5 Secrets to becoming a little bit French!
Maybe you are planning a trip to France or maybe you just want to envelop
yourself in the French culture and language so it feels like you are a little bit
there every day! Sounds fun, doesn’t it? Let’s face it, France is far and sadly we
can’t just pop out there on a long weekend getaway whenever we feel like a
French fix.
So why not create your own France here in Seattle? There are plenty of things
you can do to make this happen! It is possible to add a good daily dose of
Frenchness to your everyday life. It is about learning what it means to be
French, not just diving into a text book.
Here is something I want to share with you because it will help you begin the
process of becoming a little bit French in a fun and rewarding way! Hope you
enjoy it!
Develop language self-confidence
Speaking a foreign language does
not rely solely on knowledge. Your
confidence is just as important as
your knowledge and skills. And
believe me, I am speaking from
experience! I have been there
twice, first when I moved to
England and then to Italy. As a
French native, I was faced with this
confidence issue when speaking
English and Italian. It is not enough
to have the knowledge, you have to feel confident enough for the sentences to
come out of your mouth. When I first moved to England, strangely it was always
at the pub that my English revealed itself in all its grandeur!
My mother used to come and visit me a lot when I lived in England. She spoke
some English but felt very self-conscious about it and so ended up relying on
me for all communications. Until one day my English housemate Becca, who
adored everything French, started speaking to her with great enthusiasm in
broken French. My mother not only realized that the sentences did not have to
be perfect but her to understand them but also she recognized that she really
didn’t care that Becca was making mistakes. She admired her for trying and
actually thought that both the accent and the mistakes were adorable!
We are all afraid of being judged and for this reason, often shy away. I did it
too. But we must realize that it is not about being perfect. It is about
understanding people, being understood by them and most importantly, having
fun and giving ourselves a tap on the shoulder for being adventurous,
enthusiastic and bold!
Are you afraid the French will laugh at your
not 100% perfect French? I have heard this
so many times!
The thing is... it is simply not true!
There are so many ill mannered Englishspeaking tourists in France that will not
even try to even say “Bonjour” or “Merci
beaucoup” or “Excusez-moi, parlez-vous
anglais?” that when you come and make an
effort, people LOVE it! And therefore, they love YOU!
But let me share with you the magical words that will definitely put the Français
on your side... Ready? Allons-y!
1-Instead of saying “Bonjour!” say:
“Bonjour Madame!” or “Bonjour Monsieur!”
France is an old country. It therefore makes sense that the French are very
traditional. True, we are pretty cool. But we are also very, very formal. We like it
that way. That is why we like to hear “Bonjour Madame!” a lot more than just a
simple almost impersonal “Bonjour”.
2-Do you need help? Direction? Advice? Don’t just approach a French person
and say “Excusez-moi, je suis perdu!” (Excuse-me, I am lost!). Non, non, non!
You need to say:
“Excusez-moi de vous déranger, mais j’ai un problème...” and then add
whatever it is you want to know about. The French are all about connection,
closeness, solidarity. By saying “I am sorry
to bother you but I have a problem”, you
are not only connecting with the person in
a more intimate way but you are also
showing yourself as vulnerable. And that
will make us want to help you!
Despite the, in my opinion, very unfair
rude reputation of the French, we are
actually super helpful. Most of the time!
You just need to know how to ask. Of course some people are rude, but that’s
the same everywhere. Not everybody is happy.
Still feeling overwhelmed, this video will help you
blend in... how to fake French! It’s hilarious!
Fake French Vidéo
Talk, act, and look like the French
Talk like the French...
First of all, let me reassure you... you may
not be aware of it but you already know
tons of French words! Don’t believe me?
Let’s see...
