World Wellness Group

For those of you who are new to Lingua Franca, you may not have noticed a basket of groceries as you enter the office.

We're putting it in a more prominent place in the coming weeks in case any of you are interested in contributing to the collection of goods for our friends, the World Wellness Group, a not-for-profit organisation located in Stones Corner who provide medical care for some of our most at-risk fellow Brisbanites. Helping to keep their community pantry with staples such as rice, pasta, canned beans and UHT milk allows the WWG to maintain their high levels of care.

All contributions gratefully accepted, none expected.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire

A French film that could very well make you feel better about your skills…

Do you ever go to see a French film and walk away completely discouraged because you understand so little? This has always been my experience, even after studying French for over 35 years and having lived in France.

As a part-time maso*, I like to test myself to see how long I can stare at the screen and just listen to the dialogue without resorting to reading the subtitles. I usually last about three changes of text before lowering my gaze (and with it, my self-esteem).

So why are French movies so hard to understand? Oftentimes, the scenes depicted are of daily life, so the language used is quite familiar and includes a lot of slang, which we don't necessarily know. Movies also need a conflict for their dramatic arc, so you'll often have people screaming at each other which makes understanding them almost impossible.

Imagine my delight, then, when I went to see Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune femme en feu) last weekend and in the first scene I understood every single word. I was giggling away to myself, thinking that I could report back to our students that there is a film out there that is easy to understand...finally!

A mild disclaimer: after the first scene, the language changed a little and therefore became a bit trickier to understand without consulting les sous-titres*, but en gros* it was the clearest and most easy to understand French film I have seen in a while. And did I mention it is a breathtakingly beautiful film? Please go and see it.

Finally, more than one morale de l'histoire*:

1) don't judge your French ability by French films - it'll be one of the later things you conquer
2) try for period pieces (such as the above) - the French they use is more formal and therefore easier to understand.
3) do not be like me and turn watching French films into a blood sport. Go and enjoy the sheer beauty of letting the French language wash over you. You'll never regret it.

*masochist *subtitles *in the main *moral of the story

Practice Videos

Over the Christmas break, we set to work on a new range of videos designed to help French learners improve their spoken French. I'd say 95% percent of our students at one point or another will complain that although they are able to read and write quite well, they just cannot get the words out when it comes time to speak. Many of us can formulate perfect French sentences when we're in the shower or walking the dog, but under pressure all those words just seem to evaporate dans la nature*.

As clichéd as it may sound, the key is to practise, practise, practise to the point where you're boring yourself. This serves two ends: 1) the repetition will embed the sentence in your head and 2) you'll naturally lose some of your inhibitions by dint of having repeated the same thing so many times. So have a play around with our new videos. Play, pause and replay them as many times as you like, and just when you're starting to feel the ennui*, put yourself under a bit of pressure by letting them run straight through. If you fold under pressure? Just recommencez*...

*into thin air *boredom *start again 

And for those of you who are not quite absolute beginners, here is a slightly more difficult version:

And if you're feeling a bit more daring...

Et pour les experts...  

Le Vlog de Deborah

We all miss Deborah, but luckily for us she's going to be checking in via the Chouchou News each month. Being janvier*, it's all about la galette des rois* and who gets to be king for a day and wear the crown.

For those of you who don't know Deborah...well, you missed out! Deborah worked at Lingua Franca in Brisbane for 7 years as a tutor and also took over the design from me (Katrina) in the early years of Lingua Franca (trust me, you should be thankful for that). In December 2019, Deborah and her family moved back to France but Deborah continues to be a very valuable member of the Lingua Franca family, taking care of all our graphic design work à distance.*

*January *Epiphany cake *remotely

Bradley Cooper speaking French

As If Bradley Cooper isn’t talented enough, did you know he also speaks fluent French? Here is an example of his skill:

