French Resources List

There are loads of resources on the internet but these are some great free ones I’ve found. Remember that absorbing the information in as many ways as possible is the most effective way to learn. 

General

• TV5Monde (the ‘Flash’ video is a great summary of the headlines)
  
• French Disney Channel
• Children’s stories and lessons
• Current affairs 
• TV Episodes  (a bit like ITV)
• Tales of the Brother’s Grimm
• Duolingo
• Memrise
• Busuu
• Tenses tests
• Languages Online (mostly grammar)
• Conjugator
• News articles
• Get corrections on text
• Free books
• Peppa Pig
• Disney songs

Youtubers

• Cyprien (comedy)
• Norman (comedy)
• Natoo (comedy)
• GoldenMoustache (comedy/short films)
• SoAndy (fashion/makeup)
• elsamakeup (fashion/makeup)
• EnjoyPhoenix (fashion/makeup)
• squeezie (gaming)
• 750 Grammes (food)
• EasyFrench (interviews/documentary)

10 minutes a day can make a major difference with a language and watching Youtube videos is an easy way of getting in that extra time (with content that is actually interesting to you). These are just a few of the most popular so if you haven’t already, you should definitely check some out.

Music (some of these are Canadian/Belgian)

• Stromae (hip hop/electronic/just damn good ignore the genre)
  
• BB Brunes (pop punk)
• Ycare (pop)
• Coeur de Pirate (indie pop)
• Maître Gims (rap)
• MIKA (pop/let’s face it MIKA IS a genre)
• Noir Désir (rock)
• TAL (pop/R&B)
• Kyo (rock/emo?)
• Carla Bruni (acoustic pop/indie)
• Élodie Frégé (pop)
• Cali (pop/rock)
• Second Sex (punk rock/pop punk)

Also known as the ‘I have no extra time but I want to up my marks in French’ hack. You can just put some music on in the background while you’re doing your History homework (added bonus - you won’t get distracted by the lyrics as much).

None of these work if you use them once for four hours and never again. It’s about building up your ability over a period of time. Ten minutes every day will save you a lot of stress during exam time.

I’ll be updating this so if you can recommend any others then please do!

Some French Proverbs

loin des yeux, loin du coeur out of sight, out of mind

l'habit ne fait pas le moine the clothes don’t make the main/don’t judge a book by its cover

il faut battre le fer pendant qu'il est chaud strike while the iron’s hot

Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour Paris wasn’t built in a day

mieux vaut tard que jamais better late than never

un tient vaut mieux que deux tu l'auras a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

le chat parti, les souris dansent when the cat’s away, the mice will play

tout vient à point à qui sait attendre good things come to those who wait

pas de nouvelles, bonnes nouvelles no news is good news

il n'y a pas de fumée sans feu when there’s smoke, there’s fire

tout est bien qui finit bien all’s well that ends well

le temps, c'est de l'argent time is money

tel père, tel fils like father, like son

c'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron practice makes perfect

la nuit porte conseil Let’s sleep on it (or something along those lines)

beaucoup de bruit pour rien much ado about nothing

source:

http://laperiphrase.tumblr.com/post/110899431478/some-french-proverbs-part-i

http://laperiphrase.tumblr.com/post/111280231908/some-french-proverbs-part-ii

Arabic words used in French slang

bled from bilād بَلَد :village, city, home

caïd from qā'id قائد :chef, rebellious people

casbah from qaṣba قصبة :home

chouf/chouffer from šuf ! شُفْ :to look, like dealers look around if there are cops

chouiya from šuwayya شوية :a little

clebs from (magh.) kelb كَلْب :a dog

fissa or fissa-fissa from (alg.) fi s-sā3a في آلساعة:fast

flouze from (alg.) flūs فُلوس :money

glaoui from (magh.) qlawī قلوي :testicles

guitoune from (alg.) qiṭūn قيطون :a shelter, a small place you go to

"kiffer" from كَيف (no other explanation found):to like

kif-kif from doubled kif’ كفء:so and so, similar

lascar from al 3askar العسكر:a big guy

maboul from (alg.) maẖbūl مخبول :crazy

niquer from gérondif naik / nīk نيك.:to fuck

nouba from nûba نوبة :a party

rallouf from ḥallūf حلّوف :ham, pig

ramdam from ramadan رمضان :noise

razzia from (alg.) ġāzya « attaque », de l'arabe classique classique ġazw(a) ou ġazā غزاة غزوة غزو:to buy/take everything in sight

smala from (magh.) zmāla زمالة:family

souk from sūq سوق :messy place

toubib from ṭabīb طَبِيب :doctor

zob from zubb زبّ :penis

These words are inspired from Arabic and had evoluated with French influence. They are not literal translations. The translations I included are the French "definitions" of those arabic-inspired words. Please submit if you think of other words I forgot!

source: http://languagenerds.tumblr.com/post/114211150900/arabic-words-used-in-french-slang

Some Slang Phrases.

