I’m going to avoid using the term French 2.0, but you get the picture; this post is about learning French with the tools that have emerged in the last decade, and comparing them to their 80s/90s equivalents.

1. Social media – Facebook, Twitter et al.

Getting the buzz-word out of the way first, social media does in fact offer a great way to connect with fellow learners and teachers. Speak directly to French people on Twitter by just posting @theirusername, or read their messages to see what kind of things they talk about. If you don’t understand, you can always come back here and ask me, or tweet me @lukespear

80s/90s equivalent: The penpal

2. Online streaming television

Point your web-browser at TF1, TV5 or France 24 and you’ll have access to hundreds of live and recorded TV shows in French. Use the on-screen images to help you get the gist of the story and listen out for new words. Just like with music, see if you can guess their spelling and look them in an online dictionary – the dictionary will offer you the closest alternative.

80s/90s equivalent: Hotel TV on holiday in France

3. Online radio

Listen to French online (Radio Nova for funky music, FranceInter for talk or Rires et Chansons for terrible comedy) from the comfort of your own home. The latest wifi radios allow you to access French stations without a computer. Leave it on in the background to soak it in over time, or pay close attention and try to write out a few lines of what’s being said.

80s/90s equivalent: French holiday taxi stereo for 10 minutes

4. Youtube French songs and lyrics

With a combination of Youtube and French lyrics websites, you can soon enjoy a whole new world of songs, figuring out their meanings as you go. Try searching for “chanson”, “tubes français”, “musqiue française” and when you find them, Google the song name and the word “paroles” to find the lyrics!

80s/90s equivalent: French songbooks that feature Frère Jacques and Joyeux Anniversaire…

5. Flashcard apps and websites

Anki is one of a few options for intelligent flashcards, using spaced repetition to optimise your memorisation of words, sentences and grammar!  Using your computer, laptop or smartphone you can now structure your learning to incorporate the latest research into memory techniques. Here’s the Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anki

80s/90s equivalent: Paper flashcards that were used just before a test… and never again!

6. Online Skype tutor

Using the marvels of modern communication technologies, it is now possible to have a telephone/video conversation for free around the world. Searching Skype for French tutors is a breeze and will allow you to get started with a real person immediately. My own Skype username is lukejspear – feel free to add me.

80s/90s equivalent: Home tutor at great expense and inconvenience

7. DVD subtitles in movies

Many European versions of movies on DVD come with French subtitles, or French audio tracks. Find out how to switch these on and immerse yourself in the French language. Watch French DVDs with French subtitles to see what is being said, watch English DVDs with French subtitles to see how some things translate – there are many options here. Buying French films is a breeze. Here’s one classic recommendation: Jules et Jim, or for more modern urban action La Haine.

80s/90s equivalent: VHS cassettes (often cleverly written in French as K7 (kah-sept)) with hardcoded subtitles in only one language

Strikes in France... again. The public work force vote with their feet.

Grèves : trains, métros et bus perturbés

Strikes: trains, metros and buses affected [troubled]

Des perturbations affectent jeudi matin la circulation des trains et avions, mais peu les métros et bus parisiens.

On Thursday morning, transport-trouble will affect train and plane traffic, but less so for Parisian metro and buses.

Les syndicats appellent jeudi 23 septembre à une nouvelle journée de mobilisation contre la réforme des retraites. Continue Reading

« La réalité est que vivre aujourd’hui dans nos quartiers, c’est avoir plus de chances de vivre des situations d’abandon économique, de fragilisation psychologique, de discrimination à l’embauche et d’humiliations policières régulières »

(2002, Hamé, aka Mohamed Bourokba from La Rumeur)

(The reality is that living in our ghettos today increases chances of experiencing situations of economic abandon, psychological fragility, employment discrimination and regular police humiliation)

Following an eight-year-long trial, Hamé has finally had charges dropped on the grounds of freedom of expression. In 2002, he wrote a text decrying the French police’s brutality and expressed his concern over the allegedly heavy-handed  ”Sarkozyist” policies. Continue Reading

As much as I despise the use of the el-oh-el acronym, which seems to act as punctuation in some conversations I have with certain people, it is very much a part of everyday internet/mobile vocabulary. The French, being French, have unsurprisingly come up with their own alternative for this (highlight here: painfully ubiquitous throwaway pseudo-punctuation ) cheeky little word, and some other equivalents too… Continue Reading

Hi Luke,

Can I just check some French with you?

ne t’en fais pas – Does it mean “don’t worry”?

I noticed the similarity to: ça (ne) fait rien – it doesn’t matter, in the use of the verb faire

All the best,
James Continue Reading

Just a quick, rough translation of an “article” from a French law to give you a taste of what legal French looks and reads like.

Code du travail
Labour/labor/work code

L1221-8 :
Le candidat à un emploi est expressément informé, préalablement à leur mise en oeuvre, des méthodes et techniques d’aide au recrutement utilisées à son égard.
The candidate for a job is expressly informed, prior to its implementation, of recruitment assistance methods and techniques used with respect to the candidate. Continue Reading

This French blague is awful, but fortunately even the worst joke can help you to remember a word or two.

- Chef, chef ! Il y a eu un vol cette nuit au supermarché ! On a volé 2000 cartouches de cigarettes et 1500 laitues !
- Bien, et vous avez des soupçons ?
- Ben ouais, on recherche un lapin qui tousse ! Continue Reading

En grande distribution, qu’est devenu le budget consacré aux sacs plastique autrefois donnés gratuitement ?

Source: Anonyme Courageux (with kind permission) Continue Reading

Last night there was a riot (émeute) in the Belleville area of Paris, home to a large population of Chinese immigrants and descendants. What was planned to be a peaceful demonstration (manifestation) to speak out (dénoncer) the quarter’s increasing danger for Chinese residents degenerated into a riot that saw cars overturned and riot police on the streets.

The following text explains the origin of the trouble. I have highlighted useful terms:

“Bonjour, je préviens pour ceux qui ne sont pas au courant et qui veulent participer.
“Hello, a heads up for those who don’t know and who would like to participate.

Depuis des décennies déjà, les chinois sont victimes de vols et de racket de la part des noirs et des arabes dans les quartiers chinois de Paris (13ème arrondissement, Belleville …). Continue Reading

Hi TFJ,

I heard the expression “a tout a fait” but I’m not sure what it means in context?  I thought “a tout” was used in the context of see you later short for a ”a tout alor”?

How is “a tout a fait” used? If you don’t mind doing a bit of free translation for me that is ^_^

All the best,

James

_____________________________________________

James,

Great question. It’s never “a tout a fait”, it’s “tout à fait”, which means “absolutely, indeed, exactly”, or literally “all is fact”, with “fait” meaning “fact” in this instance, as in “fait accompli”. Example: “Tu es anglais ?”, “Oui, tout à fait.”