I think we’d all agree now that Bradley is fairly ‘cool’, but as a child he claims he most certainly was not. In fact, it was this belief that prompted him to take up French. According to People Magazine, Bradley was first inspired to learn French as a child after watching Chariots Of Fire. As he said, “There’s a scene where a guy was speaking French and I thought, ‘Man, that sounds so cool.’ ” 

Many of us, I’m sure, can relate to that feeling: wanting to speak French because it’s beautiful and sexy and cool. We all know, though, that it’s a difficult road to speaking in a way that is even remotely attractive, as we stumble and crank our way through the basics of French. Bradley speaks so well (okay, he makes little errors here and there but his accent is sublime) that for a long time, the jealous part of me assumed he was Canadian and had grown up speaking it. “Easy for him…”, I’d say to myself.

But in fact, no. The star of the Hangover franchise and the director of A Star is Born has put in the hard yards.  Despite growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia and not being “the smartest person”, he went on to do a Bachelor of Arts in English at Georgetown University, with a French minor. He then took advantage of an exchange program through his university, spending six months with a host family in Aix-en-Provence.

It’s clear from watching the clip that Bradley has a passion for French and of course, as an actor, he is undoubtedly gifted at the art of mimicry. However, I believe he touches on the secret to his success when he says “I’m not afraid to make mistakes.” So please, in watching this video, be inspired, not discouraged. You may not be able to speak as well as Bradley right now, but with consistent effort and a bit of daring, you will get there.

Alice Guy-Blaché

With the French Film Festival coming up in March/April, this article in the Guardian caught my eye.

We once ran a workshop on French film, and I remember coming across this woman when we were doing the research for the course. Many of us may associate the Lumière Brothers with the movies, but Frenchwoman Alice Guy-Blaché, who made over 1000 films in Hollywood? Probablement pas*.

*Probably not 

Le tréma

This past week at Lingua Franca we've been holding free trial lessons in the run-up to a new term. One day, we had a small group including an absolute beginner, an intermediate (but slightly rusty) speaker and someone who was really quite advanced. I decided to do a quick lesson on the French accents, as it is suitable for all levels and en plus* it's heaps of fun! I thought you might like it too, so this week we made a short video explaining my favourite accent of the five, le tréma*. Enjoy.

*plus *the trema (or the two dots you sometimes see above a vowel in French).

How to recognise une bonne baguette*.

Apart from the delicious taste, I suppose? Well, there is one tell-tale sign you may not know about: les alvéoles*. So what are these indicators of quality? Simply put, they are air cavities and can help you distinguish an artisanal bread from a mass-produced one. The air pockets are usually the result of a dough that has been treated with the respect it deserves, that is, with as little interference from le boulanger* as possible.

So what is is about theses trous* that makes for a special bread? Here below an explanation from the esteemed website, Pains et Tradition*:

"En effet, afin de créer des pains exceptionnels on essaye de manipuler la pâte le moins possible et on se contente de simplement découper au format voulu en laissant la fermentation naturelle produire son œuvre."

"In fact, in order to create exceptional breads, we try to touch the dough as little as possible and simply cut it into the shape we require and then let natural fermentation do its work."

Mais attendez*! There's more...

"Ainsi, certains pains peuvent présenter une superbe alvéole que l’on qualifie de trou mais qui, en réalité est un signe de grande tradition et de respect de la nature."

"Thus, certain breads have superb air cavities that may look like holes, but in fact are a sign of great tradition and a respect of nature."

So where to find the best baguettes in Brisbane? Please do let us know your favourite spot, but here are some of ours:

Christian Jaques, Kangaroo point (Christian flies his flour in from France. That is dedication.)

Danny's Bread, Teneriffe (worth a trip for the smell of the fresh bread alone)

Chouquette, New Farm (surely soon to be granted 'institution' status?)

Bon appétit!*

*a good baguette | *air cavities | *the baker | *Breads and Tradition | *But wait! | *Happy eating!

