1. un radiateur soufflant fan heater
2. une boite à fusibles fuse box
3. d'eau douce fresh water
4. d'eau salée salt water
5. dissoudre to dissolve
6. une joue cheek
7. un dock dock
8. une jument mare
9. une galipette summersault
10 un moustique gnat OR mostquito
11. qui fait grossir fattening
12. à la tienne! cheers!
13. un coquelicot poppy
14. la galette vomit (l'argo)
Bless you, when someone sneezes:
15. A tes souhaits 1st time: to your wishes
16. A tes enfants 2nd time: to your children
17. A tes espoirs 3rd time: to your hopes
18. ne guère hardly
19. ne point not at all
20. militer to campaign
21. dou dou child's favorite stuffed animal/ soft toy
22. les décombres rubble
23. les gravats rubble (non countable)
24. les déblais rubble (usually earth)
25. l'éboulis rubble
June 20, 2012
June 06, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 6
1. des baguettes - chopsticks
2. une limite de vente - sell by date3. une natte - pigtail
4. une queue-de-cheval - ponytail
5. la cuche - ponytail en bretagne
6. la couette - parisienne ponytail
7. un oreiller - pillow
8. les drapes - sheets
9. taie d'oreiller - pillowcase
10. le matelas- mattress
11. la table basse - coffee table
12. un tapis - rug
13. table de nuit avec ses tiroirs - night table with drawers
14. les appareils ménagers - home appliances
15. le four à micro-ondes - microwave oven
16. le réfrigérateur - refrigerator
17. congélateur - freezer
18. l’aspirateur - vacuum cleaner
19 un plafond- ceiling
20. le sol - floor
21. le plancher - (wood) floor
22. le carrelage - (tile) floor
23. saisir - to grab (a person)
24. la semoule - semolina
25. le pois chiche - chick peas
2. une limite de vente - sell by date3. une natte - pigtail
4. une queue-de-cheval - ponytail
5. la cuche - ponytail en bretagne
6. la couette - parisienne ponytail
7. un oreiller - pillow
8. les drapes - sheets
9. taie d'oreiller - pillowcase
10. le matelas- mattress
11. la table basse - coffee table
12. un tapis - rug
13. table de nuit avec ses tiroirs - night table with drawers
14. les appareils ménagers - home appliances
15. le four à micro-ondes - microwave oven
16. le réfrigérateur - refrigerator
17. congélateur - freezer
18. l’aspirateur - vacuum cleaner
19 un plafond- ceiling
20. le sol - floor
21. le plancher - (wood) floor
22. le carrelage - (tile) floor
23. saisir - to grab (a person)
24. la semoule - semolina
25. le pois chiche - chick peas
May 07, 2012
IAS 380R School Lunchtime Culture
For the duration of my work contract here in France, twice a month I went out to the countryside and taught for a full day in two of the primary schools. I spent the morning at one school and in the afternoon was bussed off by one of the teachers to the other school. In between the morning and afternoon is one of the most important rituals in French culture: lunch.
The opportunity to eat a full start to finish meal with a group of overly dramatic and extremely liberal young teachers twice a month never ceased to fascinate me. There was always something to complain about, someone to gossip about, or someplace they would rather be during the sophisticated series of 6 courses.
We started with the entée, which was usually some kind of salad of couscous, potatoes, rice, sometimes beets, shredded carrots, or lentils. And always the bread. The bread doesn’t leave the table. Every single one of those teachers would finish her entrée and then take a piece of baguette and wipe that plate sparkling clean. When everyone, or nearly everyone has finished the entrée, it’s on to the main course, or the plat.
The plat was normally a piece of meat, plain, individually packaged, and then in another package was something with some sauce. For example we might have a chicken breast, and then on the side ratatouille or pasta. Then there was the cheese. Always some cheese, presented as a single slice in a plastic sealed container like all the other courses. It was often a more mild cheese, as these are the same meals the kids are fed. Emmental, brie, or compté. It always seemed like a lot of food to me, and by dessert (a banana, fromage blanc, yogurt, pudding cup, etc.) I was feeling really stuffed and wondering how these women are so thin if they eat like this every day and don’t bat an eye. I eventually concluded that this meal must be at least 70 percent of their daily calories, and breakfast and dinner are almost nonexistent. After dessert they got out the mugs, tea, hot water, and chocolate, cookies, or candy and munched on that, all the while gossiping about students or parents or administrators or their English assistant. (Just kidding about that last bit. At least not that I ever caught on to....)
