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Here are the date, time and fee for the French conversation session of May 2017 at the Modern Language School in Meltham, near Huddersfield (UK).
For people who have reached intermediate or advanced level and wish to practise their French language.

https://youtu.be/C8BLwfJpOoo

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This Monday morning at the Modern Language School, Brian, Chris, Gary, Julie, Louise, Steven and Sue (Janet was away in France, probably practising her verbs on her neighbours), were joking their way through the verbs revision and showing great confidence and ability.

Here are some of the verbs we played with:

And yes, it’s true, the group worked hard and enjoyed a good laugh. 🙂

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Virginia:  Thank you, Dom.  I really do enjoy the classes and feel as though I am benefitting hugely from them.  When I joined the class, my aim was to improve my French as I love France and think it is important to try to speak the language when I am there.  I have tried in the past to learn on my own via books and CDs and found that I just didn’t ‘put the time in.’  Joining a class means I am committed to learning and speaking every week and the group environment  provides the opportunity to learn from fellow class members as well as the teacher.  Not only has my French improved, but class work has given me more confidence – which is priceless.

Dom: When you enrolled for the course, did you have expectations, niggles and worries? About your teacher and the school? About the other learners, the language or yourself?

Virginia:  Yes I did. I joined at the Intermediate Plus level and was quite anxious beforehand.  Had I enrolled at too high a level?  Was the group well established and how would I feel as the ‘new girl’?  What about speaking French in front of the others?  Would I enjoy it?  After all, no one was making me do this.  You reassured me beforehand and within a very short time at the first class, I knew it was for me – the right blend of conversation, grammar and written work.  Overall, it is stretching yet fun.  And just the right amount of ‘homework’!  Thanks to you – and my classmates – for ensuring that the combination is perfect.

Dom: That’s a great, positive feedback, Virginia, thanks. You are also one of the co-writers of the book Dining on Words, which I very much enjoyed; and I’d like to thank you very much for giving me a copy. What does it feel like to write a poem or a short story?

Virginia:   I am glad you liked Dining on Words.  When I write a poem or a short story, I feel as though I have created something.  I am not good at crafts, I can’t knit or make things and I admire those who do.  So writing, for me, is the equivalent of ‘making’ something, which I can enjoy just on my own or, by showing my work to others, can share it.  And producing Dining on Words with others was like learning French with others, rather than just on my own. I was much more productive, I improved my writing and editing skills – and it was good fun, too.

Dom: Do you think your attraction to the English language played a role in your attraction to the French language?

Virginia:  That’s an interesting question.  Yes, I suppose it did.  I have always enjoyed exploring the English language and I try to express myself well.  And the French language is beautiful, so it is natural for me to want to speak it well – not to just ‘get by’.  I have even attempted to write some poetry in French – not very successfully.  But maybe that’s a challenge for the future!  I certainly feel that it is within my grasp.

Dom: Many thanks for your time, Virginia. I’ll see you next Friday.

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For example, on Wednesday morning, the members of the French class were presenting some works by Jean Cocteau and it was a feast of discovery.

Did you know that Jean Cocteau did not just direct and script amazing films, write novels and plays, but he was also a ceramicist, an artist, a designer and a ballet scripter (not sure what the correct English is for this)?

He painted the mural of a French church in London, in Leicester Square. Did you know there was a French church in London?

Have a look: http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/biblianazar/revelacion_templarios/revelacion_templarios02aux.htm

He was part of the creators of the ballet “Parade” with Picasso, Satie, etc. An unusual 30 minutes ballet.

Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YejpJ4kMH_0&app=desktop

Someone in the class gave us a fantastic quote too:

“Le verbe aimer est difficile à conjuguer : son passé n’est pas simple, son présent n’est qu’indicatif, et son futur est toujours conditionnel.”

Thank you to all the Wednesday morning-ers for an instructive and pleasurable 2 hours!

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I believe the vocabulary for clothes is the one that includes the most “faux amis” (false friends, words that look like their English equivalents but mean something else).

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For example, une veste is a jacket; un collier is a necklace; une robe is a dress; un gilet can be a waistcoat but also a cardigan; une chemise is a shirt; etc.

At the same time, many words are the same, or indeed borrowed from English: un T-shirt, un top, une tennis, un anorak, un pyjama.

However, today’s most popular expression went to the Wellington boots: no mention of Wellington or Napoleon in French for these. A Wellington boot is a rubber boot: une botte en caoutchouc (kaoochew).

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Le magazine sports:

Le magazine culture:

Le magazine enfants:

Le magazine … nettoyage?:

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Something like “Beware! This class is dynamite!” It’s not just because people are lively and questioning, nor because they enjoy finding out more and more about French; it’s because they will not hesitate to ask questions and try and live with the answers…

For example, tonight, I was innocently trying to explain that if you go out “sortir” make its perfect tense with “être” but if you take something out, “sortir” makes its perfect tense with “avoir”… For example, “Je suis sortie du bar à 2 heures du matin.” and “Hier soir, j’ai sorti la poubelle sur le trottoir.”

From “sortir la poubelle”, to take the bin out, we very quickly got into deep waters about to take and to bring. Usually, to take is “prendre” and, as I keep pointing out, French is a grabbing language: we “prendre” a drink, a meal, a shower, a train, etc. BUT, when it comes to taking something or someone somewhere, it’s a different game.

So I had to come clean and confess that there are very special words in French for “to bring” and “to take” somewhere AND that they were different words for things (inanimate objects) and for people (or animals, living creatures).

TO BRING:

Je vous amène mon chien. I bring you my dog.

J’ai apporté un dessert. 

I brought a dessert.

TO TAKE:

  J’emmène mon cheval dans les montagnes.

I’m taking my horse to the mountains.

  J’emporte des hotdogs chez moi.

I take some hotdogs home.

… as you will have seen from “plats à emporter” (take away food) in France.

Well, I’d love to tell you more about tonight’s class, but I’m too exhausted…

A plus!

Dom

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