Frederic Bibard's Blog, page 28

Is it Possible to Learn to Speak French on Your Own?

Let’s face it. The idea that you can learn French by yourself and at your own pace–with no classes to drive to, no teacher to set schedules with—can be a truly appealing thing to think about. I’m pretty sure this has crossed your mind at one point or another for various reasons. Maybe you’re the type who would feel anxious with practicing your French in front of other people? Or perhaps you’re simply too busy with the demands of life to attend classes? Regardless of the reason, being able to learn French all by yourself can be highly empowering. But is it really doable? Contrary to what other people believe, learning French on your own is pretty achievable. With the right amount of motivation and commitment, a healthy learning habit, plus the right tools and method to guide you, yes you can teach yourself French. As a French teacher for

54 Useful French Vocabulary and Expressions for the Holiday Season

You can already smell it in the air…. Christmas is definitely fast approaching! But before you head off to do your Christmas shopping or put up your beautiful tree, here is a list of the most useful vocabulary and expressions related to the holidays. Learn the French words and phrases for common Christmas topics and use it to spruce up your French conversations this season. If you need more details about how Christmas is celebrated by the French, you can also visit this article about the ABCs of French Christmas and new Year or you can listen to this podcast episode about French Christmas traditions. But now, here’s the list of vocabulary. But wait— that’s not all. Here is also a list of best wishes and greetings you can use this joyous season: Joyeux Noël ! Merry Christmas! Bonnes Fêtes ! Happy Holidays Joyeuses Fêtes ! Happy Holidays Joyeux Noël

15 French Christmas songs to listen for Free

It’s Christmas time once again…the most wonderful time of the year! When you’re curled up with a mug of delicious hot chocolate or relaxing in front of a crackling fire, wouldn’t it be lovely if you can play some French Christmas songs in the background?   Well, your wish is granted! Here is the perfect playlist I prepared for you. You can listen to French Christmas songs here via Spotify. Most of the songs in the playlist already have available lyrics for you to sing along to. But for songs that do not have lyrics, you can access right below.   Noël c’est toi. Joyeux Noël. Le Noël des petits santons. Noël en mer. Père Noël arrive ce soir.   Here’s the playlist. Enjoy!   1. How to get access to the 15 songs   As you can see the embed version of this playlist is limited to 200 songs. To access to

Pardon My French! 20 French Curse Words that are NSFW

Every language has its own share of bad words and French is no different. Today, we’ll be taking a look at some of the curse words (les grots mots) used by French people—and no, it’s not just “merde !”; there’s plenty more where that word came from. But wait—why do we need to learn some profanity, anyway? Aside from the fact that swearing is an everyday habit for a lot of people and has been reported to reduce stress and pain levels—some moments are just too epically horrible that it could only be fully expressed by a swear word or two (or more). Learning how to curse in French would also mask your obscenities and even make it sound more elegant than its actual meaning. That was why the phrase “pardon my French” was invented in the first place. Besides, it’s not just a matter of being able to say

A Word of Thanks…and Some News from Talk in French

A lot of amazing things have happened to Talk in French since I started it two years ago and I have you my awesome readers and followers to thank for it. I don’t get to say this enough but, merci beaucoup, thank you very much for all of your support. Your feedback, comments, email replies, and all-around awesomeness have kept me going all these time. Now that I’m rolling out something new and different for all of you, I want nothing more than to have you be a part of it every step of the way. But first, the news. Beginning this week, you will be seeing a new line of products coming to the Talk in French store. And no, it’s not e-books and learning resources. Talk in French will be offering exclusive merchandise in the store including gift items, wall art, tote bags, and more. Now you can

French for Business Part 2: 85 French Terms Related to Business and Employment

Planning to do business in France anytime soon? Whether you’re popping in for a quick business trip or relocating to a French-speaking country for work, it’s good to brush up on French words that you might definitely come across with. If you haven’t checked it yet, you should also go over the Guide to French Business Culture here. . As the first installment in this 2-part French for Business Series, it covers most of the things you need to know to navigate the French corporate world with ease. And now for the vocabulary list. Don’t see the work-related terms you’re looking for? It might be in this article about Work and Status or here in this vocabulary list for Essential Work-Related Words. For more articles from Talk in French, subscribe to the weekly newsletter now. You’ll get a free gift when you do. Click

French for Business Part 1: A Guide to French Business Culture

Does your job or business require you to deal with French people? Or are you travelling to France for business anytime soon? Whether you are an employee or an entrepreneur who is Planning to relocate to France for a new job or business Taking a short business trip to France or getting assigned there for a while; or   Negotiating a deal with some French counterparts …read up because this article has all you need to make the most of your situation. You will learn how to navigate your way through the French business environment, avoid dreadful faux pas, create a great first impression, and—who knows—maybe even nab that deal you’ve been eyeing for so long. In general, the French business culture is quite formal and has plenty of rules. Please note, however, that the information shared here are generalizations and may not exactly hold true to every business organization

A Savvy Guide to French Cheeses

The French are all about cheeses. Crumbly cheeses, hard cheeses, moldy and grayish or soft and squishy, and yes—even properly “stinky” types! The question is, can you identify which one is which? Or do all cheese look the same to you? It’s time to expand your knowledge of French cheeses and go beyond just Brie, Camembert, or Roquefort with a guide that’s broken down and simplified just for you. Now you can finally demystify the different kinds of French cheeses and wow everyone when you correctly identify a Cantal from a Salers or when you can extol the rich, buttery goodness of the Brillat-savarin. But wait—a quick disclaimer! This mini-guide doesn’t hope to cover all the cheeses from France because it would have to become a comprehensive God-knows-how-many-parts guide to discuss the estimated 350 to 450 types of French cheeses and about a thousand varieties in total.   This article

Top 10 Haunted Places in France

https://www.talkinfrench.com/15-super... of tourists flock to France each year to see its iconic attractions and monuments, but a fraction of those come for a different reason: to see the most haunted spots in the country. [Cue in creepy background music] You probably don’t know this but France is not only home to picturesque views and mouth-watering cuisine; it also has a deeply macabre side and is known to have some of the world’s most spine-chilling destinations. In this article, we will check out ten of the scariest places in France and the numerous legends that surround it. But a quick word of caution—this article is no place for the easily spooked! So get out now while you still can and head over to some other un-scary articles to chase away all the heebie-jeebies, like this one about weird French idioms or yummy food. But if you’re made of stronger stuff, here’s

15 Supernatural French Creatures You Haven’t Heard Of (A Pre-Halloween Special)

Paranormal creatures are all the rage these days. But you probably have had enough of all those teenage vampires involved in messy love triangles (no offense to the fans!) If you’re on the lookout for some new level of badassery that you haven’t heard of before, or unsparkling monsters and vile beasts that are not quite mainstream yet – may we interest you in some mythical French creatures? That’s right. We’ve got an entire squad of French-speaking creepers right here waiting for you. But our goal at Talk in French is to spread fun and learning, so we don’t want you cowering in fear under the tables. So, to let you know if you can handle the list, we’ve marked the entries with one to three stars to give you an idea of the featured creature’s scary-ness levels. Scare factor: 1 star (★) — Meh. Pretty harmless stuff. You might