This week I’m recommending a French book I read a while back, which has also been adapted as a movie. I can’t speak for the movie as I haven’t seen in, but the book is beautifully written and deeply heartbreaking. The author of the book, Jean-Dominique Bauby, suffered a massive stroke, which led to him getting a condition named locked-in syndrome. Trapped in his own body, Bauby wrote this whole book by blinking with his left eye.
One of the first things I did while taking French 110 (now 111/112) was add a French keyboard to my laptop and phone. What I didn’t know as a beginning French student was that even the French keyboard layout is different!
This layout is called AZERTY, with all the additional French characters (ex. ç, é, and à) arranged on number and symbol keys. It also swaps the positions of Q/A, W/Z, and M, which actually helps you type in French faster, believe it or not! As you advance in French, improving your typing (“la dactylographie”) skills will make a difference in typing emails, essays, and texts. Here are two typing practice recommendations to boost your AZERTY typing skills!
Continue reading “Master the AZERTY keyboard with French typing tests!”
THE SKY IS FALLING, and you can read that in three other languages on TheFableCottage.com. I discovered this website with a friend as we attempted to read bedtime stories in each other’s languages. TheFableCottage is a multilingual library of bedtime stories written in French, German, Spanish, and also Italian! Each story has a few features that make it really helpful for beginning students: audio recordings, captioned video animations, illustrations, and English translations if you get stuck. All of their free short stories can be found on each language’s respective website: TheFrenchExperiment.com, TheGermanProject.com, and TheSpanishExperiment.com. (Stories can also be accessed on TheFableCottage, but not all of them are free.) This is a great resource for beginner-level students, as the grammar and vocabulary are written using everyday and simple language. These stories expand upon the beginner-level language you’ve learned so far using a story you’re likely already familiar with. Having an additional resource like this can supplement what you learn in class and in your textbook by creating a new context where you use your target language. For example, you may have introduced a photo of your family to your 100-level class, but you can practice that same family vocabulary in the context of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. I found the short stories on TheFableCottage to be the perfect resource for anyone in their first year of a language class, and I recommend that you check it out!
Sometimes the best way to practice a language is by just passively listening to it. This could be in a movie with subtitles, or just an interesting video on YouTube. I see it as letting your subconscious absorb the language through osmosis. Is that even a thing? Maybe there’s a science channel that talks about science-y stuff like that. Wait… there is!
C’est Pas Sorcier is a TV show available on YouTube that explains all kinds of science-related stuff in French. They’re meant for middle and high school students whose first language is French, so they do speak a little fast. I would recommend it for intermediate French speakers (A2 level). My personal favorite is “Comment fonctionne notre électroménager?”, it’s very interesting and the characters are really funny. This show is shown A LOT in French high schools, it’s very nostalgic and even though they’re still releasing new videos, they’ve kept their vintage essence. Go check it out!
Here’s the link to the channel! https://www.youtube.com/@Cestpassorcierofficiel
Are you looking for more ways to immerse yourself in French? Podcasts are a great way to implement French into your everyday life. It’s especially important to engage with the language outside the classroom. Whether you’re taking a walk around the canyon, getting lunch in Commons, or trying to fall asleep, a podcast can add a lot more French exposure to your life. It’s a simple way to improve your French comprehension, vocabulary, and cultural knowledge. At the same time, it can be difficult to find the right one. For beginning to intermediate students, I have a recommendation for you: The Duolingo French Podcast!
Continue reading “The Duolingo French Podcast: Découvrez l’histoire de Joséphine Baker”
Hi! I’m Teagan, a sophomore international policy studies major. I’ve taken French courses since middle school and have taken classes with Catherine (211) and Hugh (212). I’m happy to help you learn the fundamentals of French and any area of concern! Feel free to email me (tkspillane@reed.edu) if my scheduled times don’t work for you and we can work something out.
LangLabbie note: Teagan can help you out with 100- and 200-level French classes!
Nina: How long have you been studying French?
K: Since 7th grade!
N: What is your favorite way of practicing?
K: Just talking to other people who speak French. When I went to New York, I heard a lot of people speaking French, and I would just walk up to them and start up a conversation. Really any time I hear someone speaking French I try to speak with them. Any other way of learning just isn’t as fun. It’s necessary of course, but it isn’t as entertaining.
N: Are you ever scared to mess up? Or talk to native speakers?
K: Sometimes, but generally no, because I’m never going to see these people ever again. Also, French people abroad are just excited to speak to someone in French.
N: What is your favorite form of French media?
Continue reading “Interview with a French Tutor”
Come to me with your conjugation, sentence structure, and proposition woes. I am happy to help you with assignments and concepts or use the time as a conversational hour in French.
My schedule is relatively flexible. Reach out if the displayed times do not work for you.
Labbie note: Holden can assist you in both 100 and 200 level French classes!
Hello! My name is Elizabeth Rollison, and I’m a senior GLAM major and French minor. I’ve been taking French since I was in middle school, and have taken both Greek and Latin at Reed. Learning a new language – especially a dead language – is an exciting process, but one that can also feel overwhelming and confusing at times. If you’re looking for a helping hand, feel free to come visit me at drop-in hours or reach out to schedule an individual tutoring appointment!
When most people think of Hip Hop as a genre or as a cultural movement, they (rightly) think of New York City. This subculture was born in the Black community of the South Bronx, and quickly spread to other parts of the city, then the country, and within a few years, Hip Hop was iterated in some form almost everywhere in the world.
