Category Archives: french is beautiful

french for paris

blossoms-in-paris

 

The blossoms are blooming here in Pennsylvania, despite Mother Nature being very confused (it’s currently 45 degrees). From what I’m seeing on my friends snapchats and images, the blooms are beginning in Paris, and I’m hoping to see them in ten days, eek! I’m crazy busy getting both home + work life in order before I go, but right now I’m making time to review my French. As you may have seen in my French is Beautiful series, I’ve been studying and improving thanks to (my friend + tutor) Carrie Anne James. Even after years of speaking French, I always review and refresh my knowledge before a trip. Speaking the language (even at a basic level) shows respect, makes things easier, and therefore, more enjoyable.

The French for Paris audio program covers all the basics for navigating and enjoying Paris, and while it’s quite comprehensive, it’s not overwhelming. Carrie Anne teaches you to improvise in conversation, not just imitate, as well as offering cultural tips to help you understand why certain things are said (or not). There are also some fun extras, like the “traveling with kids” bonus lesson, which I’m honored to have inspired! Also included in the course is a guide to Carrie’s favorite places in Paris, which I’ve devoured. While all of her program offerings are amazing (see them here), if you have plans to travel to Paris (and France in general), this one’s for you. Tell her I sent you…merci à tous!

image courtesy of Ashley Ludaescher Photography

*my tutoring is c/o French is Beautiful…these words + opinions are my own*

french is beautiful

place-de-la-republique2-3

 

“Aucun pays ne profite aussi bien de la vie sur terre que la France.

No country does life on earth better than the French.”

Blackpoodles

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The author of this quote is unknown except for their pseudonym, but no matter – the message is poignant, and so very true. I’m deviating from my usual focus on language in this series, in light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris. While many others have eloquently articulated their feelings on this subject better than my writing abilities would ever allow, I simply cannot remain silent. It’s no secret that France has my heart, and Paris is at the beating center of it. It hurts me deeply to see the French people, and the city, suffering so. And yet, while hearts are heavy, the messages and displays of strength, resilience, and hope shine brightly through the darkness. The city of Paris has a Latin motto: fluctuat nec mergitur, which translates to “tossed by the water but not sunk”. We have all felt the waves, around the globe. As “blackpoodles” stated so beautifully, “Paris, we love you. We cry for you. We know you will laugh again, and sing again, and make love, and heal, because loving life is your essence. The forces of darkness will ebb. They will lose. They always do.” Thank you Paris, for sharing your strength with the world. Take comfort knowing that we stand with you.

* french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here *

french is beautiful

paris-spiral-stairs

 

“L’esprit humain fait progrès toujours, mais c’est progrès en spirale.

The human mind always makes progress, but it is a progress in spirals.”

Madame de Staël

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Life is finally returning to a (somewhat) normal pace pour moi, and I’m able to continue to my French studies, hooray! It’s perfect timing really, as French is Beautiful Level 2 has just begun. I’ve actually been doing some research lately about learning/teaching methods (more on that soon) and discovered “the spiral curriculum“. In a spiral curriculum, learning is spread out over time rather than being concentrated in shorter periods – material is revisited repeatedly. This method describes exactly how I’ve learned French (since childhood), and it has benefitted me greatly. While I never intentionally set out to learn this way, the organic nature of the process has indeed helped me retain much more information. In my opinion, I think it also has a lot to do with the success of my tutor Carrie Anne James’ teachings. Studies show that far more information is retained by the brain with repetition of content over time, making for more successful long-term learning. I’ll spare you anything more technical and get to my point – I’m learning…slowly, but steadily.

* french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here *

french is beautiful

frenchisbeautifuliggrid

 

I thought a little change of pace might be nice…I’m sharing a few of my favorite Instagram accounts to follow if you’re learning, or want to improve, your French. While there’s a plethora of beautiful French + Francophile accounts (of which I’ll share my favorites soon), the ones that provide language learning opportunities are more rare. I actually discovered my tutor Carrie Anne James via Instagram…I fell hard for her cinematic french word/ phrase pronuncation videos. Speaking of which, she will be doing that exact thing via a daily email, beginning in August – I highly recommend signing up for it here! Her and I both find inspiration in these accounts – some are for beginners, others more advanced…but they are all lovely and informative. I realize that I subconsciously ended up with a summery theme when curating this grid…it must be my vacation brain, ha. Give them a follow and let me know what your favorites (for learning) are!

(listed in order, from top to bottom, left to right)

@zoemacaron | @frenchwords | @deedeeparis | @frenchwords  | @mylittleparis | @malinzillen | @frenchwordsjournal | @theparisdarling | @sophiefontanel | @malinzillen | @deedeeparis | @frenchisbeautiful

french is beautiful

paris-skyline-ashley-ludaescher-photography

 

“Ma patrie, c’est la langue française. | My homeland is the French language.”

Albert Camus

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My life currently revolves around the subject of home, in both the physical and metaphoric sense. For the purpose of this post, I’m going to address the latter. I’ve always felt at home when in France, and when speaking the language there is a strong sense of familiarity. Whether it’s due to my ancestry, my Francophilia, or the many years I’ve dedicated to learning, studying and improving my French provides a feeling of belonging for me. I’m craving that feeling more than ever, especially considering the current chaos in my life. I’ve let my studies slip a bit, and I’m missing it. However difficult it may be at the moment, I’m determined to continue the progress I’ve made. I’ll be revisiting and reviewing lessons from Carrie Anne James during this transitional period, along with a few private lessons along the way. My next post will delve more deeply into the language aspect, but for now…I’m making time for learning, and finding solace in it.

* french is beautiful is a regular series – browse the archives here *