When you're a kid, picking the person to be "It" for a game is serious business. I grew up with this elimination rhyme:
Eeney meeney miney moe,
Catch a tiger by its toe,
If he hollers let him go,
Eeney meeney miney moe.
My mother says to pick
The very best one
And you are not it!
Meanwhile in France, children were up to the same serious business with an equally silly rhyme:
Am, stram, gram,
Pique et pique et colégram
Bourre et bourre et ratatam
Am, stram, gram
No, it doesn't mean anything. (Though it's great practice for pronouncing the French "r"!) Whenever you need to make a decision, turn to Am Stram Gram!
Every beginning French student learns clothing vocabulary. As a high school teacher, I often send my kids on web quests to experience real language vs. textbook language. All kids love to shop . . . why not do some pretend internet shopping in Paris?
Yeah, right. Just try to find a site with no snicker-producing, parent-complaining photos of beautiful women in sexy lingerie. Luckily, I had what Oprah calls an "Aha!" moment. Why not shop for dog clothes?
The Parisians' love and acceptance of man's best friend did not disappoint. I found the ultimate in canine-couture at Un Chien dans le Marais: the boutique "Pour tous les chiens qui ont du flair!" My students will spend a little time and imaginary euros in the computer lab today, pretending to outfit the likes of Paris Hilton's high-class chien.
Here are a few basic vocabulary items to get you started on shopping for your best friend:
I'm happy to welcome a guest blogger today! Emmy from Transparent Language, take it away:
In many cases, knowing a second language will be an assumption rather than something compulsory in your current MBA program. If you are on the cusp of entering the business world, learning a foreign language will help your future. If you second language is something you haven’t practiced since high school, there may be a course that you can take outside of your existing program. If your MBA program does however offer second language courses as a part of the regular curriculum, take advantage of any opportunity to improve your skills. It’ll be the quickest way, and your best odds of actually getting it done. Why should you bother? A second language can be a great help in business, in many ways.
While you may not need to have the proficiency necessary for complicated negations, being able to be conversational in a foreign language will help you to stand out from the crowd. For existing and potential clients, being able to accommodate their language will be a great asset in putting them at ease with you, allowing you to build on a social connection.
The further world markets mesh, the greater the value of being multilingual becomes. The business world and the money that fuels it know no borders and strong language skills will need to reflect that attitude. More and more businesses will deal with international partners, so being the one to help make the connection can create great opportunities for you to shine for your employer. If you run your own business (or plan to), speaking a second language can help make the difference in building clients or forming partnerships.
Where I live, having that second language knowledge is essential, and while it may not keep you from working, it will keep you from moving up in the ladder. Being able to switch on the fly with the correct aphorisms into that second language has helped me put potential clients at ease. I’ve been able to build on a social connection, and increase customer loyalty. Even if you don’t live in a bilingual community, there are many opportunities to make use of your language skills, especially in big cities with larger proportions of international population.
Speaking of other cities, learning a second language can open many international employment opportunities, too. Having an English speaker on staff is handy, depending on the part of the world, so if you can get by with basic communication in their language, you might be unique candidate they’re looking for, giving you a chance to travel as you work. Aside from being exciting and personally enriching, working abroad shows an ability to adapt to challenging new work environments, and will add life to your resume.
The image you project with your language skills will open as many doors in the business world as you can say hello in. It can help you communicate better with and form closer bonds with colleagues where you work that speak the language, help you build better relationships with company clients and partners, and enrich your mind and resume as you face new challenges at home or abroad. Once you do have that second language learned, speak it as frequently as possible. When it comes to language, use it or lose it, definitely applies. If you need, try language learning software to keep your skills sharp. Take your career to the next level!
Did you play "Rock, Paper, Scissors" when you were a kid? I did. Still do, as a matter of fact :-)
I did a little research and found all sort of variations in French. Here are just a few:
En France:
Pierre - Feuille - Ciseaux
Papier - Caillou - Ciseaux
Au Québec:
Roche - Papier - Ciseaux
En Belgique:
Pierre - Papier - Ciseaux
En Suisse:
Feuille - Caillou - Ciseaux
To start the game, players pound a fist into their palm. In English, I usually just say, "One, Two, Three!" before revealing rock, paper, or scissors. Just the other day, I learned that a bilingual amie of mine does this cool French chant instead:
Un, deux, trois, fleur
Un, deux, trois, lys
Un, deux, trois, fleur-de-lys!
