Does French still matter? If so, why? This is a recent concern about the status of the study of French and other foreign languages and cultures in U.S. higher and secondary education at a time of increasing globalization.

The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language 2008 Survey indicates that more students are interested in studying French than any other foreign language in the United States. French enrollments in the United States are on the rise and are now at the highest level in over 20 years.

“New initiative has been taken from the French government to increase the amount of French instruction in American schools”

Over 220 million people around the world speak French. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 1-in-5 people, or 47 million U.S. residents age 5 and older, spoke a language other than English at home at the turn of the 21st century. After English and Spanish, Chinese was the language most commonly spoken at home (2.0 million speakers), followed by French (1.6 million speakers) and German (1.4 million speakers).
Reports say that 55 percent of the people who speak a language other than English at home in the U.S., they also speak English “very well.” All over Europe, French is still the main second language taught in school. And If you want to understand modern China and Russia, you need to know French language very well.

Here is how the “French government” defines what it calls “the sphere of French language.” It’s much larger than you think.

French, along with English, is the official working language of –

• The United Nations
• UNESCO
• NATO
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
• The International Labor Bureau
• The International Olympic Committee
• The 31-member Council of Europe
• The European Community
• The Universal Postal Union
• The International Red Cross
• Union of International Associations (UIA)

French is the dominant working language at –

• The European Court of Justice
• The European Tribunal of First Instance
• the Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium

SPEAKING two languages rather than just one has obvious practical benefits in an increasingly globalized world. Bilingual’s usually considered more Smarter.

French has many past tenses, and the Imparfait and the Passé Composé are its most commonly used everyday by French people. Yet, if you read a book or listen to a play, you will probably hear or see a tense you don’t know about yet: the Passé Simple. What is it and how do you handle it? This is our today’ subject at French Lessons Australia!

When to use it?

The Passé Simple designates a completed action in the past with no relation at all to the present tense. It is what we call a “written” tense, that means that you’re most likely to never have to hear it while you talk to someone, and there is even less possibilities for you to need to use it. The imparfait and the passe composé are really the common past tenses. However, the passé simple is probably the most beautiful (but a bit old-fashioned) French tense, you will find it in books and in classical plays. New books often don’t even use the passé simple anymore. Yet, if you want to be able to read some good classical books such as Les Misérables, spotting the passé simple can be useful. Usually, when you spot a verb looking weird, it is a passe simple!

Difference with the Imparfait and the Passé Composé

The imparfait and the Passe Composé are usually used together, to describe either something that happened far or close from now, or to describe something that happened continuously or for a defined period of time. So when is the passé simple used differently?

The passé simple can be compared to the grand-father of the passé composé as it is its literary equivalent. There are two differences with these tenses. First, one is often used while the other quite never or only in books. Secondly, the passé composé emphasises a clear link with the present and often adds a date or a time, while the passé simple expresses an action that is totally ended.

Finally, while the imparfait is used to set a background or to describe a past context, the passé simple is clearly used to tell about actions that happened over that background. Let’s take an example! You could perhaps read something like this :

• “Ce soir-là, dehors, il pleuvait. Le vent soufflait contre les vitres. Le tonnerre grondait. Pierre lisait son journal au coin du feu. Soudain, on frappa. Pierre se leva et alla ouvrir.
• Translation: ”That night, outside, it was raining. The wind was blowing against the windows. The thunder rumbled. Pierre was reading his newspaper at the fireside. Suddenly, one knocked. Pierre stood up and went opening the door.”

The context is defined by the use of the imparfait (in green) and the passé simple expresses a sudden action (in purple).

How to conjugate the Passé Simple?

As always, we need to refer to the 3 groups -er, -ir, and -re, and to irregular verbs.

-ER verbs are formed by dropping their endings and adding instead the following endings: -ai, -as, -a, -âmes, -âtes, èrent.

Je parlai

Tu parlas

Il parla

Nous parlâmes

Vous parlâtes

Ils parlèrent

-IR and -RE verbs also only keep their stems and add to that the following endings: -is, -is, -it, –îmes, –îtes, -irent.

J’ouvris/appris

Tu ouvris/appris

Il ouvrit/apprit

Nous ouvrîmes/apprîmes

Vous ouvrîtes/apprîtes

Ils ouvrirent/apprirent

Finally, there are two kinds of irregular verbs in the passé simple. The ones building upon their past participles, and the ones that do

not. Fortunately, the first group is the bigger one.

Irregular verbs of the first group are based upon their past participle and add to that the following endings: -s, -s, -t, -^mes, -^tes, -rent.

Je dis

Tu dis

Il dit

Nous dîmes

Vous dîtes

Ils dirent

The passé simple is not a common tense, therefore, you might wonder the objective of this lesson. The passé simple is a pillar of the French language, it is like the Pantheon, the Arc de Triomphe, and all these stunning French buildings: they are not often used for what they are but they are admired and loved for their charm and authenticity. The Passé simple is today perhaps more cultural than really useful everyday, but without it, French would not be French.

If you liked this article and would like to know more about the French language and culture, don’t hesitate to contact us at info@frenchlessons-australia.com.au

See you next time, a bientot!

In French, there are two kinds of future: the immediate future and the future simple.

Let’s see how that works and how to use it!

Immediate Future

The immediate future is the equivalent in English of “to be going to”. In fact, in French, we will use the verb “to go” at the present tense, in the same way English people would use it to talk about an action they are going to undertake.

I am going to work will then be translated by “je vais travailler”.

The conjugation of the verb “aller” (to go) in French at the present tense is the following:

Je vais

Tu vas

Il/Elle va

Nous allons

Vous allez

Ils vont

Then, you only have to add the infinitive of the verb you want to use, and you get the immediate future of your sentence.

