Exploring the French Language

Exploring the French Language
Author: R Lodge
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 225
Release: 2016-04-29
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1317836332

Do you know what 'verlan' or French 'backslang' is? Was President Mitterand 'câblé'? The French language is more than just a tool for communication; it has a crucial role to play in how native speakers of French think about the world and about themselves and their culture. This book helps students develop a systematic 'linguistic' approach to French. It covers the core topics, ranging from the structure and sounds of the language to discourse and everyday conversation. No previous knowledge of linguistics is assumed and a glossary of technical terms and many exercises and activities help reinforce key points. Students will find that their understanding and enjoyment of the French language is greatly enhanced by this book.

Exploring the French Language

Exploring the French Language
Author: R. Anthony Lodge
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 236
Release: 1997
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 9780340676622

Do you know what 'verlan' or French 'backslang' is? Was President Mitterand 'câblé'? The French language is more than just a tool for communication; it has a crucial role to play in how native speakers of French think about the world and about themselves and their culture. This book helps students develop a systematic 'linguistic' approach to French. It covers the core topics, ranging from the structure and sounds of the language to discourse and everyday conversation. No previous knowledge of linguistics is assumed and a glossary of technical terms and many exercises and activities help reinforce key points. Students will find that their understanding and enjoyment of the French language is greatly enhanced by this book.

Exploring the French Language

Exploring the French Language
Author:
Publisher:
Total Pages: 216
Release: 1997
Genre: French language
ISBN:

The French language is more than just a tool for communication; it has a crucial role to play in how native speakers of French think about the world and about themselves and their culture. This book helps students to develop a systematic 'linguistic' approach to French. It covers the core topics, from the structure and sounds of French, to discourse and everyday conversation.

The French-Speaking World

The French-Speaking World
Author: Rodney Ball
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2006-09-07
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1134792794

This accessible textbook offers students the opportunity to explore for themselves a wide range of sociolinguistic issues relating to the French language and its role in societies around the world. It is written for undergraduate students who have a sound practical knowledge of French but who has little or no knowledge of linguistics or sociolinguistics. It combines text with practical exercises and discussion questions to stimulate readers to think for themselves and to tackle specific problems. In Part One Rodney Ball looks at the diversity of the French-speaking world and the function of French in particular countries and regions, including Switzerland, Belgium and Canada. He explores its status in relation to other languages and its role in intercommunity relations. In Part Two the focus shifts to individual language features and among topics explored are regional speech forms, the differences between written and spoken French, the `social meaning' of different styles and levels of language, and French used by immigrants. Part Three looks at recent developments in the French language particularly in France itself. Key features of this book: * Informative and comprehensive: covers a wide range of current issues * Practical: contains a variety of graded exercises and tasks plus an index of terms * Topical and contemporary: deals with current situations and provides up-to-date illustrative material * Thought-provoking: encourages students to reflect and research for themselves Rodney Ball is a lecturer in French in the School of Modern Languages, Southampton University. He teaches General Linguistics and French Sociolinguistics, on which he has published a number of articles, and is involved in designing practical courses.

When in French

When in French
Author: Lauren Collins
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 258
Release: 2017-11-07
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 014311073X

A language barrier is no match for love. Lauren Collins discovered this firsthand when, in her early thirties, she moved to London and fell for a Frenchman named Olivier—a surprising turn of events for someone who didn’t have a passport until she was in college. But what does it mean to love someone in a second language? Collins wonders, as her relationship with Olivier continues to grow entirely in English. Are there things she doesn’t understand about Olivier, having never spoken to him in his native tongue? Does “I love you” even mean the same thing as “je t’aime”? When the couple, newly married, relocates to Francophone Geneva, Collins—fearful of one day becoming "a Borat of a mother" who doesn’t understand her own kids—decides to answer her questions for herself by learning French. When in French is a laugh-out-loud funny and surprising memoir about the lengths we go to for love, as well as an exploration across culture and history into how we learn languages—and what they say about who we are. Collins grapples with the complexities of the French language, enduring excruciating role-playing games with her classmates at a Swiss language school and accidently telling her mother-in-law that she’s given birth to a coffee machine. In learning French, Collins must wrestle with the very nature of French identity and society—which, it turns out, is a far cry from life back home in North Carolina. Plumbing the mysterious depths of humanity’s many forms of language, Collins describes with great style and wicked humor the frustrations, embarrassments, surprises, and, finally, joys of learning—and living in—French.

French Fun

French Fun
Author: Steve Timmins
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 178
Release: 1995-11-06
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN:

If you grapple daily with spoken Québec French, are thinking of visiting or doing business in la belle province or would like to communicate more effectively with your Québécois friends and colleagues, French Fun is the book for you. With lively illustrations and hilarious literal translations, it introduces you to the French language of Québec through a collection of some of the most common and colourful idioms heard in Québec today. These are words from the real spoken French of Québec — some standard, some informal, others with a fascinating linguistic or cultural story behind them. The perfect complement to all French programs, French Fun is a must for anyone wishing to have a more intimate acquaintance with the French language of Québec and the people who speak it. Ce livre constitue un recueil des mots et expressions les plus courants et colorés de la langue québécoise de tous les jours. En le publiant, l’auteur veut partager cette richesse linguistique avec les anglophones de partout. Bien que s’adressant principalement aux anglophones, cette oeuvre peut aussi être intéressante et utile pour les francophones.

