prendre pour acquis
Friday, March 16, 2012
"Leafless Lookout". Overlooking the Rhone Valley, from the perched-on-the mountain town of Séguret.
Chief Grape will be in Portland on 03/22 and 03/23! Check out some of the other cities he is visiting, click here.
prendre pour acquis (prahndr-poor-ah-kee)
: to take for granted
Learn another way to say "taking for granted" in the following story...
A Day in a French Life... by Kristin Espinasse
Getting a little too cozy in a foreign language: A solution
You may dream of expatriate life and believe that living in a foreign land is enough to improve, if not perfect, your foreign-language skills. Believe me, this isn't always le cas! Take my Mom, for example. She has lived in Mexico for 18 years... and yet she still speaks with her hands, using gesturing to get by...
I'm not so rebellious as Jules, but I can be just as lazy in language learning. Given the choice between studying French grammar and ...voyons.... scouring the toilet--I'd gladly reach for the scrub brush!
Thank goodness for all those grammar drills back in school; if it weren't for the stress and menace of exams, I would have never gotten around to doing the work, like understanding the subjunctive or learning how to conjugate verbs. My French pronunciation was never better than when I was actively studying the language back home in Phoenix, Arizona!
Once I moved to France, I began to relax. That is, I began to take for granted the French language, which was buzzing all around me. No longer did I jump at the occasion to overhear a French conversation; I could now tune in and out at my leisure. Mostly, I tuned out (late-night dinner parties and the cacophony of French that go along with them, made my head ache. Trop c'était trop! and besides, what with all the French swirling around me, chances are it would stick subconsciously. Wouldn't it? Even just a bit?).
By taking for granted the fact that I had France at my beck and call, a curious thing happened--I began to resemble--linguistically--the proverbial housewife that has let herself go... Whereas I once wore a pretty peignoir around the house, I now threw on mismatched sweats (my silk robe represented those lushly rolled French "Rs"; my mismatched sweats represented nouns and their forgotten--or never learned--genders, as well as all the overall sloppiness in my current French-language life!).
Though I may have let myself go in the language, my French husband and Francophone children haven't let up; daily they correct me. Only, lately, I feel their exasperation and frustration. Tu peux au moins faire un effort!", They sometimes complain.
Ce n'est jamais trop tard!
And so I have decided to clean up my act! I hope to surprise my husband, Chief Grape (and Chief Language Supervisor) when he returns from his business trip. But, as in love, seule, je ne suis rien!
I have many language books collecting dust on my shelves. I could learn grammar--even pronunciation--by cracking open any one of these tomes. But I am a sensually motivated learner: to see and hear and touch -- are necessary to me in learning.
Two weeks ago I logged on to Yabla, a longtime sponsor of my on-line language journal. Yabla recently offered me a limited trial of its language program and I decided to log on and benefit from it... before the période d'essai ran out!
Since, I have put in 15 minutes daily toward a language makeover. I decided to get grammar out of the way by devoting the first 5 minutes to the "lessons" section. Yabla's grammar lessons must be designed for impatient learners like me--thankfully they are brief! The informal lessons are chatty and the titles are amusing, hence inviting ("When Adverbs Get Cozy With Adjectives"..."Whatever Will Be Will Be")--helping to encourage grammarphobes to have a look at the lessons, which include tips and hints for pronunciation.
Under the "Lessons" tab, there are sections on vocabulary and expressions (I swiped today's term: "prendre pour acquis" from there! For how many years had I used the expression--and wondered about the French translation? Yabla gives three French equivalents for "to take for granted"--including the one used in common, everyday speech: considérer comme acquis. After discovering three different ways to say the same expression, I doubt I'll forget it).
Once past the grammar, it is easy to love Yabla's other tools for language learning, namely videos à gogo! Yabla offers a wide range of topics--photography, politics, daily life--to be viewed among a range of programs: news, documentary, music video, street interviews...
I loved watching an interview with the famous photographer Cartier-Bresson (under the "People" category). In it, I learned all about a photographer's genius; meantime, Yabla ingeniously taught me expressions "être aux aguets" ("to be on the lookout") and memorable quotes, such as Cartier's own "Viser juste, tirer vite et foutre le camp!" ("Aim true, shoot fast and get the hell out!"). The quotes and expressions are highlighted in the bilingual text which runs beneath the video. Tip: A helpful tool is the flashcard option: when you click on an unfamiliar word, Yabla saves it on "flashcard" to be reviewed--and mastered!--at another time.
