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Student Quote of the Month
“This French language resource really can’t be beaten.”
- Jay E.
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GOOD NEWS ABOUT LEARNING FRENCH ...
OR NOT?
A student was telling me once that she had always found the sound of French very sexy. During a dinner party, she asked her French friend what he had just whispered to another guest. “Tu peux me passer le sel, s’il te plaît?” “Can you pass me the salt please?” was not the answer she had expected. Yet, she decided she should learn French. She quickly discovered that conjugating verbs is neither sexy nor glamorous, but a necessary evil, and that an incorrect use of a verb can ruin the meaning of your sentence or your reputation (J’ai fini/I finished versus Je suis fini/I’m done, ruined) or why people may smile if you mispronounce the subjunctive of the verb faire: fesse, butt, instead of fasse.
Learning a foreign language is not glamorous. It takes time, and a good dose of patience and discipline, but if you keep your eye on the prize, it will come with great rewards.
What’s the prize? Rent a house in Provence with friends for a couple of weeks? Spend lazy days in a Paris neighborhood as if you had been there forever? Surf one of the most famous waves in the world, La Gravière, in Hossegor, North of Biarritz? Ski in the most popular ski resort in the word, La Plagne, with 140 miles of ski runs? Enjoy a glass of Sauternes in Bordeaux for only 15€? Have a fabulous lunch for 27€ in a small French town where almost no tourist has gone before (Hôtel de France in La Côte Saint-André (near Lyon)?
At The French Class, if our programs put practical French first and keep conjugating verbs at a strict minimum, it’s because we believe that our mission is to accompany you and to support you on your journey to France, whether you want to move there and work or spend one of the best vacations of your life. But be careful, France may be as addictive as chocolate!
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12 EXPRESSIONS,
TO SOUND LIKE A TRUE PARISIAN
Sounding like a true Parisian is not that hard. Most people who live in Paris come from somewhere else, so it makes it easier to fake it and fit in.
A few expressions could make all the difference! See your yourself.
1. On va en terrasse? Shall we sit outside? People watching while having lunch or coffee is a Parisian treat.
2. On va bruncher dimanche? Shall we have brunch on Sunday? Aren’t you happy that “brunch” is now officially a regular verb, je brunche, tu brunches, ...?
3. Tu connais le nouveau bar à céréales? Do you know the new cereal bar? There was a time when the French were laughing at their American Allies because they were eating de l’avoine (oat). In France, oats was food for the horses.
4. On commande un Uber? Do we really need to translate this one? Older French people may not be totally comfortable with the nazi reminder of “Deustchland über alles.”
5. Sur les Champs-Elysées? Jamais! C’est trop ringuard! On the Champs-Elysées? Never! It’s too cliché! True, but that’s the home of Ladurée.
6. Je connais le meilleur Japonais de Paris. I know the best Japanese restaurant in Paris. Make sure you ask for le sushi du jour.
7. Après, on se fait une session running? After that, shall we go running? The French aren’t very dedicated to daily exercise, except when it comes to le jogging.
8. Ce soir, je peux pas, j’ai méditation. Tonight I cannot, I’m going to meditate. Be a true Parisian: Drink a couple of expressos, smoke a cigarette, then go to your meditation group.
9. Je suis overbooké(e). As you may already know the secret of being a true Parisian is to speak franglais as often as you can.
10. Je vais investir dans un Scoot, j’en peux plus du métro. I’m going to invest in a scooter, I’m fed up with the metro.
11. Montreuil, c’est le nouveau Brooklyn. Montreuil (a small suburban city East of Paris, near the Bois de Vincennes, only 4 miles from downtown Paris) is the new Brooklyn.
12. Mon nouveau rencard est DJ (pronounce DJ like in English) et barman. My new date is a DJ and bartender. If le barman is cute, why not?
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Dites-le parfaitement / Say it perfectly
Je vais partir pour la France dans un mois.
I’m going to leave for France in a month.
Je vais rester pendant trois semaines.
