Tag: French

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 3 — FRENCH

- Jill Leave a comment

Last month we covered the Spanish language and the resources offered by The Library. This month, we’ll take a look at French. While not a commonly spoken language here in the Quad Cities, or even in Iowa, French is the 5th most spoken language in the world. With 321 million speakers (111 million who speak it as their mother tongue), French speakers make up 3.6% of the world population. French is also the 4th most used language on the internet (Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs) and is one of the only languages with speakers on every continent. With 74 French-speaking countries, French is considered a world language. Only 39 countries and independent states use French as their official or common language (Worlddata.info) and the language is at least partly spoken as a mother tongue in as many as 12 other countries.

It’s no surprise that France boasts the most native speakers – almost 64 million. There is a heavy presence of French speakers in Europe (31% of Europeans), especially in countries bordering France. French is one of the 24 official languages of the European Union (EU) and is also one of the official languages of multiple international organizations headquartered in Europe including the International Olympic Committee, the International Criminal Court, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Due to its popularity and utility around the world, French is popular with those learning a second language – around 51 million current learners (Organization of International Francophonie – OIF).

But, would it surprise you to know that almost 62% of French speakers live in Africa (North Africa, Near East and Sub-Saharan Africa)? In fact, the country with the second highest number of French speakers is the Democratic Republic of the Congo – almost 49 million. In total, there are 20 French-speaking countries in Africa that list French as their official or co-official language. And, in many countries around the world where French is spoken but is not the official language, French is used as the language of instruction or as an administrative language (Worlddata.info). The remaining top ten French-speaking countries (based on millions of speakers) are: Algeria (15M), Morocco (13.5M), Germany (12.3M), Italy (11.8M), Cameroon (11.5M), United Kingdom (11.3M), Canada (11.1M), and Ivory Coast with 9.3M (OIF). All of these countries rank higher in numbers of French speakers than even Belgium – the #2 French-speaking European country. Belgium has only 8.8M speakers.

Closer to home, roughly 11 million (21%) of Canadians speak French as their first language, the majority those residing in Québec (Worlddata.info). French has a foothold in the United States as well, gaining ground during the colonial period and after several waves of immigrants during both world wars and then followed by immigration from large groups of French-speakers from African countries in the 1980s. It is the third most spoken foreign language in the U.S. (after Spanish and Chinese), with over 2 million U.S. households speaking French (census.gov). That is less than 1% of the population. The majority of U.S. French speakers reside in Louisiana (2% of its population), most of them living in or around the New Orleans area. And, many of those actually speak Cajun French or Louisiana Creole, which are French dialects that developed through combining elements of French with other languages. Patois is also a dialect of French that is spoken in the U.S. (ncesc.com). Besides New Orleans, other major U.S. cities with large French-speaking populations are Honolulu, Miami, New York, and Chicago.

In Iowa, roughly 7,500 people speak French at home (statisticalatlas.com) – the majority of whom are foreign-born French speakers hailing from West and Central Africa, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. According to a 2021 report by the Iowa Department of Human Rights and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, of the 12 most common world languages found across Iowa Counties, French is spoken in 22 of them. It is the fourth most commonly spoken foreign language in Iowa and is one of the 10 foreign languages spoken in Scott County with just under 400 speakers (MLA Language Map Data Center). There are roughly the same number or French speakers in Rock Island County, on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities. While French is not a commonly spoken language in America, it is a commonly studied language and is a good choice for second language acquisition.

Here’s just a sampling of the FREE resources available to you at The Library as you learn French. See our online catalog or ask a Librarian for more resources.

FOR A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO THE LANGUAGE:

   

French in a flash : grammar and vocabulary fundamentals by Barbara Boyer

15-minute French : learn in just 12 weeks by Caroline Lemoine

Get talking French in ten days : audio course by Jean-Claude Arragon

 

FOR A MORE LAID-BACK APPROACH:

Short stories in French : read for pleasure at your level and learn French the fun way by Olly Richards

French short stories for beginners : 20 captivating short stories to learn French & grow your vocabulary the fun way : easy French stories

Learn French with short stories : fifteen beginner stories with parallel French & English text

#Language hacking French : a conversation course for beginners by Benny Lewis

Teach your dog French by Anne Cakebreak

50 French coffee breaks : short activities to improve your French one cup at a time

 

IF YOU ARE A VISUAL LEARNER:

French English illustrated dictionary by Thomas Booth

The Firefly French/English visual dictionary by Jean Claude Corbeil

 

COMPLETE LANGUAGE COURSES:

 

Complete French by Gaëlle Graham

Collins easy learning French complete audio course by Rosi McNab

Learn Canadian French : for basic to advanced level French speakers by Pierre Lévesque

And, a Davenport Public Library cardholder, you have FREE access to the language learning program, Mango Languages.

