FdSTL Seventh Day of Christmas: Seven Sweet Sayings

Bonjour mes lecteurs, my readers! Aujourd'hui I share seven sweet sayings en français from a few of my favorite French language Instagram accounts. If you're like me, you find yourself scrolling through Instagram often, so why not make it an opportunity to bring more French into your every day? The sweet sayings I chose today reminded me of the wonderful family time the holiday season brings. Enjoy and be sure to give these accounts a follow!

@frenchisbeautiful

I love this account by Carrie Anne James (you can also follow her at @theparisdarling). What I like best about Carrie Anne's posts is that she always provides audio so that you can hear the French pronunciation. Joyeux Noël de moi à vous. Enjoy the time to être en famille. :)

(Merry Christmas!) + (to be with family)

@missfrancophile

Mélissa is the face behind this beautiful account. A French teacher in Australia, she shares not only phrases, but also information about grammar and sounds. I love that with family you can always faites comme chez vous and indulge with un bon vin blanc ou rouge. 

(make yourself at home) +  (a good white wine)

@frenchwords

Their motto: "Every day a new French word, quote, or idiom. Why? Because French is beautiful." There's nothing quite like a good éclat de rire. Some of my favorite family memories are those of us laughing so hard it hurts. Things are simply better ensemble. 

If you were counting, that was six. The last sweet saying is a wish I would like to share with each of you this holiday season.

Soyez heureux, en bonne santé, et rempli de joie. 

Be happy, healthy, and full of joy.

Warm wishes to you and your family from me to you,

FdSTL Fourth Day of Christmas: Four Chatty Cows

Bon dimanche! It's time for day four where I will extend on yesterday's theme of language. This French cow is probably more interested in his lunch than having a chat, but he's in luck because today we will do all of the talking. Butter, cheese, cream... cows are a very important part of la cuisine française and thus an integral part of the French culture and way of life. It's no wonder that cows often slip into French conversations. Here are four French cow idioms that are sure to make you sound all the more French! 

Vachement

(really, really)

The Earful Tower with Oliver Gee has become one of my most listened to podcasts. Oliver Gee is an Australian expat in Paris looking to better understand France. Some of my favorite episodes are those that center around language, like this episode where guests share 24 favorite French words. Vachement was the favorite word of Lisa Anselmo, author of My (Part-Time) Paris Life. Note: I haven't had a chance to read this one but is high on my list! ThoughtCo offers a lot more information on this cow inspired word (here). Here is one example they provide of how one might use vachement: Il est vachement bien, ce bouquin. This book is really, really great. 

(click the image for a link to the book)

La vache!

(Holy cow!)

This is another cow phrase I heard on the Earful Tower, and once again ThoughtCo does an amazing job of going more in depth (here). La vache, les français parlent beaucoup de vaches! Holy cow, the French talk a lot about cows! 

Aller à quelqu'un comme un tablier à une vache

(fitting someone like an apron fits a cow)

I just finished Clotilde Dusoulier's book, Edible French. This is a lovely book for lovers of the French language full of food related French idioms and beautiful illustrations by Mélina Josserand. If you need a last minute holiday gift for a francophile in your life, this book would be perfect! Of course she included a cow expression. This was the first time I'd seen this one and I really enjoyed it. J'ai commandé un chemisier sur Internet, mais il me va comme un tablier à une vache. I ordered a blouse online, but it fits me like an apron fits a cow... not so good. :/ 

(click the image for a link to the book)

Parler français comme une vache espagnole

(to speak French like a Spanish cow)

If someone says tu parle français comme une vache espagnole it is definitely less than a compliment. However, with these four French cow idioms in your arsenal I'm sure you'll sound French, even to the French (as Géraldine of Comme Une Française always says!). 

And last but not least, a bonus! If your a fan of La Vache Qui Rit, Laughing Cow Cheese, I think you'll find the story of why the cow is laughing très intéressant. Read the story here. 

