Stoke the fire and gather round the TV, popcorn et chocolat chaud at the ready. We’ve compiled our list of our favourite winter feel good films to watch and study French. We’ll start with our ‘winter warmer’ movies, before listing some Christmas classics to get you in the festive spirit!

Learning through film is one of the most effective ways to study a language. Not only will you learn ‘real’ French vocabulary in context, you’ll also have great fun as you immerse yourself in French culture.

Winter Warmers

Amélie – 2001

Amélie is one of French international cinema’s biggest successes. Following the death of Princess Diana, Amélie decides to help those around her by secretly orchestrating their lives. She soon realises she has been neglecting her own interests, and her quirky would-be lover in the process.

Populaire (Popular) – 2012

Rose applies to be a secretary at an insurance firm run by Louis. Louis soon discovers that Rose is an extremely fast typer, using only two fingers. He urges her to enter a speed typing competition if she wants the job, and soon he is training her to become the fastest typer in the world.

Les Émotifs anonymes (Romantics Anonymous) – 2010

Angélique, a master chocolatier, and chocolate factory owner Jean-René, are too shy to admit their love for each other. The film follows their awkward journey as their feelings develop for one another.

Intouchables (The Untouchables) – 2011

This comedy drama follows the story of a Parisian aristocrat and his live-in carer following a paragliding accident. A touching story about the bond formed between two men who would never have usually met!

Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis (Welcome to the Sticks) – 2008

Despite living a comfortable life in the picturesque Salon-de-Provence, Julie has been suffering from depression for a long time. To help his wife feel better, Julie’s postmaster husband plots a move for the family. Hilarious and heart-warming…

Christmas Classics

Le père Noël est une ordur (Santa Claus Is a Stinker) – 1982

Two workers at a suicide prevention hotline on Christmas eve get the shock of their lives as a pregnant woman, her abusive boyfriend and a friend visit their offices.

L’apprenti Père Noël (Santa’s Apprentice) – 2010

Although Santa doesn’t want to retire, rules dictate that he must find his successor! An animated Christmas classic, follow the story of a young, shy boy in Australia who could become Santa’s next apprentice.

Un conte de Noël (A Christmas Tale) – 2008

A French family is caught in deep Christmas friction as the matriarch Junon asks her children and grandchildren if they are eligible to become her bone marrow donor.

Are you studying French? Why not learn French through news online with Newsdle? With new lessons published daily from beginner to advanced levels, you can access through their website and app!

Use discount code goodlife25 for 25% off your first subscription at www.newsdle.com.

The post 8 Winter Feel Good Films to Watch and Learn French appeared first on The Good Life France.

Have you ever wondered why we say ‘pardon my French?’ We have, so we asked the French language experts at Newsdle, the news-based French learning app. It’s a fascinating story… here’s what they say:

The term “pardon my French” has been used regularly for almost 200 years. It’s used to excuse the fact that you’ve sworn, or are about to swear or use offensive language. It’s a widely used term, even in popular movies like Ferris Bueller’s Day Off! And you don’t have to speak French or even be a Francophile to use the phrase.

Earliest Use of the Phrase

One of the earliest recorded uses of the phrase was in a story published by Karl Von Miltie in 1831, in his book The Twelve Nights. Karl writes:

“My dear Mr. Heartwell, you are come to see me at last. Bless me, how fat you are grown!—absolutely round as a ball:—you will soon be as embonpoint (excuse my French) as your poor dear father, the major.”

Embonpoint is defined to describe persons who are considered larger than usual. In this instance, he is not apologising for the insult, rather for saying the insult in the French language. The phrase became more commonly used during the 19th century, however it did not make its entry into the Oxford English Dicitionary until 1901.

The Arrival of French Words in England

To truly understand the influence of French on the English language, we need to go back to the 11th Century. Following the Battle of Hastings in the 10th Century, when William the Conqueror invaded England, the French language became de rigeur.
Although William tried to learn English (at the age of 43), he soon gave up. Within 20 years of Norman occupation, almost all the religious institutions in England were French-speaking. The aristocrats brought with them large French-speaking retinues, and soon the language of the aristocracy became French. When the English nobility lost their estates in France in 1204 they adopted English as their main language as a source of national pride.

