french lore
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You might have already learned about 1066, when the cousins from Normandy battled with their relatives across the channel in Hastings, near the coast of Dover. When King Harald lost, cousin William (Guillaume) took over. So everything about government, military, courts, education and church changed from German to French.
As a result the English dictionary today is about 29% French words (but we pronounce them differently, of course). That's why we have so many synonyms: there's usually a French one (e.g. Supervise) and a German one (Oversee). The point is English speakers have a storehouse of vocab already. Just flip the pronunciation to sound like a native speaker (rhythm, accent, vowels and other sounds without English counterpart).
Some helpful paths leading to cultural literacy, social proficiency and linguistic fluency
Language learning lessons-French | French words in English & more| English words in French
Activities in FR (scroll down 2 screens past the sales bar); Vocabulary Builder
Online textbook (editable) on French | http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Wikijunior_Languages/French
24 hour world news in French (launched January 2007)
recommended movies in FR, cf. film background at http://imdb.com
Other things to look up about French Language Lore
Family tree of French to English (Battle of Hastings in 1066, Bayeux Tapestry, EN dictionary is 40% FR)
--- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_French_origin
--- http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Category:French_derivations
--- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_phrases_used_by_English_speakers
"False Friends" (faux amis)
Borrowed words (loan words used "as is"), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calque; 126 examples; see also pseudo-French that comes up in English
Practice wrapping your tongue around famous people, places, things/events [cultural literacy]
Browse http://www.flickr.com or http://images.google.com for #3 names (above)
Use http://indexmundi.com to zoom in on places studied (all named population centers globally; satellite images)
Online bookmarks for: Wikipedia-FR, podcasts in FR, search engine for FR (set google FR preferences)
Personal: travel stories, observations; good reasons to learn FR; own learning curve; levels of ambition (what do YOU want to be able to do in FR?)
Basic Vocabulary Pool for French (1,047 words) | franglais | African French | Quebecois &more
Language immersion at summer camps, Lac du Bois (main, Hackensack, Savannah, Les Voyageurs)
Materials
Passeport Ă l'Afrique Francophone consists of short movies from 2004 teacher trip to West Africa via the Fulbright program, Group Projects Abroad. To purchase the DVD contact:
Insight Media Inc, 2162 Broadway, New York, NY 10024-0621 Tel: 800 233-9910, 212/721-6316
Email: custserv@insight-media.com
Favorite quotes from St. Exupery's Le Petit Prince, https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/The_Little_Prince
Stories on radio & online from National Public Radio
----------Eleanor Beardsley filing since 2004 [class projectd: mark these spots on http://maps.google.com]
Oysters Shape Lives, Livelihoods In Arcachon Basin Sep-11-2008, Morning Edition.
...summer delicacy in Frances Roman times and they're still relished and traditional oyster producing spots like the Village visited by Eleanor Beardsley in the villages of the Africa Sean...
A French Marionette Tradition Sep-01-2008, All Things Considered.
...Mr. DUPIN: (French spoken) Unidentified Group: (French spoken) BEARDSLEY: For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley. Mr. DUPIN: (French spoken) Unidentified Group: (French spoken) Mr...
In Normandy, A Touching Tribute To Lost Lives Aug-13-2008, Driveway Moments.
...at a grave in an American cemetery in Normandy. Eleanor Beardsley/NPR Matthew Detroit, Mich. French Families Adopt U.S. Graves in Normandy French Families Adopt U.S. Graves in Normandy...
Restored French Trenches Tell Of Loss, Optimism Jul-09-2008, All Things Considered.
...offensive that helped end that war. Eleanor Beardsley paid a visit to the battlefields of Eastern France where American soldiers made a lasting impression.
Chef Proves School Lunch Can Be Healthy, Cheap Jul-02-2008, Morning Edition.
...each morning to prepare lunch for the school's students. Chef Dominique Valadier. null Eleanor Beardsley/NPR null Valadier prepares mussels, bought fresh that morning from the local...
