English speakers can emphasize one word in a sentence just by pronouncing it with more stress or by saying it more loudly, but this is not the case in French. Instead, the affective accent can be used to emphasize what the speaker wants to say.
More: French pronunciation

En France, l'année scolaire est entrecoupée de cinq périodes de vacances :

1. Vacances de la Toussaint (deux semaines en octobre/novembre)
2. Vacances de Noël (deux semaines en décembre/janvier)
3. Vacances d'hiver (deux semaines en février/mars) Read more...

There are dozens of expressions in English which contain the word "French," like French cleaners, French drain, and French leave, but are these things actually French? Take a look at this list with the French equivalents and the literal translations - you might be surprised.
More: French expressions

Learn a new French word every weekday!
More: French vocabulary | Daily French

Free French Help

Questions about French? Looking to practice? Please join us in the forums.
A la française - Bilingual Q+A and discussion
French for beginners - No question is too simple
French pen pals - Find email correspondents
Profs de français - Talk to virtual colleagues
Le Carrefour francophone - Discuter en français

Subscribe to this French blog: RSS feed | LKL @ Twitter