history Archives - French Your Way

FYW 128 : Bastille Day in France: French vocabulary, culture, history…

July 19, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

What do French people do on Bastille Day? What do you wish French people on Bastille Day? As France celebrated its national holiday just a few days ago, learn what historical events are behind it and increase your French vocabulary! This episode is also packed with personal memories related to Bastille Day ;-) Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode le 14 juillet, la Fête Nationale = Bastille Day la prise de la Bastille = Storming of the Bastille in short, what happened: le Tiers État = Third Estate Le clergé = clergy La noblesse = the nobility Un jour … Read More →

FYW 109 : All about the old French Republican Calendar!

March 8, 2017 by Jessica 2 Comments

Did you know that France used a different calendar for a few years, after the French Revolution? This was called the French Republican Calendar and time had a whole different way of being divided (which is probably why it didn't last!). Find out more about the ideas behind the creation of the French Republican Calendar...and learn some vocabulary of course! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Le calendrier républicain / le calendrier révolutionnaire. Vendémiaire Vendanges: grape harvest Brumaire La brume = the mist Frimaire Nivôse Pluviôse Pluvieux = … Read More →

FYW 105 : A must-see in Paris: le Panthéon

February 8, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

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 081 : The History Behind the Names of French Meals… with a Pinch of Grammar!

August 24, 2016 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Find out what "déjeuner" means in French and why we say "petit-déjeuner". You’ll also understand why these meals are taken at different times of the day in some places, which can be a bit confusing! I'll also draw your attention to a couple of common mistakes often made by students: how to translate “to have a meal” in French and the use of definite articles in some expressions! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Prendre un repas = to have a meal Prendre un café = to have a coffe, to drink a coffee jeûner = to fast, to abstain from eating le … Read More →

“œ”, the French Ligature

November 2, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

This is the last article of a three-part series I dedicated to some French graphic signs based on this request from Oska: I would enjoy if you could also perhaps do a lesson or two in the future on other French diacritics and ligatures, e.g. the cedilla, the diaeresis (or tréma), the ligature ‘œ’. As speakers and writers of a language which does not mostly possess such ‘baroque’ written adornments, I think Anglophones (= English speakers) find them quite fascinating. And perhaps a little bit of a barrier, which explication can help overcome. In the first article, I told you everything I knew … Read More →

FV 024 : A Year as an Au Pair in Australia

September 15, 2015 by Jessica 3 Comments

A working holiday visa is the perfect way to travel and be able to work to finance your trip or simply to learn the language. That’s what Sabine is doing: she is currently working as an au pair in a family in Sydney. Sabine will tell us why she decided to go to Australia, how she found her host family and what her typical day is like. She’ll also share her plans of travelling. If you have some suggestions and tips for Sabine to enjoy the travelling part of her stay in Australia, you’re welcome to use the comment section at the bottom of the show notes. Stay tuned after the interview if you … Read More →

FV 023 : Behind the Scenes of SBS French Radio with Christophe Mallet

September 1, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Have you ever heard about the Australian radio called SBS? Wherever you are in the world, you can listen to it live or in podcast (so, it’s very good for more French exposure!). SBS broadcasts in many languages including French, and a few weeks ago, I met Christophe Mallet, the executive producer for the French program. He invited me and gave me a tour of the studios. I also attended a live broadcast and got interviewed about French Voices podcast. (You can listen to this short interview too, the link is in the shownotes below). In today’s episode, Christophe and I switched roles and I … Read More →

FV 019 : Virologist Serge Talks About his Work, the Difference Between French in Quebec and France, and Dancing

July 1, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Serge is a marine virologist from Quebec now living in Australia. In this episode, we cover a broad range of topics such as Serge’s profession, the differences between the French from Quebec and from France (school system, language, accent, social differences). We also talk about Serge’s involvement with some events organised by Alliance Francaise de Geelong and his hobbies. If you like this podcast, I would love for you to leave a review on iTunes! I’ll read out a few reviews in the next episode. :) Episode Timeline [05 min 26 sec] Quebec and Montreal [06 min 38 sec] Chicoutimi [09 min … Read More →

FV 017 : Listen to concertmaster and violinist Ignace Jang to help tune your ear…to French !

June 1, 2015 by Jessica 2 Comments

Ignace Jang is the concertmaster of Honolulu symphony orchestra. We talk about his background, profession and the string program he will be running this coming July. We’ll also talk about the influence of immigration on music and about Hawaii ! Announcement for the Aussie listeners: if you’re around Sydney on the 10th, 11th and 12th of July 2015, come and say hi at the Bleu Blanc Rouge French festival! More information will be coming on my Facebook (French Your Way) – but it seems like my site will be located near the kid’s corner and the pétanque playing area. Finally, I’m curious: … Read More →

How to Count in French from 70 ?

March 11, 2015 by Jessica Leave a Comment

How to count in French from 70 is often tricky for French learners. Craig wrote to me : "To me it seemed more like calculation when trying to learn these numbers as their literal translation is more like a maths equation. For example, 72 translates as sixty-twelve, 86 as four-twenty-six, 98 as four-twenty-ten-eight. If you have grown up learning French, it probably doesn’t seem strange, but the numbers 70 to 100 have never felt natural to me in French." Dear reader and student of French, rejoice! I believe I can help you count from 70 to 100 in French easily! ;-) First, I will … Read More →