 

FOR THOSE WHO PLAN TO TRAVEL:

 

Rick Steves’ French phrase book & dictionary by Rick Steves

French phrase book & dictionary

Fast Talk French

 

NEXT MONTH…  LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 4 — GERMAN

Start French by Michel Thomas

- Brenda Leave a comment

If you find languages interesting, have I got a treat for you!  There is an excellent language learning series by Michel Thomas that is great listening!

I began with Start French. I always wanted to learn a little French, but it was offered during music class at my high school, so I could only choose one. I chose music and took an afternoon Spanish class for my foreign language. I’ve always found French to be a challenging accent to get, and reading the words on a page just didn’t work for me.

Enter Michel Thomas and his method.

When I popped his CD into my car, suddenly my commutes and errands turned into listening in on fun little conversations. He introduces basic words and phrases in a way that builds successively on one another, feels natural, and is a little easier to remember than trying to memorize nouns and conjugate verbs. He also relates the French word to the root of the English word, helping form connections in your brain to both words and their shared meaning.

After some time, I began talking with the recorded Thomas and enjoying being able to speak un peu de francais. I couldn’t help but share my discovery with family members and friends. My Dad wanted to try Start German. He has been listening to it before bed each night and greets the day with a guten Morgen!

This series is also currently available to check out in Irish, Italian, and Spanish. Also coming soon…Norwegian!

French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson

- Christine Leave a comment

I have been following Mimi Thorisson’s blog for over two years now, and although it is changing and she is moving on to a website with future endeavors alongside her husband, I’m always excited to go back to it and find recipes and inspiration for travel. That said, her latest cookbook, French Country Cooking, published in 2016 and new to our shelves at Davenport Public Library this past autumn, are just as inspiring and wonderful to read. The exquisite photos taken by Oddur Thorisson, Mimi’s husband, inspire one to daydream to the shores and lands of another place……to France, the Médoc region with world class wines and local markets provisioning its patrons with fresh produce, seafood and meats of the current season.

One will enjoy the mostly easy to follow recipes…I say mostly, in that some of the ingredients might be hard to come by in the states unless you’re in a big city or on the east or west coasts or you can always order hard to find items online.

The recipe we tried, pg. 194, Pork Shoulder Grilled over Grapevine Branches turned out wonderfully. We have a small grill which worked just fine versus Mimi’s open fireplace grill. The recipe is straight forward and easy to follow. If you don’t have grapevine branches, try some type of fruit tree dried wood to add to the fire such as  dried apple, apricot, or pear dried tree branches to add flavor to the smoke from the fire.

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb Pork Shoulder cut into 4 slices; Fine Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper; 1 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter; 2 Garlic Cloves.

  1. Prepare medium-hot fire in a grill. Add dried grapevine branches, if desired to increase the smoky flavor.
  2. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Grill the pork until browned, golden, and cooked through, about 7 minutes on each side.
  3. Just before serving, spread the butter over the pork and scatter the sliced garlic on top.

Try one of the main courses over the holidays or for fun for New Years! The desserts are always a fun way to start if you have never tried French cuisine.  I’m looking forward to trying Mimi’s Pomegranate meringues recipe for the new year.

Bon appétit! Happy eating!

Now Arriving from: Paris

- Ann Leave a comment

So, how was your April in Paris? Nothing can compare with the real thing, but I hope it was good!

Shockingly, my month did not go as planned and I didn’t manage to finish any books set in Paris. However, books about Paris are always on my list and I will always be reading about the loveliest city, so I don’t feel like I’m missing out. Also, there are no Library Police.