Click on words for pronunciation
À la carte
À la mode
Apéritif
Au contraire
Avant-garde
Bon appétit
Bon voyage
Café au lait
Carte blanche
C’est la vie
Cordon bleu
Coup d’état
Cul-de-sac
Déjà-vu
Encore
Faux pas
Femme fatale
Film noir
Gauche
Haute couture
Hors-d’oeuvre
Je ne sais quoi
Joie de vivre
Matinée
Nouvelle cuisine
Passé
Pied-à-terre
Rendez-vous
Risqué
RSVP = répondez s’il vous plaît
Soupçon
Touché
Vis-à-vis
Voilà
And sorry but I just can’t resist it: Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir?
You have no idea how many men thought they were being funny telling me this
when I lived in England. Not so much in the US for some reason! Less flirtatious
nation I imagine?
This is just a short list. If you are feeling curious, go on the internet and type
“French words in English”. You’ll be amazed :-)
Learning how to talk the way the French talk is not always what text books
teach! You need to become familiar with:
-idioms
-cultural references
-sounds
-gestures
-slang
-casual spoken language
Here are a few examples:
How would you react if someone prompted you “to take care of your
onions”? No, they are not telling you to go garden. They are telling you to mind
your own business!
Audio file (slow and normal speed): Occupe-toi de tes oignons!
“Quand les poules auront des dents” literaly translates as “when
hen have teeth”. Since hens are not likely to grow teeth any time
soon, this expression means “it will never happen” or in English,
“when pigs fly”.
Audio file (slow and normal speed): Quand les poules auront des dents!
What if someone made that gesture to you? Would you presume they
are telling you everything is ok? Well you would be missing the point because in
fact this means the exact opposite in France! The shape made by the fingers is
a zero and therefore it communicates a failure.
Ah the funny rubbery French face... no need for words! Only the French facial
muscles can express such a wide range of expressions and emotions thanks to
eyebrow moves, heavy pouting, rolling of the eyes, cheek actions etc.
What do these faces mean? Watch my video and find out!
French gestures and sounds
Now it’s your turn to practice them! I can assure you that this will add a lot to
your already growing French look!
NE The negative form is a little tricky in French because it has 2 words, the
“NE” and the “PAS”. It is the combination of these 2 little words that give you a
negative sentence. Generally “NE” goes before the verb and “PAS” after. Je NE
mange PAS: I don’t eat. However, when French people speak to one another,
they usually miss out the “NE” entirely, which leaves you with: “Je mange pas”,
which still means the exact same thing: “I don’t eat.” Some people get thrown
off by this when visiting France and talking to locals! Now you won’t!
Act like the French... Don’t smile
This is probably the origin for the
unfair reputation of the French... They
are just so rude! Why are they rude?
Well, the first thing one notices... they
don’t smile! So don’t smile either when
you are there and you will be just fine!
Does this sound rather bizarre? Ok
then let me take you into a French
person’s head. What goes on in there
when they see you randomly smiling at
them? We have answers! Four of them:
1-This smiling person is making fun of me! (did I forget to put my skirt on or
what? Believe it or not, this actually happened to me once. I was on vacation by
the Mediterranean with my whole family and somehow they didn’t notice either.
Or so they say...)
2-This smiling person is a hypocrite! You don’t know me! Why smile at me
and pretend we are friends?
3-This smiling person is very stupid. Oh well.
And last but not least... there is in fact one more option... especially if the
smiling person is the opposite sex:
4-This smiling person is flirting with me!
And that might very well be precisely what you
want to do during your French vacation!
Now this is a perfect transition to our next topic:
Act like the French... Do flirt!
Every day, all the time, yes.
Especially when you need help.
Use it and abuse it.
It will get you far! It is the most romantic country in the world after all!
Again no need to smile. But if
you flirt with someone you will
automatically create this bond
and complicity. Then you can
smile... a little.
Flirting brightens your day and the other person’s day!
Even at work! Bien-sûr pourquoi pas?
Look like the French...
Know these two? Marion Cotillard & Guillaume Canet. Both of them are French
actors and they are also married! Isn’t that just the hottest couple?!
I chose them because they sum up very well the essence of French style:
simplicity and elegance!
No over the top, no bling, no too much make-up (you never want to look like
you’re trying too hard: the French woman is naturally beautiful!), no matchy
matchy outfits, no tons of accessories, no fashion victim.