Eventually English did take over from French, but about 10,000 introduced French words are still used today. And there ae hybrid words which have evolved directly from French. For example, sabotage originates from the French word sabot, which is a wooden clog worn by French peasants. As industrialisation swept through Europe, angry peasants soon discovered that a sabot, when placed in machinery, would effectively bring the factories to a halt, thus sabotaging the factories. Even the word coupon, comes from the French verb couper, meaning to cut.

Intertwining of Languages and Origins of Pardon my French

Thanks to the intertwining of the French (and other languages), English subsequently evolved into a rich and versatile global language. ‘Pardon my French’ was originally used in England when someone used a French word, when speaking to someone who may not have had the social standing to understand French. However with conflict between the French and English led to the word being used to indicate that anything regarded as rude or uncouth was dubbed as French, regardless of whether it was or not!

Discover more fun facts about the French language and learn French as well as about all aspects of French life from culture to history, sports to gastronomy, through Newsdle’s fun and inspiring news-based app  and get 25% off with the code goodlife25

The post Why do we say ‘pardon my French?’ appeared first on The Good Life France.

With a wealth of online resources and tools, there has never been a better time to learn French online. Studying French through websites and apps allows you to study little-and-often, wherever you are.

Top Ten Tips to Learn French Online

Study with an online French graded newspaper

Studying French with an online French graded newspaper such as Newsdle is a great way to learn through engaging, authentic content. With new lessons published each day across website an app, there’s something for everyone!

Spaced repetition (SRS) software

SRS flashcards are a great way to learn and reinforce vocabulary. You’ll be tested more on words you remember less.
Tip: organise your words into groups to lighten the load!

Switch your email and phone to French system language!

Feeling brave? not switch your email and phone settings to French? As these are platforms that you’re already familiar with, you’ll get exposure to new vocabulary without feeling overwhelmed.

Meet a French language partner online

Studying with language exchange partners is a great way to practice your French language skills and make new friends in the process. There are loads of online platforms to help you find someone suitable. Just remember to take steps to stay safe online!

Get an online tutor

Study with the help of a teacher without needing to leave your home. This is a great option if you don’t get so much exposure to French language in your daily life.

Watch French TV and films online

You can use free tools such as YouTube or TV5MondePlus which is like French Netflix but free (download the app here: TV5MondePlus), or subscription service such as Netflix to learn French. This is a great way to expose yourself to accents from across the French-speaking world!

Listen to French podcasts on streaming platforms

A great option if you’re on the go! Study French as you travel, exercise, or relax through podcasts!

Try a learning French browser extension

Hover over words on websites for immediate translation for an easy win!

Use an online dictionary tool

Put your words and texts into an online dictionary tool to help decipher the meaning. Even better, find one that links to your SRS flashcards to build the new words into your daily study routine!

Learn to sing French songs!

Learning songs is a great way to learn vocabulary in context and have fun when learning French. Get those endorphins flowing with a French karaoke session!

If you want to learn French through a graded online newspaper, why not try Newsdle? There are new lessons every day from beginner to advanced levels, as well as loads of tools to support your language learning journey!

Use discount code goodlife25 for 25% off initial transaction amount through the website at www.newsdle.com.

The post What’s the Best Way to Learn French Online? appeared first on The Good Life France.

There are so many options for learning French online – internet lessons, apps, CDs, books, and more. One of the most interesting ways to learn is through news-based lessons from Newsdle. You’re not just learning the language, you’re learning about the country too in an up to date way. Don’t expect clichéd words and phrases, do expect contemporary phrases, the latest news and fascinating articles about France. You can choose the genres that interests you from a wide ranging list of topics including cultural, history, sports etc. And the lessons are at different levels- from foundation up to advanced.

We asked Newsdle to tell us more about how Newsdle works:

Online news-based French Lessons

All of our lessons are news-based, and written by native French teachers. Designed to be current, and written with social currency in mind, our ever-expanding library will allow you to find any topic you find interesting. The best way to learn French is through something you’re interested in! We add up to 6 lessons daily, so there’s always something new at your level to read.

Comprehension Questions

All new Newsdle lessons will feature between 4 and 6 comprehension questions to help you test your understanding and learn French through testing. Comprehension exercises are automatically graded, so you don’t need to worry about someone marking your work!

Spoken Audio for Every Article

You can learn French simply by listening! Each lesson comes complete with native audio spoken with a variety of French accents, at a speed that’s in-line with your targeted level.