Another effective tool is the "listening games" section, in which you hear repeated the various sentences in the video. At the same time, you see a sentence, this time with one word missing (up to you to fill in the blank)! Sometimes I missed words because of the speaker's accent (Tip: Yabla notes, at the beginning of the video, whether the speaker is talking with a French or Canadian or other accent), other times I failed to recognize the spoken words due to the speaker's vitesse. No matter how many times I hit "phrase repeat" (another otherwise good tool), I couldn't understand certain words which ran too closely together). I had many duh, or claque-la-tête moments, when the written words were revealed at the end of the game.
The handy-dandy "slow" button allows listeners to ralentir the speaker (particularly helpful when the videos feature kids, who speak fast and pepper their speech with argot! (By the way, this is when the running transcript, just below the video, really comes in handy! I especially enjoyed learning a new synonym to "radin", or "miser": "crevard". I eagerly tried out the word, just the other day, among adults... Manque de chance: they were unfamiliar with the word. Luckily, my friend's 22 year-old son showed up in time to easily recognize and verify the new-to-us the term: "Ouai, c'est quelqu'un qui est près de ses sous--un avare, un radin!" All this to say that Yabla definitely has current expressions covered!
Hands down, my favorite video was the two-part series... featuring Chief Grape! In the video "Provence Domaine Rouge-Bleu" I saw our farm "sur grand écran" so to speak. There were even some clips of our dogs, Braise and Smokey, and--yikes--of our messy front yard (next time I'll get out the broom and pull a few weeds). But the plus for me was that I didn't need to hit "slow" or "phrase repeat" -- I actually understood everything my husband was saying! I wonder whether this means I am making progress?
The question remains, figuratively speaking: Will I be wearing that pretty peignoir when the Chief returns? Or will he still see me in my "linguistic" sweats?
(Pssst... Mom! There is even a Spanish program at Yabla!)
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To respond to anything in this post, click here. Hint: the comments corner is a great place to ask questions about French and life/travel in France. Your collective knowledge and helpful answers to each others' questions are appreciated!
P.S.: Re the photos at the end of this edition... I have a feeling there'll be questions! Would some of you who have experienced it (Meredith, are you reading?) enlighten us on what "carnivale" is in French schools? Thanks for sharing the info in the comments box!
French Vocabulary
le cas = the case
voyons... = let's see...
trop c'est trop = enough is enough
tu peux au moins faire un effort! = you could at least make an effort!
ce n'est jamais trop tard! = it's never too late!
seule, je ne suis rien = alone, I am nothing
une période d'essai = a trial period
considérer comme acquis = to take for granted
Viser juste, tirer vite et foutre le camp! = Aim true, shoot fast and get the hell out!
la vitesse = speed
claque la tête = slap the face
ralentir = to slow down
le radin (la radine) = miser, skinflint
le crevard = tightwad, pinchpenny
manque de chance = unluckily
Ouai, c'est quelqu'un qui est près de ses sous, un avare, un radin! = yah, that's someone who's close to his money, a miser, a pinchpenny!
sur grand écran = on the big screen
Est-ce un oiseau ? Est-ce un avion ? Non, c'est Superman!
16-year-old Max dressed up for "carnaval" today. No, I was not a "crevard" -- I forked over the 30 euros for the costume rental!
...Though I did suggest that he wear it every day--for the full 4 days--until we got our money's worth out of it! Perhaps he could even land a gig? then we'd make back some of the moola!
Saperlipopette! I didn't think he'd take me seriously!
- Follow these French language updates on Twitter
- Learn French in context: read these vocabulary-rich memoirs: Words in a French Life or Blossoming in Provence "With an approach that is as charming as it is practical, Espinasse shares her story through the everyday French words and phrases that never seem to make it to American classrooms." --Simon and Schuster
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For more online reading: The Lost Gardens: A Story of Two Vineyards and a Sobriety
I, too, have many French language books and tapes, but if you don't use the language on a daily basis you don't improve - at least I don't. So I just stumble along with my half learned French and the French are kind enough to figure out what I mean. (We had dinner last night with Chief Grape at 128 Cafe. It was a wonderful evening with great wine, good food, and great table mates!)
Posted by: Bill in St. Paul | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 01:14 PM
Yay! So happy to hear that, Bill!
