Bilingual dictionaries can be dangerous things, we were told at school – especially if you’re still at beginner level in one of the languages and you haven’t yet developed a “feel” for it. On the other hand if you know the languages well, dictionaries can be useful and interesting. If I look up a word…
Language
Realizing childhood dreams
If you look back to your childhood and teenage years, can you see where your interests, passions or even your career, started? We’re always hearing stories about people like Andy Murray and how they started playing tennis aged three, so it’s interesting to think about yourself and what you liked to do then. I thought…
Lost for words: how a stroke can take away language
It’s a bit more of a serious blog post today. I’m touching on what life can be like for those people who, in a few seconds, lose their language. If you’re learning another language you might get frustrated when you can’t find the right word to express yourself. But what if you regularly can’t find…
For kids aged 10 to 100: relaxed language learning at home
How can you enjoy language learning at home, if you feel like chilling out? I mean, if you already have a good understanding of a second language. Easy – just think about the things you love to watch, read, or listen to in your native language. Then look for the same sort of thing in…
French films for all ages
My top three films for adults and kids to watch together Our family favourite is: Le Petit Nicolas (2012, certificate PG, 89 mins), based on the first book in a very funny series written by René Goscinny and illustrated by Jean-Jacques Sempé. I think of Nicolas as a sort of French precursor to the Wimpy…
Graphic novels: stories told in words and pictures
What do you “see” in your mind when you’re engrossed in a story? It’s amazing how black marks on paper can transport you to another world. I love reading and getting immersed in a story, and I think I build a hazy picture in my head of what the people and places look like, but…
The Bilingual Child – a talk by specialist linguist Barbara Abdelah-Bauer
I’d heard of Barbara Abdelah-Bauer before – she’s a psycho-sociologist specializing in bilingualism, and she’s brought up her own children to be multilingual. Last month I went along to an interesting talk which she gave in French at the Institut Francais London. She was talking about the conclusions which have been drawn from the latest…
The Basque Language
When I was writing my blog post about Biarritz last month, I was reminded of spending happy months in that area of southwest France as a student. I was fascinated by the culture of the “Pays Basque” or Basque country, a beautiful area which lies to the north and south of the Pyrenees, stradddling both France…
Fingerspelling: how to sign the alphabet onto your hand
Finger spelling does look difficult. You might have seen a sign interpreter on TV fingerspelling a place name, and been amazed at the speed of it and daunted at the thought of trying to learn it. It’s easier than you think. Here are some “stills” of finger spelling, seen from the speller’s point of view:…
“La Page” – French bookshop in South Kensington
I wanted to have a look for some French books in London. I knew I could buy them online any time, but I wanted to be able to browse and rummage, and to be able to ask advice from a proper bookseller. I remembered “La Page” from a few years ago and went back there…
