katrina to set up a Perth school, or at least let me do lessons via Skype.  Once a week, I’d be up at 6am Perth time to fit in a lesson before work.  I jumped at the chance to travel with the team on their first set of France trips (and even took my mother, who had been traumatised by French at school, but who loved her daily classes so much that she took up lessons for a while too).  I’d never travelled with a tour before, but this was amazing – a group of like-minded people who got to visit fantastic places, eat great food and never have to worry about the logistics of where we were going next.

Over the years, even though I don’t live in Brisbane anymore, I’ve been lucky enough to have wonderful teachers to support me virtually.  I’ve read my first novel in French, I can stumble through a TV show without subtitles, I’ve enjoyed the weekends away to see fashion exhibits and I’ve loved the discussions on French culture and world events (all in French of course!).  And, with the support of these great teachers, I’ve gone from thinking that I would only ever be ‘ok’ at French to just savouring all things Francophile.  To anyone considering trying something new, I say do it!

*Thanks

Breaking bread

If you’ve grown up in your country of birth, you’re likely so steeped in that particular culture that you’re unaware of the extent of the practices, customs and social etiquette you adhere to every day.

This explains why the first foray into navigating a new culture can make us so mal à l’aise* - there are just so many opportunities for embarrassment.

So let’s make a start by coming to grips with le pain* at least, in all its charming complexité*.

Un grand merci* to Géraldine from Comme Une Française* for this very helpful explainer vidéo.

*awkward | bread | *complexity | *A big thank you | *Like a Frenchwoman

Why learn a language?

If you’re reading this blog, it’s likely you have your own answer to this question, but sometimes, when you’re knee-deep in the bizarreries* of the verb être*, it can be hard to remember why on earth you started in the first place.

A gently motivational response to the question by world-renowned linguist John McWhorter.

*quirks | *to be

French Assist

We were contacted recently by one of the lovely volunteers from French Assist with what could be une opportunité fantastique* for our more advanced learners.

French Assist is a benevolent society based in Brisbane which helps distressed or isolated French people in Australia by providing moral or logistical support on an ad hoc basis. 

Often people who reach out to them are faced with language barriers or a lack of local knowledge, others are lonely and long for a bit of conversation in their native language.

They used to rely on the French community alone, but they’re now looking for French-speaking people with local knowledge to help out. Could this be you?

If your interest is piqued, I’d suggest reading the account below, and if it warms your heart as it did mine, contact them to offer your services.

A truly meaningful way to put your skills to use.

Ma fille de 21 ans qui venait de terminer son contrat de travail à Sydney a subi un grave accident, elle a donc été hospitalisée pendant un mois.

Je l’ai rejointe rapidement et au préalable j’ai contacté l’ambassade de France qui m’a mise en contact avec French Assist.

Grâce à Pascale qui s’est présentée le jour même de mon arrivée à l’hôpital, j’ai pu me consacrer à ma fille puisqu’elle s’est chargée de me trouver un hébergement, elle a pu traduire également les commentaires des médecins et m’a laissé son numéro de téléphone pour toutes mes demandes et interrogations.

Ensuite Jocelyne et Christian se sont proposés de m’héberger chez eux (à titre exceptionnel), c’est ainsi que j’ai pu rentrer tous les soirs après une journée à l’hôpital dans une charmante et chaleureuse maison, parler en français et bénéficier de conseils, d’un accompagnement lors des démarches administratives et même du transport.

Plus encore ils m’ont permis de manger un bon repas, de rire et d’échanger en français, ce fut des égards et une attention considérables.

Je remercie encore Pascale, Jocelyne et Christian ainsi que Judy, Rosa et tous les bénévoles de French Assist sans lesquels cette épreuve aurait été un véritable cauchemar.

Ma fille va mieux aujourd’hui. Nous sommes rentrées en France et seront reconnaissants à vie de l’action bienveillante et hautement utile de French Assist.

Leila R.

My daughter of 21. who had just finished a work contract in Sydney, suffered a serious accident and was hospitalised for a month.

I got in touch with her straight away then contacted the French Embassy who put me in touch with French Assist.

Thanks to Pascale who was there the very first day I got to the hospital, I could devote myself to my daughter since she took charge of finding me somewhere to stay, was also able to translate what the doctors were saying and left me her phone number for all my questions and queries.

Next Jocelyne and Christian offered to have me stay at their place (they don’t normally do this), which allowed me to come back every evening after a day at the hospital to a charming and welcoming home, speak in French and benefit from their advice as well as helping me with administrative tasks and even transport.

Even more, it allowed me to eat a good meal, to laugh and chat in French, which was incredibly kind and thoughtful of them and made me feel so at home.

I am still thanking Pascale, Jocelyne and Christian as well as Judy, Rosa and all the French Assist volunteers without whom this challenge would have been a true nightmare.

My daughter is going a lot better today. We’re back in France and will be grateful for life for the highly useful and caring actions of French Assist.

Leila R.

