A2Z: Blogchatter

Bonjour: #BlogchatterA2Z is a creative way of starting something. AtoZ means filled. Here, during the A2Z, I was filled with mixed emotions. How is the audience going to view a language learning post.  Nevertheless, it was warmly welcomed. And today I write the Reflections Post.

Half the job is done as I know what alphabet the post must begin with. The second part was not very difficult. With vocabulary on my side, I did pretty well.

The A2Z brought about a pattern and it was very systematic. Keeping the linky open and attaching it from the back end helped on days that were filled with other activities. And with the March/April/May Lockdown, days were not all the same. Thoughts were different from what they were when one signed up.

The Facebook group was a great way apart from Twitter. The colourful posts below each poster of each alphabet made one feel part of a grand event.

This is my third association with Blogchatter. My Friend Alexa 2018 and 2019 being a wonderful learning experience. you can read the posts here on my Wordpress.com Website:

https://apprendre24.wordpress.com/my-friend-alexa/

#CauseAChatter is also a Blogchatter creation and it is underway this year, you can read the posts here:

https://apprendre24.wordpress.com/causeachatter/

This time however, I took it higher in terms of add-ons in the post by adding an image that I created and a small You Tube video. They are pretty simple but it took me  a while to get used to it. Hence I wrote less and tried to master these skills. Thanks to Blogchatter I came across various blogs that are doing an amazing job. Kudos to them.

Hoping to do more in the field of blogging and education.

Learn French 26: Zapper

Learning a new language is like switching channels in your head. Be sure you have good content.

Zapper means switching channels frequently.

It is a verb.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrCZRsswrFg

Pierre zappe toujours.

Peter zaps channels always

La famille zappe, et enfin, decide de regarder le film "Angry Birds"

The familys switches channels and finally it decides to watch the film "Angry Birds"

Culture tip:

Le Zénith is the name given to a series of indoor arenas in France. 

The first arena, the "Zénith Paris" is a rejuvenation of the Pavillon de Paris. 

In French culture, the word "zénith" has become synonymous with "theater". 

A zénith is a theater that can accommodate concert tours, variety shows, plays, musicals and dance recitals. All zeniths carry a similar internal design of an indoor amphitheater that can seat at least 3,000 spectators.

The Zénith Paris—La Villette is an indoor arena in the 19th arrondissement in Paris. The arena was built in 1983 at the site of the former music hall, Pavillon de Paris, by architects Phillippe Chaix and Jean-Paul Morel. The construction of the arena was initiated by Minister of Culture, Jack Lang, to maintain the rock and roll scene to Paris.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_Z%C3%A9nith

Learn French 24: ManteauX

Learning a new language is like wearing a coat. It makes you feel different.You bring out a new person from the inside.

I picked the word des manteaux here as it is one of the words that stayed with me from my school days. I liked the way the word sounded. 

Also it is an important concept that is considered as basic French.

The real word in un manteau, the plural is des manteaux. It means a coat. 

The speciality of this word is that the plural form takes an x instead of the regular x.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPQOVNzLAwk

Similar words are:

1. gâteau                cake
2. bateau                boat
3. chapeau             hat
4. oiseau                bird
5. couteau              knife
6. rideau                curtain
7. château              castle
8. tableau               board
9. drapeau              flag
10. portemanteau     travelling case/pouch

All these words take an x in the plural form.

Culture tip:

The Flag of France is a tricolour flag featuring three vertical bands coloured blue (hoist side), white and red. Blue and red are the traditional colours of Paris, used on the city's coats of arms. The three colours have different symbolisms. The French government websites states that the white field was the colour of the King, while blue and red were the colours of Paris. The three colours are ocassionally taken to represnt the three elements of the revolutionary motto, Liberté (Freedom: Blue), égalité  (equality: white) Fraternité  (brotherhood: red).

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_France

Learn French 23: Le Week-end

Learning a new language is like going on a vacation when you look forward to a change. Gear up to change the way you think in a new language.

Le Weekend

The word Week-end has been borrowed from English.

It is used extensively in French. 

It means the Saturday and Sunday.

In some countries, Friday and Saturday is the Week-end.

However the general idea is the same.

Two day break after a five-day working week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqouft0ikak

Je fais des courses ce week-end.

I buy my groceries this week-end.

Le week-end prochain, je vais voyager.

The next week-end, I am going to travel.

Le samedi, je fais le menage  et le dimanche, je me repose.

Saturday, I do the household chores and on Sunday, I relax.