Je suis vachement contente que vous êtes ici.

I am really, really glad that you are here.

Warm wishes from me to you,

FdSTL Third Day of Christmas: Three French Phrases

Happy Saturday and third day of Christmas here on Fleur de St. Louis! For today's petit cadeau I'm sharing three French phrases to add to your French language répertoire (a vrai ami meaning a word that means the same in English as it does in French). 

This post is appearing on the blog a little later in the day today because Tony and I, nous avons fait la grasse matinée. And here we have French phrase #1:

faire la grasse matinée

(to sleep in)

Listen to Carrie Anne James of French is Beautiful pronounce this lovely phrase here (her accent is truly beautiful). I plan to faire la grasse matinée a few times over my holiday vacation. :)

Speaking of holiday vacation, if you are planning to extend your time off by taking a day before or after your already given vacation days, you are very French indeed as the French love to faire le pont. Here's French phrase #2: 

faire le pont

(to have an extra long weekend)

Pont means bridge en français. This year Christmas is on a Monday and already attached to the weekend. However, next year Christmas falls on a Tuesday. Many of us will already have Monday off to observe Christmas Eve, but for those that don't you may choose to faire le pont. Instead of going into work for one day between the weekend and Christmas, you would take Monday off to "bridge" your weekend with your holiday. Who doesn't love a nice, extended vacation? I love that the French have a phrase to express this. You can read more about this phrase here on ThoughtCo. I have found myself coming to this site often as I expand my knowledge of the French language. 

Finally, as we enjoy this holiday and transition into a new year, many of us will avoir un projet. Here we have today's French phrase #3:

avoir un projet 

(to make plans, to have a future vision)

The start of a new year is such a lovely time. A fresh start leaves you feeling like there is nothing but opportunity and possibility. I know I will certainly avoir un projet for 2018. One or two of these plans may even already be in the works... ;) 

I hope you enjoyed today's post and maybe even added a phrase or two to your French language knowledge. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday! I'm looking forward to seeing you back tomorrow for the next post in this Fleur de St. Louis days of Christmas series.

Warm wishes from me to you 

(today in St. Louis it is an oddly warm December day at 61°),

What makes the French language French?

What makes the French language French?

Qu'est-ce qui fait que la langue française est la langue française?

As I have returned to school to finish my bachelor's in French, the way that I think about language has greatly evolved. If you've been here, you know by now that the French language is ma passion. I've set out to explore what makes the French language French, giving it a sensuel and beautiful quality that draws me back again and again. Today, I will share some of my discoveries avec vous.

"[You talk about] how seemingly easy it is to learn French... that already made me think... maybe that's one of the reasons French is still taught in the United States as an option among Spanish." (Lindsay Traumata, The New Paris podcast Ep. 10)

"Is French simply English in code? Mais non!" (guest speaker in one of my université courses)

There seems to exist this idea that French is an easy language for English speakers to learn, that the differences between the languages aren't so significant. After all, we share the same alphabet. We even share some of the same words. It was probably easy for you to understand my use of the word sensuel above. 

In the same episode of the New Paris Podcast referenced above, author Lauren Collins describes her book When in French, explaining that she wanted to explore the following question:

Can a language change the way you see the world?

(click image for more info)

We'll get to this question more at the end of the post, but I want to start with the more concrete aspects of language. Of course, one must understand various grammatical rules when learning a second language. 

I'm currently helping my fiancé with his French I class. One of his biggest questions: Why do French words have genders, and how do you know when something is feminine or masculine? 

This focus on gender is such a multifaceted aspect of the French language. Inanimate objects have gender and it doesn't always make sense. It often simply is. Ice cream is a girl - la glace  but a cake is a boy - le gâteau. And that all encompassing noun/pronoun "it" we use so often in English? It doesn't exist in the French language (Did you catch how I used it there? There it is again!). One must consider the gender of the noun and refer to "it" according to its gender. My ice cream? Elle (she) est du chocolat. My cake? Il (he) est vanille. The role gender plays in French goes beyond what I've explained here, but you get the idea.

