Marie Coudert collects and sells vintage letters from the facades of Parisian shops which are closing or undergoing renovation. She also has quite a unique way of getting around in Paris, a good eye (check her Instagram account!) and has published a very original book about cross stitching which is very unique as well. If you love Paris, its flea markets and vintage decoration, this episode is definitely for you! Follow with the transcription if you need to. Episode Timeline [04 min 36 sec] Where Marie lives and works. Parisian landmarks nearby. [06 min 25 sec] Emmaüs [07 min 35 sec] … Read More →
FV 015 : Paris to Provence, Melbourne’s biggest French Festival
Laura Rancie is the founder and organiser of the annual Paris to Provence French festival, the biggest French event in Melbourne. Listen to the stories behind the creation of the festival, find out what’s in store for the next edition in November and share Laura’s contagious passion and excitement for everything French! Episode Timeline [03 min 27 sec] Laura’s background [04 min 54 sec] Laura’s first own business [05 min 50 sec] Bringing Provence to Melbourne [07 min 56 sec] How Laura’s idea become the Paris to Provence French Festival [09 min 59 sec] Les santons de Provence [14 min 01 … Read More →
How to Play Petanque (Rules of Petanque)
Pétanque (French boules) is the 10th most popular sport in France and is also played by millions of French people for pleasure, especially during summer holidays where tournaments organised in the camping / holiday resorts are very common (I remember enrolling in some “tournois de pétanque” myself as a teenager). Last July, my husband and I spent a few weeks in France and playing pétanque again revived fond childhood memories. I eventually had a set delivered to Australia - the “boules” are so heavy it would have been a shame to take them back in our luggage as we would have lost some … Read More →
FV 014 : Travel the World While Playing Tennis
Sacha is a young French entrepreneur who’s turned his passion for tennis into a career. He offers to take tennis fans to exotic destinations to play tennis on the most prestigious courts in the world. To celebrate the upcoming French Open Grand Slam Tournament (Roland Garros), this episode is dedicated to all the tennis fans. Episode Timeline [03 min 13 sec] Sacha, "le Ch'ti" [05 min 35 sec] Sacha’s background [07 min 27 sec] First work experiences in Australia [07 min 58 sec] A passion for tennis [09 min 50 sec] World Tennis Travel : introduction [13 min 53 sec] Price range and … Read More →
FV 013 : Hitting the Road with French Books on Wheels
Jacques Bernard is the founder of Le Forum bookstore, the only bookstore exclusively and entirely dedicated to French in Australia. He is also the president of the French Books on Wheels, an initiative which allows him to spend several months each year on the road surrounded with books, travelling through Australia to meet the French speaking and French students community and promote French language. If like me, you love travelling and reading, you will also love this episode! Episode Timeline [4 min 30 sec] How Jacques arrived in Australia [06 min 05 sec] A carrier change [07 min 05 sec] … Read More →
FV 011 : Being a Primary School Teacher in Rural France
Elodie is a young, energetic and very creative primary school teacher in rural France. She started teaching in a very small village school where she had to manage pupils of different levels all within the same classroom. We will also talk about the different ideas and projects that she has implemented to help children become more independent and finally about how she talked with her pupils about the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and at Charlie Hebdo. Episode Timeline [06 min 37 sec] “Professeur des Ecoles”: a description of the profession [08 min 10 sec] What her pupils call Elodie [08 … Read More →
Who wants to play French charades?
French charades: fun plays on words I would love to share some fun around French language with you, and introduce you to the game of French charades as I played it in my childhood. :-) This game is more suitable for intermediate and advanced students of French. As you know, I love words. I love languages, reading, writing, puzzles and crosswords. I love good plays on words / puns like in the Astérix album series or Raymond Devos’s sketches (read “A plus d'un Titre” – for advanced level). And charades are a form of play on words as they work with sound/phonetic associations. I run free live … Read More →
FV 009 : Hotel Particulier de Suhard: Tasteful Interior Design and History
Featured in many French interior design magazines, this 16th century hotel particulier in the Normandie region was renovated, tastefully decorated, then turned into a welcoming guest house by owner Josiane Lenoir. Travel back in time and learn about the characteristic interior design features of the past few centuries! Staying at a guest house is a great way to discover France, because you get to meet the hosts : they make your breakfast and tell you about the region / make recommendations of places to visit. Episode Timeline [05 min 27 sec] How Josiane became the owner of Hotel de … Read More →
FV 008 : Yoga in French with Alex
Alex is a French yoga teacher based in Melbourne. She offers yoga lessons in French, a great way to enjoy the benefits of yoga while brushing up on your French! Episode Timeline [03 min 34 sec] From Paris to Melbourne [04 min 54 sec] How Alex became a yoga teacher [06 min 44 sec] Atha yoga [07 min 12 sec] What’s in a yoga session [08 min 21 sec] Physical prerequisites to start yoga? [09 min 40 sec] Alex’s Yoga in French [13 min 00 sec] Yoga: a lifestyle [14 min 24 sec] Health benefits of yoga [16 min 16 sec] Travel to the motherland of yoga: India [17 min 27 sec] More about … Read More →
FV 007 : Comme une Française: Fun Videos to Understand French Culture
Geraldine, founder of Comme une Francaise, releases weekly videos which are free, fun and packed with information to help you understand popular French culture and avoid embarrassing mistakes. This interview will take you through the making of Comme une Francaise’s episodes and will tell you more about this very interesting concept. Episode Timeline [04 min 07 sec] Comme Une Française, a success story [04 min 45 sec] What is Comme Une Française and who is it for ? [05 min 28 sec] How the idea came [06 min 25 sec] An example of cultural difference : bise vs hug [07 min 57 sec] The making … Read More →