French Culture
OH LA LA, FRENCH CULTURE!
French Culture and Tips on How to Learn French
On this page, I post vary different types of materials that will help you learn French and learn about French culture too. Discover fun web series to learn French, but also books or videos about different aspects of the French culture.
LEARN FRENCH IN MONTPELLIER
Learning a new language is an amazing journey, one that goes beyond the sheer capacity to speak and understand another way of communicating. It involves immersing oneself in the culture, interacting with natives, trying their food etc. so that you can feel as if you were part of it. That’s why it is so important to actually spend time in the country (or countries) where the language is spoken. If you are learning French, I’d suggest spending time in Montpellier, the city where I actually went to university to learn English! Montpellier will turn your linguistic experience into a rich sensorial experience… Want to know more?
LEARN FRENCH IN QUEBEC CITY
Salut tout le monde !
What’s the best way to learn French ? I get that question a lot ! My answer ? Take lessons AND go to a French speaking country. You can’t go to France because you live too far ? Try finding a French boyfriend or girlfriend where you live. Cheap ! But, if you want to avoid any possible heartache, let’s find a French speaking country that’s closer to you. Where can you go ? If you live on the American continent, I have a good option for you. ...more
THE FRENCH MEDIA
List of French TV channels / radio stations / newspapers
Watching French TV, listening to French Radio and Reading French newspapers and magazines are great ways to learn authentic French. It’s also perfect to gain some good insight on the French culture. And if you pick shows/press articles you like, it won’t even feel like you’re “working” on your French! So ‘Oh la la, I Speak French!’ has put a list of websites for you to choose from.
3 TIPS ON MOTIVATION: HOW NOT TO GIVE UP FRENCH
COUCOU!
I was wondering what to teach you today and then I remembered how the students I had in L.A. often complained about how boring their French lessons were (not with me ! At school) and how difficult it was to stay motivated and not give up French.
ALORS COMMENT RESTER MOTIVÉ QUAND ON APPREND LE FRANÇAIS ? C’EST VRAI, PARFOIS C’EST ENNUYEUX, ON DOIT MÉMORISER LES CONJUGAISONS DE PLEIN DE VERBES IRRÉGULIERS? …more
HOW TO LEARN FRENCH WITH VIDEOS/FILMS
This fun video lesson gives you tips on how to use films and videos to learn French. You can test the method given right away thanks to an interview with Manon, from Lost in Frenchlation, an organization that screens French movies with English subtitles in Paris. Can you believe they’re the only ones to do that in the City of Lights?! INCROYABLE! And you’ll see, Manon has special film recommendations for you…
2017 FRENCH PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN
Oh La La, Time to Vote in France!
As the French are about to vote for their French President, learn about French Politics with a fun video including an overview of the French political system, comedic interviews related to the French presidential candidates and to the campaign. At the same time, enrich your French vocabulary and smile!
LEARN FRENCH WITH WEB SERIES “OSMOSIS”
“N’ayez plus peur d’aimer!” : “Don’t be afraid to love!”
Learn French with a great web series, OSMOSIS, that I thought could be really helpful to you guys wanting to improve your level of French. I highly recommend this psychological thriller to advanced French learners in particular since there are no subtitles and the story is pretty intricate at times. Having said that, this 10 x 7min show, produced by Anne Santa Maria with Arte Creative, will catch your attention from the get go and is definitely worth checking! …more
LEARN FRENCH WITH “BIDULE”
If you have only recently started to learn French but already want to push yourself further by tackling French books, bilingual publications could be a good option! In particular children books! Saint Exupéry’s famous “Little Prince” (LE PETIT PRINCE) is actually pretty hard to read and is therefore not an option for beginners or intermediate learners. Well, I happen to have a perfect alternative for you guys: MOI, BIDULE!
PARIS, UN JOUR DE…
As you already know if you’ve been learning French for a little while now, it’s always good to find various different ways to explore both the French language and culture. That’s why I thought you could be interested in a web series entitled “Paris, Un Jour de…” (Paris, a day of…”). Created and directed by French actress Baya Rehaz, who also stars in the show, “Paris, Un Jour de…” offers delightful insights into the daily life of Sonia, a Parisian girl in her thirties.
LEARN FRENCH FOR BUSINESS
So, you’re looking to impress the boss, show up your colleagues just a little or give yourself a heads up when submitting a resume for that sought after position. Well, there are certainly lots of steps you can take, but learning a new language just might top the list.