I’m going to stay for three weeks.
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A Special Thank You
To the businesses who sponsor our annual Holiday Party:
Arlequin wines - Aquitaine Restaurant - Boudin Bakery - Buena Vista Winery - Calmart – Chouquet’s - Le Colonial Restaurant - Chrissa Import - Fabrique Délices - Fatted Calf Charcuterie - Fillmore Bake Shop - France-Amérique Magazine - Jeanne d’Arc Restaurant/Hôtel Cornell - Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant - Mathilde Restaurant - Monsieur Benjamin - Piperade Restaurant - Rigolo Cafe - Safeway - San Francisco Wine Trading Company - Sweet Things Bakery - Trader Joe’s - Zuni Café.
Thank you so much! We could not do this without you.
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FERNAND KHNOPFF,
MASTER OF THE ENIGMA AT THE PETIT PALAIS
Through March 17, 2019
By Karen Marin,
freelance writer living in Paris and former student of The French Class.
Several years ago, I went to a fantastic exhibit on Symbolist artists at the Palazzo Reale in Milan. It was the first time I came across Belgian painter Fernand Khnopff whose haunting tableaux left a lingering impression on me. For the first time in 40 years, the Petit Palais is hosting a retrospective exhibition on this artist considered to be one of the masters of the Symbolist genre.
The Symbolist movement, which was both artistic and literary, had its origins in Charles Baudelaire’s Fleur du Mal, a book of poetry written in 1857. Symbolist painters took diverse elements from mythology, the occult and the world of dreams to suggest a link between the physical and the spiritual worlds. Symbols used had personal meaning for the artists and vary greatly. Symbolism forms a bridge between Romanticism and the modernity of Art Nouveau and even Surrealism.
But who is this enigmatic Fernand Khnopff? His early works centered around landscapes and portraits while later in his career he turned to nostalgic moments and the female figure. He was close to many of the Pre-Raphaelites while in 1898 he had tremendous success showing pieces at the first Viennese Secession. He was clearly fascinated by women, but he had a very ambiguous relationship with them. His female images are mostly angelic or even virtuous compared to the femme fatale figures of artists such as Gustav Klimt, who was inspired by Khnopff. In addition to his sister Marguerite, who was his muse, the artist became fascinated with a bust of the Greek god of sleep, Hypnos. Both Marguerite and Hypnos are repeatedly represented in many works.
Although the exhibit is arranged thematically, the recurrent and overwhelming sense of melancholy, solitude and reflection the of visitor who becomes immersed in an inner world reverie and contemplation. What is the artist trying to tell us? What is the hidden meaning? These are questions to ponder long after leaving the museum.
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UPCOMING EVENTS AT
The French Class
Don’t miss our great events in French at The French Class!
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LOVE & SEXUALITY IN ART
A conference in French presented by Renée Morel. $25
Best for levels 6 to 8.
The same conference will be offered three times.
Monday, February 11th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 14th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 16th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Did you know that our first records of human sexuality hail from Mesopotamia? That they attest to an amazing lack of inhibition, as the Greco-Roman period did later? However, millennia later, the Western world entered an era of repression that would last for centuries. New Christian ethics prevailed and the notion of a monogamous marriage became the norm in the Middle Ages.
Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Call (415) 362-3666.
Go to our Workshops & Conferences page for details of this and other events.
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PRÉCIEUX ÉDICULES: LES VESPASIENNES ET LA PAGODE BASTILLE
A conference in French presented by Renée Morel. $25
Best for levels 6 to 8.
The same conference will be offered three times.
Monday, February 18th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 21st, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 23rd, from 12:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.
In 1834, for obvious reasons of hygiene, the Count of Rambuteau had 478 structures installed on major Parisian boulevards so men could relieve their bladders. He dubbed them vespasiennes after Roman Emperor Vespasianus, who is credited with the creation of public urinals. These soon became the place of an atypical sociability, where fleeting loves or fast friendships were born.
Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Call (415) 362-3666.
Go to our Workshops & Conferences page for details of this and other events.
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PAUL DELAROCHE OR HISTORY PAINTED
A conference in French presented by Renée Morel. $25
Best for levels 6 to 8.
The same conference will be offered three times.
Monday, February 25th, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, February 28th, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 2nd, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Paul Delaroche (1797-1856) studied painting in the studio of Baron Gros, a painter instrumental in creating Bonaparte’s legend. Active in the period between the collapse of the School of David and the emergence of Manet and Modernism in the 1850s, Delaroche has largely been forgotten and yet, in post-Revolutionary France, through the fall of Napoleon, the Restoration and the July Monarchy, this painter strongly established the prestige of historical genre.
Please REGISTER AT LEAST 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE. Call (415) 362-3666.
Go to our Workshops & Conferences page for details of this and other events.
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PURCHASE AN APPARTMENT IN PARIS
If you are interested in learning more about turn-key acquisition and renovation services in Paris, contact Catherine Aubale Epstein at Platinum South Real Estate: www.Platinumsouth.com
Email: CaubaleEpstein@gmail.com
RENT AN APARTMENT IN PARIS
Great locations, rates and management. The French Class students get a discount.
Reserve early and contact: rothray@rothray.com
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Un verbe à la fois! / One verb at a time!
paraître = to seem, to appear
See what you can say with a very simple verb…
Présent
Il paraît qu’ils se sont mariés.
I heard that they got married.
Imparfait
Il ne paraissait pas son âge.
He didn’t look his age.
Passé composé
Elle m’a paru contrariée.
She looked upset to me.
Futur
Ce livre paraîtra au printemps.
This book will be published in the spring.
Conditionnel présent
Si on avait cherché un accord, la situation ne paraîtrait pas sans issue.
If we had looked for an agreement, the situation wouldn’t seem hopeless.
Subjonctif présent
Il ne faut pas que la maison paraisse abandonnée.
We have to make sure that the house doesn’t look neglected.
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Speak French at Home with
the French Class
 You can learn or practice your French face to face with one of our teachers on SKYPE or FACETIME, just like in our classroom. Skype is FREE and VERY easy to install and use.
Visit www.frenchclass.com for more details and rates on Private and Online classes, or call us at (415) 362-3666 to schedule a free session on Skype or Facetime.
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Trouvez la préposition correcte
1. J’ai mal _____ la tête.
2. J’ai mal _____ dos.
3. J’ai mal _____ pieds.
4. J’ai un horrible mal _____ tête.
5. J’ai un horrible mal _____ dos.
6. J’ai la tête ______ l’envers.
7. J’ai les pieds ______ compote.
8. J’ai l’estomac ______ les talons.
Faites défiler le texte vers le bas ou cliquez sur la clé pour voir les réponses.
Scroll down or click the key to see the answers.
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A Simple Fact To Learn More French
 If you learn one simple sentence in French every day,
you will learn 365 French expressions in a year.
For example:
Ça m’a pris deux heures.
It took me two hours.
Read The French Class Newsletter and learn hundreds of expressions per year, for free! Keep reading! Keep learning!
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Quelques phrases utiles /
A few useful sentences
Qu’est-ce que vous voulez dire?
What do you mean?
Vous pensez que ça va prendre combien de temps?
How long do you think it’s going to take?
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Un petit peu de grammaire /
A little bit of grammar
Le subjonctif
Ça m’étonnerait que notre vol parte à l’heure.
I’d be surprised if our flight leaves on time.
Il va falloir que je me lève de bonne heure pour aller à l’aéroport.
I’m going to have to get up early to go to the airport.
C’est dommage qu’il n’y ait pas de vol en fin de journée.
It’s too bad there is no flight at the end of the day.
Je ne t’ai pas raconté cette histoire pour que tu la dises à tout le monde.
I didn’t tell you this story so you’d tell everybody.