I did squeeze in a movie though – Coco before Chanel  (yes, it’s in French!) starring Audrey Tautou. It’s about Coco Chanel’s early life and the experiences that helped shaped both her artistic vision and her life choices. As shown in the movie (and I believe it is accurate), Coco was not an easy person. She was opinionated and bold (at a time when women were encouraged to be quiet and decorative), and demanded her own way – which sometimes seemed to shift without warning. She is also largely responsible for cutting women out of restrictive corsets and creating clothes that are elegant, timeless and comfortable with clean lines and little fuss. In addition, she created and directed her own company in a world run by men and she set her own course unapologetically.

Sadly, there is very little about Paris in the movie until the end (Coco grew up in the French countryside, left in an orphanage by her father along with her sister after their mother died) and only a little is shown about her growing business and fashion influence. I would have like to seen more about that and also seen something about her life in Paris during World War II – she took a German lover during the Occupation and there has been speculation that she collaborated with the Nazis. She is a complex, enigmatic figure (French history seems to have lots of them!) and I’d like to learn more about her.

Now it’s your turn – what did you read/watch/listen to this month and what did you think of it?

 

Cruising Through the Louvre by David Prudhomme

- Brenda Leave a comment

cruisingthroughthelouvreAre you someone who enjoys art? Or maybe you are one of those who feels like you don’t know much about art, but would be interested to learn more if your interest was piqued in just the right way. Consider yourself piqued.

I think you may enjoy taking a vicarious walk through one of the world’s most famous museums. Notwithstanding the hour of the day (past museum hours? no problem!) or the number of miles between you right now and the Louvre in Paris, you can do just that by reading the book Cruising Through the Louvre by David Prudhomme.

The book is a vehicle that, while telling a brief but entertaining story about human behavior in relation to art in graphic novel form, highlights just some of the 70,000 works of art in the Louvre. You can even catch your glimpse of them without having to pay admission (library cards are free, after all!) or navigate through any of the 8.8 million annual visitors. Although, if you like people-watching that may be the best part of all. Fortunately, Prudhomme recognizes that and manages to create characters arguably as interesting as the works of art they visit.

Sound like a good deal? Then I implore you to check this book out! When you read it please tell me what you think of the ending. It has a strange twist that I think lends itself to multiple interpretations.

Baking Chez Moi by Dorie Greenspan

- Ann Leave a comment

baking chez moiWith her groundbreaking bestseller Around My French Table , Dorie Greenspan changed the way we view French food. Now, in Baking Chez Moi , she explores the fascinating world of French desserts, bringing together a charmingly uncomplicated mix of contemporary recipes, including original creations based on traditional and regional specialties, and drawing on seasonal ingredients, market visits, and her travels throughout the country. Like the surprisingly easy chocolate loaf cake speckled with cubes of dark chocolate that have been melted, salted, and frozen, which she adapted from a French chef’s recipe, or the boozy, slow-roasted pineapple, a five-ingredient cinch that she got from her hairdresser, these recipes show the French knack for elegant simplicity. In fact, many are so radically easy that they defy our preconceptions: crackle-topped cream puffs, which are all the rage in Paris; custardy apple squares from Normandy; and an unbaked confection of corn flakes, dried cherries, almonds, and coconut that nearly every French woman knows.

Whether it’s classic lemon-glazed madeleines, a silky caramel tart, or “Les Whoopie Pies,” Dorie puts her own creative spin on each dish, guiding us with the friendly, reassuring directions that have won her legions of ardent fans. (description from publisher)

It’s Bastille Day!

- Lynn Leave a comment

Bastille DayAnd you may be wondering how to commemorate this joyeux July 14th.  As all foodies know, no one takes more delight in their cuisine than the French. Why not check out Joanne Harris’ Chocolat? (in book or dvd format), a fable about the magical quality of chocolate. The film version is a sensual celebration of all forms of chocolate (and Johnny Depp).

A paperback copy of A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle was my constant companion on a trip through the Northeast, and became a scrapbook of sorts (stuffed with pamphlets, snack wrapper bookmarks and smeared with chocolate ice cream eaten in downtown Bar Harbor). Mayle loves his food so much, it’s impossible to feel guilty if you eat while reading his book.  The deep and abiding love of food and drink formed a bond with his Provencal neighbors – though their actions were often perplexing to him.

From Paris to the Moon is a more cerebral collection of essays, about a year in which Adam Gopnik moves from New York to Paris to immerse his family in the French language and way of life. He dissects cafe culture and the “crisis in French cuisine,” among many other things; what could be dry is instead a personal and fascinating insider’s view of an American in Paris.