You may have noticed at the beginning of this post that I said I wanted to share some of my discoveries avec vous, or with you. I used vous here as the plural as I am speaking to many of you, but vous can also be used in the singular as a more formal and polite way to say "you". In English everyone is "you". In French, there is a distinction between tu (informal) and vous (formal) that is very important to understand. My teacher is vous. My classmate of the same age is tu. With this example, you can see that social norms are very closely tied to the use of the language. 

This brings me back to Lauren's question: can a language change the way yo used the world? 

I believe the real magic goes beyond the application of grammatical rules. When understood and spoken fluently, how does the mental and physical production of the French language impact your interactions with the world around you? 

"English is a much more straight forward language, especially when it comes to genderism. In France we've got all of these adjectives, all of these ways of describing things (flourishing), where as in English we get straight to the point." (excerpt of a conversation from the Earful Tower podcast Ep. 5) 

"You're one person in English, and then you're one person in French." (excerpt of a conversation from the Earful Tower podcast Ep. 5) 

It seems that "when in French" (to reference Lauren Collins' book) the world around you literally flourishes in a new way. This is why la langue française is ma passion. I find the language absolutely beautiful, and the way I feel about myself and the world around me in French is all the more beautiful, too. 

I hope you've enjoyed today's post, though I know I've barely scratched the surface on what is a very grand idea: the relationship between language and culture. If anything, my hope is that you leave the blog today thinking more deeply about language as an expression of ourselves and the world around us. I know this is something I have pondered as of late, and my discoveries have been fascinating. 

Do you speak French or a language other than English? How do you feel the language changes the way you see the world? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This is one of those questions that is best explored through conversation and a sharing of experiences. 

Merci beaucoup, as always, for being here and for taking some time to let learning (with a little French flair) flourish with me today.

Warm wishes for a beautiful fall Sunday from me to you,

Inspiration de la semaine (inspiration of the week):

Podcasts. I reference them so often because they are an incredible, FREE resource for continually expanding your knowledge of the world around you. I can't recommend the two I've mentioned in the post above more highly. If you are a fellow francophile or simply a lover of language and culture, check them out!

⚜The New Paris podcast with Lindsey Tramuta 

⚜The Earful Tower podcast with Oliver Gee

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Mes pensées et la réalité possible (My thoughts and the possible reality)

Bonjour! J'espère que vous avez un beau dimanche. I hope you are having a lovely Sunday. Vous m'avez manqué. I have missed you, or as it translates in French - you have been missing from me. As a result of one of my courses this semester I have been thinking a lot about language and how it interacts with culture and the way we see the world. You have been missing from me. It's such a beautiful phrase, expressing that without you I have not been whole. You are an important part of who I am. I just love that.

I am thankful for this time to write. I'm sitting here with a hot cup of coffee, the sun is flooding the apartment, and all is calm. I am very much at peace. For me, it is so important that I have found this time as last week marked la rentrée, the start of the school year, for my 4th graders and for me as I continue my journey as a student, following my dream of achieving fluency in French. If I said I was balancing all of this with total grace and ease, I would be lying to you and lying to myself. This transition has been a challenge, but I am grateful for the guidance of so many as I consider the best way to organize my time, pursue my passions, and remain gentle with myself. 

Today I am going to share some of the thoughts (mes pensées) that have been streaming through my head during this busy time, and the inspirational advice I have found that is helping me to reframe my outlook and find more of that grace and ease I am striving for. 



Ma pensée: I can't stop everything and go for a run with you. I'll never get all of this done. 

