Some French words are pretty difficult to pronounce for English speakers. So we recently asked our Facebook community to tell us which French words they were struggling with: We received quite a few contributions and selected 12 of the most difficult French words to pronounce below. Unsurprisingly, French diphtongs and semivowels seem to be what […]
Queen Elizabeth II Speaks French
After Bradley Cooper, the next celebrity in our French Speaker of the Week series is Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Yes, Queen Elizabeth II does speak French! Every week, we are highlighting the French speaking skills of famous people around the world… for your inspiration and motivation! Hear the Queen’s French speech Here […]
Bradley Cooper Speaks French
Today we are starting a new series on the blog and on our Facebook page. Every Thursday we will throw the light on an inspiring Francophile to keep our motivation to learn French strong. We are starting off with Bradley Cooper who has a great tip for us: Speak. Speak. Speak, as much as you […]
Interview: Laura K. Lawless, creator of French language learning eldorado
Laura K. Lawless is the creator, writer and editor of the popular French language learning website called Lawless French. From grammar lessons to speaking tips and vocabulary, her website offers tons of free resources for language learners and teachers — including, we are proud to say, listening practice based on our own Ilini videos. Lawless French […]
French Poem: Le Cancre (J. Prévert) with translation and video
“Le Cancre” (1945) is a French poem learned at school by generations of pupils. Its simplicity and musical rythm are typical of what made Prévert’s poetry both accessible and popular. They also make a great read for French learners! You will find the original poem in French and its English translation below. We have added […]
Macron’s “Letter to the French”: side-by-side original and translation
Following weeks of protests by the ‘Gilets Jaunes’ movement, the French government has launched a ‘Great Debate’ meant to deliver solutions to the country’s most pressing problems. To kick off the debate, President Emmanuel Macron wrote an open letter to the French today. This is an interesting text to study (irrespective of your political opinions […]
What books to read to improve your French?
There is nothing like a good French book for diving deep into the language and its culture. People often ask us about the best books to read to improve their French, so here is a shortlist of recommended classics! Le Petit Prince – Antoine de Saint Exupéry We’ll start off easy to get into the […]
Learning French with movies – ‘Lost in Frenchlation’ introduces Paris expats and tourists to French cinema
If you’re learning French, you’ve probably found yourself looking for French films or Youtube videos to watch on your spare time. That’s an excellent thing to do, both to get connected to French life and culture and to learn “real-life” French (as you may have noticed, spoken French can be quite confusing when you’re coming […]
World Cup Fever: Let’s Learn Some French with France vs Belgium
Two francophone teams battling for a place in the final: the France vs Belgium match in the 2018 FIFA World Cup was a particularly exciting moment for us. Ilini being based in France, we supported les Bleus with all our heart and we joyfully celebrated a hard-fought victory. But we also have a lot of admiration for […]
French learning tips – 9 questions for Oliver Gee, host of The Earful Tower podcast
Oliver Gee is an Aussie living in Paris. He is the host of The Earful Tower, a weekly podcast known to tens of thousands of Francophiles around the world. In his show, Oliver tries “to figure out France” with the help of various guests. Each episode provides a massive amount of insider info, from places […]