Interactive Live Dictionary

Don’t know a word? Use the Live Dictionary – it includes audio. Save words to your personal Word Bank and learn French words at any time. There’s no excuse not to learn a new French word!

Grammatical Explanations

Unlike any other news-based graded reader, Newsdle offers a complete level-targeted list of grammatical explanations for every lesson. Grammar is made fun and relevant with contextualised examples. Learn French grammar in every lesson!

Cross Platform Synchronization

Newsdle fully synchronises across all devices: Website, iOS and Android. This includes user data, bookmarks, personal Learning Hub and Word Bank. Learn French in the library and on the bus, and all your data between devices will be saved!

Try Newsdle’s sample lessons to try before you buy and if you sign up, get 25% off with the code: goodlife25

The post Learn French – with online news-based lessons appeared first on The Good Life France.

We live part of the year in France. A place with verdant landscapes and sublime design sense. Also, praluline, the brioche swirled with pink, sugar-coated pralines. Praluline comes from Roanne in the  Auvergne Rhone-Alps region. We discovered it in old Lyon. It’s like something from Barbie’s Easy-Bake oven, only edible.  It’s what we miss most when we’re not in France.

Friends ask why we’re not there year-round. We tell them: “je ne sais pas” (in English: “beats hell out of us”). Could be taxes, could be bureaucracy. Most likely it’s primitive garbage disposal technology.

But the fact is, we also like our native home – the U.S.A. It’s where we grew up, raised our kids and have our Costco card. The challenge is keeping spiritually close to France while away. We do that in many ways.

For starters, our U.S. house is in Lafayette, CA. Hard to forget France when your namesake is the hero of the French Revolution. Couldn’t say why it’s called Lafayette. Internet research tells us he never ventured farther west than Las Vegas. Probably in search of In-N-Out Burgers, like Lewis and Clark.

But it’s not just geography that links us to France. We rely on cultural touchstones, as well: Jean Sablon recordings, Inspector Bruno novels, French vanilla ice cream.

Then there’s television.

We don’t have a TV set in our French house. I’m old. There aren’t enough years left to get the cable guy out. We make up for it by watching French television programming in the U.S.

You’d be amazed at how many French TV shows you can find in the U.S. There’s everything from murder mysteries to, well, more murder mysteries. It seems that the French love a good homicide. Agatha Christie may have been born at the right time, but definitely not in the right place.

Here are just a few of the murder-solving French TV detectives we follow from the U.S.:

• A trained psychiatrist attached to the Paris homicide bureau;
• A trained art historian attached to the Paris art crime bureau;
• A trained oenologist (this is either a wine expert or a guy who feels the bumps on your forehead to determine if you need the care of the trained psychiatrist) who assists the Bordeaux homicide bureau;
• Two husband-wife detective teams (divorced); one in Lyon, the other in Montpellier; who catch killers and annoy their kids; and
• A morose loner who wears incredibly itchy wool turtleneck sweaters and contemplates death…. no, wait… that’s the Swedish guy.

Anyway, you get the idea.

And here’s the thing about French detectives: they’re all incredibly handsome. At least that’s what my wife tells me…ad nauseum. They have this thing they do with their T-shirts. They don’t tuck them in. So the shirts ride up seductively over the service revolvers on their belts.

I try the same thing. But in my case the shirt rides up over a protruding belly. I’m no judge, but I don’t think that this is seductive.

There’ve been a few good French TV dramas without the line: “I’ll know more after the autopsy” (it’s what the medical examiner tells the girl who wants to know if there’ll be a second date). Here are the best we’ve found:

• Speakerine: moody 1960s political thriller set in Gaullist Paris;
• A Very Secret Service (Au Service de la France): simultaneously understated and over-the-top French spy satire; and
• Call My Agent (Dix Pour Cent): the best of the bunch and a loving spoof of the entertainment business.

All of these programs are broadcast with subtitles. You may not need them. I do. I’m still working on a translation of the French alphabet to English. But if you get stuck, here’s the plot of every French murder mystery ever filmed:

The girl cop hates the guy cop. He hates her, too. They catch the killer. They get married. The only exception: when the guy cop turns out to be the abandoned-at-birth son of the girl cop. In that case, they bake cookies.

We watch these programs faithfully. They’re not always good, but they’re French. And that’s all we’ve got till I find a recipe for praluline.

