Articles on French, Francophonie, and French-Speaking Cultures

Learn about French and the world in which it is spoken

Académie française  
The Académie française is an organization which regulates the French language by determining standards of acceptable grammar and vocabulary, as well as adapting to linguistic change by adding new words and updating the meanings of existing ones. Read this introduction to the purpose, statutes, history, evolution, and membership of l'Académie française.

Alliance française
Anyone who is interested in French has almost certainly seen references to the Alliance française throughout my site and the internet in general, or heard about it in French class. But what is the Alliance française and why is it such a big deal? Here's everything you need to know.

Anti-Frenchism is Alive and Well
Lately I've felt that the spate of anti-French sentiment in the US had died down a bit, or maybe I've just become immune to it. Then I read a blatantly francophobic article and felt compelled to respond.

Back to School - French Class
Ready to start dusting off last year's French notes and figuring out whatever happened to that beat-up old dictionary? To help you get back into the French mood - pun intended - here are some links to general information about French, lessons, online resources, and recommended tools and supplies. Whether it's time to start thinking about a formal evaluation of your French level, figuring out what kind of job you can use your French in, or upgrading to a bigger dictionary, this page has everything you need to get back into French.

Celebrations and Holidays
Learn about holidays and celebrations in France or related to the French language.

Choosing a French Dictionary
Like all reference materials, French dictionaries can be pretty expensive. However, with any luck they'll last you for a few years, so it's in your best interest to invest in something that's appropriate for your level and needs. Here are some things to keep in mind when buying a French dictionary.

Courriel - c'est officiel
The Académie française surprised the francophone world with its choice for the official French translation of email. Deciding that the terms commonly used in France were too close to English, the Académie chose the Québécois word courriel.

Daily French Practice 
Daily French practice is a must, as it is only by practicing and using your French that you will be able to retain what you've learned and, eventually, develop fluency. Aside from the obvious ways to practice, like speaking up in class and reading books, there are a number of ways you can incorporate French into your daily life.

DELF / DALF - French Proficiency Test
DELF / DALF is the official French proficiency test offered by the French Ministry of Education. In addition to allowing you to opt out of a French university's language entrance exam, it looks good on your CV. If you are interested in obtaining an official document proclaiming your French language skills, read this article about the test(s) you'll need to pass.

Differences between French and English
French and English are related languages in a sense, so there are some similarities. Perhaps more importantly, however, there are a number of differences, both major and minor, between French and English. Here are some brief explanations with links to further information.

Europe 2000
Read all about my adventures in Europe.

Fluency - What is it?
One of the questions that I get asked all the time is "How long will it take me to speak French fluently?" Unfortunately, the answer to this question is difficult for several reasons. Read this article to learn the "what, where, when, and why" of fluency.

France Fights Freedom Fries and Freedom Toast
In an impressive show of vitriol against the recent American renaming of "freedom fries" and "freedom toast," French president Jacques Chirac fights back. At a press conference moments ago, Chirac presented President George Bush with a severe list of demands.

French Club  
Are you thinking about creating your own French club or looking to spice up one you already attend? This isn't as daunting as it sounds - all you need to do is find a meeting place and some members, decide on meeting frequency, and plan a few interesting activities. This article can help you find the way.

French in English
The English language has been shaped by a number of other languages over the centuries, and most English speakers know that Latin and German were two of the most important. What a lot of people don't realize is how much the French language has influenced English. Learn about how French has affected English vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.

French is Better than... Everything!
Purely for entertainment - lists of reasons that French is better than chocolate, shopping, Spanish, and more.

French Learning Tools - Reviews
Your Guide's reviews of books, audio resources, movies, and other learning materials.

Introduction to French  
If you've ever wondered where French came from and how it fits in with other languages, or what exactly a Romance language is, here is some basic information.

Institut de français
Most of the visitors to this site are learning French, and many would like to learn French in France. Readers often ask me to recommend a great French language program, but since I have never studied in France, I'm unable to offer any recommendations. However, visitors to the forum often discuss their French learning, including various schools that they have studied at. One French language school that many learners have tried and liked is the Institut de français, located in Villefrance-sur-mer, 3 miles east of Nice.

IPA - International Phonetic Alphabet
The International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA, is a standardized alphabet for phonetic notation: a comprehensive set of symbols and diacritical marks used to transcribe the speech sounds of all languages in a uniform fashion. The most common uses of the International Phonetic Alphabet are in linguistics and dictionaries.

Jobs Using French
Do you love French and know that you'd like to find a job where you can use it, but find that you aren't quite sure what that job might be? Read this introduction to some of the many jobs to consider.

The Language Behind the Riots
On 27 October 2005, the deaths of two African teenagers sparked off riots in poor northeastern suburbs of Paris. While the deaths of the youths were the catalyst to the violence, other factors were involved, including the language used by Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy to describe his plans to fight crime.

