French news: Crêpes, Community, and one hour live - Your French Journey Continues!
Coucou les membres de la communauté,
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of celebrating La Chandeleur with my family, a cherished French tradition that marks the midpoint between winter and spring. It is the sign of renewal and hope.
In the Christian tradition, Chandeleur commemorates the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, exactly 40 days after his birth. The holiday derives its name from the Latin “candelarum,” meaning candle, and is marked by blessing candles in churches, symbolizing purification and light.
Also known as Candlemas in English, this holiday falls on February 2nd and is synonymous with one of France’s most beloved culinary delights: les crêpes.
Legend has it that successfully flipping a crêpe while holding a coin in your other hand will bring prosperity for the year ahead! Have you tried?
Join Me for a Delightful Hour of French Immersion
Speaking of crêpes, I’m thrilled to invite you to our monthly community reunion this Wednesday for an hour of live French immersion on Zoom.
Wednesday February 5
4pm UK / 5pm France / 11am EST / 8am PST
Everybody is welcome! Click here to join!
During this session, I’ll be sharing a charming story about the best crêpe !
By joining me for this hour of French, you’ll improve your comprehension, engage with fellow language enthusiasts, and immerse yourself in authentic French Story Listening.
Make your French journey both effective and enjoyable, all from the comfort of your own home.
Your Success Stories Inspire Us
Before I sign off, My Dear Man & I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your wonderful reviews on Trustpilot.
Your feedback motivates us and also helps other French learners discover our community.
Just last week, Lo Rasmus shared this incredible testimonial:
Learning a new language can be frustrating, but with this approach, I find my vocabulary and comprehension building quickly and easily! It’s only been a week. I really can’t believe it. I have a DEGREE in Spanish. It took me four years. Wish I knew this method existed back then. Mind blown! Also, it’s FUN, not a chore. Highly recommend. Worth every penny.
Stories like these remind us of the power of our method and the joy of French acquisition.
If you haven’t already, we encourage you to share your own experience. Your words could be the inspiration someone needs to embark on their French adventure. Click here to post a review!
Thank you for being part of our vibrant community.
I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday for another delightful hour of French immersion!
Cordialement,
French news: Habits, Pronunciation, and Success Stories
Coucou les membres de la communauté,
Margot, one of our committed members, has embraced a fantastic new habit that’s worth sharing.
Margot commented:
Hello Alice! Today I started a new habit as you suggested last week. I just revisited the first story in the Baby Stage – listening and watching. And then, I narrated the story to my ‘peluche’ who is an orangutan named Xavier. Je pense que Xavier a beaucoup apprecie l’historie. I plan to do this every Sunday morning. My newest habit! C’est bon! Merci.
Margot‘s new habit is manageable, occurring weekly on Sunday mornings, which makes it easy to maintain.
Margot‘s habit is also quick, not demanding too much time or effort.
Most importantly, it’s effective. Margot receives comprehensible input by revisiting a familiar story, then she gains confidence speaking by retelling it to Xavier.
This habit aligns perfectly with Dr. Stephen Krashen‘s theory of language acquisition, which states that speaking is a result of receiving comprehensible input.
Pronunciation Tip: Asking for Clarification
Our new pronunciation video focuses on the phrase:
– Qu’est-ce que tu veux dire ? – Qu’est-ce que vous voulez dire ?
This useful questions means “What do you mean?”.
It’s also essential to note the difference between “tu” and “vous.”
“Tu” is used in informal situations or when addressing someone you’re familiar with, while “vous” is used in formal contexts or when speaking to multiple people.
Click here to pronounce this question with the right intonation!
Community Success Story
This week, I am thrilled to share Sheila‘s inspiring experience from our Community Chat:
J’ai commencé ce programme en décembre de l’année dernière. J’ai commencé au stade de bébé sans rien savoir du français et maintenant je lis “La Toile de Charlotte” (Charlotte’s Web) en français. Merci Beaucoup Alice et son bon homme. Merci.
Sheila‘s amazing progress is a testament to the effectiveness of our program and the power of language acquisition (not learning!).
Please share your own success stories and experiences. Your journey can inspire others in our French learning community.
If you’ve found our program helpful, please consider leaving a review on Trustpilot. Click here!
Your feedback helps us improve and reach more language learners.
Remember: every small step brings you closer to French fluency!
Cordialement,
French news: A New Year of French Adventures Awaits!
Coucou les membres de la communauté,
MERCI to all who participated in our Community reunion last Wednesday.
Click here to watch the replay!
Your presence and engagement made the event truly special, and I was thrilled to see so many familiar faces and new members joining us.
The thoughtful discussion and reflection on starting new French habits this year was both inspiring and motivating.
It’s clear that our community is committed to making 2025 a year of significant progress in French!
Build Lasting French Habits
As we embark on this new year, many of you expressed interest in developing lasting French habits.
The key to success lies in consistency and choosing activities that you genuinely enjoy.
I suggest starting small. One excellent habit I recommend is reading a French story from our site weekly.
(You can read and listen to the story at the same time by pushing the Audio sync view button on.)
This simple yet effective habit can dramatically improve your French comprehension, vocabulary, and even your communication abilities.
By exposing yourself to comprehensible French texts regularly, you’ll naturally absorb the language’s structures and flow.
Plus, our carefully curated stories cater to various interests and proficiency levels, ensuring that you’ll always find something engaging to read.
Click here to start reading one story!
(If you don’t know which story to read, check out my daily suggestions in the Community Chat. Click here!)
Master Essential French Expressions
My Dear Man & I are excited to announce our latest pronunciation video focusing on two popular French expressions:
“on y va!” and “allons-y!”