Speaking of fleur-de-lys . . .
A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about a fantastic giveaway for a pair of fleur-de-lys earrings. I didn't win. Zut! In case you were not the lucky winner either, I wanted to share with you the huge selection of fleur-de-lys jewelry available at Amazon.com. When you purchase here, you help support this free site.
des bijoux - jewelry
un collier - necklace
des boucles d'oreille - earrings
un bracelet - bracelet
un anneau/une bague - ring
Photo Credit: by ctechs at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/933320
Learn how to count in French with this traditional French children's song.
Un, deux, trois, nous irons au bois (1,2,3, we’re going to the woods)
Quatre, cinq, six, ceuillir des cerises (4, 5, 6, to pick cherries)
Sept, huit, neuf dans un panier neuf (7, 8, 9, in a new basket)
Dix, onze, douze elles seront toutes rouges (10, 11, 12, they will be all red.)
Here are the French numbers 0-20:
0 zéro
1 un
2 deux
3 trois
4 quatre
5 cinq
6 six
7 sept
8 huit
9 neuf
10 dix
11 onze
12 douze
13 treize
14 quatorze
15 quinze
16 seize
17 dix-sept
18 dix-huit
19 dix-neuf
20 vingt
Foreign Language House is on a roll, with another downloadable e-book ready for the francophiles (or francophile wannabe's) out there! French Numbers 0-20 is a nifty little 10-page packet for beginners of any age. You'll find word lists, flash cards, a mini-workbook, culture (like this song) and LOTS of games. Check it out here. Only $3.25!
I call them the "Question Words" . . . things a reporter might ask, such as: who, what, where, when, how, why, etc. When I teach my French students, I always introduce the Question Words as soon as possible. Even if a beginner doesn't formally understand all of the intricacies of question formation, the use of these single words are vitally important for communication.
Of course, it's best to use these French question words within a logical context. We spend plenty of time in class doing just that. But there's a place for simple memorization, too. And what better way to memorize that with la musique?
Without further ado, here are the French Question Words to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat."
Qui - Who
Que (Qu') - What
Où - Where
Quand - When
Comment - How
Pourquoi - Why (parce que . . . because!)
Combien (de) - How much/many (of)
À quelle heure - (At) what time . . .
Voilà les questions!
Listen to my French II students singing La Chanson des Questions. The quality is rather poor since I recorded them on my cell phone. (Shhh . . . don't tell my administrators that I broke the "no phones" rule.) Hopefully, you'll be able to get the general idea. Ignore my cheesy "teacher persona" and enjoy!
I would like to announce the arrival of my first foreign language teaching e-book. Since 1990, I've shared classroom games, activities, and projects at teacher conferences across the U.S. Now I'll be sharing ideas digitally on-demand!
I have partnered with a former Spanish teaching colleague to create Foreign Language House language learning materials. My talented friend, Catherine, and I are working on lots and lots of e-publications for teaching French, Spanish, and English in the classroom or at home. Let me tell you about our first baby.
French Telephone Games is a resource for teaching numbers and conversational skills to students in upper elementary through high school. If you teach foreign languages, perhaps you've played the "Telephone Game." Every student receives a paper telephone with a phone number on it. When the teacher draws a phone number out of a hat and "dials," the owner of the phone must pick up and perform the dialogue. This activity is intended for use in a classroom, but it can easily be adapted for groups of four or more.
My students love the Telephone Game for the simple reason that they love to talk on the phone. Yes, even my high schoolers get that little paper phone in their hands and start happily gabbing away! I like the Telephone Game because I can review numbers quickly and naturally at any point in the year; my students develop the useful skill of using phones in French; each and every student is accountable to practice dialogues and listen for their phone number; the activity is adaptable to almost any context and ability level; and best of all---it's just plain fun!
Check out the snazzy cell phone Table of Contents to see what you get in this e-book: over 15 pages of directions, culture, language, student handouts, and a dozen fun numbers games. The best part is the template for the paper phones. Just print and go! Plus, I've included a variety of authentic French telephone numbers to use on your phones as your students practice numbers 0-99.