Learn French
Learning French is an ongoing and involved process. You can't learn French overnight, and you probably can't learn it entirely on your own, no matter how many books and tapes you buy. What you can do is use resources like this site to supplement your classes.

Learn French Fast
There is no magic formula for learning a new language - it requires time, energy, and patience. There are, however, some techniques which will make your language study more efficient and thus help you to learn French more quickly.

Learn French - Tips for Adults
Learning French as an adult is not the same thing as learning it as a child. Adults tend to learn by comparing it to their native language and often want to know why something is said a certain way in the language. However, adults have an advantage in that they choose to learn a language for some reason and being interested in learning something is very helpful in one's ability to actually learn it. It is not impossible for anyone to learn French, no matter what their age. It's never too late!

Le Pen for Le Président?
Le Pen = La Peine: A political earthquake rocks France as racist Front National head Jean-Marie Le Pen wins the first round of the presidential elections, beating out Lionel Jospin and his Parti socialiste. The French have been quick to express their unhappiness.

Living + Working in France
Many people dream of living and possibly working in France, but not many succeed in actually doing it. Just what is it that makes it so difficult to live and work in France?

LKL's life story
If you missed my life story when I told it over the course of several months in my newsletter, or if you just loved it so much that you want to read it again, here it is, in French and English.

Long Stay Visa
If you want to live in France for an extended period of time, you need a visa de long séjour. I recently applied for one, and this article explains everything I know about the process.

Moroccan Culture Series
A series of articles on various aspects of Moroccan culture, like language, religion, money, and more.

Negritude - La Négritude
La Négritude was a literary and ideological movement led by francophone black intellectuals, writers, and politicians. The founders of la Négritude, originally from three different French colonies, each had different ideas about the purpose and styles of la Négritude.

Online Translators - Machine Translation 
While machine translation is an interesting concept and considerably cheaper and faster than professional translators, the results are less exciting. This article put the top four online translators to the test - see how they hold up against one another and against a real person.

Photo Galleries
Visit France via photo.

French Polls
The About French site was born in 1999, and I'd love to know more about the people who use it. I've created a series of 10 polls with questions about your French learning and your use of this site - you can respond to any number of them and then see the results for each individual poll.

Proofreading and Editing Tips
Whether checking over homework, proofreading a paper, or verifying a translation, there are certain key problem areas to watch out for. This is not a definitive list by any means, but it indicates areas of confusion and common mistakes caused by differences between French and English and includes links to more detailed explanations and examples. Teach your students that before they turn anything in, they should check the following areas of their work.

Register
Register refers to the level of formality of a given word, expression, grammatical structure, gesture, or means of pronunciation. In French, there are six registers.

Restaurants in Paris
In February 2006, some friends and I spent four days eating our way around Paris. Here are the restaurants we liked.

The "Rude French"
Allow me to try to dispell the myths about the "rude French."

School Systems
A comparison of the French, Canadian, and American school systems.

Spanish is Easier than French... Not!
There is a common myth among English speakers that Spanish is much easier to learn than French. When asked for more information, perpetrators of this urban legend invariably mention how difficult French pronunciation and spelling are, in comparison to Spanish. While there is some truth to this, there are also things in Spanish that are more difficult than French. This article is a detailed comparison of the two languages so that you can decide for yourself if one of them is more difficult.

Translation and Interpretation - An Introduction  
Translation and interpretation are the ultimate jobs for people who love language. However, there are a lot of misunderstandings about these two fields, including the difference between them and what kind of skills and education they require. This article is an introduction to the fields of translation and interpretation. 

The T+I Program at Monterey Institute
Learn about the graduate program in translation and interpretation at Monterey Institute of International Studies.

French Tongue Twisters - Les Virelangues
Tongue twisters, known as virelangues in French, are words or phrases which are repeated as quickly as possible as a test of the speaker's ability to correctly pronounce the succession of similar sounds. For French students, les virelangues provide an interesting insight into the French language as well as a way to practice phrases which are difficult even for native speakers.

Verlan - French Slang
Verlan is a form of French slang that consists of playing around with syllables, kind of along the same lines as pig Latin. Verlan is actively spoken in France - many words have become so commonplace that they are used in everyday French.

What is French? Facts and Figures about the French Language
How many French speakers are there? Where is French spoken? In which international organizations is French an official language? Read this introduction to some facts and figures about the French language.

What Is the Best Way to Learn French?
Students always ask, "what's the best way to learn French?" Unfortunately, the best way to learn French may not be the affordable way to learn French or the practical way to learn French. Read this article to learn about the best way to learn French as well as the runners-up.

Why I Love Paris
A little taste of the two months I spent in Paris.

Why learn French
There are all kinds of reasons to learn a foreign language in general, and French in particular.
 

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