Both phrases mean “let’s go!” but are used in slightly different contexts.
“On y va!” is more casual and commonly used among friends or in informal situations, like when you’re ready to leave a café with your pals.
“Allons-y!” has a slightly more formal tone and can be used to encourage a group to start an activity or to politely suggest moving to a different location. For instance, a tour guide might say, “Allons-y!” to signal the start of a guided walk.
Say these phrases and incorporate them into your daily conversations, when you talk to your family or friends. They will be surprised you speak French to them, but it is a fun way to start gaining confidence speaking French!
Click here to pronounce these French expressions!
Your Journey Continues
Your commitment to improving your French is truly admirable, and My Dear Man & I are truly honored to be part of your journey.
If you’ve found our resources helpful, we’d be grateful if you could take a moment to write a review on Trustpilot.
Leave your review here!
Your feedback helps us improve and also guides other language learners in their quest to master French.
Cordialement,
French news: Kick Off 2025 with French Flair - Habits, Epiphany, and Community!
Coucou les membres de la communauté,
Bonne année 2025 et bonne santé !
Join me live for an exciting free one-hour French session on Zoom this Wednesday as we launch our first community gathering of 2025!
Wednesday January 8
4pm UK / 5pm France / 11am EST / 8am PST
Everybody is welcome!
Click here to join!
Instead of discussing traditional New Year’s resolutions, we’ll explore a more effective approach: building habits to enhance your French language journey.
The Power of Habits in Language Learning
Habits and resolutions represent fundamentally different approaches to personal transformation.
While a resolution is a conscious, deliberate decision to achieve a specific goal within a set timeframe, a habit is a regular, often unconscious behavior that becomes ingrained through consistent repetition over time.
Unlike resolutions that often fade quickly, well-established habits can lead to sustainable progress in your French journey.
Reflect on the habits you’d like to develop to improve your French this year. Come prepared to share your ideas during our Wednesday session.
If you’re unsure, don’t worry! Bring a pen and paper, as you’ll leave our gathering with clear, actionable habits to boost your French proficiency in 2025.
Celebrating Epiphany: A French Tradition
Today is January 6th, and I shared in the Community Chat that it marks Epiphany in France, a special day rich in tradition.
This celebration commemorates the visit of the Three Wise Men to the infant Jesus. Watch my YouTube video on the story of the Three Wise Men.
A key part of this festivity is the “galette des rois” (Kings’ cake), a delicious pastry hiding “la fève“, a small figurine. The lucky person who finds this trinket is crowned king or queen for the day. Listen to the popular children’s song “J’aime la galette“!
Enjoy the beloved tale “Roule galette.” Click here to read and listen to this story!
All these resources help you expand your French vocabulary while immersing yourself in French culture.
Join Our Thriving French Community
I urge you to participate in our Community Chat.
Click here to join the Chat!
This platform is an excellent way to stay accountable in your French journey.
This year, I will be sharing a new French resource from our site daily in the chat, providing you with continuous motivation and materials to make real progress in your French.
My Dear Man & I are thrilled about the year ahead and can’t wait to embark on this French adventure with you!
Cordialement,
P.S. The French Reader Club is now closed but there is still one spot left to join the French Book Club staring tomorrow. Click here to sign in!
French news: Last Newsletter of 2024, Joyeuses Fêtes !
Coucou les membres de la communauté,
This is our final newsletter of 2024, and what a remarkable year it has been!
My Dear Man & I want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to each of you.
Your incredible contributions, unwavering participation, boundless enthusiasm, and infectious joy have transformed our online French program from a simple learning platform into a true community, a family.
As we prepare to take a break and spend time with our loved ones, we wish you all a very merry Christmas and a peaceful end to the year.
New Resources to Delight and Inspire
When you are beginning
We’re excited to introduce a charming new short story from Bernard Friot‘s “Histoires minute” that help you acquire frequently used structures and offers a humorous insight into French culinary culture.
This entertaining narrative revolves around ketchup, a condiment that might surprise you in the world of French cuisine! You’ll discover that for the French, fries are traditionally enjoyed with just a sprinkle of salt, and ketchup is decidedly not a welcome addition!
Click here to read and listen to Ketchup !
A quick word about this story’s author: Bernard Friot is a renowned children’s literature writer, born in 1951 in the mountainous East region of France called le Jura.
He has published over 80 books and is celebrated for his witty, imaginative storytelling that often challenges traditional narrative structures.
His “Histoires minute” (Minute Stories) collection is particularly famous for its concise, playful, and often surprising short narratives that captivate readers of all ages.
In addition to this story, here is an exclusive treat for you! You can watch me tell another fun story by Bernard Friot titled “Chou” (Cabbage), which comes from his other book “Histoires pressées”.
Click here to watch, read & listen to Chou !
This video was specially created for you! And it is another very fun story!
When you are advanced
Our Senior Stage now offers two new sessions designed to provide optimal input to deepen your understanding of French historical contexts.
Explore “le grand siècle“, the Big Century in France, uncovering curious facts during this transformative time. This period was marked by significant developments in French society and culture, alongside notable climatic conditions that shaped daily life.
Click here to watch, read & listen to the Big Century!
Looking Forward to 2025
As we conclude this year, my Dear Man & I warmly encourage you to share your French experience.
A review on TrustPilot would mean the world to us and help other language enthusiasts discover the joy of acquiring French.
Click here to post your review!
French acquisition can be so simple, joyful, and incredibly rewarding.
We look forward to reuniting with you in the new year 2025, ready to continue our shared adventure in the beautiful world of French language and culture.
Joyeuses fêtes et à bientôt!