French Telephone Games is available to be downloaded now for only $5 US. Click this link, or visit the Foreign Language House store on Lulu.com (The link is on the side bar.) The Spanish version of Telephone Games will be out any day now, and we've got several other works in progress.
Comment if you have any requests for teaching or learning materials in English, French, or Spanish. Merci :-)
Hurricane Ike is certainly no threat here in Michigan, and I am grateful to be safe and sound. My thoughts are with my amis in Texas. I experienced just one hurricane many years ago in North Carolina, and once was enough.
But if you can indulge just a wee bit of whining, it has rained here sans cesse all weekend long. Ça suffit!
In honor of our wet, wet weekend, learn some rainy French weather expressions.
Quel temps fait-il? - What's the weather like? Il pleut. - It's raining. Il fait mauvais. - It's bad out. Il fait nuageux./Il y a des nuages. - It's cloudy. Il fait orageux. - It's stormy. Il fait des éclairs. - There's lightning. Il fait du tonnerre./Il tonne. - It's thundering. Il fait du vent. - It's windy.
N'oubliez pas . . . - Don't forget . . .
un parapluie - an umbrella
un imperméable - a raincoat
I'm hoping to soon see . . .
un arc-en-ciel - rainbow
Check out this traditional French song about the rain. (La grenouille means frog.)
It's time for a French lesson. Let's synchronize our watches and get started!
Quelle heure est-il? What time is it?
À quelle heure (est) = At what time (is)
C'est l'heure = It's time
Il est une heure. (1h00)
Il est deux heures. (2h00)
Il est trois heures. (3h00)
Il est quatre heures. (4h00)
Il est cinq heures. (5h00)
Il est six heures. (6h00)
Il est sept heures. (7h00)
Il est huit heures. (8h00)
Il est neuf heures. (9h00)
Il est dix heures. (10h00)
Il est onze heures. (11h00)
Il est midi. (12h00) = noon
Il est minuit. (24h00) = midnight
To indicate how many minutes have passed the hour, simply state the time followed by the number of minutes. For example--
Il est trois heures dix. (3h10)
Il est six heures vingt-cinq. (6h25)
Il est sept heures cinquante-cinq. (7h55)
For 15 minutes past the hour, you can say "quinze" or "ET QUART."
Il est huit heures quinze = Il est huit heures et quart = 8h15
For 30 minutes past the hour, you can say "trente" or "ET DEMIE"
Il est six heures trente = Il est six heures et demie = 6h30
There is often more than one way to express a time. You can say "It's two forty" or "It's twenty to three." In French, you do not say "to" or "til". Instead, you SUBSTRACT the number of minutes before the hour. The word "minus" is "MOINS" in French.
Il est huit heures quarante = Il est neuf heures moins vingt = 8h40
Il est deux heures cinquante-cinq = Il est trois heures moins cinq = 2h55
If you are subtracting 15 minutes (a quarter) say, MOINS LE QUART.
Il est trois heures quarante-cinq = Il est quatre heures moins le quart = 3h45
Other useful time expressions:
tôt = early
tard = late
du matin = in the morning
de l'après-midi = in the afternoon
du soir = in the evening
Instead of using a.m. and p.m. most French schedules are based on the 24-hour clock. You will see this on train schedules, school schedules, and TV guides. If you see an official or military time over 12, simply subtract 12 to find the time in p.m.
Play around on this fun ONLINE TIME GAME for kids from the Hello-World website.
Now that you are a telling-time-in-French-expert, try your luck on this TIME QUIZ from About.com.
Photo Credit: by jayofboy at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1064321
One way or another, le fromage seems to be a staple ingredient of many comfort foods. For this American girl, it's the classic grilled cheese sandwich. And then my blogging buddy Lyne, a Québécoise, reminded me about that Canadian comfort specialty, la poutine.
Now, this isn't fancy cuisine. We're talking a fast food guilty pleasure dating back to 1950's Quebec. You can't get poutine just anywhere--although you can get it at any McDonald's in Quebec. For poutine you need . . .
les frites (fries)
le fromage (cheese--the fresher the cheese curds the better!)
la sauce (gravy--brown)
To find out more about this sometimes controversial Canadian original, follow this link to watch a film clip called, "Vive la Poutine."
Miam-Miam! Moi, j'aime la poutine!