La réalité possible: Wednesday was my first evening of juggling 4th grade and my university studies. I was sitting on the couch (frantically) working, and Tony walked in smiling and said immediately: "Go get changed, we're going for a run!" You already know what my initial reaction was... but I overcame that negativity, laced up my sneakers, and hit the trail. The air was cool, the Hamilton soundtrack reminded me to "rise up", and for about 30 minutes I just completely let go. What did I discover? My work was waiting for me right where I'd left it, and I was able to finish it with a lot more calm and a lot less resentment. This moment of self care was completely spontaneous (I want to do more of this), but for me I know scheduling time for calm and being intentional about my self care will make a big difference as I navigate through la rentrée, and the rest of the year for that matter. I'm committing to two yoga classes a week. I sign up on Sunday and schedule it into my planner just like I would a meeting or an appointment. These things have to be just as much of a priority as everything else, and I know as I saw on Wednesday that tending to my body and mind will only increase my productivity. 



Ma pensée: SEVEN novels en français in one semester?! Plan on not seeing me for a while. 

La réalité possible: This one really got me. And I guarantee the time I spent worrying about it could have gotten me through a considerable chunk of a novel. Thank goodness for Carrie Anne of French is Beautiful and the support communities she has developed and fostered. On the French is Beautiful Book Club Facebook page, a fellow Francophile asked how she should approach reading in French - should she look up every word, or just read through to get an overall sense of the story/content? Carrie Anne responded that both are wonderful, it just depends on your time and intention. I jumped in on the conversation and shared the above assignment. Carrie Anne's response completely inspired me to look at this challenge in a new light:

The reality is that this assignment is going to get me closer to my goal of total fluency, and that is a gift. On a related note, Carrie Anne has also inspired me through her l'art de VIVRE course that I am currently taking. This past week's theme was l'amour, love, and with that Carrie Anne shared just how important family and quality time with family is to the French. We spent some quality time with Tony's family last night, and as I shared my French reading challenge, his sister gave me a very simple but important reminder: Break it up into manageable chunks. Work through one novel at a time. It was advice I could have told myself, but surrounded by the warmth of family, this gentle reminder and feeling of support was just what I needed.



Ma pensée: It might be June before I get back to my art. 

La réalité possible: Ah, this thought! It has been almost three months now since I've gotten serious about pursuing my art and launching a shop on Etsy, yet I continue to tell myself it's not the right time. I'm pretty sure I've even made excuses here on the blog. I'll share the dream, then come back with one reason or another that now is not the time. Enter the incredibly inspirational Cathy Heller, host of the podcast Don't Keep Your Day Job. As I was listening yesterday, she shared the most beautiful advice about just beginning: you don't have to know the first 8 steps. You don't even have to know the first 2. All you have to do is figure out the first step, and take it. The rest will begin to come naturally. So I'm just going to take the first step and try something. I just opened Fleur de St. Louis Atelier! Right now I am selling my personalized "classics" paintings in a limited quantity of 4 per month. It is my dream to share my artistic passion with you and bring a little extra joy to your every day. I do have to honor what I can handle at this time, so I appreciate your patience as this item is hand made personally for you with lots of love. Enjoy! :) 



Ma pensée: Wait... I've also got this blog going too!!! 

La réalité possible: My plan is to be here every Sunday, just like this, sharing the content I love with you. My vision is that you will enjoy the weekly post as your rest and restore for the week ahead. 

As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here. I have said it before and I will say it again, this community means so much to me. I hope today's post inspires you to reframe any negative thoughts that might be swimming around in your head, and also to go for your dreams one step at a time.

Warm wishes and lots of love from me to you,

Étudiez le français avec Frantastique!

Bonjour et bon lundi à tous! Hello and happy Monday everyone! Just two more days until la rentrée, back to school for my students. It's also la retnrée for me as I continue my French studies at a local university. And speaking of studying la langue française, I discovered a resource in the past few days that I am so excited about, I had to share it with you! 

As I was reading my e-mails yesterday, I discovered two links to Frenchly, a site full of francophile content. On the top bar, I noticed a link to a daily e-mail to learn French. I am in the process of designing a plan to better incorporate my French studies into my every day, so I thought I'd give it a try! Et voila... Frantastique! 