Culture tip:

The term Week-end had been adopted by several countries, and it has a universal meaning. France having a diverse geography, gives the French many a place to explore during the week-end. The French usually take short trips over the week-end to catch up with family and friends. La Randonnée  (trekking or long walks) is one of the preferred activities of the French. Traditionally almost everything was closed on Sunday. But with changing lifestyles, many businesses are open.

https://www.thoughtco.com/how-do-you-say-weekend-in-french-1369350

Learn French 15: Ordinateur, Oui

Learning a new language is like an orange, it can be a fruit and a colour. It opens up an array of opportunities and at the same time allows you to blend with a new culture. Let's go for it.

Ordinateur

Computer

Oui

Yes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mOA2GqVEvSo

J'ai un ordinateur dans ma chambre.

I have a computer in my room.

Je joue aux jeux videos sur mon ordianteur.

I play video games on my computer.

L'ordinateur est utile? Oui, l'ordinateur est très utile.

Is the computer useful? Yes, the computer is very useful.

The computer has become a very important place in our lives. It has become a neccessity.

One can use the word portable with it.

Portable - able to carry.

l'ordinateur portable - The laptop

The second word is OUI - it means Yes.

Obviously one knows when you use it. However I have used Oui in one of the sentences.

Culture tip:

In 1955, IBM brought a new computer to France. They needed a word for the device and  IBM decided to create something new instead.

François Girard,  (the head of the advertising department) at IBM France, thought that computer was too similar to calculatrice (calculator) and wanted to find a better name for the new electronic machine intended for information processing.

In an effort to find a good french name, François Girard asked his old humanities professor, Jacques Perret, for advice.

Monsieur Perret had a suggestion based on a rare word, ordonnateur: someone who puts things in order. The word comes from le verbe ordonner, meaning to put in order, to order, to arrange, which comes from le mot latin: ordinare.

Monsieur Perret’s idea was more cumbersome than the final word: ordinatrice

électronique.

Eventually, IBM settled on ordinateur as le mot for the new product. At firstz, IBM wanted to keep the word ordinateur as a trademark, but l’ordinateur became too popular and entered the french language as a normal word.

Ordinare → Ordonner → Ordonnateur → Ordinateur

https://blogs.transparent.com/french/the-origin-of-lordinateur-computers-in-french/

Learn French 14: Ne verb pas

Learning a new language is like travelling. The journey may be long but the beauty of the destination is worth the time spent. Half way through, we go ahead with the right kinda spirit.

Ne verb pas 

The phrase ne .... verb is used in a sentence and the ... is the verb.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCHKfgVat1U

Taking sentences earlier mentioned.

Il voyage pour son loisir.

Il ne voyage pas pour son loisir.

Je suis étudiant.

Je ne suis pas etudiant

J'habite dans un appartement.

Je n'habite pas dans un appartement.

NOTE: ne turns to n' in front of a vowel

The sentences have been taken from the following blogs.

https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-5-etudiant.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-3-cafe.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-11-les-loisirs.html


Culture tip:
We shall discuss some expressions that contain the negation vocabulaire

1. Il ne faut pas se fier aux apparences. 

Literal translation: “One should not trust appearances.”

Meaning: This saying is the English equivalent of “You can’t judge a book by its cover,” or “Looks can be deceiving.” It means that you should get to know someone before you make judgments about him/her. In short, “Don’t make assumptions.”

2.  Il ne faut rien laisser au hasard. 

Literal translation: “One should leave nothing to chance.”

Meaning: Here’s another no-fuss, no-frills saying. This one means “Plan ahead.”

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/common-french-sayings/

Learn French 13: Marché

Learning a new language is like looking for something new. You never know what you will get.
Let's start.

Marché - Market

This is a very common word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bP7SYOD9eTQ

Je vais au marché
I go to the market.

Le marché se trouve au centre-ville.
The market is in the centre of the city.

J'achète des fruits et légumes au marché.
I buy fruits and vegetables at the market.


In France, going to the market is an important part of weekend routine.The French look forward to the Sunday market. Chef along with assistants go to the market to buy the freshest fruits and vegetables.

Culture tip:
Paris was one of the first European cites to implement a system of formal, centralized and covered market places. Les Halles, a vast centralized wholesale market, was known to be in existence at least by the 13th century. The French system of organised, designated central retail markets was extensively studied by architects in London with a view to emulating the system and ultimately eradicating the informal supply of produce via street vendors.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marketplace

French Class 10: Jardin

Learning a new language is like gardening. What you sow, so you reap. Let us sow a new word today and reap it lifelong.

Jardin - garden

Jardin means garden.