Sneak Peek into Le Nid

Quels sont les produits français les plus appréciés par l’équipe Lingua Franca ? Voyons*….

*Which are the French products the Lingua Franca team enjoy the most? Let’s take a look…

Meet the Team - Julie André

Le départ de David* left a big hole here at Lingua Franca but we are absolutely delighted to announce we’ve found someone equally engaging to fill his chaussures*.

Nous vous présentons Julie André*.

From touring around Australia in a camper van toute seule*, to building and managing holiday accommodation in Bali, this is a woman who wears many hats.

If you have the opportunity to meet her (or even better be in one of her classes), count yourself truly chanceux*.

*

*David’s departure | *shoes | *Allow us to introduce you to Julie André | *all by herself | *lucky

Doctor Qui

Here’s a very quick solution for you if the word for ‘who’ in French occasionally escapes you.

Listen to this three-and-a-half minute video by British humoriste* Bill Bailey and c’est promis* you’ll always have it to hand dans le futur*.

*comedian | *I promise | *in the future

French but stupid.

Some of you may have seen Paul Taylor perform here in Australia a few years ago when he served as the ambassador for Le Festival.

An Englishman who spent part of his childhood in France, he speaks French absolutely flawlessly, but as he explains in cette vidéo*, that comes with its own set of problèmes*.

Attention* - he uses the odd gros mot*, so be careful when and where you press play.

*this video | *problems | *Be careful | *swearwords

Notre ami Thibaut

If you’ve been a student at Lingua Franca for a few years, it is likely you’ve come across Thibaut Guigues. Thibaut was kind enough to appear in a series of videos where we asked local French friends to respond to a series of questions about their lives.

Thibaut fielded beginner questions such as ‘comment vous appelez-vous*?’ and ‘vous avez des enfants*?’ all the way through to those requiring much more reflection such as ‘quel livre a le plus marqué votre vie et pourquoi*?’ and ‘si vous étiez votre animal domestique, que feriez-vous de vos journées*?’

At the time Thibaut was 34 years old, the owner of Le Comptoir Français (a business he set up importing classic French clothing brands into Australia) and he and his wife Kate had just had a baby, the delightful (and noisy!) Arthur.

Our students have very fond memories of him, even though they’ve never actually met him. Until now, that is…

Last weekend at the inaugural French Christmas Market in West End, Thibaut was spotted by one of our students and she couldn’t resist the chance to ask for an update on sa vie*.

PS: The affection goes both ways. Thibaut has very kindly offered Lingua Franca readers a 15% discount across his whole range, just in time for Christmas!

LF: Tu peux te présenter, s’il te plaît?

TG: Bonjour, je m’appelle toujours Thibaut mais j’ai maintenant presque 39 ans. Je suis Franco-Australien. J’ai mon propre business qui s’appelle Le Comptoir Français et je suis marié à une australienne.

LF: Tu as combien d’enfants maintenant?

TG: La famille s’est agrandie, en plus d’Arthur (qui a maintenant 6 ans), nous avons une fille qui s’appelle Margaux (comme le vin).

LF: Tu habites où?

TG: Nous avons déménagé et nous habitons maintenant à Toowoomba.

LF: Tu as un animal domestique?

TG: Nous avons un chat qui s’appelle Pomme (comme le fruit) 

LF: Comment vont tes sœurs?

TG: Mes sœurs vont très bien. Une habite en Bretagne et l’autre près de Paris.

LF: Et ton papa? Il joue toujours au golf?

TG: Mon père pratique toujours le golf et le bridge, toutes les activités d’un bon retraité. Il a hâte que les frontières ouvrent pour pouvoir venir nous rendre visite.

LF: Comment va ton business?

TG: Le business continue à grandir car en plus de mon site internet je suis en charge de la distribution pour la marque Saint James pour toute la région Australie/Nouvelle-Zélande. Je trouve de nouveau magasins et je présente les nouvelles collections deux fois par an.

LF: Finalement, tout le monde veut savoir si Arthur crie toujours en se réveillant?

TG: Arthur ne crie plus le matin. Il est passé directement de bébé à adolescent et aime bien faire la grasse matinée.

LF: Can you introduce yourself, please?

TG: Hello, I am still called Thibaut but I am now nearly 39 years old. I have my own business called Le Comptoir Français and I am married to an Australian woman.

LF: How many children do you have now?

TG: The family has grown, in addition to Arthur (who is now 6 years old), we have a little girl called Margaux (like the wine).

LF: Where do you live?

TG: We’ve moved and we now live in Toowoomba.

LF: Do you have a pet?

TG: We have a cat called Apple (like the fruit).

LF: How are your sisters going?

TG: My sisters are going really well. One lives in Brittany and the other close to Paris.

LF: And your Dad? Is he still playing golf?

TG: My father still pays golf and bridge, all the activities of a good retiree. He is keen for the borders to open so he can come and visit us.

LF: How is your business going?