I am only on jour deux but already so impressed! The lessons are designed around a little story (and it's a bit humorous). There are opportunities to listen and read en français, and excellent reviews of grammar concepts (all explained en français) + cultural tidbits to enhance your French language studies. 

Feedback is immediate and reviews are built in, personalized to your grammar and vocabulary needs. There are even opportunities to skip concepts you know you have already mastered.

Today, they shared this message with me: 

After completing the first 7 lessons of Frantastique, you’ll receive a detailed, personalized pedagogical report called the ‘Portfolio’. We hope you enjoy it, then frame it on a wall somewhere.

How fantastic to get an overall view of where you are on you French journey so that studying can become more focused and purposeful. After one month, you can use what you've gained to continue studies on your own, or you can continue by purchasing from a variety of monthly subscription options. (As always, I am sharing this with you because I am always on the lookout for awesome resources. These opinions are mine and mine alone.) 

If you are a total beginner or someone looking to fine tune your French language skills, Frantastique might just be the resource for you! Click any Frantastique link in this post or click here to get started! 

Do you know of any awesome (and potentially FREE) online resources for French language learning? I am always ready to discover new things, so share in the comments if you do! You can also refer to some of my past language learning posts for more resources and ideas:

*Coffee Break French
*Sites pour apprendre le français
*Lire en français

Warm wishes and happy language learning from me to you,

Four months of Fleur de St. Louis + Goals for this school year

Bonjour readers, and happy Wednesday! I hope you have had a beautiful week so far. My week has been incredibly busy, but I have been finding moments to relax and enjoy whether that be sitting down with a good book, playing with my watercolors, or enjoying French Week on the Simply Luxurious Life! (I mentioned this a few posts back if you are interested in learning more.)

It dawned on me a few days ago that I had completely missed celebrating three months on Fleur de St. Louis. The end of June found Tony and me enjoying Parisian summer days and getting engaged! It's no wonder that post slipped my mind as I was taking in every moment of some of life's most beautiful experiences. 

As the school year fast approaches, I want to take some time to reflect on where Fleur de St. Louis is now (4 months in) and share some of my goals for this school year. 

July was a slower month here on the blog as we spent the first half of the month on our European adventure and the second half of the month transitioning back into our every day lives in St. Louis. While I posted fewer times than I would have liked in the month of July, I feel it was a month of quality over quantity. Some of my favorite posts yet came in July. It was a true joy to share our engagement story, keeping those memories fresh for a lifetime. I opened up about a personal growth journey in my perfection post, and really enjoyed exploring personal style below the surface. 

A few exciting milestones: I was tickled to have my Nathaniel Reid post featured on their Facebook page, and this morning I woke up to Sézane sharing my photo and account on their Instagram page. I love spreading the love of my favorite things here on the blog, and when they give that love back it means more to me than I can express. Fleur de St. Louis is about building a community for those pursuing their passions and it is incredibly exciting to feel that community growing more every day. 

As a new school year begins, I have been thinking a lot about the shift from summer and what that looks like for my life and my goals. As I mentioned in my fiftieth post, "I'm never bored now - so many ideas, and they keep coming!" I will be honest in saying that this is both energizing and overwhelming. Sometimes I struggle to keep up with the momentum of my mind, so I always make a conscious effort to pause and reflect on how to maintain the fire of my passions while also finding balance in the every day. Here are a few of my goals for doing just that this year: 

Be purposeful about setting aside time for myself from day one. Whether it's a podcast and power walk after work to wind down into my evening (The Simple Sophisticate and What Should I Read Next? are my favorites), a yoga class, or time to sit and read/write at my one of my favorite coffee shops, I know scheduling "me" time into my week is something that really helps me feel balanced. This year I want to make sure to commit to these things when I say I am going to. That will mean pausing the grading or taking a homework break even when I'm not at a point of completion. One thing I've learned is that what truly needs to get done will aways get done, and taking these breaks only improves my outlook and productivity. 

