French By Phone

Hello world!

Jacqueline — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:42:03 +0000

Welcome to Learn French Today Sites. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!

Is your New Year’s resolution to learn French? I can help!

Jacqueline — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:11:24 +0000

Bonne Année et bonne santé! That’s how French speakers wish their friends and family Happy New Year and good health for the coming year. It’s also at this time of the year that many New Year’s resolutions are created.

One of the most popular resolutions people make for themselves each year is “to learn something new” including, for many, the learning of a new language. Unfortunately only a small percentage of people manage to turn their resolution into reality. Overall it’s said that for every 10 resolutions made, only one will succeed. Why is that the case? Well, there isn’t a single answer to explain why some people attain their personal development goals while others don’t. That said, there are some common characteristics that can be observed among those who do.

Three of the most important qualities of successful resolution keepers are the following:

1) They have a clearly defined goal.

2) They have a viable strategy for obtaining their goal.

3) They have a support system (a friend, family member, trainer, coach, etc.) in place to help keep them on track and moving forward.

I have been able to help a number of people reach their French language learning goals over the years by offering a strategy and regular support and encouragement. If improving your French fluency is one of your goals for the year, I would be delighted to help you. Let me know if you’re interested in setting up a free trial lesson and we can decide together whether French by Phone is a good method for you and your goals. Whatever objectives you’ve set for yourself for 2011, I wish you “bonne chance” but especially “bon courage!”

Photo credit: Alexandre Delaunoy

Singing “Happy Birthday” in French

Jacqueline — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:01:34 +0000

One great way to show off your French language skills to friends and family is to serenade them – en français – on their birthdays. There are a couple ways to do this. If you’re a beginner, you can use the English Happy Birthday melody and replace “happy birthday” with “joyeux anniversaire” like this:

Joyeux anniversaire
Joyeux anniversaire
Joyeux anniversaire (name of the birthday boy or girl)
Joyeux anniversaire

I, however, prefer singing another version which is more old-fashioned and, I think, more charming. You can watch me sing it above and follow along with these lyrics:

Bon anniversaire, mes vœux les plus sincères
Que ces quelques fleurs vous apportent le bonheur
Que l’année entière vous soit douce et légère
Et que l’an fini, nous soyons tous réunis
Pour chanter en chœur :”Bon Anniversaire !”

If your French comprehension isn’t good enough yet to understand the lyrics, here’s a rough English translation:

Happy birthday, my best wishes
May these flowers bring you happiness
and the whole year be sweet and light
And that when the year is finished, we may reunite
To sing in chorus: “Happy Birthday!”

Learn French to give your brain a real workout

Jacqueline — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:37:23 +0000

According to a recent study by the BBC, computer-based brain games do little to improve memory and cognitive skills. What does work is learning and practicing a foreign language says Philip Adey, an emeritus professor of psychology and neuroscience at King’s College in London. “To stimulate the intellect, you need a real challenge,” Adey said, adding that when it comes to stimulating the brain there aren’t any shortcuts. “Getting smart is hard work.”

As someone who has been teaching foreign languages for many years to people of all ages, I can certainly back this up. I’ve had students who have taken courses with me for the mental gymnastics that speaking a foreign language offers. Professor Adey is right that the brain needs a real challenge; it can’t happen passively. He’s also right that it can be hard work, but it doesn’t have to be unpleasant. One of the reasons I started French by Phone was to make learning French more fun and more personal than learning via a computer, tapes, or through an adult education course. My students will tell you that I can sometimes be demanding with them, but if they continue taking courses with me it’s because they enjoy them and find them to be effective.

Like a physical workout at a gym, a French course through French By Phone offers a mental workout and I am your personal trainer.

Franck Dubosc – Boeing 747

Jacqueline — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:45:43 +0000

Franck Dubosc est un humoriste et acteur français.

Coco avant Chanel

Jacqueline — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:30:01 +0000

Coco Before Chanel is the story of Gabrielle Coco Chanel, who began her life as headstrong orphan, and through an extraordinary journey became the legendary couturier who embodied the modern woman and became a timeless symbol of success, freedom and style. The film portrays the formative years of Chanels life, the years of Chanel spent discovering and inventing herself. Starring: Audrey Tautou, Benoit Poelvoorde, Marie Gillian, Alessandro Nivola, Emmanuelle Devos
MAKING OF CHANEL N° 5 – Audrey Tautou
The new CHANEL N°5 film by Jean-Pierre Jeunet with Audrey Tautou and Travis Davenport

The new CHANEL N°5 film

Mika parle français- LES FRANCOFOLIES

Jacqueline — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 16:14:43 +0000

Mika, le chanteur de pop acidulée et enjouée, celui qui a ébahi et enchanté le monde entier il y a à peine deux ans grâce à son premier opus, Life in cartoon motion, fait bel et bien enfin son grand retour ! Après le single We are golden, paru le mois dernier, le second opus de Mika, The boy who knew too much, est attendu pour le 18 septembre prochain.

Songs summer 2009

Jacqueline — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:32:29 +0000

Mon fils François qui a passé l’été en France m’a recommandé deux chansons. Les voici!
TOM FRAGER lady melody

Magic System & Khaled – Même Pas Fatigué

Carla Bruni & Nicolas Sarkozy : le Chouchou de la République

Jacqueline — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:33:23 +0000

Lors d’une interview accordée à cinq lectrices de Femme Actuelle, Carla Bruni se livre en toute intimité. Et en plein milieu de l’interview débarque Nicolas Sarkozy. Venu s’assurer que tout se passe bien, le Président de la République s’assoit sur un accoudoir avant de s’attarder sur son programme de la journée.
Mais en partant, alors qu’il s’apprêtait à rencontrer le Premier ministre irakien, Carla Bruni lui lance, du bout des lèvres, un petit « bon courage mon chouchou ». Echappé avant même qu’elle ne s’en aperçoive, ce dernier mot plonge la France entière dans l’intimité du couple présidentiel.

The class / Entre les murs

Jacqueline — Tue, 19 May 2009 16:21:38 +0000

Entre les murs est un roman de François Bégaudeau, paru en 2006. Ce roman cherche à rendre compte au plus près du réel de la vie d’une classe du collège Mozart dans une ZEP du 19ème arrondissement de Paris. Un jeune professeur de lettres s’efforce d’enseigner à des élèves d’origines multiples un français finalement assez différent du leur. Ce livre constitue la matière du scénario du film de Laurent Cantet, tentative de prolongement cinématographique du même projet, qui a obtenu la Palme d’or du Festival de Cannes 2008.
François est un jeune professeur de français d’une classe de 4ème dans un collège difficile. Il n’hésite pas à affronter Esmeralda, Souleymane, Khoumba et les autres dans de stimulantes joutes verbales, comme si la langue elle-même était un véritable enjeu.
Mais l’apprentissage de la démocratie peut parfois comporter de vrais risques.