MORE ON DIOR

Our coup de cœur* continues...

Back from our weekend in Melbourne seeing the Dior exhibition and accompanied by Brisbane designer Paul Hunt, we're all inspirés* by the world of fashion.

Above, notes from our October Meetup which was devoted to la maison de Christian Dior*. We hope you enjoy them.

Below, links to some very interesting videos à propos de* Dior. Profitez-en*.

**love affair | *inspired | *the Christian Dior fashion house | *about | *make the most of them.

Paris - City of Fashion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1CosehYHWc

Inside Dior

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNUdRv1yRS4

Handmade with Love in France

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0mYDZXnbF0

Christian Dior

Christian Dior

As many of you may know, we are taking a group of students and friends down to Melbourne to see the Christian Dior exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria soon, with the lovely and talented Paul Hunt as our chaperon*. 

In celebration of the seventieth anniversary of the House of Dior, the exhibition is organised by theme, and includes a sumptuous display of more than 140 créations* designed by Christian Dior Couture between 1947 and 2017.

Part of the reason for my interest in this exhibition is that this year I have watched two or three documentaries on Christian Dior and his famous maison de couture*. As often happens, someone recommended a doco to me, I watched it and then off down the rabbit hole of haute couture* I went. I wouldn't rate fashion as one of my passions (though I've always had an interest in it) but these documentaries really got me in. The creativity, the craftsmanship and the sheer beauty of the creations are really worthy of marvel and an absolute visual delight.

I started with 'Dior and I', which documents the arrival of Raf Simons as the new Creative Director of the house. Measured and modest, does Raf have what it takes to modernise the brand? If all it took were creativity, Raf would be a shoo-in (see his transformation of a somewhat bland exhibition space into a floral explosion for proof). However, as we learn, politics, egos, tempers and commerce all have a hand to play.

Next, I moved onto Inside Dior, which charts the arrival of Dior's first ever female Creative Director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. I cannot for the life of me work out how I managed to watch it as I can only find la bande annonce* now, but I believe it is available on Foxtel.

Then, thoroughly intrigued, I travelled back in time to see where it all started. Christian Dior: The Man Behind the Myth an English-language documentary that lifts the veil on Dior's upbringing and his unlikely rise to “director of dreams for high society”.

I hope you enjoy this most beautiful journey dans le terrier du lapin* as much as I did.

*chaperone | *creations | *fashion house | *high fashion | *the trailer | *down the rabbit hole

Coin culture | Culture corner

Coin culture | Culture corner

© Bianca Brandon-Cox

Even if your childhood has long passed, I am sure you’ll remember the little counting rhyme you used to use in order to make decisions. Does ‘Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…’ ring a bell at all? I bet it does. And I bet now you’ve remembered it you’ll be wishing you could use it as an adult from time to time when things get really compliqué*, non?*

Have you ever wondered (and I’m guessing not) how the French enfants* approach this decision-making process? Well, wonder no longer, because le voici*:

Am, stram, gram,

Pic et pic et colégram,

Bourre et bourre et ratatam,

Am, stram, gram.

As to the meaning of the ditty, speculation abounds, including having origins as a Teutonic saying used to decimate prisoners (not so nice) or even a Shamanic incantation (très mystérieux*). Ma version préférée* is that is simply a form of onomatopoeia, invented for the sheer pleasure children’s ears.

For those of you who are more visual, voici une vidéo*. It is très mignon*.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3jZmWdcebs

*complicated | *no? | *children | *here it is | *very mysterious | *My preferred version | *here is a video | *very cute

Le chouchou | Teacher's pet

Le chouchou | Teacher's pet

Corinne Sklavos

Name/nom: Corinne Sklavos

Age/âge: 28 

Level/Niveau: ABR

LF:    Corinne, quelle est ta profession?

CS:     I work as a medical scientist.

LF     Pourquoi tu étudies le français?

