LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

Why are the French so negative?

It’s a well acknowledged fact that, as a nation, the French have a penchant for being somewhat negative, pessimistic or, at best, for enjoying complaining. For those of us who hail from more upbeat cultures […]

LANGUAGE AND CULTURE

8 ways to use French to your advantage

Every language has its own useful expressions appropriate to the culture that has produced it. Here are some that can be particularly handy in French. 1.  The common use of the pronoun ‘on’ (meaning ‘one’, […]

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Issue 11

Living on French time

I think it is fair to say that the French have a fairly ambivalent attitude towards time. Anyone who has held an office job here will know that a meeting scheduled for 9am rarely starts […]

ISSUE 9

A TIME FOR GIVING

Every culture has its traditions, and in France, as in many Western cultures, the end of the year is traditionally associated with giving; certainly gifts for friends and family, but also tokens of appreciation to […]