I’m ranting a bit in this episode! I’ve lost count of how many times I heard students say that they don’t dare speaking French by fear of sounding ridicule or making mistakes. They make excuses with themselves to postpone the time they'll give French conversation a try, thinking they first need to study more French grammar and textbooks. If you can relate to this situation, I'll give you my opinion on this (well, you probably already have an idea of what I think!) and I will try to get you out of your analysis-paralysis state and to JUST DO IT! I'll give you simple tips on how to improve your … Read More →
FYW 077 : “Zero confidence when speaking French!”
How to improve your confidence to speak French with others ? One listener of French Your Way Podcast wrote to me: "I get so caught up on the grammar mistakes that I'm making and worry a lot about what the other person is thinking of me (i.e. "She's dumb", "She's wasting my time"..." If this sounds like it could be you too, don’t miss this episode. I’m sharing my thoughts and tips on how to improve your confidence when speaking French. I hope this will help! LINKS and RESOURCES Institut de Français: http://www.institutdefrancais.com "How long does it take to learn French?" … Read More →
FYW 075 : France Travel Tips (PART 3): Driving
Travelling around France by car is by far the best option to get to see the most beautiful villages, secret gorges and most picturesque sceneries my country has to offer. Plus, you stop when you want for a break, a coffee or to take photos and make unplanned detours, decide to change your itinerary or just stay in a lovely location just a bit longer! So, if you feel comfortable with driving a manual car on the right-hand side of the road, I would strongly recommend you hire a car and France will be your oyster! Before you hit the road though, please be aware of some rules that may be different … Read More →
FYW 074 : France Travel Tips (PART 2): Taking the Train
Are you travelling through France by train this summer? Lucky you! Taking the TGV ("Train à Grande Vitesse", i.e fast train) in France is simple but here are my 10 tips on how to take the train in France to make your trip even easier. In this episode, you’ll find out where to get your ticket, how to ensure you’re not getting onboard the wrong train (especially when it splits on the way), how you can avoid having to run like crazy on the platform with your luggage to find your carriage door before your train leaves and much more! This is an audio version of my article "10 tips on how to … Read More →
FYW 073 : France Travel Tips (PART 1): General Tips
To celebrate summer I’ve prepared for you a series of 3 episodes with my best travel tips for your stay in France! In this episode I’ll cover: how to plan your itinerary and avoid being stuck in traffic, how many "bises" (kisses) you should smack on French people’s cheeks, and much more. Learn false friend words that may cause confusion to English speakers visiting France. Also, are you aware of the most popular scams where people may try to fool you and get a hand on your money? Do you know which types of flowers you should NOT bring to your French host? It’s all in this episode! Stay … Read More →