Laura K. Lawless's Blog: Lawless Languages, page 355
June 5, 2016
Ramadan
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. During this holy month, nearly all Muslims are required to fast during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset).
Published on Lawless French.
June 4, 2016
Realistic French Learning Expectations
If French is your first foreign language, it will take approximately 600 hours of study and practice to reach intermediate level. This is why many students suffer "language shock" when they visit France for the first time and discover that, despite months or even years of casual French study, they can barely order in a restaurant, much less carry on a conversation.
Published on Lawless French.
June 3, 2016
Two Years of Lawless French
Two years ago, I gave up my 15-year position teaching virtual French with a dotcom in order to continue teaching virtual French on my own site. I briefly entertained the idea of doing something completely different, but found that I couldn't. The fact is that I feel compelled to write about French - I love it and I'm good at it, so what else could I possibly do?
Published on Lawless French.
June 2, 2016
Bon débarras !
Once you've read this lesson on the French expression bon débarras, you can say good riddance to not understanding it.
Published on Lawless French.
June 1, 2016
Euphonic Inversion
When inversion results in a hiatus (two vowel sounds together), the letter -t must be added for euphony, but only under two conditions.
Published on Lawless French.
May 31, 2016
An/jour/matin/soir vs année/journée/matinée/soirée
French has two words for each of the following: year, day, morning, and evening, and they cause no end of difficulties for non-native speakers. Why is it that English can get away with one word when French needs two? The answer lies in how you look at these temporal markers.
Published on Lawless French.
May 29, 2016
Fête des Mères
Sunday, 29 May is Mother’s Day in France, but why? Where does this annual maternal celebration come from? Read this bilingual article to find out.
Published on Lawless French.
May 28, 2016
Learn French Online
Is it possible to learn French online? Sure, at least to a certain extent. Here are some tips and tools to help you learn French on your own.
Published on Lawless French.
May 27, 2016
La goutte qui fait déborder le vase
Before you find the last straw, learn about the French idiom la goutte qui fait déborder le vase.
Published on Lawless French.
May 26, 2016
On vs l’on
What's the difference between on and l'on? In a nutshell, on is sometimes preceded by l' for reasons of euphony.
Published on Lawless French.