Posted by: Kristin Espinasse | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 01:21 PM
KRISTI DARLING,
WOW! WHAT A GREAT POST - I AM SO IMPRESSED BY ALL OF THE INFORMATION YOU TRANSFERRED INTO MY HEAD THIS EARLY MORNING. YES, I SHOULD HAVE YABLA SPANISH. I REALLY NEEDED SOME SPANISH LAST WEEK WHEN MY PRECIOUS MAID ARRIVED AND INFORMED ME 'NO DINNENO, NO TRABAJO. AFTER 20 MINUTES OF ME FLINGING MY ARMS AROUND AND USING MY FINGERS TO SHOW TEARS RUNNING DOWN MY FACE IF SHE SHOULD LEAVE ME - THINKING HOW COULD I HAVE FORGOTTEN TO PAY HER.....I FINALLY FIGURED OUT SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT A NEIGHBOR SHE WORKS FOR WHO HAS NO MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR HER SERVICES. WE HAVE WORKED OUT A NEW SCHEDULE FOR 'ADELA' - AND I AM THINKING I WISH I HAD A SEWING MACHINE SO I COULD TEACH HER HOW TO MAKE MY PONCHO'S. WE COULD REALLY LET OUR CREATIVITY FLY ON THOSE PONCHO'S AND HER BROTHERS COULD SELL THEM ON THE BEACH..
KRISTI I NEED YABLA SPANISH - WHAT A GREAT MOTHER'S DAY PRESENT THAT WOULD BE.....
XOXO
MOM
Posted by: JULES GREER - PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:11 PM
I, too, took 3 years of French and learned to conjugate and am familiar with "Mr. and Mrs. Vandertramp" etc.! But since those classes I've had no experience speaking it, and my confidence in writing it on this forum is quite low! But I love this column for helping me to at least keep it fresh, and I am able to read much of the news in the French papers.
Posted by: Betty | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:24 PM
Yabla might just what I have been looking for to renew the French language part of my brain........I understand everything, but when I try to speak French a mixture of Italian and Spanish (my other languages) plus French tumbles out of my mouth....
Max looks so handsome. Have a great week-end.
Mary
Posted by: mary | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:28 PM
Je ne crois pas que je puisse pour acquis French-Word-a-Day. C'est un petit coin de France pour moi. Sorry to have missed Jean-Marc and the 128 Café event this year. Maybe one of these days I'll even get to meet "Bill in St Paul." I'm currently reading FWAD from the beautiful San Miguel de Allende in Mexico, where I'm also trying to pick a few words of Spanish. Hola, Jules. Y hola a todos.
Posted by: Glenn from St Paul | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:31 PM
Kristi, what a great post! And a wonderful plug for Yabla. I'm going to try it. Just today I was looking at our photos from our visit in November and yearning to return . On our first visit to France (in '06), I studied hard with language CD's to "get back" my college French, and it worked quite well! We were at a family wedding and I was one of the only family members from the States that could have a French conversation with our new-formed French relatives. After that, I became "overconfident" thinking that just being in the French "air" would bring it all back through osmosis, so with our next visit, I got lazy and just waited for it to "come back" to me. So in '08,our next visit to our relatives, we sat down to dinner and I was flooded with French conversation (after all, they KNEW I spoke French)...ooops, well, it seemed I really didn't...or was just faking it the year before at the wedding. Ha Ha, I was caught! Subsequently, I try to practice a bit before our arrival--but it's like cramming for an exam and I always freeze when I'm 'caught in the clutch'. So I'm going to try Yabla and see how it goes!
Thanks for the tip(-:
xoNancy
Posted by: Nancy L. | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:38 PM
P.S. Max looks Grrrreat in his Superman get up! I imagine he will be turning a few females heads(-:
Posted by: Nancy L. | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:42 PM
Hi Kristi,
I'm going to try Yabla too. It sounds great! Thanks for writing about it.
I was wondering if you could tell us a little bit about carnivale? Is it like Halloween in March? Max looked so authentic dressed like Superman!
Have a great day!
Erin
Posted by: Erin from Canada | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:47 PM
Great post, Kristin. you're an inspiration and Yabla looks like a great way for those of us who don't hear French everyday to not only keep in touch with the language but to keep improving. Merci infiniment et bonne continuation.
One question: how often do you use the subjunctive in daily conversation?
Posted by: Mike Armstrong | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:49 PM
If you don't have shares in Yabla I bet you do now!
