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 […]
What teachers say about Ilini – Testimonials
Here is a compilation of some of the testimonials we’ve received from teachers. We are proud to help teachers save precious time and deliver engaging lessons! To find out more about Ilini, browse our French news & entertainment videos. Related article: Ilini Wins “Tech for Teachers” 3-Star Award! “This resource is SO rich! I truly can’t […]
I’ve got the peach! Ilini on The Earful Tower podcast
We recently had the pleasure of being invited on The Earful Tower show to talk about peaches, bananas and other interesting things about the French language. The Earful Tower is a popular podcast hosted by Oliver Gee, an Australian living in Paris and sharing his love for France. The show has a new episode every Monday […]
When UK political leaders speak French
A couple of days ago this tweet by British MP Nicholas Soames – Winston Churchill’s grandson – caught my attention: None of them, really? I checked and found the following. I thought I’d limit myself to the Queen and prime ministers, but I could not but include a pretty hilarious statement by one 10-Downing Street hopeful.