I don’t know why I ever doubted that lunch in the schools would be from 12:00 to 2:00, when the whole country (Paris not included) shuts down promptly at noon for lunch. The eating habits of the French are so engrained in them that of course they learn the habits as soon as they are old enough to eat solid food. Most of the kids eat at school in a small room where they are given glass dishes and little packaged meals that are prepared down the street a little ways. A handful of them got picked up by their parents. A two hour lunch for a bunch of little kids seems like a lot to me, and since the teachers are on break too, it’s the lunch lady who takes care of them during this time. In the states, the lunch lady doesn’t have a whole lot of interaction with the kids; she just organized the food and sets it out while teachers usually take turns on lunch duty. But at these two schools, the lunch lady does all of that and then watches the kids during their recess time until 2. Because their lunch break is so long, consequently the day goes until nearly 5pm, which seems like a very long day for some of these kids, the youngest being 3 years old. But the most important meal of the day can’t be cut short, so those little ones will just have to learn to make it through!
The opportunity to eat a full start to finish meal with a group of overly dramatic and extremely liberal young teachers twice a month never ceased to fascinate me. There was always something to complain about, someone to gossip about, or someplace they would rather be during the sophisticated series of 6 courses.
We started with the entée, which was usually some kind of salad of couscous, potatoes, rice, sometimes beets, shredded carrots, or lentils. And always the bread. The bread doesn’t leave the table. Every single one of those teachers would finish her entrée and then take a piece of baguette and wipe that plate sparkling clean. When everyone, or nearly everyone has finished the entrée, it’s on to the main course, or the plat.
The plat was normally a piece of meat, plain, individually packaged, and then in another package was something with some sauce. For example we might have a chicken breast, and then on the side ratatouille or pasta. Then there was the cheese. Always some cheese, presented as a single slice in a plastic sealed container like all the other courses. It was often a more mild cheese, as these are the same meals the kids are fed. Emmental, brie, or compté. It always seemed like a lot of food to me, and by dessert (a banana, fromage blanc, yogurt, pudding cup, etc.) I was feeling really stuffed and wondering how these women are so thin if they eat like this every day and don’t bat an eye. I eventually concluded that this meal must be at least 70 percent of their daily calories, and breakfast and dinner are almost nonexistent. After dessert they got out the mugs, tea, hot water, and chocolate, cookies, or candy and munched on that, all the while gossiping about students or parents or administrators or their English assistant. (Just kidding about that last bit. At least not that I ever caught on to....)
I don’t know why I ever doubted that lunch in the schools would be from 12:00 to 2:00, when the whole country (Paris not included) shuts down promptly at noon for lunch. The eating habits of the French are so engrained in them that of course they learn the habits as soon as they are old enough to eat solid food. Most of the kids eat at school in a small room where they are given glass dishes and little packaged meals that are prepared down the street a little ways. A handful of them got picked up by their parents. A two hour lunch for a bunch of little kids seems like a lot to me, and since the teachers are on break too, it’s the lunch lady who takes care of them during this time. In the states, the lunch lady doesn’t have a whole lot of interaction with the kids; she just organized the food and sets it out while teachers usually take turns on lunch duty. But at these two schools, the lunch lady does all of that and then watches the kids during their recess time until 2. Because their lunch break is so long, consequently the day goes until nearly 5pm, which seems like a very long day for some of these kids, the youngest being 3 years old. But the most important meal of the day can’t be cut short, so those little ones will just have to learn to make it through!
May 02, 2012
FR 311 American Influence in France
I have asked many people over the duration of my stay in France what they think of American influence in French culture. I thought I would find some people who are very opposed, who think that American culture is taking over and is sure to eventually swallow up their beloved French traditions. However I haven't yet found such an opinion. My samples probably aren't a good representation of the entire population in France (I haven't asked anyone over the age of 50) but everyone I've asked actually likes it. First I asked some university students, who, as predicted, say that French music stinks, American or British media is much more riveting. Although they take great pride in classic French cinema from time to time, they prefer American films. I once had a woman tell me that in American films there is a guaranteed "happy ending." Not so with French films.