Mike Zampa is a media relations consultant and former newspaper editor and columnist who, along with his wife, splits time between the Dordogne Valley and San Francisco Bay Area.

Discover great French films and TV shows with subtitles free at TV5MONDEPlus – like French Netflix!

The post Discover France through TV Shows! appeared first on The Good Life France.

French is a Romance language, meaning it comes from what is known as Vulgar Latin (spoken Latin as opposed to literary Latin). French evolved, influenced by Gallic, Anglo-Norman and regional languages of what is now modern France over hundreds of years. This hotchpotch of influences become the modern French we know today. English is a Germanic language. It too is heavily influenced by Romance languages, such as 300 years of French being the official language of England thanks to William the Conqueror!

It’s not what you say it’s the way that you say it

You’re actually already au fait with quite a lot of French vocabulary say the experts at Newsdle, the news-based learning app – it’s just that the way the words are pronounced can be very different. Avant-garde, bureau, cabaret, detour… they’re the same in both English and French, as are thousands of words. The more you think about it, the more you realise that often it’s a matter of pronunciation (and speed of talking) that differentiates French from English. Had déjà vu lately? In a restaurant or café, you may start the meal with an aperitif. Or  perhaps Champagne. And you may find pâté or omelette is served, and the meal may end with soufflé or mousse for dessert.

French tongue twisters

When it comes to tongue twisters – virelangues – it gets a little more challenging. But you’re sure to recognise some of the words in these examples:

Les chaussettes de l’archiduchesse sont-elles sèches, archi-sèches?

Are the Archduchess’ socks dry, very dry?

Or how about this tongue twister that’s full of words that sound the same, but are written differently, known as homophones:

Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cents scies scient six cent cyprès

If six saws saw six cypresses, six hundred saws saw six hundred cypresses

And this one is perfect for practicing your ‘on’s and ‘en’s and ‘ou’s and ‘ue’s:

‘Tonton, ton thé t’a-t-il ôté ta toux’ disait la tortue au tatou. ‘Mais pas du tout’,  dit le tatou.  ‘Je tousse tant que l’on m’entend de Tahiti à Tombouctou.’

‘Uncle, your tea has cured your cough,’ said the tortoise to the armadillo. ‘Not at all,’ said the armadillo. ‘I cough so much that you can hear me from Tahiti to Timbuktu.’

Practice your French language reading and speaking skills and learn more about France with Newsdle’s fun and easy to use news-based app – and get 25% off, just pop in the goodlife25: www.newsdle.com

The post Learn French – fun and easy news app appeared first on The Good Life France.

Enjoy guilt-free learning whilst binge-watching AND learn more about France with TV5MONDEPlus. Go to www.tv5mondeplus.com or download the App. It’s a superb way to experience the French language in real-life situations through films, documentaries and TV shows. As well as language learning, you’ll discover more of France with programmes that explore the varied regions from vineyards to chateaux. And there are some seriously drool-worthy cookery shows…

TV5MONDEPlus is free on all devices

TV5MONDPlus is free on all devices: tablet, mobile phone, Amazon Fire, Smart TVs, PCs (except for a very few countries where their local regulations require it to be a paid service*). It offers 5,000 hours of programmes, films, drama, documentaries, lifestyle and more. You’ll get a real taste of real French life and language with hit shows from Francophonie countries: France, Belgium, Canada, Switzerland and Africa

Watching TV5MONDEPlus is an easy way to get some language practice in. You’ll quickly learn new vocabulary, hear different French regional accents, and uncover useful slang rather than learning just textbook French. All from the comfort of your sofa, or even on your way to work by train or bus.

Top tips for studying French

Here are some of our top tips to study French and watch TV5MONDEPlus at the same time…

Turn on the Subtitles

You can watch TV5MONDEPlus shows and films with the English subtitles turned on. That way, you’ll be able to follow the programme while listening to it in French. You can also watch it with French subtitles which helps improve your skills even more.

Increase your word knowledge

There’s a huge variety of programmes on TV5MONDEPlus. Whatever your interests – you’ll find something to keep you entertained. Culture and lifestyle, history and society, environment and Discovery channels are superb for helping to increase your knowledge of every day words, tenses, nouns and verbs. Sitcoms, drama and cookery shows are also really great for helping you expand your repertoire of every day French.