CS:    I am studying French to minimise my sense of unilingual shame on my trip to France in September. I have never studied a language before but I am having a lot of fun in my group lessons at Lingua Franca. I have some very clever friends that speak French. I like texting them in French when I can…it’s good practice for those irregular verbs (no wonder I’m le chouchou). French culture just seems so cool to me too: wine, cheese, Dior…say no more!

LF:     Mot préféré en français?

CS:     My favourite French word is Billecart-salmon 🥂 #tchintchin

LF:     Merci, Corinne et bon courage pour Term 4.

CS:     You’re welcome, LF!

Peut mieux faire | can do better

Peut mieux faire | can do better  

On aime | We like

On aime | We like

Chef's table France

© Kevin Laurino / Netflix

Even if you don’t have Netflix, I strongly encourage you to take a look at Chef’s Table France on Youtube. If you have Netflix, tant mieux*, you are in for a sensual treat of the highest order.

The Emmy-nominated series opens the door on the world of French cuisine. Beautifully shot and captivatingly told, the stories of the passion, drive and sheer excellence of some of France’s top chefs will have your papilles* pulsating. The series will open your eyes to the esteem in which the French hold their most enduring obsession: la cuisine*.

One of the most touching stories comes from Alexandre Couillon, a high school dropout from the gastronomic wasteland of Noirmoutier on the Atlantic Coast, whose surname means ‘moron’. Despite this unfortunate moniker, Alexandre is an absolute genius in the kitchen. Along with his wife, Alexandre pours his heart and soul into their restaurant La Marine, in the hopes of putting his terroir* on the map. Seven years later, they are ready to walk away defeated, when un grand rebondissement* comes their way. No spoilers here, but if you don’t shed une larme ou deux*, you might need to check your pulse. Fantastic viewing. The best thing for you, as a student French: English subtitles. Watch, learn and be inspired.

Voici la bande announce* for season 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZsysCwH3zQ

*all the better | *taste buds | *food | *homeland | *twist in the tale | *a tear or two | *Here is the trailer

Au nid | In the nest

Au nid | In the nest

links

If you’ve been meaning to do it all year, grab your last chance to come along to a Free Trial lesson here au nid. We’d love to get you started on your French apprentissage* before the year is out.

If you’re plein d’enthousiasme* about your French, these upcoming school holidays offer you a chance to hone your skills even more. Whether it’s travel French you’re after, or you want to clean up all of those pesky little words (en, à, aux, mon, du…ringing bells?) our September workshops could be just the solution*. Learn more here: En Voyage and Les Petits Mots.

Can you believe we’re heading towards the end of the year already? Before things get too crazy, be sure to sign up for Term 4. Classes start the week of the 2nd October and we look forward to seeing you en classe*.

Youpi!* It’s finally happening. Many of you have been asking us for years and in September 2018 we’re going to make it une réalité. Yes, our inaugural France trip. We’re in the planning stages, but if this announcement make your oreilles* prick up, go here to learn more. 

For those of you who prefer to stay a little closer to home, we will once again be heading off to Nouméa in April next year. We’d love to have you come along. Let us know you’re keen. For all you rats de bibliothèques* out there, in Term 4 we will once again be running our Club de Lecture on Thursdays at 10am. This term, we have chosen a slightly easier book called Et si c’était vrai*, which will be a relief to those who participated in Term 3’s bookclub. By the way, huge félicitations to those very students. You certainly did not shy away from the challenge! Your vocabulary will thank you, c’est promis.

Finally, a lovely thing happened au nid* this week. Katrina was named as a finalist in the Australian Institute of Managers and Leaders ALEA awards. She did not take out the gong this time, but what a wonderful feeling to be nominated. To the mystery person who made it happen, un grand merci*.

*learning | *all fired up | *answer | *in class | *Yippee! | *ears | *bookworms | *And if it were true | *I promise | *in the nest | *a huge thank you.