Laura K. Lawless, About.com's French Language Guide since 1999, has been a French fanatic since her first visit to Paris at 15. She is also a freelance translator and the author of Intermediate French for Dummies, as well as six other books on language (three French and three Spanish).
On Learn French at About.com, you'll find thousands of pages of lessons and resources related to every aspect of the French language, for all levels and interests. You can be informed of new and updated features by subscribing to Laura's twice-weekly newsletter or RSS feed, following on Twitter, or becoming a fan on Facebook.
Experience:
Laura began learning French in 1987 and loved it so much that she decided to start learning another language (Spanish) two years later. She has traveled to 20 countries (and counting!) and has lived in several: 2½ years in Morocco (where she learned a smattering of Arabic), 9 months in Costa Rica, and just over 2 years in Hyères, France. After leaving Hyères, she traveled around the six corners of the Hexagon for three months before moving to Menton in October 2010 (and starting to dabble in Italian).
Press and Media:
- Consultant on the topic of French business writing for the book Business Writing for Dummies, August 2013
- Interview: Laura K. Lawless (My French Life, October 2011)
- The Importance of Learning French (PDF) (Suite101, January 2010)
- An Interview with Laura K. Lawless from About.com (The French Corner, July 2007)
- Consultant on the topic of The "Rude" French for the book I Can't Believe You Asked That!, September 2004
- Laura K. Lawless: The most popular Francophone on the Internet (The Panache Experience, July-August 2004 issue)
Education:
Laura has a BA in International Studies with unofficial minors in French and Spanish from Monterey Institute of International Studies, and also spent a year in MIIS' MA program in translation + interpretation. In addition, Laura did some graduate work in linguistics and translation at San José State University, spent 6 weeks studying French business and culture at l'Institut de formation internationale near Rouen, France, and studied for a month at the Alliance française in Toulouse, France.
(More about Laura)
From Laura K. Lawless:
Audio introduction: in English | en français
Bonjour fellow French lovers, and welcome! Being able to speak French is one of my greatest joys in life. I'm truly delighted to have the opportunity to share my knowledge of and love for French with other Francophiles. If you're anything like me, you can't learn enough about this beautiful language. This site includes thousands of pages of French lessons and linguistics, classroom ideas, cultural info, and much more, for students, teachers, and lovers of French. Please share your learning experiences and ask your language questions in the forums. I look forward to meeting you there!
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References:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Questions, comments, concerns about learning French? This is the place to find answers. - Laura's French Blog
- Find the latest features and news on Laura's French Blog - French Proficiency Test
- Figure out what you already know and what you still need to work on - Are You a Francophile
- Take this fun quiz to find out!