The Ilini Blog

How to Pronounce 12 of the Most Difficult French Words

Some French words are pretty difficult to pronounce for English speakers. So we recently asked our Facebook community to...
Ilini
Sep 23, 2019 58 sec read

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...
Ilini
Jan 26, 2019 1 min read

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...
Ilini
Jan 14, 2019 17 min read

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...
William Martin
Jan 7, 2019 1 min read

Celine Dion’s Stirring Rendition of L’hymne à l’amour at the 2024 Paris Olympics: A Celebration of Music, Culture, and Language

The 2024 Paris Olympics Opening Ceremony was an unforgettable celebration of culture, unity, and artistry. Among the most talked-about...
William Martin
Dec 18, 2024 3 min read

What teachers say about Ilini – Testimonials, Awards & Recognitions

Here is a compilation of some of the awards, recognitions and testimonials we’ve received from teachers and educational institutions....
Ilini
May 14, 2020 34 sec read

Teaching French during the lockdown

Over the past few days, we have received many enquiries from schools and teachers looking for distance French teaching...
Ilini
Mar 22, 2020 55 sec read

Queen Elizabeth II Speaks French

After Bradley Cooper, the next celebrity in our French Speaker of the Week series is Queen Elizabeth II of...
Ilini
Sep 19, 2019 1 min read

Bradley Cooper Speaks French

Today we are starting a new series on the blog and on our Facebook page. Every Thursday we will...
Ilini
Sep 12, 2019 25 sec read

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:...
Ilini
Jan 23, 2018 15 sec read

Hear Jackie Kennedy, Meryl Streep & Jane Fonda speak excellent French. What’s the link with Ilini?

Did you know that Jackie Kennedy, Meryl Streep and Jane Fonda were excellent French speakers? After watching the videos...
Ilini
Nov 30, 2017 1 min read

La bise : How to kiss in France

Let’s talk about this custom that can surprise when a visitor arrives in France or when seen from the outside: la bise.  What is la bise? La bise...
Raphaëlle Renaudin
Mar 7, 2021 1 min read

Teaching languages with Ilini in the United States 🇺🇸

This article is part of Ilini’s World Tour series, where we share classroom pictures received from all over the...
Ilini
Oct 24, 2022 43 sec read

Teaching languages with Ilini in Thailand 🇹🇭

This article is part of Ilini’s World Tour series, where we share classroom pictures sent by teachers from all...
Ilini
Oct 22, 2022 31 sec read

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....
Ilini
Apr 6, 2019 4 min read

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...
Ilini
Aug 20, 2018 3 min read

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