Posted by: Sandie | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 02:59 PM
Great post Kristin!
It's funny how we get comfortable in our current language abilities. When I talk to my French friends who live in the US they have used words such as stresse' (stressed) snobbish (same - snobbish) in sentences and I have picked up their usages without knowing if these are French or Franglais! I may never know the real French translations for these words.
I too love Yabla especially for the historical and city / town videos they do (especially cool hidden gems in the arrondissements in Paris). It is also a great way to keep tabs on some of the issues in France for us who are so far away de la belle France.
J'espere que tu t'amuses bien avec ton nouveau project!
Posted by: Julie - Milwaukee | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:05 PM
Bonne matin Kristin,
For many Heras beca use of my husband's Connecticut with The Caribean, i have been perfecting my Spanish. But there has alwaya been a longing in my heart to study French again. My grand morder was Parisién and I remember fondly, that and five years of French in school.
So I purchased an expensive popular program to start to learn French and I have to tell you that I am quite bored. Do you think, knowing words and being able to read somewhat, there are other programs like Yabla that might be better. Is Yabla for the intermediate or advanced? Or like me a non quite beginner?
Please try to help me solve this problem as I would so like to work on my French and enjoy it. I read your column daily and would love your or any of your readers opinion.
Posted by: Louise Tramontano | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:13 PM
Kristin, forgive my spelling, I was so excited to write that I did not proofread it. It starts, for many years,
Posted by: Louise Tramontano | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:16 PM
Kris,
This from today's column is what I have been hoping for in your columns:
Tip: A helpful tool is the flashcard option: when you click on an unfamiliar word, Yabla saves it on "flashcard" to be reviewed--and mastered!--at another time.
If only I could master the words you present on the day you use them...
THank you again for the joy
Barry
Posted by: Barry Stein | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:17 PM
To learn French would be wonderful. I have many French lesson books and cd's that I try to work on a few days a week. And yes, studying and speaking it every day is the key to learning. Is there anyone in western Michigan that would like to be a phone pal and speak French to one another? It's the best way to understand it. We are going to St. Victor La Coste (NW of Avignon) on a restoration project in May and would love to speak the language. Yabla sounds like the answer. And what about Kristin's Max!!!! He looks great as Superman.
Posted by: Sharon - Montague, Michigan | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:21 PM
Yabla has Italian lessons as well. I have dabbled in the free trial and it does seem to be good. Currently I am studying at the University of Miami Adult Studies (over 55). I have a bright young teacher and high hopes for learning. I think, though, you are in a great position to learn - BEING There........ Buona fortuna.
Best, Lisa
Posted by: Lisa DeNunzio, La Dolce Villa | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:50 PM
Understanding everything your husband says in French means you love him and have been married quite a while. You anticipate his gestures. When I speak Spanish, my husband understands me even when he doesn't understand the words. He said he could understand me no matter what language I might speak because he loves me.
Posted by: mhwebb in NM, USA | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:56 PM
Why go to Yabla when I can simply go to French Word-A-Day? I get my minimum RDA there! Thanks for the info, though.
Posted by: Chris Miasnik | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 03:57 PM
Hi Kristi,
I've been reading your blog for a few years as a great addition to my French classes. I'll have to check out Yabla. I love learning the more everyday expressions and hearing about life in France from you. I have a goofy Golden Retriever who is almost a year old, so I adore the pictures and stories about Braise and Smokey. I had the honor of meeting Jean-Marc at the dinner in St. Paul last night with a group from my French class. It was a fabulous evening with amazing wine.
Posted by: Nancy - Minnetonka, MN | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 04:06 PM
Yabla is really good. I found it thorough your column and I have it on my toolbar at the top of my page. They not only have the slow mechanism - for those of us who are slow- but also the loop - which means it repeats the saying - for those of us who are slow. And for those who want to just try in, they have free ones. Start with those and you will love it.
Posted by: Coleen | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 04:21 PM
Once again, you're an inspiration. I'm on my way to my office to study des regles & check out Yabla. Here's hoping it'll help me finally hear & pronounce en, in____, on, & un correctly!