I also asked a group of five elementary school teachers aged from late twenties to their fifties. I was more surprised by their response: if it's better than what France has to offer, it's okay. They were fine with American influence, welcomed it even, if it brought faster and better or more convenient ways of doing things. Chineese influence, however, they were not so okay with. They expressed concern that France is producing fewer and fewer products, importing more and more things from China. The products from China are never the same quality as those made in France. It's cheaper, but it's not better, and so they do not welcome that change. At least not openly, even if they support the industry by buying a cheaper set of dishes that was made in China rather than a more expensive set that was manufactured in France.
I also asked a group of five elementary school teachers aged from late twenties to their fifties. I was more surprised by their response: if it's better than what France has to offer, it's okay. They were fine with American influence, welcomed it even, if it brought faster and better or more convenient ways of doing things. Chineese influence, however, they were not so okay with. They expressed concern that France is producing fewer and fewer products, importing more and more things from China. The products from China are never the same quality as those made in France. It's cheaper, but it's not better, and so they do not welcome that change. At least not openly, even if they support the industry by buying a cheaper set of dishes that was made in China rather than a more expensive set that was manufactured in France.
April 23, 2012
FR 311 Vocabulaire 5
1. en haut up high
2. en bas down low
3. un ruisseau stream
4. tisser to weave
5. la tôle sheet metal
6. à chuchoter to whisper
7. à tousser to cough
8. à éternuer to sneeze
9. l'herbe grass
10. un oeuf dur hard boiled egg
11. un oeuf poché poached egg
12. un oeuf sur le plat fried egg
13. une posologie dosage
14. pompe de vélo bike pump
15. pondre to lay
16. poney pony
17. presque jamais hardly
18. galoper to gallop
19. une passerelle gangway (ship)
20. un couloir gangway (bus/ aeroplane)
21. une allée gangway (in theater)
22. l'ail garlic
23. Fahrenheit Fahrenheit
24. Celsius Celsius
25. un riz cantonais fried rice
2. en bas down low
3. un ruisseau stream
4. tisser to weave
5. la tôle sheet metal
6. à chuchoter to whisper
7. à tousser to cough
8. à éternuer to sneeze
9. l'herbe grass
10. un oeuf dur hard boiled egg
11. un oeuf poché poached egg
12. un oeuf sur le plat fried egg
13. une posologie dosage
14. pompe de vélo bike pump
15. pondre to lay
16. poney pony
17. presque jamais hardly
18. galoper to gallop
19. une passerelle gangway (ship)
20. un couloir gangway (bus/ aeroplane)
21. une allée gangway (in theater)
22. l'ail garlic
23. Fahrenheit Fahrenheit
24. Celsius Celsius
25. un riz cantonais fried rice
FR 311 Vocabulaire 4
1. cepter to absorb/ soak up/ collect/ pick up
2. rabrouer to snub
3. cribler to riddle with
4. allégerer to lighten
5. un paon a peacock
6. siffler to whistle to oneself
7. rouillé rusty/ out of practice
8. amaible detachable
9. une alliance engagement ring
10. parvenir to reach maturity
11. une citrouille pumpkin12. le gingembre ginger
13. les clous de girofle cloves
14. un pèlerin a pioneer
15. l'amertume bitterness
16. biscornu quirky
17. un pionnier a pioneer
18. les Indiens Indians
19. un coude an elbow
20. voler to fly
21. une niche hive
22. un rein kidney (body)
23. un rognon kidney (food)
24. à l'extérieur inside
25. à l'intérieur outside
2. rabrouer to snub
3. cribler to riddle with
4. allégerer to lighten
5. un paon a peacock
6. siffler to whistle to oneself
7. rouillé rusty/ out of practice
8. amaible detachable
9. une alliance engagement ring
10. parvenir to reach maturity
11. une citrouille pumpkin12. le gingembre ginger
13. les clous de girofle cloves
14. un pèlerin a pioneer
15. l'amertume bitterness
16. biscornu quirky
17. un pionnier a pioneer
18. les Indiens Indians
19. un coude an elbow
20. voler to fly
21. une niche hive
22. un rein kidney (body)
23. un rognon kidney (food)
24. à l'extérieur inside
25. à l'intérieur outside
April 17, 2012
IAS 380R University Grammar Course
Cultural Proof