Simplicité et élégance. That’s all.
Now, I must add one particular item that is key to the
French look for both women and men... the scarf!
Guillaume is even wearing one on the picture!
Here is a great video I found that will explain lots of
fun ways to tie your scarf the French way! J’adore!
Tie a scarf the French way
NB: Please please please... leave your REI gear behind! Horreur!!!!!!!
Connect with a French community
Being part of a strong French community
gives you a safe and fun platform to
practice over and over again, as if you
lived in France. Theory is great but
practice is indispensable! Without it you
just lose interest and sooner or later, well,
you forget!
I studied Italian for 5 years in France and in 2003, was given the amazing
opportunity to work in Italy for a while. I was part of a European project and
therefore was surrounded by Europeans who were eager to practice their
English. Since I had already spent several years in England at that time, my
English was a lot more comfortable than my Italian. So I chickened out and did
like everyone else. I spoke English! How sad! Ironically, it is when I moved to
London and met lots of nostalgic Italians, this time eager to speak in their own
language, that my Italian really improved. I had an everyday platform to
practice! I spoke Italian all the time and got better and better at it. I had found a
perfect community to keep my skills alive!
Hildie S, one of my students, studied French at College years ago. She loved it
but slowly lost interest because she did not have the opportunity to practice.
We met about a year and a half ago and it’s amazing how much fluency she has
gained now that she is part of our French community!
Hildie said “I discovered a warmth, passion and skill in language teaching
that years in American schools never gave me!”
Share all your French knowledge with your community!
At French Truly, we host lots of French Cultural Events / Workshops / Talks
where you can learn just about anything French! But not the mainstream stuff
that you already know! Non non non! We explore unusual and original material
so that even if you already know a lot, we will for sure discover wonders you
had never heard of before!
We cover topics such as:
-French fashion
-French language
-French art
-French food
-French culture and traditions
-French history
-French love... believe or not but the French invented love! Is it that surprising?
Immerse yourself in Frenchness
Make a conscious effort to daily
envelop yourself with fun and
inspiring French elements.
This boosts your listening skills,
your
understanding,
your
pronunciation and your sense of
belonging and achievement in a
fun and cultural way!
Here are some examples of what you could surround yourself with:
- Music
- Culture
- Food
- Community
- Movies
Here is a perfect French day reflecting the categories above. It sounds good to
me, what do you think?
·
Music: Wake up to French Music!
-be it a sexy jazzy Thomas Fersen tune. And why not
signing along in the shower too! If you don’t know
him, you absolutely must! Here is one of his songs:
“Louise” by Thomas Fersen
-or, another kind of sexy, one of my favorites!
Musicamor by Daphné Carmin
J’adore this song! I actually sing it with my
new French Cabaret band Rouge! Pas mal, non?
·
Culture: Sip on café au lait (you can easily make this at home) while
watching a French documentary on TV5 Monde (educational & delightful
French TV channel) on your own television about how Josephine Baker
became French.
·
Food: Come to the French Conversation and / or Hands-On Experience
at LUC with included authentic French food from the Local French pâtisserie
Inès. Maybe you can treat yourself to a delicious pain au chocolat (picture
above). They are my favorites!
·
Community: Venture on an afternoon French Field Trip at the Pike Place
Market with our French Community
·
Movies: Relax, enjoy, and engage at the monthly French Movie Night!
Here is one example: Two months ago
French Movie Night was dedicated to
“L’Amour Fou”.
A fabulous documentary about Yves
Saint Laurent, the French designer who
became a Legend.
Perfect way to discover the Icon, his genius, his life, his love, his work, his
depression, and his grandiose art collection.
