When a two-letter word can make a difference between you getting a slice of pizza or a whole pizza... Do you need a brush-up to make sure you are using the correct French articles / structures? I just don’t want you to starve ;-) Learn when to say "une pizza", "de la pizza" or "la pizza". Reinforce your comprehension with other examples and...listen to a true story which happened to my husband and I in China! Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by … Read More →
“œ”, the French Ligature
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 →
FYW 037 : How to Pronounce the French R
Many students struggle with the pronunciation of the French R, so in this episode I will give you some practice exercises and phonetic tips on how to pronounce the French R so that you can sound more French. Unleash the tigeRRR in you! Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Practice exercise : LINKS and RESOURCES Tarrawarra Estate: http://www.tarrawarra.com.au/ Did you like this podcast? You can support my work by leaving a review on iTunes. Your kind words warm my heart and also help me be found by more passionate learners of French. Merci … 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 French cedilla (“cédille”)
I received the following suggestion 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 French 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. Thanks Oska, these are very interesting questions! I will actually dedicate three articles to them: Part 1 : la … Read More →
FYW 020 : The 3 Ways to Pronounce Plus in French
How do you know when to pronounce or not the "s" at the end of the word "plus" ? This question comes from a listener of French your Way Podcast, Philipp. In this episode, I will run you through the 3 different pronunciations and you will also learn WHY there are differences! For a full explanation, also check my article at www.frenchyourway.com.au/plus . I’ve included an exercise worksheet which you can get for free. Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode Deux plus deux égalent quatre (2+2 = 4) plus cher = more expensive plus grand = taller plus … Read More →
How to Pronounce Plus in French
Philipp, a listener of French Your Way Podcast, recently emailed me with the following suggestion : « J'ai écouté l’épisode sur la question quand on prononce le « s » de tous. Peut-être que ce serait aussi intéressant quand on fait la même chose avec 'plus'. Merci ! (= I listened to the episode about when to pronounce the “s” at the end of tous. It may be interesting to do the same about “plus”. Thanks!”) I thought it would be interesting to clarify this notion – so here’s the article! I’ve also designed and included a free worksheet for you! In addition, I made a podcast episode with … 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 →
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 →
How to Add French to Your Daily Life
Here are tips on how you can add a bit of French language and culture outside formal lessons, in your everyday life. I’ve been inspired to write this article by Dennis, a student of French who recently asked me this question: “Right now I am learning French with 'study sessions' (I sit down, I study French), but then outside of that I'm not really 'using' French in my life - so I was wondering if there were things you would recommend for making it more a part of my life, even when I am not studying”. Thanks Dennis for the question! So, here are ideas about how you can improve your French by … Read More →