It is a masculine noun. 

Nouns in French are either masculine or feminine.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rwQGrxBsLUg

Il y a un jardin autour de ma maison.

There is a garden around my house.

Le jardin est beau.

The garden is beautiful.

Il ya beaucoup de fleurs dans le jardin. 

The are a many flowers in the garden.

Most of the words here have been discussed earlier.

The new words are:

autour de - around

beau - beautiful

ma - my    

The word garden instantly brings an image of colourful flowers and a vivid green surrounding.

Type in the name of your favourite garden.

Culture tip:

Monet's garden at Giverny.

Just an hour from Paris, the village of Giverny was the home of Claude Monet, and an inspiration to many of his masterpieces. Some of his most famous paintings were of his garden in Giverny, famous for its rectangular Clos Normand. Claude Monet's property became a Museum opened to public visit in 1980 after completion of large-scale restoration work. The house became a popular tourist attraction particularly in the summer when the flowers are in bloom.

https://www.france-justforyou.com/blog/10-of-the-best-gardens-in-france

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giverny

French Class 8: Hôtel

Bonjour! Learning a new language is watching a film. You want to know what happens next. Without waiting any further, here is the next word.

Hôtel

Pendant les vacances, j'habite dans un hotel.

During the vacation, I stay at he hotel.

L'hotel se trouve pres d'ici.

The hotel is nearby here.

L'hotel est grand.

The hotel is big.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1eg9eMKgJ4

The word hotel is similar to the word in English. 

In fact the word Hotel in English has its origin from French.

Culture tip:

The oldest hotel in France is the Hotel Westminster, which claims to be the longest continuously open hotel in Paris. Named in the honour of the Duke of Westminster and his patronage to the hotel during the 19th century, the Westminster is decorated with his coat of arms ever so discretely. The hotel opened in the early 19th century has remained open at 13, Rue de la Paix, ever since. 

https://leahtravels.com/places/europe/france/paris/historic-hotels-in-paris

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French Class 6: La fête

Learning a new language is like staying at home and exploring different corners of your house. Today's corner is the festive corner.

La fête - the festival, the celebration

La Fête Nationale - The National day
La Fête de la Musique - The festical of Music/ World Music day
La fête des mères - Mothers' day

The word fête is used to describe a grand festival or any kind of a simple celebration also.

La fête de la musique se passe le 21 juin chaque année.

World Music Day is celebrated/takes place on 21 Juin every year.

La fête Nationale (de la France) a lieu le 14 Juilet chaque année.

The National Day (of France) takes place on 14 July every year.

Celebrate a festival, a success or just life itself. Every day is a celebration. Each day comes with an opportunity, a new aura of enthusiasm. Life is a celebration. 

Type out your favourite festival in the comments. Easily login through Google.

Culture tip:

La Fête Nationale is the anniversary of the Storming of the Bastille. 

First let us understand what is Bastille. Bastille was a fortress in Paris, formally known as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. 

Louis XIV used the Bastille as a prison for upper-class members of French society who had opposed or angered him.The Bastille held a large cache of ammunition and gunpowder. 

The Storming of the Bastille set off a series of events that led to the overthrow of King Louis XVI and the French Revolution. The success of the revolutionaries gave commoners throughout France the courage to rise up and fight against the nobles who had ruled them for so long.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille_Day

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storming_of_the_Bastille

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bastille

https://www.ducksters.com/history/french_revolution/storming_of_the_bastille.php

French Class 5: Étudiant

Bonjour! Learning is like lighting a lamp. It lights up not only itself but also the surrounding. Let's begin today.

Today's word is étudiant.
It means student.


Je suis étudiant.
Je suis étudiante.


The étudiant with an e stands for a student (feminine)
The e has an acute accent (l'accent aigu)

While pronouncing étudiante, there is a stress on the t, and the listener understands the student is feminine.

Je suis étudiant
I am a student.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TI6UxJwyMrc

Je suis is an important phrase it means I am

Je suis professeur.  I am a teacher/professor
Je suis medecin.     I am a doctor.
je suis avocat.         I am a lawyer.
je suis journaliste.  I am a journalist.

Conversation:

Marc: Bonjour. Je m'appelle Marc. Et vous?
Annie: Bonjour. Je m'appelle Anne.
Marc: Je suis professeur. Et vous?
Annie: Je suis journaliste.
...
Marc: Bonne soirée
Annie: Bonne soirée.