Prioritize goals to meet my needs in the moment. Teaching. Blogging. Finishing my BA in French. Pursuing my art and potentially opening an Esty shop. There is a lot that I want to explore and accomplish, but they don't all need to happen right now. Giving my best to my students is always my number one priority. Beyond that, I plan to pursue my passions by focusing on my French studies and blogging when I can, understanding the posts may not come out as often as I'd like. I know that in this moment, the art and Etsy shop have to be put on hold. I want to make sure when I go for it I can put my best into it, and I know that now is not the moment. It's OK to hold some things for later. It's exciting to know I have projects to look forward to. 

Continue to dream. "What if...?" I recently made a page in my bullet journal with this title, and it's been so fun to write down my dreams, even the implausible ones. I believe it is our dreams that keep us inspired, that keep us propelling forward and striving to live our best lives. In the midst of everything, I never want to lose sight of dreaming as you never know what might just materialize.

⚜⚜⚜

I chose this photo of me at the Jardin du Palais Royal specifically for this post. I'm standing on one of the iconic black and white striped Colonnes de Buren. Obviously the one I chose to stand on was pretty easy to conquer, but not the easiest. There were shorter columns, but also much taller columns. That said, it is possible to stand on any one of these columns. Some just might require a little more work, involving climbing or a lift from somebody. I think life goals and dreams work in a similar way. Some come easily with little effort. Others take time, hard work, and maybe even a little assistance. None are impossible to achieve. 

I am so looking forward to more adventures with Fleur de St. Louis and another successful school year. I've got a few "columns to climb" but I know if I keep my mind to it, eventually I will be "standing on top" and realizing my dreams.  

Warmest wishes from me to you as you set goals and pursue your passions.

I am so happy you are here for this journey!

Joignez-vous à moi! Join me!

(Image from Carrie Anne's French is Beautiful - click for a direct link to her page.)

Bonjour readers, and happy Sunday! I hope it's a beautiful Sunday wherever you are. Here in St. Louis it's 68 degrees and overcast. We've got the coffee made and the record player on, and we can feel Fall slowly coming. It's my favorite time of year so I am so excited!

Another thing I am so excited about? Carrie Anne James of French is Beautiful launched a new course offering today that I am delighted to share with you! I have already featured Carrie's French Weekend e-mail subscription (FREE - simply subscribe on her site), and aujourd'hui she announced a 4 week online course that will cover topics in French beauty, style, love, and wellness: L'art de VIVRE! 

I've already secured my spot and it would be so fun if you would join me! Simply head over to her site via this link and sign up maintenant! I've never come across a francophile experience quite like this and my inner French girl couldn't miss this opportunity!

Warm wishes de moi à vous, 

July Giveaway: J'adore les livres!

Bon weekend readers! Tony and I are in the Copenhagen airport and beginning our journey home. Our time in Europe has been unforgettable, and we are excited to bring our memories and new ideas back to our every day lives.

It will be a few days until I get some fresh content up on the blog (get ready for skincare, makeup, travel wardrobe, and PARIS) so I wanted to give you a chance to enjoy some of the older posts... with a little added fun! It's time for the Fleur de St. Louis July giveaway! Last month I focused on one of my missions here: creativity. This month's give away will focus on learning, and one of my favorite ways to learn is to read. 

Here's how it works: 

⚜Between now and Monday at midnight CST, spend some time exploring the blog. Your task: to find a book that I have mentioned here that also interests you. :)

⚜Return to this July giveaway post and leave a comment with your name, e-mail, and the title of the book you would love to receive. Bonus entry if you also subscribe to Fleur de St. Louis by e-mail (current subscribers will also get this)! 

⚜Wait patiently until Tuesday to find out if the winner is you! One Fleur de St. Louis reader will receive the book of their choice in the mail with a few extra surprises!