Try Gros Mots, a series of short programmes that explore the etymology of French slang. Award winning film Les Deux Amis follows the story of Clément who falls in love with Mona, a shopgirl at the Gare du Nord. However, this mysterious and elusive young woman isn’t interested in him. Ready to try anything to win her, Clément calls in his best friend, Abel, an experienced ladies’ man. And mini-series Les Simones follows the lives of three 30-something friends (watch the clip below… don’t you want to find out what happens next?)…

Pause, Rewind, Replay

Simply pause any programme any time. You can wind back and replay to listen more closely to new words and phrases or write them down in a notebook. It’s a great way to increase your learning. Or when you go back to the app, just pick up where you left off. Not enough time to watch a great film, don’t worry, pause and go back to it when you do have more time.

Guilt-free learning, fun and free.

Download the app for TV5MONDE Plus for free

* TV5MONDEPlus in the USA

The post Discover your new favourite show AND learn French for free! appeared first on The Good Life France.

Newsdle, a brand new language learning platform (website and app) is a very different way to learn French. It’s the first news-based graded reader for students of French (and Spanish) at all levels. Each day you log in to your Newsdle account to read a selection of French articles based on your personal interests. Mine for instance are history and culture and general news.

Choose your skill level from beginner to advanced and then work through as many of the articles as you like and test yourself with reading and listening quizzes. It really is a superb way to find out more about France as you improve your French language learning. And as I’m a subscriber, I can tell you it really works.

Learn about France

I’ve done a lot of French courses, some good, some bad. What I like about Newsdle is that I can start my learning whenever I want and be totally flexible about it – but most of all, I’m genuinely interested in the topics, and that keeps me coming back each day. Sometimes I’ll read cultural articles – museum exhibitions, Josephine Baker, the auction of Marie-Antoinette’s bracelets. My interests are history and culture predominantly but I’ve found myself reading more and more different articles – travel, food, nature, and language (in a fascinating article about French astronaut Thomas Pesquet).

If you have an interest in France then this is definitely the way to learn more.

Go at your pace

You choose what level of French you’re at and open the articles. You’ll read them in French and at the end a list of key words are presented with their meanings. You then take a test – reading or/and audio. The reading test always involves word pairing to make sure that you’ve understood the words. Then there are statements and you choose whether they are true or false. Sometimes you put in the missing word in a sentence, other times you choose which word is an adverb in a sentence.

The listening test is a great way to hear French spoken properly and tends to be more challenging as you need to concentrate really hard to make sure you understand the details.

Challenge yourself

Newsdle founder Sean McGibney and his team have run a platform called The Chairman’s Bao [TCB] for the study of Chinese. TCB is used in 350+ global schools and universities, as well as by over 150,000 users worldwide. They’ve had a lot of experience in teaching languages and all of that experience has gone into Newsdle. You choose how much you want to challenge yourself. I’ve found that the articles are so interesting, I spend more time learning. And I concentrate really hard so I can do the quizzes. Instead of just reading, repeating, moving on and forgetting, the words, phrases and grammar are sinking in better than ever.

What you get

You can take a free trial of sample lessons before you sign up. As a subscriber, every day you’ll receive 3 news-based lessons from beginner to advanced levels. And you’ll have access to the entire library of articles. Each lesson has listening and reading comprehension exercises written by qualified teachers. There are in-built features such as live dictionary, keyword lists and graded spoken audio. You can study via the app or the website.

If you’re serious about learning French, this course will certainly help you with a flexible and fun way of learning – and you can get a year’s worth of learning for less than a cup of Starbucks caffe latte per month (use discount code goodlife25 for 25% off)…

Start learning French and discover more about France, take a free trial and subscribe at: newsdle.com

The post Learn French online with Newsdle appeared first on The Good Life France.

When it comes to learning French, the very best way is through immersion or face to face learning with someone who understands how to teach, coach, and help you. And face to face learning works just as well with online French lessons as it does if you’re in the same room.

Flexible and highly structured

Brigitte Miramont has been teaching French to non-French speakers for more than 30 years. She is highly qualified and has taught at high school, university level and runs immersion courses at her home near Marseille. ‘Learning to speak French gives you skills that go far beyond the obvious’ she says. ‘Learning a new language is rewarding, life-enriching, and it’s also fun.’