TG: The business continues to grow because in addition to my website I am in charge of the distribution for the Saint James brand for the whole of the Australia/New Zealand region. I’m finding new boutiques and I present new collections twice a year.

LF: Finally, everyone wants to know if Arthur still wakes up crying?

TG: Arthur no longer cries in the morning. He has gone straight from being a baby into adolescence and loves having big sleep-ins.

*what is your name? | *do you have any children? | *which is the book that has most affected you and why? | if you were your pet, what would you do with your days? | *his life

French hand gestures

“You truly have another language with your hands.”

C’est vrai*! It is said that making yourself understood over the phone in a foreign language is so very difficult because up to 80% of all communication is non-verbal.

This very cute video will have you gesticulating your way to better French in no time.

*It’s true!

Hard English words for French people

I know people are dubitatifs* when we tell them that the French often perceive our pronunciation flaws as adorable, but just try watching this video and not smiling in sympathy.

*doubtful

Champagne shortage

The rumours started l’année dernière*, but if you’ve been in deep denial, it’s time to affronter la réalité*.

Oui, c’est vrai*, Australia is experiencing a champagne shortage and it looks like it’s going to get worse before it gets better. If you’re a champagne lover, this news may strike fear into your heart. To get the lowdown, we direct you towards Maud Piovesan’s article on the Emperor website for a detailed analysis.

Again, it was one of our Chouchous* who tipped us off as to this alarming development. Merci d’avoir partagé ces informations, Jillian, et bon courage*!

*last year | *face up to the reality | *Yes, it’s true | *Teacher’s Pets | *Thanks for having shared this information and good luck!

Our favourite desserts

We wish there was a French phrase quite as good as ‘sharing is caring’ but English wins on that one - there simply isn’t a cute translation.

Cela dit* it won’t stop us from sharing with you our team’s favourite French things. From movies to meals, books to places, singers to perfumes, we’ll partage* it all and would love to hear what yours are so don’t be timide*. Add to the list by commenting in our “Sneak Peek into Le Nid’ series.

Here, nos desserts préférés*…

*That being said | *share | *shy | *our favourite desserts

Sneak Peek - acteurs

Even with the Alliance Française French Film Festival firmly in the rétroviseur* for another year, there are still quite a few French films showing here in Brisbane at the moment.

• The Godmother

• De Gaulle, Two of Us

• Antoinette in the Cévennes

• Breathless

• La Vie en Rose

• Bye, Bye Morons

So with le ciné* front of mind, the team from Lingua Franca has cast their votes for their acteurs/actrices préféré(e)s*.

*rearview mirror | *movies | *favourite actors

Do ya’ think I'm sexy?

I think most us us would agree that French is a seriously sexy language. We’ve even done an informal study here at Lingua Franca to look at the particular elements that appeal to our English-speaking ears. The letter ‘j’ does some heavy lifting. Thinks of works like janvier, jupe, joli et j’adore*. The letter combination ‘ge’ plays a part, too: visage, montage, bricolage*. Words ending with ‘ette’ are pretty gorgeous, too: allumette, coquette, courgette et silhouette*. I could go on, but you get the picture.

Even when the French speak English we generally find their accent fairly appealing. There is something very sexy about hearing ‘ze’ for ‘the’ and ‘otel’ for ‘hotel’, don’t you think? Without wanting to break the mood, it’s interesting to note that when French people speak English with a French accent like that, they are speaking English ‘badly’ in their eyes. That is, they have not perfected the sounds of English, meaning they’re unable to reproduce the words as exactly as they’re supposed to be pronounced. Sound familiar? I thought so. Embrace your French pronunciation mistakes - trust me, they go over very well with a French audience.

So which languages do the French find to be douces aux oreilles*? And which language tops the list as the sexiest language in the world? Lastly, who on earth finds an Australian accent super sexy*? Take a look. You may be surprised…

From Australia to Costa Rica and from Sweden to the USA, it seems a French accent has extremely broad appeal.

*January, skirt, pretty and I adore | *face, montage, DIY | *match, a flirtatious woman, zucchini and silhouette | *music to the ears | *extremely sexy

Tips for learning a language

Finalement*! An article on language that tells the truth.

There’s a whole swathe of companies in the language learning cadre* who claim you can learn a language ‘easily!’, ‘in five minutes a day!’ or in ‘only three months!” (and yes, they usually are followed by des points d’exclamation* to drive home the idea that it’s ‘easy!’ to learn a language and that you’re a bit of a fool if you find it harder than that).

Learning a language is an undertaking and depending on what you want to achieve, it can take a few hours (phrases for an upcoming trip) or a whole lifetime (if you love French, this is a thrilling idea, not a depressing one).

C’est un long article*, but if you have the time, I recommend you read the whole article because it’s quite inspiring. Most of our keenest students already complement their learning with other methods such as apps, language exchanges and TV shows. This article has a host of great ideas for embedding more French in your life, and that is always a great thing.

*Finally! | *arena | *exclamation marks | *It’s a long article