Merci for being a part of this community. I hope this giveaway brings you a little weekend fun. Enjoy! I look forward to your comments. 

Warm wishes and happy reading from me to you,

Le Bric à Brac: Odds & Ends (n°2)

Coucou, readers! (Another, more casual way to greet en français.) I told you... I couldn't stay away ALL week. Maybe le bric à brac is becoming a vendredi tradition! This week's odds & ends have a lot of French flair, but you will also find some history, some yoga, and a little bit of travel. Speaking of travel, Tony and I are off for 3 weeks in Europe TOMORROW! It feels crazy that a long anticipated trip is finally here, and we could not be more excited. If you'd like to follow along, add me on Instagram @fleurdestlouis. I have a feeling most of my updates will be posted there. Enjoy, and bon weekend! 

⚜St. Louis's French History: Founder Pierre Laclède (interesting read!) 


⚜7 More Signs You're Moving in the Right Direction - another inspiring post from the Simply Luxurious Life on pursuing your dreams.


⚜French Chic: Decoding the Secrets of Paris Fashion via HiP Paris Blog (Loved this post!)


⚜Dreaming of Sézane... will definitely pay a visit to L'Appartement Sézane in Paris.


⚜Learn French through Yoga (Thanks Carrie Anne for sharing this link!)


⚜I'm taking the Busy Language Learner Course with Shannon from Eurolinguiste. I LOVED this piece of advice:

"The thing is, a lot of language learning involves memorizing and internalizing information, so short and focused study sessions are actually far more effective. Five minutes with flash cards, ten minutes reading about a specific grammar rule, or a fifteen minute podcast are time extremely well spent."  

⚜Currently packing for Europe with my Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45 and these handy eBags packing cubes! 

As always, warmest of wishes from me to you,

Lire en Français

Frederic Bibard of Talk in French is adamant that in order to truly learn another language, language studies must become a habit. He says that "learning for 15 or 20 minutes per day is better than 2 hours once a week." I attend a 2 hour French class at the Alliance Française de St. Louis each week, but I have made an effort to include French studies into my every day. Often I will break up mes devoirs into smaller assignments to complete throughout the week rather than doing it all in one sitting. I've become better about listening en français with Coffee Break French. Recently, I was reminded of another way to incorporate French into my every day. While I've been aware of this study habit, I'll admit I haven't done a great job of following through. I now want to make more of a point to lire en français, read in French. 

I follow @fluentforevertips on Instagram, a feed with language learning facts and tips. Yesterday, they posted the following:

"Reading in a foreign language often evokes some ugly associations: hours spent trudging through some excruciatingly long masterpieces of literature, painstakingly looking up every other word in a dictionary. But we don't need to torture ourselves. We possess an extraordinary ability to learn words from context alone, without the aid of a dictionary -- this is how we learned most of our English words, after all." 

Who has ever thought this way about reading in another language? (Guiltily raising my hand...) I have read Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Sainte-Exupéry en français. This is one of my favorite books, and it really helped that I have also read it in English. It made figuring out the French in context much easier. Other than that, I have a stack of French reads I have yet to get to - mostly children's books collected from thrifting, but also a book of short stories and a sweet little poetry book I just picked up at a local bookstore. This reminder I received while scrolling through my Instagram feed was just the encouragement I needed to get that stack out and start working my way through as another way to améliorer mon français. 

This morning I got my toes wet and read Chanson de la plus haute tour, a poem by Arthur Rimbaud, with my morning coffee. 

Qu'il vienne, qu'il vienne

Le temps dont on s'éprenne.

May it come, may it come

The time when love astounds us.

Just this verse alone is a beautiful example of the use of dont, a French pronom relatif meaning from which, from whom, of which, of whom, etc. I also learned a new verb: s'éprendre (to be smitten, to fall in love). 

If you are studying French or any other language, try taking a few minutes to read in that language today. Even those few minutes, done every day over time, will make a big difference in improving your language skills. 

Warm wishes and happy Monday from me to you,

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