C’est pas sorcier - It’s not rocket science.

Je vais jeter un œil - I’ll take a look.

Ça n’a rien à voir avec… - That has nothing to do with…

Ça vaut le coup - It’s worth it.

Ça va être chaud ! It’s going to be tough!

Ça gaze ? How are things? What’s up?

Oh purée ! Oh my goodness!

Can I just say that I find oh purée the best one? =3

source: http://languagenerds.tumblr.com/post/124272016201/some-slang-phrases

How to Study Advanced French

(source: http://languagenerds.tumblr.com/post/125296755251/how-to-study-advanced-french)

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This guide is aimed at non-native French-speakers who have a solid grasp on grammar and can read and understand spoken French with ease. Often, when you get to this point, it’s difficult to know how to keep improving, so I’ve made this guide based on my experience. 

Disclaimer: This guide is based on “Standard” Parisian French. This is the dialect most people learn in school and most resources are based off of. I recognize that all other dialects of French are just as important and will post more on them in the future. 

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PRONUNCIATION

1. Once you reach proficiency in French, it’s a good time to practice your accent. You probably already have a decent accent, but wouldn’t it be sweet to sound like a native? To practice I usually watch French youtubers and pause and repeat after them. You can also use Forvo to isolate specific words you want to practice. Also, here’s a good guide on how to pronounce the French r which is difficult for many native speakers of English. 

VOCABULARY

You probably have a pretty good vocabulary. You know the words for most things you come across in everyday life. But what if you are in a situation where you need to know how to say mushy? These kind of words are good to know to increase your fluency.

1. Reading is a good way to find words you don’t know. I usually underline words I don’t know while I read, and look them up later. That way I don’t interrupt my reading. 

2. Think to yourself in French. Make a note when you can’t find a word for something you’re thinking about and look it up later. 

CULTURAL FLUENCY

1. Usage - The rules we learn from textbooks are based on “correct” grammatical French. In reality, the native usage of words differs from what we are taught. For example, the French shorten many words just like we often call a picture a pic in English, or a telephone a phone. Contractions, filler words can also help make you sound more natural. 

2. Proverbs/Sayings - These are also important to know and will help you sound like a native: proverbs, colloquial expressions, quotations from movies, euphemisms, and more colloquialexpressions. 

3. Slang - While you may not use all the slang you learn (I’m not sure what might be considered appropriative), it will greatly enhance your comprehension of spoken French: phrases, words derived from Arabic, words for money, verlan, swears, and expressions with foutre. 

Bonus: ways to avoid gendered or binary language.

les vocabulaires "au pair" (reposted on my tumblr)

source: http://une-boule-de-suif.tumblr.com/post/168397573611/une-jeune-fille-aupair-un-gar%C3%A7on-aupair-an

• Une (jeune fille) aupair/ un (garçon) aupair- an aupair
• Une famille d’accueil – host family
• Un pays étranger- a foreign country
• Un séjour- a stay
• Un échange culturel- a cultural exchange
• Un formulaire- a form
• Un contrat- a contract
• Un enfant- a child
• Des parents (m) – the parents
• Une grande sœur – a big sister
• Une culture- culture
• Être nourri(e), logé(e) et blanchi(e) – to get bed and board and have one’s laundry done
• Une journée typique- a typical day
• Le quotidien d’une famille- the everyday life of a family
• Une nationalité- a nationality
• La garde d’enfants- child minding
• S’occuper des enfants- to look after children
• Le babysitting- babysitting
• Des couches (f) – nappies
• Changer des couches- to change nappies
• Les tâches ménagères légères (f) - light house work
• Un emploi du temps- a timetable
• Avoir de l’expérience dans… - to have experience in …
• L’exploitation- exploitation
• L’argent de poche - pocket money
• Laver les vêtements – to wash clothes
• Ranger les chambres/la salle de jeu – to tidy rooms/ the playroom
• Vider la lave-vaisselle- to empty the dishwasher
• Apprendre sa langue maternelle – to teach your native language
• Le petit déj(euner) – breakfast
• Le déjeuner- lunch
• Le goûter- afternoon snack
• Le dîner- dinner
• Preparer le goûter – to prepare the afternoon snack
• Promener le chien – to walk the dog
• Jouer- to play
• Chercher les enfants de l’école – to pick up the kids from school
• S’amuser- to enjoy yourself
• Le bien-être/ la sécurité des enfants- the wellbeing/safety of the children
• Une responsabilité- responsibility
• La maturité – maturity
• Une soirée libre – a free evening
• Un jour de repos – a day off
• Un permis de conduire – a driving license
• S’intégrer au sein d’une famille – to fit in with a family 
• Avoir le mal du pays – to be homesick 
• Des souvenirs (m) - memories