Learning languages provides positive impacts on every aspect of life. In particular, there are many benefits to be found in the business world. …more
HOW TO PREPARE A TRIP TO FRANCE
Salut tout le monde! J’ESPÈRE QUE VOUS ALLEZ TOUS BIEN ET QUE VOUS AVEZ ENTRETENU VOTRE FRANÇAIS CES DERNIÈRES SEMAINES! Sorry I disappeared, but I moved back to Paris after more than 8 years living in Los Angeles and it’s taken me a minute to settle in. All good though! JE SUIS RENTRÉE AU BERCAIL! I’m ready to blog again, but a bit less than before. I gotta focus on my acting career now. But, I’m not letting you down. Keep up that French for I’ll be posting two videos a week: TOUS LES LUNDIS ET LES MERCREDIS.
WHAT TO DO IN SUMMER IN PARIS
SALUT! ÇA ROULE? ICI, À PARIS ÇA Y EST, LA CHALEUR EST ARRIVÉE. PLACE AU FARNIENTE… I wish! Right now in France it’s the Cinema festival, LA FÊTE DU CINÉMA. Since yesterday and until this Wednesday, you can go to the movies for a third of the price. 4 Euros only to see a movie. Pretty cool isn’t it? Time to catch up on movies basically.
But it’s summer time, so let’s not stay indoors, let’s explore various areas of Paris.
“OH LA LA HOLLYWOOD SPEAKS FRENCH!”: Anniversary
COUCOU! ALORS, C’EST LA FORME EN CE DÉBUT DE SEMAINE? J’ESPÈRE! Tomorrow will be the first year anniversary of the launch of web series “Oh La La, Hollywood Speaks French!” Many of you guys haven’t actually seen it yet or are in the process of discovering it. So I thought we could do little weekly contests for like a month, in order to discover or rediscover the adventures of Soso, Lili and their friends. REDÉCOUVRONS ENSEMBLE LES AVENTURES DE SOSO, LILI, ET LEURS AMIS, ET CHAQUE SEMAINE PARTICIPEZ À NOTRE CONCOURS.
HOW TO WISH A HAPPY NEW YEAR IN FRENCH
Learn how to wish everybody a happy new year in French.
LE ZAPPING DE CANAL+
French channel CANAL+ broadcasts a very famous TV program called LE ZAPPING. That short program allows you to catch a glimpse of what’s going on in the world, in a few minutes only, using little bits and pieces of reports seen on different TV channels. Check it out! It might be a bit hard for some of you to understand though since it goes pretty fast! But here it is, just click on the picture below!
LEARN FRENCH WITH WEB SERIES: LES NÉVROSES DE MARINA
Wanna get a glimpse at the life of a Parisian single mom in the heart of romantic Paris while practicing your French?! Well, here’s the perfect web series for you: “Les Névroses de Marina” (Marina’s Neuroses)
This web series tells the wacky life of a middle-aged woman whose daily life can get pretty wacky indeed! Marina humorously wrestles her teenage boy, her phone, her girlfriends, her boyfriends, her lovers, her mom, her therapist and of course, her neuroses. …more
LEARN FRENCH WITH AN OLD CLASSIC COMEDY
Using film to learn French is always a great idea! My favorite kind of movies to use… comedies of course! Here’s an extract from an old French movie, a comedy and a classic of French cinema entitled “Les Sous-Doués Passent le Bac” (The under gifted are taking their A-levels)
FRENCH FILM: LA JALOUSIE
Il n’y a pas beaucoup de films qui arrivent à traverser l’Atlantique, mais la dernière création du grand réalisateur Philippe Garrell, “La Jalousie”, y est parvenue! Le long-métrage sort le 15 août 2014 dans quelques cinémas américains, et vous pourrez le télécharger sur iTunes dès le 19 août!
METHOD/TIPS TO LEARN FRENCH
How to learn French seems like a silly question, but there are ways to become more efficient in your language learning process. In this video, learn some useful tips that will help you learn French by being methodical and focused. Fun French lesson that will help you stay motivated in learning and speaking the French language. Hopefully!
WHERE TO SHOP IN PARIS
Shopping in Paris is not what it used to be, some will say… It is a fact that with globalization, the French “Je ne sais quoi” now hides behind a variety of prêt-à-porter brands like H&M, Zara, etc., brands that have widely spread on either side of Atlantic.