In January, I took a placement exam and started a French grammar class at the university especially for foreign students. Not anyone can take the class, but as teaching assistants, we were allowed, so several of us took the test. We were all placed in different classes, which was good because it forced us to meet other people. My class met every week for 2.5 hours in a classroom on campus. There were about 8 to 10 students, depending on who showed up, nationalities ranging from Dutch, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and German. The professor, of course, was French. After a few weeks a middle aged man from Oregon joined, but before then, I was the only anglophone, which was a new experience for me in a classroom setting. I didn’t realize how much having a common native language influences a class. For example, often times the Chinese or Russian girls would ask a question about a word that to me was so obvious, because it was similar to the English word. When every student speaks English, there are plenty of grammar topics or vocabulary words that are easy for everyone, but in this class, everyone’s needs were more diverse, as we were more diverse. The teacher always spoke in French, obviously, and sometimes at the beginning I would ask questions about cultural things that were going on. We talked about galette de rois, other “foods of the month” (ex. crêpes in March). We read and discussed newspaper clips or excerpts from classic or modern works on subjects such as education, immigration, what it’s like to be a foreigner, idioms, and of course lots of grammar.
We wrote a short composition each week, which I was surprised at the laxness of the students. The second week of the class, half of the students came in late or didn’t have their composition written. I thought, “This is a university class, is it not? Is it allowed to not do your homework?” However the professor, who I liked very much, just told everyone to email or give her the compositions before the end of the course. Obviously it didn’t take long for me to figure out that the University of Poitiers isn’t quite the same caliber as BYU. However I’d already heard that before; that anyone who decides they want to go to college can get in without too much effort. Equal opportunity, eh? That’s great and all, in theory, but then when you have a class who rarely shows up and doesn’t do their work, what happens then? Anyway, I thought it was all very interesting. I didn’t finish the course, as I knew I wouldn’t, because the class went until summertime and my contract ended in the spring. But the times that I did go the experience was well worth the effort.
In January, I took a placement exam and started a French grammar class at the university especially for foreign students. Not anyone can take the class, but as teaching assistants, we were allowed, so several of us took the test. We were all placed in different classes, which was good because it forced us to meet other people. My class met every week for 2.5 hours in a classroom on campus. There were about 8 to 10 students, depending on who showed up, nationalities ranging from Dutch, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and German. The professor, of course, was French. After a few weeks a middle aged man from Oregon joined, but before then, I was the only anglophone, which was a new experience for me in a classroom setting. I didn’t realize how much having a common native language influences a class. For example, often times the Chinese or Russian girls would ask a question about a word that to me was so obvious, because it was similar to the English word. When every student speaks English, there are plenty of grammar topics or vocabulary words that are easy for everyone, but in this class, everyone’s needs were more diverse, as we were more diverse. The teacher always spoke in French, obviously, and sometimes at the beginning I would ask questions about cultural things that were going on. We talked about galette de rois, other “foods of the month” (ex. crêpes in March). We read and discussed newspaper clips or excerpts from classic or modern works on subjects such as education, immigration, what it’s like to be a foreigner, idioms, and of course lots of grammar.
We wrote a short composition each week, which I was surprised at the laxness of the students. The second week of the class, half of the students came in late or didn’t have their composition written. I thought, “This is a university class, is it not? Is it allowed to not do your homework?” However the professor, who I liked very much, just told everyone to email or give her the compositions before the end of the course. Obviously it didn’t take long for me to figure out that the University of Poitiers isn’t quite the same caliber as BYU. However I’d already heard that before; that anyone who decides they want to go to college can get in without too much effort. Equal opportunity, eh? That’s great and all, in theory, but then when you have a class who rarely shows up and doesn’t do their work, what happens then? Anyway, I thought it was all very interesting. I didn’t finish the course, as I knew I wouldn’t, because the class went until summertime and my contract ended in the spring. But the times that I did go the experience was well worth the effort.
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