The story begins in 1958, a year after Yves Saint Laurent becomes the Head of
the House of Dior after its founder’s death. The title “L’Amour Fou” (Mad love)
describes and refers to the love story between YSL and Pierre Bergé, his partner
in business and in life of 50 years. After YSL’s death in 2008, Pierre Bergé decides to auction the entire and
absolutely amazing art collection they had both been accumulated along the
years. Walking through their apartment is like walking through a fabulous
museum: Picasso, Braque, Matisse, Brancusi, paintings, drawings, sculptures,
vases etc. tons of random pieces magically put together. Imagine, it was all
sold for a total of $483.8 millions! At the French Movie Nights, we always start with a cultural presentation on a
theme or character relevant to the topic of the movie. Then, during the
presentation & movie, you get to eat French food and drink French wine. Finally,
after the movie, we get to discuss everything we just learned!
See! You can create your own Little France in Seattle! You can incorporate it
in your everyday life! And I believe you’ll also find the commute a lot easier to
handle!
Create a playful environment
It can feel stressful, overwhelming and sometimes
even a little scary to learn something new! That is
why learning in a truly fun, warm and friendly
environment is so helpful and vital.
It’s a fact: we learn and retain so much more when
we are having fun! And there is a reason for this.
When we laugh, we relax, we open up, our barriers come down, we bond with
others around us and it all sinks in! C’est magique!
Here are some inspiring facts I found on The Association for Applied
Psychophysiology & Biofeedback website:
1. Laughter causes deep muscle relaxation. If you have ever laughed so hard
that you've wet your pants, you know what I am talking about.
2. Laughter reduces stress. In addition to our bodies physically relaxing, we
may forget our troubles, even if only temporarily.
It’s a Zen Frog!
Did you get it?
3.Laughter promotes creativity and is conducive
to
learning. Chances are good that students will learn more from
teachers who use laughter and humor, people who
are able to laugh at themselves. Laughter breaks up
the routine and can illustrate points. It also helps us
to see life from a different perspective.
4. Laughter promotes communication. Think of laughter as a social lubricant.
It connects, bonds, and builds rapport.
5. Laughter is a reinforcer. Laughter can motivate and energize people.
Ok so I can’t tell you all this fun facts about laughter if I don’t make you laugh.
That wouldn’t be fair. Now I know you will laugh. She certainly makes me laugh!
According to this lady, one French word is ALL you
need... that’s right, just one! Feeling curious?
Watch this video it is so worth it :-)
ONE French MAGIC word is all you need!
No matter what I studied: driving, Italian, Yoga, Singing, Philosophy, Art,
Cooking etc, I have always verified the benefits of laughter in the learning
process.
Being fun is part of my nature, however everything I have gained and learned
thanks to all my goofy yet incredibly professional and knowledgeable teachers,
definitely inspired me to include the humor aspect even more in all my classes
and events.
My ability to create a relaxed and fun environment is one of the things that my
clients love the most about me!
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So now you know what to do! What is so great about this? Every one of the five
secrets revealed, is truly enriching and will bring so much fun and new to your
life!
I had to wait until I moved to England to really understand what it meant to be
English (I am still very much learning what it means to be American!). I had fun
discovering all this by myself but it sure would have helped to have someone
enlightening me on these various cultural topics! I had studied English for many
years before moving to London and was great at it but I soon found out the
language by itself was never going to be enough!
Here are some questions for you:
1. Which secret attracts you the most and why?
2. Which aspect of the French culture is most appealing and applicable to you in
your every day life?
3. What is the reason you want to become a little bit French?
4. Have you taken French in the past and then forgot some or a lot of it from
the lack of practice opportunity?
5. What is stopping you to getting back into it?
I’d love to hear your answers! Go ahead and send me an email so I can support
you to become a little bit more French! Contact Virginie of French Truly
About Virginie
I am a French native from a little town called
Vienne, in the South East of France, very
close to Lyon.
The need and desire for adventure and
discovery came pretty soon in my life: I have
lived in France, England, Italy and since
March 2010, the States, which I have to say
so far is my favorite! I adore Seattle, the
nature, the people and the culture. Truly
inspiring place for me!
I have been teaching the French language for
10 years and adore what I do because it
allows me to share my beautiful language
and culture with passionate and always
wonderfully interesting and fun people.
I truly hope you enjoyed this!
Merci beaucoup!