Posted by: Nikki | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 05:12 PM
I feel I am forgetting my french day by day,,,maybe YABLA is the key if it only takes a bit of time each day...don't give in to pressure from family...most french in US speak non-fluently and we love them for just trying anyhow.
xx
Posted by: Mona | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 05:25 PM
Kristin, I've read and enjoyed your books and am loving the blog. Yabla sounds great--if you have a way to practice your French in "real life," too. Max looks great as Superhomme. (And by the way, that American slang term for money is spelled "moola," not "mula." Can't help it; I'm an editor.) Wish I were there.--Lisa
Posted by: Lisa Hawkins | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 05:33 PM
Kristin, I love Yabla--- I go to the site several times a week. I take French classes in Portland, OR but l am always reviewing voc & grammar. I did see Chief Grape on the video --- very interesting. I hope to meet him Mar. 22 in Portland.
I also like JFrench.com --- it is very helpful. It helped me learn ALL the numbers. Up to 1000!
Stay well, I love your posts!
Posted by: Faye Stampe, Gleneden Beach, OR | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 05:57 PM
Lisa, Thanks for the edit for mula--er moola!
Mike, re how often does we use the subjunctive -- I dont know.... but it does seem to come up from time to time! (Il faut que jaille chez le coiffeur... yes Ive got to get to the hair cutters or il faut que tu te dépêche! (youve got to get a move on) are easily two things I might have said today.
Louise, good question. I think Yabla is for all levels (if I remember correctly, they mark certain videos, indicating the level. Ive noticed that, in the comments section, learners sometimes write in to agree or disagree with the level markers!)
Chris, thanks for your kind words! But youll hear a lot more French at Yabla. We all need to hear more French in order to speak better.
Sandie, Shares in Yabla. Now there is a good idea!...
Coleen, glad you brought up the loop feature, which can be used to repeat the sayings. Also, I should mention that Yabla has integrated dictionaries. For example, in a video I am currently watching, the speaker hesitates (using euh). When I click on the euh text in the transcript, the dictionary pops up and I see:
euh interj.
um, ehh! (sound showing uncertainty); exclamation of hesitation (in speech)
It is fun to see this little known filler words pointed out and defined. For example, we know the English equivalent of euh is spelled um, but when we hear the French, we dont know. Just how useful knowing euhs spelling is, depends on the learner! (for me, a writer, it is helpful for dialogue!)
Posted by: Kristin Espinasse | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 06:12 PM
My brain just isn't going to absorb this belle langue francaise, well, un peu. I am another owner of French language books, which--dommage--collect more dust than usage. I wrote today's words/phrases in my book, having been bitten by your excellent post to think I would try again! Pouquoi pas!? Wonderful expressions aujourd' hui! Mais il est necessaire etudier! Whoever said today they did not have the nerve to write in French on this blog, to you I say: go for it. Know my little attempts are no doubt riddled w/ mistakes, but what the hey! SPEAK(WRITE) fast, aim with your heart, and sign outa here like hell!!
Toujours, chere K, merci.
Posted by: Pat, Roanoke, VA | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 06:25 PM
Kristin,
You're being too hard on yourself and so is your family.
My french husband makes mistakes in English and sometimes I correct him, but most of the time I remember the mistakes I made when I lived in France and how hard and tiring it was to constantly be thinking and talking in French. Just trying to remember whether a noun was masculine or feminine was frustrating. Everyone you meet knows you're American so they don't/shouldn't expect perfection.
Having said that good for you for wanting to perfect your french. You also encouraged me to try and find the time for Yabla.
Marybeth, Naperville, IL
Posted by: Marybeth Gallot | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 06:38 PM
Great post and thanks for sharing this as I can certainly relate. I am currently visiting a friend in France for two weeks and surprise myself that I continue to make so many mistakes speaking French! By now, I should be better if I worked at it a little more.
Posted by: Jan Acorn | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 07:11 PM
:)
J'aime le Superman costume! C'était une bonne idée!
Posted by: Lisa A.,Los Angeles, CA | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 07:15 PM
You, Kristin, must be the best plug for Yabla.
I am no native English, nor native French speaker and I observe if you learn a foreign language when you are very young, the language sticks. My children came to USA when they were young, from 5 to 14. And now they speak English like natives. Since they are now professionals, their English is maybe better than many native speakers. Meanwhile I came to USA as an older person, a mother of five, my English is still corrected by my children who did not even know much English when they came stateside. Ne sois pas étonnée si je fais des fautes en Anglais ici. J’ai eu une education secondaire dans un lycée Français et je n’ai pas de problème avec la prononciation des mots Français. Mais avec le temps, mon vocabulaire Français a beaucoup diminué. :-(
J’ai dit plus d’une fois que Max te ressemble, chère Kristin. Mais dans ces photos de Superman, Il ressemble beaucoup à son père, une resemblance tellement frappante entre père et fils. Hahaha, he took your "advice" and remained Superman for as long as it was worth the 30 Euros. C'est un grand et beau garçon, maintenant.
