Laurel and Hardy … filmed in French & Spanish

Did you know that Laurel and Hardy, the 1930’s comedy movie stars, reshot a number of their films in French, Spanish, Italian and German?

Laurel and Hardy couldn’t speak any foreign languages, so had voice coaching, and often used native language speaking supporting cast members. These language versions helped to boost their popularity internationally. Pardon Us was reshot in all four foreign languages. Chickens Come Home, Blotto and Below Zero were re-filmed in French and Spanish.

Browse our foreign language film section and learn a language with a movie>>

Learn the French Alphabet

Here are a few YouTube videos to help you practice the French alphabet some more:

Read more

French Business and Culture Workshop

Sarah Carroll, www.languageadvantage.com’s founder, is speaking at UK Trade Investment’s Business and Culture Workshop on France in London on Tuesday 13 October 2009.

The workshop will explore the business challenges faced by existing UK exporters to France and will help exporters discover practical solutions and business advice to overcome potential language, communication and cultural barriers when trading in the French market. Read more

Did you know … that ‘hotel de ville’ is not a French hotel?

Ah … the woes of not understanding a language very well!   One Friday night, a British tourist  dropped into  the hotel de ville in the small town of Dannemarie in France thinking it was a hotel. The tourist wanted to check into the ‘hotel’ but finding no-one at the reception desk, she used the toilet. Read more

Davina McCall speaks … French

Did you know that the famous Big Brother TV presenter Davina McCall is half-French? She reveals her French heritage on the BBC TV programme ‘Who do   you think you are?’.

Find out how to learn to speak French and get the French language advantage>>

Le Quatorze Juillet

Bastille Day, known in French as le quatorze juillet,  is a French National holiday held on the 14 July each year.   It was on this day in 1789  when hundreds of Parisians stormed the Bastille Prison in Paris starting the French Revolution and bringing about the end of the monarchy.   Read more

Daniel Meade is learning … French

Daniel Meade is learning French in the hit TV show ‘Ugly Betty’.   The storyline finds Daniel (actor Eric Mabius) as the father to Daniel Jr. (actor Julian de la Celle) – apparently through a liaison with a French model in Paris.   Neither of them can speak much of the other’s language, Read more

Audio Magazines Feature The Famous

In the latest issue of our French language audio magazine Champs-Elysées, we have an interview with one of the world’s greatest entertainers, Charles Aznavour. In the next issue of our Italian language audio magazine, Acquerello italiano, we have an interview with the world-famous Italian writer, Umberto Eco Read more

ipod & mp3 Earworms Rapid French Volumes 1 & 2

I tried out Volumes 1 & 2 of The Earworms Rapid French language courses – and downloaded them to my mp3 player.   This is a new learning experience for me – both having the French course on my mp3 player, as well as learning a language through the use of music. Read more

IPOD & MP3 EARWORMS RAPID FRENCH: VOLUME 2 REVIEW

An independent language course review by Andrea Martins

The Earworms Rapid French Volume 2 is the follow-on audio language course from Earworms Rapid French Volume 1. It comes included in the Earworms Rapid French downloadable package with volume 1.

Having already tried out Volume 1, I found that Volume 2 was more of the same – but at a faster pace and  learning  much longer phrases. Again, we meet the same presenters as in Volume 1 and with the same method of learning the French language via rhythmic music. We hear techno, reggae, chilled out music and even echo effects that are quite catchy! It’s this catchy and melodic music that helps you to pick up the language quickly and also helps you remember particular words and phrases. This is what Earworms calls the ‘accelerated learning technique’.

We are told to begin by sitting back and relaxing. We are on a plane with our presenters. The music kicks in and we start learning phrases for ‘are you going to?’, ‘for pleasure’ and ‘for business’. It sets the scene for using your French on the plane on your way to a French-speaking country. We learn how to ask for things; ‘can you bring me a cognac/beer?’.   It is here that we are exposed to our first piece of grammar; that of gender: une bierre (f) or feminine and un cognac (m) or masculine.

The English-speaking presenter reinforces our memory for learning certain phrases by associating them to English words. For example, for un instant he says ‘ah, like an instant’. Later he quips that he is going to remember souhaite (wish) by thinking of a sweatshirt with ‘WISH’ written across the front in big letters. These word associations tie in with the ‘memory hooks’ that Earworms also use. The memory hooks help you to associate the French to a visual memory and familiar words in English.

We move onto learning how to talk about today, tomorrow and maintenant (’now’). We also learn more grammar through the informal and formal forms of ‘you’ (tu/vous). The conversation runs into talking about having a reservation at a hotel, asking for things, saying that you are going to have a shower/bath and looking at numbers, from 60 to a million!

The chapters then go into learning the months of the year, talking about food in a restaurant and finally talking about family, brothers, sisters and the time. The course has a good overview of more expansive vocabulary and is enough to get you through basic conversations in French.

As with Volume 1, what I enjoyed most about the Earworms Rapid French was that I didn’t find learning  the language  too challenging. It is a fun way  to learn  a language. The one disadvantage to learning this way is that you have to like the music. I can imagine that if you don’t like the music, then you might find this method of learning quite irritating!

This course comes with a useful downloadable booklet. It gives more information into what the accelerated learning technique is about. It also lists all the phrases and words found in the course. This is useful for those (like me!) that like to see the written language and associate it with hearing the language at the same time.

This way of learning is different but is accessible for most learners. The course can be listened to on the beach, on a train, plane or anywhere where you can listen to the music and  not concentrate too hard on what is being taught.

Earworms courses are available in several languages.

Learn a language on your iPod ® with Earworms Rapid French Volume 2 [UK and Europe]>>

to find out more or to buy an Earworms language course>>

Get the French language advantage with Earworms Rapid French. Claim your competitive advantage!

Next Page »