Have you ever heard of inclusive writing? I hadn't, until I recently listened to a debate about it from a French radio program and I immediately wanted to share the concept with you - it is most interesting to see how equality, feminism and more social issues are trying to leave their mark in language itself. How? By revolutionising French spelling and encouraging the choice of alternative words in order to avoid the predominance of the masculine form over the feminine! I'll also give you my opinion about the proposed changes! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this … Read More →
Search Results for: masculine feminine
FYW 145 : The French school system
What is the traditional pathway followed by French children? How does the French school system work? Is it enforcing inequalities or addressing them? Do French pupils wear a uniform? Learn about the French school system in this episode! I’ll also give you plenty of vocabulary of course…as well as my thoughts about the pros and cons of French schools! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode éducation (fem) = education, teaching, tuition, instruction instruction (fem) = education Instruction gratuite, laïque et obligatoire (Jules Ferry) La maternelle Une … Read More →
FYW 110 : Animal Names in French
Here's an interesting question I got from a student of French: “I understand that animal names in French are generally masculine and feminine (eg. une girafe) but if I am talking about a male girafe, can I say ‘un girafe’? Now, dear listener, how would you answer this question? Listen to this episode to find out! LINKS and RESOURCES "French Animal Names: What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female" My article: " Masculine or Feminine? Telling the Gender of French Nouns" French Your Way Podcast, Episode 32: "How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or Feminine (Part 1)" French Your … Read More →
FYW 105 : A must-see in Paris: le Panthéon
If you haven’t already done so, I strongly suggest you go check out the Panthéon on your next visit in Paris! Listen to why I loved it...and learn a few words and facts along the way! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Un mausolée = a mausoleum Aux Grands Hommes la Patrie Reconnaissante = For Great Men the Grateful Nation La patrie = homeland, motherland Etre reconnaissant,e = to be grateful Le Pendule de Foucault Emouvant,e = moving LINKS and RESOURCES http://www.pantheonparis.com Episode 33 : How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or … Read More →
FYW 102 : Answers to Episode 100 and winner announcement!
Here are the answers to the 15 questions of the quiz I designed to celebrate episode 100 of French Your Way Podcast. How did you go with them?I'll also announce the winner of a French lesson with me....rum drolls.... Let's go! This episode was also broadcast live on Facebook, if you haven't already like French Your Way's page on Facebook to be notified when I go live on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/frenchyourway/ Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode How do you translate in French: "He slept for 6 hours" ? (ep2) Il a dormi (pendant) six heures. … Read More →
FYW 100 : Celebrating Episode #100!! Take the quiz and win a French lesson with me!!
For this special episode, I offer to go back and refresh what you’ve learnt over all the time we’ve spent together! (if you’ve only started to listen to this podcast recently, don't worry!) I’ve prepared a quiz of 15 questions which you can find in the shownotes below and that includes the number of the episode I refer to for each question. I hope you'll enjoy testing yourself. Most of all, I hope that you’ll realise how much you’ve learnt and - hopefully- improved too! In order to reward you for your efforts, you can win a French lesson with me! Email me your answers to this quiz at jessica … Read More →
FYW 098 : The different forms of BEAU in French
What’s the feminine of beau in French? What’s the masculine of belle? From this seemingly simple question, you’ll get a chance to brush up your French grammar – or learn something new. My signature digressions will also take you to other similar examples…and will give you the opportunity to discover a couple of French expressions! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Un beau garçon, un beau camion Une belle fille, une belle-fille Un bel appartement, un bel Espagnol bel et bien = well and truly, definitely être promis à un bel avenir = to have a bright … Read More →
FYW 089 : How to Proofread Your French Essay
To help you with thorough proofreading of your French essays, I have created a proofreading checklist so you can correct most of your mistakes yourself. If you prepare for a French exam (DELF, DALF) or for any written French assignment, I strongly recommend you get into the habit of using the following proofreading checklist so that you are familiar with it when you need it most: on exam day! You can download my free proofreading checklist from my website: https://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this … Read More →
All About the “Tréma”
This article is the second of a three-part series from a question submitted by Oska. Also read : Part 1 : la cédille (French cedilla) Part 3 : le “œ” (French ligature) What is a tréma ? Have a look at the tréma ID card! (I’ll explain the “acts as a crown” function in the next section, keep reading.) Technically, the tréma -or diaeresis- is a diacritic sign made or two dots. Actually, it used to be written like two acute accents (‘’), but is now written as two dots (¨). If you know German, the tréma looks like the German umlaut. 2) Its name really is “tréma” only, not … Read More →
The Definitive Guide About the Word “tous” (French Grammar, French Pronunciation)
Whatever your level is in French, I bet you will learn something in this article! What’s the difference between tout / tous / toute / toutes? How and when to use them ? How to know when to pronounce the “s” at the end of “tous” in French ? – This last question comes from one of my listeners of French Your Way podcast. I have featured it in episode 14. Click here to listen to the episode. “Tout” (meaning “all” in English or sometimes “all of”, “the whole”, “the entire”, “every” etc. – you get the idea) has different spellings, such as: There’s nothing complicated or out of the … Read More →