Having said that, one cannot visit the City of Lights without spending some time shopping! Here are a few areas any fashionista should check out and explore when in Paris!
DESIGN STORES IN PARIS
SALES IN FRANCE: KNOW WHEN TO SHOP!
Learn about sales in France and when to shop to get the best prices!
LA GALETTE DES ROIS
Have you ever dreamt of being a king or a queen? Now’s your chance! You have from the end of December until about mid-January to make your dream come true! Let me explain… Every 6th of January in France (or the Sunday before/after), people sit down to eat a very special cake, La Galette des Rois, to celebrate the Epiphany – the day the kings Melchior, Gaspard and Balthazar first met baby Jesus.
HOW TO EAT THE “GALETTE DES ROIS”
Learn about a French tradition in this video: how to eat “LA GALETTE DES ROIS” on January 6th, just the way the French do it. Fun French lesson to learn how to speak French and learn about the French culture.
THE EPIPHANY IN FRANCE
Learn about the way the French celebrate the Epiphany.
FRENCH CHRISTMAS
Vous voulez tout savoir sur les fêtes de Noël en France? Alors placez le bon mot au bon endroit! (You want to know everything about Christmas celebrations in France? Then plug in the right word in the right place!)
naissance (birth) / chocolats (chocolates) /cadeaux (presents) / Réveillon de Noël (Christmas Eve) /calendrier de l’avent (advent calendar) / bûche (Yule log) /guirlandes (garlands) / étoile (star) / dinde (turkey) / Papa Noël (Santa Claus) / crèche (nativity scene)/ …more
HOW TO LEARN FRENCH
A lot of people contact me to learn French and they’re usually very excited about it. So why is it that a few months down the line, only a handful of them have not given up? Did I bore them to death? I do my best not be… For the most part, I’d say that the motivation goes away when faced with the difficulty of the task. How’s yours right now? Ready to keep on ready?!! So, how can one learn the language of love?!
SKIING IN FRANCE
You obviously know that the French love to eat, but did you know that they love to ski too? Here’s a top recipe for cold winter days in France: a tasty “Raclette Savoyarde” combined with sexy snowy slopes.
SURFIN’ IN FRANCE
“Everybody’s gone surfin’ Surfin U.S.A. “, sang the Beach Boys. How about doing
something not actually experienced by everybody else? Wanna take your fancy boards to the French Atlantic Coast?
Let’s do it! Let’s go to Biarritz!
PARIS PLAGES (PARIS BEACHES)
Ever heard of beaches taking over the French capital? No, the Pacific Ocean hasn’t reached Paris! Nor has the English Channel!
Instead, every summer since 2002, tons of sand are brought to the banks of the Seine river to add a coastal flavor to the City of Lights. Palm trees, bikinis and sun loungers invade the heart of the French Capital and replace an area that would otherwise be taken over by polluting cars and noisy traffic. …more
SHORT FILM “I’M NOT AN ACCENT”
Those of you speaking a foreign language or just learning French might recognize themselves in this comedic short film. Enjoy!
BONNE ANNÉE !!!!
What, you got lazy and didn’t send any Christmas cards this year? Good news! You still have time to grab pens and papers and start showering your friends with beautiful greetings. The French actually send out greeting cards the whole month of January!!
HALLOWEEN OR HALLO…WIN IN FRANCE?
Bad pun? Maybe. Interesting question? I think so… Is Halloween winning in France?
Apparently Halloween originated thousands of years ago among the Celts. At that time, people celebrated the passage into the new year, the new season.
Growing up in France, I first heard of ‘Halloween’ when watching American movies. What we celebrated and still celebrate on November 1st in France is “la Toussaint” (literally all Saints’ day and in other words, the ‘day of the dead’). It’s a day of remembrance and that day, people go to decorate the tombs of their loved ones, bringing them flowers – traditionally chrysantemums. …more
BLOG #1:POURQUOI APPRENDRE LE FRANÇAIS? (Why learn French?)
Pour pouvoir communiquer avec des millions de nouvelles personnes (to be able to communicate with millions of new people)
Pour donner l’impression d’être romantique (to give the impression that you’re romantic)
Pour faire chavirer les coeurs des femmes, façon Bradley Cooper (to make girls’ hearts melt, in the Bradley Cooper way)
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