From across the room your eyes meet. He's tall, dark, and very handsome. But...where is he from? You only speak English and French; what if he doesn't speak either. He doesn't really look French...does he? Maybe his French beret blew off in the wind...but it's not very windy. Maybe he just left it at home tonight. But then...where is his tiny moustache? Maybe he shaved it off after his soccer match because he has a job interview in Paris tomorrow. Well, he is drinking a bottle of French wine and eating cheese so he must be French! But, then again...so are you and you are not French. The mystery man is headed your way though, so you are about to find out! Quick, how do you say, "does my breath smell okay" in French?
Learning French with FrenchPod101.com is the most fun and effective way to learn French! In this French Audio Blog lesson, you will learn about French travel habits and the French stereotypes they have built up along the way. This French lesson is spoken completely in French, which is a great way to improve your French language skills! However, if you feel like you may need some extra French support, stop by FrenchPod101 and pick up the Lesson Notes or other helpful French learning material first!
Formal French
Comment Pourriez vous Savoir si Vous êtes Vraiment Français ?
J’adore voyager !!! Quoi de plus enrichissant *que de découvrir de nouvelles cultures, les différentes manières de vivre et d’appréhender tout ce qui nous entoure !
Les français voyagent beaucoup au sein même de la France. Il faut dire que notre pays regorge de paysages sublimes et bien que tous les français se sentent très fier de leur appartenance à la France, on est aussi très attaché à notre région car chaque région a ses spécificités. Mais depuis quelques années, les français ont tendance à voyager vers de nouvelles destinations comme la Croatie ou le Maroc car cela revient souvent moins cher.
En ce qui me concerne, à chaque fois que je vais à l’étranger je rencontre de nouvelles personnes et c’est souvent étonnant l’image qu’ils ont des français et de la France.
Je me demande si les étrangers nous voient tous avec un béret*, une baguette sous le bras et une bouteille de vin à la main !
Ce qui est sûr, c’est que dans la plupart des pays où j’ai voyagé, le stéréotype* du français à l’égo *démesuré* revient en permanence ! Il y a aussi l’accent du français qui parle anglais qui est parfois terrible ! Il faut bien l’avouer, bien des français ne sont pas doués pour les langues !
En plus, ce qui est particulièrement flagrant chez un français lorsqu’il est dans un pays étranger, c’est qu’il critique toujours la nourriture, comme s’il était habitué à ne manger que de la nourriture gastronomique ! Souvent, même pour deux semaines de vacances, le français va au moins chercher une fois à trouver un peu de son terroir dans ce qu’il mange !
Même moi, en tant que Français, je trouve souvent que l’on est un peu trop chauvins et un peu trop fier de notre culture.
Je suppose que vous pouvez désormais reconnaître les français facilement grâce aux cours de Frenchpod101 .com !
Mais au delà de ça, à l’étranger comment les reconnaissez-vous ? Et ont-ils de mauvaises habitudes ?
Formal English
How Do I Know You're Really French?
Frenchies abroad. I love to travel! What's more enriching than to discover new cultures and ways of life, and to interact with everything around you?
The French often travel around their own country. I must add that our country is bursting with gorgeous scenery, and while every French person is proud to be French, we feel a strong attachment to our home regions and their unique qualities. But for some years now, the French have started to travel more to new destinations such as Croatia or Morocco since it is often cheaper to do so.
As far as I'm concerned, every time I travel abroad I meet new people, and the image they have about France and the French often surprises me. I wonder if people really think we all go around wearing berets, a baguette tucked under one arm, and a bottle of wine in hand! What's certain is that, in most countries I've visited, the stereotype of the outrageously egotistical French person persists! There's also the one about the French person that speaks English with a horribly strong accent. I do have to admit that many French people are not good with foreign languages.
Moreover, what really sticks out like a sore thumb about French people in a foreign country is that they constantly criticize the food, as if they were professional food critics. Often times, even during a two-week vacation, a French person will try at least once to find something French about what he's eating. Even I, as a French person, think that we're just a little too chauvinistic and proud of our culture.
I guess you could easily recognize French people thanks to the lessons at Frenchpod101.com! But other than what we present, what stands out to you about the French? Do they have some bad habits?
French / English / Class
manière / way, manner, mode / noun
appréhender / to apprehend / verb
regorger / overflow / verb
fier / proud / adjective
sublime / sublime / adjective
tendance / trend / noun
étonnant / astonishing / adjective
béret / beret / noun
stéréotype / stereotype / noun
nourriture / food / noun
gastronomique / gastronomic / adjective
chauvin / chauvinist / adjective
reconnaître / to recognize / verb
manière
C'est une manière de voir les choses.
“It's a way of seeing things.”
appréhender
J'appréhende son retour.
"I am apprehensive of his return."
regorger
Ce château regorge de passages secrets.
“This castle overflows with secret passages.”
fier
Il est fier d'être français.
“He is proud to be French.”
sublime
Le paysage est sublime ici.
“The landscape is sublime here.”
tendance
La tendance de cet hiver est de porter un bonnet.
“This winter, the tendency is to wear a cap.”
étonnant
Tu es toujours aussi étonnant.
“You are always astonishing.”
béret
Mon grand père porte souvent un béret.
“My grandfather often wears a beret.”
stéréotype
Connais-tu le stéréotype de la blonde peu intelligente ?
“Do you know the stereotype of the blond not being very intelligent?”
nourriture
La nourriture est grasse dans ce restaurant.
“Food is fattening in this restaurant.”
gastronomique
Les plats gastronomiques sont hors de prix.
“The gastronomical dishes are priceless.”
chauvin
Les français sont chauvins.
“French are chauvinist.”
reconnaître
J'ai reconnu Diane dans la rue.
“I recognized Diane in the street.”