Photo Credit: by digiology at http://morguefile.com/archive/?display=133314
Did you know that France is home to over 400 different varieties of cheese? In fact, some sources even put the number closer to 1000. That's a lot of fromage! I'm not a huge cheese connoisseur, especially when it comes to anything remotely smelly. I like my cheese smooth, creamy, and mild. My favorite French cheese is Port Salut, a semi-soft pasteurized cheese from Bretagne (Brittany.)
Well, I had an idea for a little mélange of cultural cuisines tonight. The kids and I were tired out from our back-to-school schedules, so I turned to my favorite classic American comfort food--grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. It's what my mom often made for me when I was a kid. Miam-miam! As I was preparing my sandwich with good 'ol squares of processed American cheese, I remembered the Port Salut sitting in my fridge. Hmmm . . . American cheese AND Port Salut! It was, indeed, the perfect French twist on a classic American sandwich.
I do hope I have not committed an unpardonable sin by pairing French fromage with processed American--and then relishing every bite. I remember a French acquaintance who was horrified by the mere existence of Cheez Whiz. But, in fact, my grilled fromage sandwich is pretty much symbolic of me . . . a classic American girl with a just touch of French!
Photo Credit: by cohdra at http://morguefile.com/archive/?display=136544
Bollywood is hot. Still, I was a bit surprised to find a French Bollywood workout video. That's right, you can get in shape to Hindi music and French directions. Bollyrobics en français. How very multicultural!
The song on this video clip is from a Bollywood musical called Kal Ho Naa Hol. The song is Maahi Ve, which means "Oh, my love" or "Oh, mon amour." I've been singing it all day.
As an educator, I can assure you that movement reinforces learning in a powerful way. So, enjoy this kinesthetic, effective, and fun French lesson. Voilà Bollyrobics:
Foulard (scarf/veil)
Vite (quickly)
Lentement (slowly)
Les hanches (hips)
Le foulard au dessus de la tête. (Scarf over the head.)
Rotation (rotate/circle)
Saisir le foulard. (Grab the veil.)
Maahi Ve
Encore deux (Two more)
Dernière fois (Last time)
Flamant rose (Flamingo)
Mouvement en forme de huit (Figure eight movement)
Merci, Heathen Homeschoolers, for bestowing this coveted award upon Learn French for Fun :-) I'd like to accept the Brillante and join in the fun. Here are the rules:
Put the logo on your blog.
Add a link to the person who awarded you.
Nominate at least five other blogs.
Add links to those blogs on your blog.
Leave a message for your nominee on their blog.
And my French-speaking, French-loving nominees are . . .
Several years ago, I studied French at l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. During my stay, a friend and I went on a weekend excursion to a charming little village called Tadoussac. It's situated on the St. Lawrence River and Saguenay Fjord.
Tadoussac, established in 1599, was France's first trading post in what would one day become Canada. But the real claim to fame of this village are the whales.
Les baleines
We boarded a whale watching boat and I had the privilege of witnessing the beauty of more than a dozen of these magnificent creatures.
Oh, comme les baleines sont belles et magnifiques!
I had never before heard French speakers use the expression "Wow!" as much as I did that day. If you ever have the opportunity, go whale watching in Tadoussac, Quebec.
You just never know where speaking French will lead you!
Photo Credit: by Bodoklecksel at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Tadoussac.jpg
It's rough being a language teacher sometimes. You hear a great song and all you can think about is, "Wow, I can use this to teach grammar!"
Such is the case with one of my favorite songs, Je t'aimais, je t'aime, et je t'aimerai (1994), by French singer-songwriter Francis Cabrel. Despite years of using the song to teach tenses, I still love it. It was the only non-English song at my wedding almost ten years ago.
So, I'll make the grammar lesson brief and let you enjoy la chanson.
Je t'aimais (l'imparfait) - I loved you (imperfect past tense)
Je t'aime (le présent) - I love you (present tense)
Je t'aimerai (le futur) - I will love you (future tense)
What a week it has been! I write to you on this Friday evening after my first hectic week of teaching, new schedules for the kids, and a nasty 24-hour stomach flu (oui . . . already needed a substitute teacher.) My lazy days of summer are indeed just a memory.
Here are some phrases to express my present state:
Je suis fatigué(e) = I'm tired
Je suis crevé(e) = I'm beat, wiped out
Je suis à bout de force = I'm beat, out of steam
J'ai sommeil = I'm sleepy
Au lit! = To bed!
