Emotions are usually the most difficult things to express in a foreign language. Thinking about the gender of each noun and the conjugation of verbs is already hard work but when strong emotions are added to the mix putting a sentence together can become even trickier.

Before being able to express emotions verbally let's try to work on how to put them down on paper. By repeating this exercise, you will broaden your vocabulary and feel more confident when required to express emotions in public.

Here's the challenge of the week!

Watch a French film, listen to a French song or read a French article and express how it makes you feel.

 *Useful words and expressions to complete this challenge*:

Apres avoir écouté cette chanson/avoir vu ce film/avoir lu cet article: After listening to this song/watching this movie/ reading this article 

Je me sens: I feel

Je suis: I am 

En colère: angry

Touché(e): touched

Inspiré(e):  inspired

Déçu(e):  disappointed

Etonné(e): surprised

Choqué(e): shocked

Je me sens concerné(e): I care/I can relate


*Some resources you might want to use for this challenge*:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJRw20WYCcU&list=UU36YNL-eGLAHkpRCZY3hGdQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2TbtljoVgk

 Enjoy et a bientôt!


Cosmopoli'French

We all have favourite expressions or words that we use all the time. Those words define our communication style and say a lot about who we are. When expressing ourselves in a foreign language, we want to be able to use expressions that define us... but do we know their equivalent?

Here are some commonly used English expressions transposed into French.

By the way: au fait

In fact: en fait

Indeed: en effet

Anyway: bref

Whatever: peu importe

Nevermind: c'est rien/ laisse(z) tomber

Long story short: pour faire court

These expressions can add more depth or strength to your speech and help you sound more articulate, so feel free to add your favourite expressions to this list and use them when conversing during class or with French people you know!

A bientôt!

Cosmopoli'French

It takes time and passion to learn a foreign language.Very often, time is lacking and the difficulty of the task takes away the passion.

Today, we will be sharing some advice to help you make the most of your time whilst keeping your passion alive. One of the key things is to make the learning experience interesting, personalised and make it fit into your life.

We will be giving you a series of challenges to help you practice your
French communication skills whilst targeting areas you like: shopping,
cinema, dining, cooking...

Here's the challenge of the week!

Have dinner or lunch in a French restaurant and use as little English as possible.

*Some useful expressions to use during your challenge*

- Bonsoir, j'ai une réservation au nom de....Good evening, I have a reservation in the name of...
- Quelle est la spécialité de la maison ? What is the specialty of the
house?
-  Je vais prendre  I am going to have...
-  Auriez-vous.....?  Would you have...?
-  C'était très bon, merci It was very nice, thank you.
-  L'addition s'il vous plait: the bill please
-  Nous payons ensemble / séparément We are paying together /separately

Prepare more expressions before your French immersion experience, work on your pronunciation and feel confident!

*Where to go*

Here are a few good addresses in Melbourne

- The French Brasserie
http://www.thefrenchbrasserie.com.au/site/
- Roule Galette
http://www.roulegalette.com.au/
- France Soir
http://www.france-soir.com.au/home
- Triskel
http://lapetitecreperie.com.au/le-triskel/
- Chez Olivier
http://www.chezolivier.com.au/
...
If you are in a different city, don't hesitate to research on Google to
find the best French restaurants close to you.


*What you get from this challenge*

- Delicious food
- A safe training environment ( you can still switch to English if it becomes too difficult) before your next attempt in a French speaking country
- The pleasure of discovering the French assets of your own city
- The chance to impress your friends by showing off your French
conversational skills

Enjoy et à bientôt!

Cosmopoli'French

Living in an English speaking country, chances to immerse yourself into French culture can seem pretty limited. But, if you keep your eyes open,
you will see that some opportunities exist…. One of them only requires you to inject a bit of French flavour into your existing daily activities.

Here are a few examples to get you started:

- Write your grocery shopping list in French
- Keep a diary
- At work start your day writing a to do list in French,
- Count in French while doing your push-ups
- Change the language on your phone
- Use the French version of Facebook…

Costless and easy to put in place, put yourself in French mode and get
a taste of France every single day.