Learn French

Learn French
Author: Dupont Language Institute
Publisher:
Total Pages: 542
Release: 2020-12-23
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 9781801547499

THIS BOOK INCLUDES: Learn French for beginners Learn French for Intermediate Users Learn French for Advanced Users French Short Stories for Beginners French Short Stories Speak French If you've had a strong desire to learn French but have never found that one comprehensive beginner-friendly guide that can teach you everything you need to know as regards to the fundamentals of French- within the shortest time possible, then keep reading! You Are About To Discover The Best Way To Learn French And Sharpen Your Skills In The Language With The Best Set Of Resources In Existence! Boasting an estimate of 235 million speakers, 85 million of them being native speakers, French is the official language in 29 countries and an important business language in Europe, North Africa, Canada and many rapidly emerging markets. Therefore, it makes sense to want to learn it to use it for both business and personal interactions. So where do you start? Is there a less irking way to learn the language? Is it possible to learn the language in less than two weeks? What if you don't want to sound like a beginner but still have a good grasp of the language in no time? If you have these and other related questions, this 6 in 1 book is for you so keep reading, as it will teach you everything you need to know about learning French from complete basics to the advanced stuff! More precisely, this 6 in 1 book will teach you: How to construct proper sentences in French How you should use articles, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, nouns, pronouns, conjunctions, tenses, numbers and other elements of speech the right way in French How to put it all together with words and phrases that you can use in everyday places Awesome French stories, including practical words and phrases that are sure to help you handle different situations like a native The English versions of the stories A breakdown of common French vocabulary and grammar used in the different stories to help you put these words in everyday use, including quizzes to test your grasp of the language How to create everyday conversations in French, ask and answer questions, use French syntax, speak about sports, music, culture, clothes, foods, drinks and other topics in French How to master the use of stress and accents in French and do comparisons proficiently How to identify and fix your own mistakes as you continue learning French What you need to learn to understand French fully, including powerful tips for success How to master the critical parts of advanced French grammar and sentences to assist you gain fluency The rules of grammar and important concepts you need to know How to use different words, phrases and grammar rules right while reading, writing and speaking French How to navigate in a new country by speaking proper French ...And MUCH MORE! Detailed as it is, this book has topics ranging from beginner level to advanced level, so you can expect to join the millions around the world in learning one of the most popular languages and enjoy the endless benefits of learning French sooner than you think. Question is... Is your desire to learn the language strong enough to get you to do the only thing that separates you from the knowledge? If it is, Scroll up and click Buy Now to get started!

French: From Dialect to Standard

French: From Dialect to Standard
Author: R. Anthony Lodge
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 296
Release: 2013-04-08
Genre: Foreign Language Study
ISBN: 1134894155

Written as a text, this book looks at the external history of French from its Latin origins to the present day through some of the analytical frameworks developed by contemporary sociolinguistics. French is one of the most highly standardized of the world's languages and the author invites us to see the language as heterogenous, rather than a monolithic entity, using the model proposed by E. Haugen as a useful comparative grid to plot the development of standardization. After an introductory section which examines the dialectalization of Latin in Gaul, the four central chapters of the book are constructed around the basic processes invoved in standardization as identified by Haugen: the selection of norms, the elaboration of function, codification and acceptance. The concluding chapter deals with language variability and the wide gulf that has now developed between French used for formal purposes and that used in everyday speech, with particular reference to Occitan speaking regions. Emphasizing the ordinary speakers of the language, rather than the statesmen or great authors as agents of change, the book combines a traditional history of the language' approach with a sociolinguistic framework to provide a broad and comparative overview of the problem of language standardization.

The Story of French

The Story of French
Author: Jean-Benoit Nadeau
Publisher: Vintage Canada
Total Pages: 498
Release: 2010-05-28
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0307370496

A fascinating exploration of the historical and cultural development of the French language from the bestselling authors of Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong. Imagine a language that is watched over by a group of forty “Immortals,” a language with rules so complex that few people ever completely master it, whose status as the world’s lingua franca has been declining for two centuries, whose use in global institutions is waning and whose speakers are so insecure they pass laws banning the use of other languages and spend millions of tax-payers’ dollars to make sure it gets used in literature, music and film. Now imagine a language that is second only to English for the number of countries where it is spoken officially, surpassing both Spanish or Arabic, a language that is the official tongue of two G-7 countries and three European nations, that is employed alongside English in most international institutions and that is the number-two choice of language students across the planet – a language with two million teachers and 100 million students worldwide, and whose number of speakers has tripled in the last fifty years. This paradox is the backdrop for The Story of French, in which bilingual Canadian authors Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow unravel the mysteries of a language that has maintained its global influence in spite of the ascendancy of English. Mixing historical analysis with journalistic observation, and drawing on their experiences living in and travelling to French-speaking countries, they explore how the French language developed over the centuries, how it came to be spoken in the Americas, Africa and Asia, and how it has maintained its global appeal.

The Oxford Handbook of the French Language

The Oxford Handbook of the French Language
Author: Wendy Ayres-Bennett
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 1056
Release: 2024-07-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 0192634402

This volume provides the first comprehensive reference work in English on the French language in all its facets. It offers a wide-ranging approach to the rich, varied, and exciting research across multiple subfields, with seven broad thematic sections covering the structures of French; the history of French; axes of variation; French around the world; French in contact with other languages; second language acquisition; and French in literature, culture, arts, and the media. Each chapter presents the state of the art and directs readers to canonical studies and essential works, while also exploring cutting-edge research and outlining future directions. The Oxford Handbook of the French Language serves both as a reference work for people who are curious to know more about the French language and as a starting point for those carrying out new research on the language and its many varieties. It will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students as well as established scholars, whether they are specialists in French linguistics or researchers in a related field looking to learn more about the language. The diversity of frameworks, approaches, and scholars in the volume demonstrates above all the variety, vitality, and vibrancy of work on the French language today.