Bonne nuit = Good night
Comment if you've got any more good French expressions for extreme fatigue.
I'll leave you with a classic French lullaby, Fais Dodo. Bonne nuit mes amis.
Photo Credit: by planetka at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1057846
With a kindergardener and a preschooler in the house, I sing the Alphabet Song on a fairly regular basis. Knowing the sounds of the alphabet are fundamental to learning any language, and crucial for reading and pronunciation. Whenever my students read out loud, I am always giving them little alphabet reminders, like "i" in French sounds like "ee" in English.
Even if you are 80 years old, you've got to go back to those fundamental building blocks if you are new to learning French. At least for us English speakers, the French alphabet is nice and familiar. No new letters or hard-to-decipher symbols.
Voici l'alphabet français. Go ahead and sing along!
A (ah), B (bay), C (say), D (day), E (eh), F (eff), G (zhay),
H (osh), I (ee), J (zhee), K (kah),
L (el), M (em), N (en), O (oh), P (pay),
Q* (kew), R* (air), S (ess),
T (tay), U* (ew), V (vay),
W (doo-bleh vay), X (eeks), Y (ee-grek), et Z (zed)
Some French sounds don't exist in English. The R sound is produced in the back of your throat. For U and Q, try saying "ee" but move your lips into position for "u." Listen to the pronunciation of the French Alphabet on this Studio4Learning video lesson:
Practice spelling your last name out loud using French letters. That's a skill that you will most likely use when you travel. Another fun way to practice the alphabet is to play a game of le Pendu (Hangman).
The following downloads will come in handy for helping you master the French alphabet. Most (but not all) are for children. Even so, learning through song is an effective, proven method for language learning.
Learn your basic French building blocks with l'alphabet français.
Photo Credit: CBI Design at http://www.sxc.hu/photo/149856
For centuries, the fleur-de-lys (lily flower) has been the royal emblem of the French monarchy. It is, in fact, a religious symbol. As such, it reinforced the reigns of French kings as divine. The three petals of the fleur-de-lys represent the Trinity. The fleur-de-lys is also a symbol of the Virgin Mary.
You'll see fleur-de-lys symbols in French castles, on Quebec's flag, around New Orleans, and in fashion and home decor. How 'bout seeing them dangling from your ears? I just stumbled upon a giveaway for a beautiful pair of fleur-de-lys earrings from Beads by Evelyn.
Want to enter to win? I do! Simply click this link of "The Not So Blog" blog and follow the directions. The giveaway ends le 8 septembre, 23h59. (Sept. 8 at 11:59 p.m.)
Every beginning French student learns clothing vocabulary. As a high school teacher, I often send my kids on web quests to experience real language vs. textbook language. All kids love to shop . . . why not do some pretend internet shopping in Paris? 
I would like to announce the arrival of my first foreign language teaching e-book. Since 1990, I've shared classroom games, activities, and projects at teacher conferences across the U.S. Now I'll be sharing ideas digitally on-demand!
Hurricane Ike is certainly no threat here in Michigan, and I am grateful to be safe and sound. My thoughts are with my amis in Texas. I experienced just one hurricane many years ago in North Carolina, and once was enough. 
One way or another, le fromage seems to be a staple ingredient of many comfort foods. For this American girl, it's the classic grilled cheese sandwich. And then my blogging buddy Lyne, a Québécoise, reminded me about that Canadian comfort specialty, la poutine.
Did you know that France is home to over 400 different varieties of cheese? In fact, some sources even put the number closer to 1000. That's a lot of fromage! I'm not a huge cheese connoisseur, especially when it comes to anything remotely smelly. I like my cheese smooth, creamy, and mild. My favorite French cheese is Port Salut, a semi-soft pasteurized cheese from Bretagne (Brittany.) 
I'd like to accept the Brillante and join in the fun. Here are the rules:
Several years ago, I studied French at l'Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. During my stay, a friend and I went on a weekend excursion to a charming little village called Tadoussac. It's situated on the St. Lawrence River and Saguenay Fjord. 
What a week it has been! I write to you on this Friday evening after my first hectic week of teaching, new schedules for the kids, and a nasty 24-hour stomach flu (oui . . . already needed a substitute teacher.) My lazy days of summer are indeed just a memory.