WWI Munitions Still Live Beneath Western Front Nov-11-2007, Weekend Edition - Sunday.
...Unexploded grenades and shells found on a former WW1 battlefield in France. Eleanor Beardsley for NPR These shells are charged and still active. We can't forget that these are weapons...
French Immigration Museum Highlights Hot Topic Oct-11-2007, Morning Edition.
...being exploited for political ends. All this comes as a new museum paying homage to immigration in France opened in Paris. Eleanor Beardsley reports. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: La Cite de...
Belgium Split over Language, Economy Nov-08-2007, Morning Edition.
...Dutch speakers in one region and French speakers in another. And a sizable minority of people now says it's time for this country to break up. Eleanor Beardsley reports.
Paris? Popular Bike Program May Inspire Others Sep-15-2007, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...Two months and some 3.7 million rides later, it seemed to be changing the way people get around the city. Eleanor Beardsley sends this report. (Soundbite of motor) ELEANOR BEARDSLEY:...
Rugby World Cup Kicks Off in Paris Sep-08-2007, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...to try to make this year's cup a success. As Eleanor Beardsley reports, the country has plunged into a kind of collective rugby hysteria. (Soundbite of crowd cheering)
Semur-en-Auxois Hosts Its First Tour de France Jul-13-2007, Morning Edition.
...for. Eleanor Beardsley visited one small town on the route in Burgundy. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: On Friday morning, the tiny town of Semur-en-Auxois will host the Tour de France for the...
Chinese Tourists Drawn to French Town's History Jul-10-2007, Morning Edition.
...who came to work and study there. Now the town is trying to capitalize on its communist link, by luring Chinese tourists back. Eleanor Beardsley reports.
Paris Neighborhood Stores Thrive Jun-25-2007, Morning Edition ...and as Eleanor Beardsley reports, it is not by accident. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Le Cochon Rose has stood on the same busy corner in Paris' 15th Arrondissement since 1905. It is a charcuterie,...
Rural Voters in France Discuss the Issues Apr-16-2007, Day to Day.
...For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley in Semur-en-Auxois....
French Election Turns on National Identity Apr-09-2007, Morning Edition.
...Immigration and National Identity. His main opponent, the Socialist candidate, countered with her own ideas about bolstering national pride, as Eleanor Beardsley reports.
Wines, Cheeses Showcased at French Farm Fair Mar-11-2007, All Things Considered.
...the support of the influential farm lobby. Eleanor Beardsley sends this postcard from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Picture a giant state fair but on a national level and you can begin...
French Prepare to Pay Homage to Abbe Pierre Jan-25-2007, Morning Edition.
...time, just after Charles de Gaulle and Louis Pasteur. Eleanor Beardsley has a report from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Hundreds of people fill the narrow street outside the Val de Grace..
'Greening' of Paris Rough on Motorists Dec-23-2006, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...renewal scheme is really just a war against cars. And even his supporters say the traffic in Paris is worse than ever. Eleanor Beardsley has more from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: For...
Oh, to Be a Collector of Garbage in Paris Nov-25-2006, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...the street. He may actually be a women. Eleanor Beardsley sends this report from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY: Twenty-eight-year-old Anne Schezevick(ph) used to work from nine to five as...
World: France Struggles to Balance Workload on Sundays Jul-02-2006, Weekend Edition - Sunday.
...For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley, in Paris....
France Presses Ahead with Nuclear Power May-01-2006, Morning Edition.
...it was accepted and even respected. As many nations make the case for nuclear energy again, they are examining the French model. Eleanor Beardsley reports. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting:...
France Places Trust in Nuclear Power Plants May-01-2006, Morning Edition.
...France Places Trust in Nuclear Power Plants. France has 58 nuclear power plants. They provide 80-percent of the country's electricity needs. The government-owned company that...