Begin the sentence with je suis, google your profession and type it out in the comments section. Yes here is a word for blogger too!

https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-4-dans.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-3-cafe.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-2-bonjour.html
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/03/french-class-1-sappeler.html

Now you can introduce yourself in French, say what you do and you can order yourself a cup of coffee.

Culture tip:

The modern era of French Education began at the end of the 19th century. Jules Ferry, a minister of Public instruction in 1841, is  widely credited for creating the modern school by requiring all children between the ages of 6 and 12, both boys and girls to attend. He also made public instruction mandatory, free of charge, and secular.
Before Jules Ferry, it was Napoleon who began French University and Secondary education systems.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_France

This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z

French Class 4: Dans

Bonjour! Learning a new language is like dancing. One step at at time, each one in sync with the other. Let's roll!

Dans means in. It is a preposition. It show the relation between 2 nouns.

J'habite is a phrase used here. J'habite means I stay.

J'habite dans un appartement.

J'habite dans une maison.

                                        

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqI87diVCfM

                                 

un appartement - an apartment

une maison - a house

J'habite dans un appartement - I stay in an apartment.

J'habite dans une maison - I stay in a house.

Conversation: 

Marc: Bonjour, je m'appelle Marc. Et vous?

Annie: Bonjour, je m'appelle Annie.

Marc: J'habite dans une maison. Et vous?

Annie: J'habite dans un appartement.

...

Marc: Bonne soirée Annie

Annie: Bonne soirée Marc.

Vocabulary is as important to a language as grammar. As children, we picked up new words that eventually led to sentences. Happy learning!

Culture tip:

The apartment culture which is an integral part of today's housing options came from Paris. 

Paris embraced the apartment in 1800's. It was initially called "Parisian flats" by the Americans who came to Paris for their cultural education.

Throughout the nineteenth century "the apartment house" dominated Parisian urban landscape.

Two reasons were primarily identified for its success:

1. Apartments provided spatially compact housing in a city with increasing population.

2. Apartments provided opportunity for investing in relatively inexpensive and profitable properties.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2014/10/american-apartments-came-from-paris/381590/

This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z

French Class 3: Café

Hello! Learning a new language is like drinking coffee. Once done you want a refill. So here is today's refill.

Café is a universal word.
It is coffee, a beverage.
It also means a café, a small and informal establishment serving various refreshments.

Je voudrais un café.
I want/would like a coffee.

Il y a un café près d'ici.
There is a café nearby here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKHzkP5FgqI

This word is different from the word cafeteria in English.
Merriam-Webster. com defines it as a restaurant especially one for staff or workers, where people collect their meals themselves and carry them to their tables to eat.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cafeteria?utm_campaign=sd&utm_medium=serp&utm_source=jsonld

A conversation at a café:

Serveur: Bonjour Madame
Annie: Bonjour, je voudrais un café.
...
Serveur: Bonne soirée Madame.
Annie: Bonne soirée.

Je voudrais une tasse de café
I would like a cup of coffee

The vocabulary related to greetings and expressions in French can be viewed here:
https://srishtirajeev.blogspot.com/2020/04/french-class-2-bonjour.html

Now you can order your coffee at a café in France the right way. 


Culture Tip:
La Semaine du Goût
The Week of Taste or La Semaine du Goût, a registered trademark, is an event around taste and gastronomy, created by Jean-Luc-Petitrenaud in 1990, a culinary jounalist, that takes place for a week during October. It is  partnered by the Minister of Agriculture and Food.Throughout France it promotes culture and culinary heritage and eating well. One of its stated objectives is to educate consumers especially children about tastes.

https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Semaine_du_Go%C3%BBt

This post is written as a part of #BlogchatterA2Z

#A2Z Theme Reveal

Hello!

Finally here. Blogchatter nudges and here I am. The very coveted A2Z looks like child's play. Well it does bring out the child in you as you explore sub-topics on your theme and also read varied themes. Writing one blog post each day of the week except Sundays, and reading other participants posts is no child's play but interesting.

My Theme is what comes naturally to me, Teaching French. Yes, 26 sessions of French at Blogchatter A2Z. It will be as simple as it could get. Will include a culture tip. What's a language without knowing the culture. It is my first try, flood me in with your observations and comments.

Learning a new language allows your brain to absorb new patterns, it helps you think differently. I personally know many people who can speak 3 languages fluently. In India, 52% of the urban youth are bilingual and 18% trilingual.

https://m.timesofindia.com/india/52-of-indias-urban-youth-are-now-bilingual-18-speak-three-languages/amp_articleshow/66530958.cms

 Learning is a never-ending process. Gear up and be ready for the child's play... ahan... A2Z by Blogchatter.