Example: “We are going to swim in the pool” will be translated by “Nous allons nager a la piscine“.

Future simple

The French future simple is however totally different from its English counterpart.

In French, the future simple is a simple one-word form. Therefore, we need to distinguish the radical from its ending.

If the verb ends with ER (eg. chanter=to sing) or IR (eg. finir=to finish), you just need to add the future ending which we will see after.

If the verb ends with RE (eg. prendre=to take), you need to replace the last letter by the correct future termination.

And good news, the termination will stay the same no matter the group the verb belongs to!

As you can see, the ending never changes. The only thing that changes is whether you need to add the ending at the end of the infinitive or in place of the last letter of the verb.

Yet, there are some irregular verbs (of course!) that will not be as simple to remember. But don’t worry, there are not many of them.

We can divide the irregular forms of the future tense in two categories: verbs with spelling changes, and verbs with irregular stems.

• Verbs with spelling changes have their future form almost unchanged, there will just be an accent or a double consonant that will make it vary a little from their normal future form. For instance, the verb “acheter” (to buy) will become at the first person of singular: “j’achèterai“. The only difference with the regular forms is the accent grave added on the first e -> è.
• Verbs with irregular stems however don’t follow any pattern. There are fifteen of them. We will only see here the five more important. For each of them, we will write its radical. Remember that the endings of future verbs do not change and keep following the pattern written on the table above. Aller (to go) : ir-, Avoir (to have): aur-, Etre (to be): ser-, Faire (to do, to make): fer-, Venir (to come): viendr-.

Examples:

• You will come with us :Tu viendras avec nous.
• I will drink some French wine :Je boirai du vin français.
• They will do their homework :Ils feront leurs devoirs.

Summary:

Future immediate: person + to go in the present tense + infinitive.

Future simple: person + verb in its future form as seen above.

I hope you enjoyed our lesson on the Future with French Lessons Australia! To get more information on our language school and its options. Send us email at info@french-lessons-australia.com

Spoken by millions across Europe, North America and other parts of the world, French is a crucial language in both business and travel.

France is the world’s number-one tourist destination and attracts more than 70 million visitors.

Business Executives who hope to get profit from their travels to France should learn French and about the business etiquettes of the areas that they wish to visit.

Good understanding of French language is of primary importance in France, particularly in Paris. Even a basic knowledge of French can make the job much easier, stress-free, more enjoyable and be allowing you to discuss with people who likes to communicate in French.

Attitudes & values are the foundations of France culture and the French adhere to a strong & harmonized set of values and culture. Whether it’s a simple handshake or business lunch, the professional protocol is serious business in France.  In France, it is vital to ensure that you make appointments for both business and social occasions. It is not acceptable to drop in on someone unannounced. Such conduct will be taken as an act of rudeness, whatever the occasion.

Kind of formality:

Formality is highly regarded & particularly important in France. In the ways you act, talk, dress, greet others, eat, everything is just a little bit formal in Paris. You should always address your superiors and those you meet for the first time using ‘Monsieur’ or ‘Madame’. Ironically, courtesy and being polite are actually very important to French social customs.

Formalities are such a part of everyday life. The formality in these situations is a sign of respect for one another. How they greet one another, how they dress, how they present themselves at the dinner table and how they speak to one another. Professionalism is highly valued in business and is the key to acceptance of outsiders.

Business attire:

Fashion and appearance are much more important in France than in most other countries in the world.  Be clean and well-dressed at all times.

As the French will perceive the way you dress as being a reflection of your social status and relative success. To work with French business executive’s high quality suits, proper formal dress and accessories are recommended. Men should wear conservative suits and ties; women should wear conservative suits, pant suits and dresses.

Frenchwomen are particularly fashion conscious in both their social and business wear and are famous for their restrained, feminine chic. French women often wear makeup.

French Gesture & Body Language:

French body language and their physical gesture is almost everything for their successful business and the most important part of French business etiquettes.  Sit up straight with legs crossed at knee or knees together. The French use the “thumbs up” sign to say “okay.” Keep your hands out of your pockets, in office and while communicating in the meeting.

Meeting etiquette for Business:

Shaking hands is a common way to greet someone you do not know, but a kiss on each cheek is an appropriate way to greet a friend or someone you have met before – even if you have only met them once.

Be aware that displays of warmth and generosity between business associates are not the norm in French business culture. Men may initiate handshakes with women.

In business meetings, to make your conversation more interactive, it will be a good idea to learn several languages & French is good to begin with for your successful business grow.

Introduction with First & Last name:

Use last names until specifically invited by your French host or colleagues to use their first names. First names are used only for close friends and family. Address people as Monsieur, Madame or Mademoiselle without adding the surname. In a French business context, introductions are always made using both your first and last name

Learn Dining & Eating Rules:

Always keep both hands on the table, wrists at the edge. Never keep your hands on your lap Treat your waiter with respect, and be generous with compliments on the food. The business conversation generally starts after the dessert is served and it is up to the host to initiate it. Senior managers socialize only with those of equivalent status. The French do not like to discuss business during dinner. Dinner is more of a social occasion and a time to enjoy good food, wine and discussion. Almost all food is cut with a fork and a knife. Never eat fruit whole. Fruit should be peeled and sliced before eating.

French Lessons Australia offers fun, engaging French language lessons for adults. We covers all your French learning needs-from beginner, intermediate and advanced conversation classes to French for travelers and corporate sector.

French Lessons Australia – Learn French     |   Visit Us:   frenchlessonsaustralia.com.au

Contact Us :  0415 799 620                                  Email Us : info@frenchlessonsbrisbane.com.au