Posted by: Millie | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 07:31 PM
J'étais pressée, hélas, comme d'habitude, et maintenant je vois des fautes d'orthographe: reSSemblance (avec deux S) frappante entre JM et Max. And since misery loves company, je vois que toi aussi, tu as oublié le S dans ta phrase "il faut que tu te dépêcheS"
Posted by: Millie | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 08:48 PM
For the first time ever .. please forgive me, Kristin, but because I'm running to make an appointment, I didn't read a word .. simply enjoyed the great shots of Max .. Good Shooting! Aloha, Bill
Posted by: Bill Facker - Kauai | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 10:20 PM
I'd say the peignoir - literally as well as figuratively! You want to be all he's dreamed of while he's been away and more.
Posted by: Carolyn Chase | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 10:23 PM
What fun reading your post today, Kristin! I enjoyed everyone's comments about their struggles with learning a foreign language; it is hard but rewarding work. Those are great photos of Max "up in the air" over the sleeping vineyards! Thanks to everyone.
Posted by: Cynthia Lewis in Salisbury, Eastern Shore of Maryland | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 10:38 PM
Thanks for the inspiration Krisitn! Also I love that last photo of SuperMax wandering away from the camera. Obviously after a job well done!
Posted by: Christine Dashper | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 11:09 PM
Salut Kristin,
Ca va bien aujourd'hui? Merci pour l'histoire de tes etudes francais et les photos superbes de Max!
I am looking into language programs so I can gain back what I studied through high school and college. I've been considering Rosetta Stone as I've heard it's excellent but I was hoping to get some feedback from readers as to what they've tried and liked. Maybe I'll give Yabla a try but I would like to have a few choices so I can compare. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks!
Bon weekend a toi et toute la famille Kristin! Glad to hear Braise had most of her stitches removed. Big kisses to her and Smokey.
Posted by: Carolyn Dahm, Sharon, MA | Friday, March 16, 2012 at 11:29 PM
Thank you for the encouraging example, Kristin. I am a Francophile who has spent decades trying (in many ways, (including immersion) and failing to become conversant in French. You have renewed my determination to not give up! I enjoy and learn from your blog. One request: when you are teaching us a French word with more than one syllable, it would be helpful if you would indicate which syllable is to be emphasized. Looking forward to more! Leslie from Portland, Oregon
Posted by: Leslie Sorensen-Jolink | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 12:51 AM
Je reviens te relire. I admit I did not read all the long story, this morning, car j'étais pressée. From your story, I now learned the new argot "crevard", for which I thank you. Before, I only knew un grippe-sou pour avare. I think practice makes perfect, those language programs only help at the beginning. I have language tapes for German, Rosetta Stone for Chinese and now without practice, my vocabulary in those languages is dwindling. The key is PRACTICE, l'entraînement.
Kristin, un ESSAI s'épèle sans E à la fin du mot (dans ta phrase"...before the période d'essaie ran out!". Et c'est le CARNAVAL pour "The Carnival" also sans E.
Bon courage et bon weekend.
Posted by: Millie | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 01:25 AM
I think periodic classes or programs done alone are tremendously helpful for keeping up with a second language.
Kristin you are proof that living with French speakers, expressing your thoughts in French, hearing others, are not enough for pronunciation to be improved, for rules of grammar and spelling to stay in the mind. Your vocabulary expands, to be sure. I do applaud your effort, and hope you have both fun and success, see that measure of improvement you seek.
That active mental involvment with language alone, just like learning it the first time, makes a difference.
This all makes me think more kindly of my own 19th century emigrant ancestors -- coming from different parts of Europe to succeed in Chicago, doing the best they could with communication.
Skills need tending. One must have the skill, own the skill, to practice it.
Thanks for a great post, and may I say, your son is growing up to be
beau comme son père.