Bullfighting Sans Death in Southern France Dec-17-2005, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...another day. Eleanor Beardsley has sent us this report. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: Pascal Myon(ph), like his brother and his father before him, is a rancher.
Cheese-Making Tradition Melts Away in Camembert Oct-22-2005, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...cows. In the village of Camembert, there's only one man left making cheese in the traditional way. Eleanor Beardsley reports. (Soundbite of bell) ELEANOR BEARDSLEY...
Calvados: A (Potent) Norman Tradition Oct-18-2005, All Things Considered.
...cheese and Calvados. It's an apple brandy. Although it's well-known in France, Calvados makers want to increase exports, and as Eleanor Beardsley reports, they think...
Normandy Fishermen Decry Scallop Policy Oct-18-2005, Morning Edition.
...and the most beautiful, and this is the best place in the world to find them. (Soundbite of birds) BEARDSLEY: For NPR News, I'm Eleanor Beardsley. MONTAGNE: This...
SUV Buyers Defy High Price of Gas in France Oct-04-2005, Morning Edition.
...enough, so have sales of SUVs. Eleanor Beardsley sent this report from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: Ben Diyon(ph) and his wife Monique(ph) both drive SUVs. With...
The Changing Face of France's Bistros Sep-27-2005, All Things Considered.
...notice something different. Once an entirely French domain, more and more of these businesses are being bought and run by Chinese immigrants. As Eleanor Beardsley reports...
Debate Develops over France's Social System Aug-14-2005, Weekend Edition - Sunday.
...only survive by changing its social model and becoming more internationally competitive. From Paris, Eleanor Beardsley has more. (Soundbite of street market noises)..
French Ponder Repercussions of Non-Integrated Muslims Jul-22-2005, Day to Day.
...French-born children leaves them vulnerable to radicalism. Eleanor Beardsley reports. (Soundbite of street noise) ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: In the suburbs...
Catholicism and Islam in Europe Apr-15-2005, Day to Day.
...Catholicism and Islam in Europe . Eleanor Beardsley reports on how the rise in Muslim immigration to Europe is affecting the Roman Catholic Church across the continent..
French Flip for Comic Books at Festival Feb-13-2005, Weekend Edition - Sunday.
...Sunday morning comics readers, set your newspapers aside. As Eleanor Beardsley reports from Angouleme, French comic book fans live in a whole other world.
France Questions the Foie Gras Tradition Jan-20-2005, All Things Considered.
...as Eleanor Beardsley reports, some in France are beginning to question the practice as well. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: Gascony, in the southwest of France, is foie gras country....
Airbus Unveils World's Largest Passenger Jet Jan-18-2005, Morning Edition.
...Eleanor Beardsley reports. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: The gargantuan double-decker A380 has been the talk of the European media for weeks. Unidentified Man: (French...
Wolves Return to Southern France Dec-28-2004, Day to Day.
...Wolves Return to Southern France. Eleanor Beardsley reports about the dilemma facing sheep farmers in southern France. Wolves are returning to the land after a century of near extinction,...
French TV Show Taps Longing for Simpler Life Nov-14-2004, Weekend Edition - Sunday.
...seems to strike a nerve, and perhaps a longing for a simpler time when society's lines of authority were a bit clearer. Eleanor Beardsley reports..
Book on French Slackers a Big Hit Sep-25-2004, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...loafing in the workplace -- a la Dilbert. Eleanor Beardsley reports.. . SCOTT SIMON, host: As the French head back to the workplace after their long summer vacations, a continuing...
Under Paris, Cinephiles Elude Police Sep-18-2004, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...of who erected this mysterious underground cinema is fascinating much of France. Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: The 1,200-square-foot cavern-...
Paris Eatery Leaves Diners in the Dark Sep-04-2004, Weekend Edition - Saturday.
...taste and smell the food in a whole new way. Eleanor Beardsley reports from Paris. ELEANOR BEARDSLEY reporting: As our waitress, who's been blind since birth, leads our group,...
created 14 Marc 2007... updated 11 September 2008