Visit our the Courses webpage to find a class for your level. Call us at (415) 362-3666 if you have any questions regarding the appropriate level for you or if you would like a free assessment.
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Un autre / D’autres / Des autres
J’en ai déjà mangé un mais j’en veux un autre.
I already ate one, but I’d like another one.
Je t’ai déjà donné des bonbons. Je ne veux pas t’en donner d’autres.
I already gave you candy. I don’t want to give you more.
Peux-tu mettre cette chaise à côté des autres?
Can you put this chair next to the others?
Ne prends pas ces verres. Prends les autres.
Don’t take these glasses. Take the other ones.
Still not clear? Have your own French tutor for 2 cents per day ($7.30 for a whole year). See information about My French 2 cents in this newsletter or call us at (415) 362-3666.
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Your Victory of the Month
Keeping a positive attitude while learning will help you learn faster and will also make learning so much more pleasant! Save a few minutes every day to open you French book and review what you just learned. Set small goals. For example, learn how to say one sentence:
Je comprends tout à fait.
I totally understand.
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Have Your Own French Tutor for
2 Cents per Day: $7:30 per Year
 During the course of your studies in French, you often have questions such as: why is this article used, which pronoun is correct or should I use the subjunctive in this sentence? The French Class created an easy and very cheap program to answer your questions. We call it: My French 2 cents.
Here is how it works in 4 easy steps:
1. pay $7.30 (2¢ per day!) for a one-year subscription to this amazing program
2. receive a welcome email
3. send your questions to the email address you are given
4. receive a prompt and personal detailed answer.
It is that easy!
Please note that "My French 2 Cents" is not a translation service.
To subscribe: Call us at 415.362.3666 or send an e-mail to info@frenchclass.com. Contact us to subscribe.
FREE WITH THE FRENCH CLASS MEMBERSHIP.
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The French Class BOOK CLUB
 The French Class book club meets once a month, on Mondays, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Books are chosen by the members of the book club, and it takes one or two months to read and discuss a book, depending on the length. We have read many authors, classics as well as contemporary, such as Balzac, Colette, Marguerite Yourcenar, Marcel Proust, Irène Nemirovski, Patrick Modiano, Amélie Nothomb, Franck Thilliez or Tatiana de Rosnay.
Please call us at (415) 362-3666 or send a message to dominiquebremond@aol.com if you would like to join our book club.
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Les réponses:
Trouvez la préposition correcte
1. J’ai mal à la tête. I have a headache
2. J’ai mal au dos. My back hurts.
3. J’ai mal aux pieds. My feet hurt.
4. J’ai un horrible mal de tête. I have a horrible headache.
5. J’ai un horrible mal de dos. I have a horrible backache.
6. J’ai la tête à l’envers. My mind is all over the place.
7. J’ai les pieds en compote. My feet are killing me.
8. J’ai l’estomac dans les talons. I’m starving. (My stomach is in my heels)
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EIGHT-WEEK SESSIONS
in 2019
1. January 7 to March 2
2. March 4 to April 27
3. April 29 to June 22
4. July 1 to August 24
5. September 3 to October 26
6. October 28 to December 21
Click here for current sessions.
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INTENSIVE COURSES
in 2019
June 24 to June 28 – 5 days
Saturday, June 29 – All day: 10:30 to 4:30
August 26 to August 30 – 5 days
August 31 – All day: 10:30 to 4:30
Friday, December 27 – All day: 10:30 to 4:30
Saturday, December 28 – All day: 10:30 to 4:30
Click here for details on Intensive Courses.
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You moved away?
Please keep in touch, keep speaking French!
Here are ways you can do that with The French Class...
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Study French with us online.
Click for details and rates.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
Visit The French Class facebook page.
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 Go here to access our free audio library.
Access Past Issues here of our newsletter.
Sign up for "My French 2 cents." Details here.
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Merci d'avoir lu notre bulletin électronique!
Thank you for reading The French Class Newsletter! Please stay in touch!
Visit us at www.frenchclass.com.
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