Whether you’re learning for yourself, for a move to France, for a job, to pass an exam or to make your time in France more satisfying by being able to communicate better, Brigitte will put together a highly structured learning plan that’s also flexible

Private and tailor made

‘Most people have uniquely different requirements when it comes to learning’ says Brigitte. ‘One size doesn’t always fit all when you’re learning French. Often friends or couples do want to share lessons and learn together. But equally, individuals respond best to a tailor-made approach.’ After an initial, free consultation, Brigitte will create a plan that’s just right for each person. And importantly, she takes into account what level you want to achieve.

Whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or advanced, her plan will help you to increase your French skills from speaking to writing. ‘People are often amazed at how quickly they can progress’ says Brigitte. ‘But when I’m working with someone face to face to teach French online, I can adjust the pace and the level. I make my approach suit the individual and their needs. It is wonderfully successful. I really love to see students of all ages and levels enhance their skills in a way and at a pace they didn’t think was possible.

Whether it’s a child worried about moving to France with family and not being able to speak French. Or someone who needs to understand French for their job. Students sometimes want to learn because they appreciate a new skill and love the French language. There are all sorts of reasons to learn French, and it is my pleasure to help people’.

Bespoke online French lessons

The 60-minute lessons cover speaking and listening and cover grammar, phonetics, and vocabulary. You’ll learn about accentuation and intonation and all the little things that help you speak French like a local. And what you’ve covered during your online lesson will be emailed to you afterwards so you can practice as much as you need.

Contact Brigitte for a free 30-minute trial lesson on Skype to discover more…

Find out more at: www.live-and-learn-en-provence.com/online-lessons

The post Tailored online French lessons appeared first on The Good Life France.

France has a love affair with its language. The French love nothing better than to have a heated debate or make a long speech. I once went to a concert in Le Touquet in northern France, and the venue manager came out and made a speech about the performers (Earth Wind and Fire) before they began their set. The French audience seemed pleased by the speech which went on for some 15 minutes. They clapped enthusiastically at the end. The British audience were seriously perplexed. They clapped too because they were glad the speech was over and the band would at last be coming on stage…

The French language police

The French language is highly protected and promoted within France. Radios must play a minimum of 35% French language songs for instance. And there is a sort of language police department in France. These guardians are dedicated to protecting the French language – mostly from foreign word invasion!

The Académie Française was created in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, chief minister of King Louis XIII from 1624-1642. An intellectual man, he was the first theologian to write in French. He was a patron of the arts and established the academy to maintain standards of literary taste and establish the French language as ‘pure and comprehensible to all’.

Ever since then, except for ten years when the French Revolution put them out of business, their forty members, known as ‘the immortals’, have looked after French words – both new and old. They are based in a beautiful building in Paris, opposite the Louvre. They have an official uniform, a long black coat with gold embroidery rumoured to cost £40,000. And that doesn’t include the sword they have to carry for official engagements – presumably to cut through the claptrap.

A word to the wise

It’s a very elitist group made up of writers, historians, and even politicians. Past members include Voltaire the French playwright and Victor Hugo (who’s works include 800 word sentences). Surprisingly, Marcel Proust was never a member despite writing a book that was 1,267,059 words long (A la recherche du temps perdu) the longest French book on record.

If an English word creeps into popular usage, the Académie Française will come up with an alternative and urge everyone in France to use it. ‘Parking’ for instance, which is what Frenchies say when referring to a parking space for a car, should, according to the Académie Française dictionary, be ‘Aire de stationnement’. But it’s a bit of a mouthful, isn’t it? and So everyone just says ‘le parking’.

The origins of French

The origins of French lie in Latin. But it wasn’t until after the French Revolution that French became the common language. Many regions spoke their own language. To this day some do still have their own language – Occitaine for instance in the south of France, Brittany with its Celtic words and in the north of France where I live, Ch’ti (I even have a Ch’ti dictionary) which is half French, half totally not French with different words for things even as common as a chair (chaise in French, cayelle in Ch’ti).

Talking French

It’s estimated that more than 30%, some 10,000 words, of English words have French origins. From 1066 when William the Conqueror arrived and for 300 years after, French was the official language of the power holders of England, the aristocracy and clergy. Many English Kings barely knew how to speak English including Richard the Lionheart.

Learning French a a speaker of English – it’s sometimes very deja vu!

Janine Marsh is Author of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream – ebook, print & audio, on Amazon everywhere & all good bookshops online, and My Four Seasons in France: A Year of the Good Life

The post Fascinating facts about the French language appeared first on The Good Life France.