Posted by: Sarah LaBelle near Chicago | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 04:01 AM
Thanks, Millie, for the carnaval and essai corrections. All in now :-)
Posted by: Kristin Espinasse | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 07:30 AM
Hi Kristin - I've been using Yabla French and the Spanish one for several years. They are great for all the reasons you state. For those interested in taking things a bit further, I might recommend a publisher called Linguality - they do books (short novels) in French with the right page the text and the left side the difficult words translated, so you don't have to look them up. Living Language's Ultimate French Advanced is also superb. Lots of fun this foreign language, surtout pour nous vieillards! Dana S
Posted by: Dana Strout | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 02:08 PM
Hi Kristin,
I can certainly relate to your frustrations. In the past few months I have been honing my French in order to passer un examen for teacher certification in French. After 35 years of living away from the language and being quite lazy about practicing it is truly a daunting task. I have a huge stack of French grammar books sitting by my bed! I found Yabla (I think from your column) and it did help me to get my ear back. I also found mylanguageexchange.com. Some of your readers might find it beneficial. It matches you up with native speakers of the language you wish to acquire and the participants help each other learn their target languages. You end up cyber meeting people from all around the world. Thanks for your comments on a topic to which so many can relate!
Posted by: janet | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 02:36 PM
On St Patrick’s Day, this Irish toast seems appropriate for Kristin’s blog where so many friendships have been formed…….
There are good ships
and there are wood ships,
The ships that sail the sea.
But the best ships, are friendships,
And may they always be.
Posted by: Herm in Phoenix, AZ | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 05:22 PM
Hi Kristin,
Especially enjoyed this post. We both had a couple of years of French classes in high school a hundred years ago, and we've always managed well on our many trips to France. Now that we've got our eye on a particular property in the Languedoc, we are hoping that step will incentivise us to move forward with structured learning.
After living in or near Orange County, California for decades, but living in England for the last four years, we were disappointed to be missing Chief Grape's appearance in OC next week. By an unexpected turn of events, we both find ourselves in OC for the next two weeks, and we are so looking forward to meeting Chief Grape in Costa Mesa on Tuesday.
As always, thanks for writing your blog.
Posted by: Steve & Maxine | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 06:24 PM
Is Max looking for a telephone booth? ;-)
Posted by: Gretel | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 10:59 PM
Bonjour à tous.
While French word a day is useful for vocabulary and especially for inspiration, the more ways one exposes oneself to the language, the better. And the audio here is just too short for enough listening practice. So for those Americans whose current finances do not permit signing up for Yabla beyond the trial, please visit your local public Library where my colleagues nationwide are waiting with not only books, but CDs and DVDs to help you. In addition, my library and many others have subscriptions to Mango language learning service, with videos and a feature which lets you compare the sound wave of your pronunciation with that of a native speaker. Ask your librarian!
Another free option is BBC languages at http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/ but Americans should not use this for Spanish because it is understandable aimed at European Spanish. Sorry, Jules!
Cheers for all who work to increase their understanding of other languages and cultures throughout the world.
Mara in Wisconsin
Posted by: Mara | Saturday, March 17, 2012 at 11:07 PM
Kristin, I'm still waiting to hear about the reason for Max's Superman get-up. Even without the costume he's looks like he's getting as big as Superman. Merci beaucoup for this post on Yabla and your continuing struggle with French. I learned a lot in a class I took last spring, so I felt more confident in my travels (at least in present tense). However, my life has been so hectic since the fall I haven't gotten back to a formal class -- not even the informal conversation class. This Yabla thing looks perfect for Brad and me to work together, but at our different language levels. I'll be subscribing because your post got me excited about ramping up my very minor language skills from poor to passable.
Posted by: Julie F in St. Louis, MO | Sunday, March 18, 2012 at 07:17 PM
It will be interesting to hear Max's explanation of his school's Carnaval. Here in the States, such celebrations are usually held near Mardi Gras (the day before Ash Wednesday. This year Mardi Gras was 21 February. The word Carnival/Carnaval comes from the Latin for "carne" = meat, and Valé = Goodbye. In other words, "Goodbye to meat." [I used to teach Latin and French.] A long time ago it was a Catholic practice to give up eating meat the forty days of Lent to show willingness to make a small sacrifice. Now Catholics abstain from meat only on Ash Wednesday and the six Fridays of Lent. For those who are not familiar with all these expressions, Lent is a time of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving before Easter. As for timing, spring is a wonderful time for schools to have carnivals outdoors--food, games, face painting--great moneymakers and community builder. Now it's Max's turn!
Posted by: Diane in Brunswick, Georgia, U.S.A. | Monday, March 19, 2012 at 09:57 PM