Bonjour bonjouuuuuur !
Today Comme une Française turns 4 years! Joyeux anniversaire to us! Merci everyone for watching our episodes about the french language and life in France!
I hope you’ve made progress with your French! Let’s celebrate with your victories. 😀
Share one thing that Comme une Française made possible for you that wasn’t possible before.
Félicitations !
Share one thing that Comme une Française made possible for you that wasn’t possible before.
I’ll be SO proud to read about your victories. Bravo to you!
Passe une super journée,
Géraldine
Congratulations!
With a very limited French vocabulary, I watched Geraldine’s films for about 7 months before I rented an apartment
for 4 weeks in Aix-en-Provence. I was the only “French speaker” for 2 weeks, which included a week driving around Provence and Cote d’Azure! Knowing the daily living customs in France, and how they differed from the US, permitted me to easily slide into the culture. Though I only speak in phrases at
this point, I was always answered in French, which made me very proud of my efforts. Merci beaucoup, Geraldine, may you enjoy many more years helping us speak and live French! And next year I intend to speak in sentences!
Bravo Patrice ! 😀
Geraldine,
Comme quelqu’un d’autre ici dans le Comment Section–Andrea, je crois–j’ai réussi a parle avec deux étudiants français qui vivaient chez moi la semaine passe, sur le sujet d’école français–grace a toi et tes leçons. I was able to engage these two exchange students in a thoughtful conversation about their school system just by knowing that what we call in America “middle school” is referred to as “college” in France. Both teenagers nodded eagerly when I showed that I understood this distinction and as a result, they kept talking. I had the feeling that they often find Americans confused and disinterested in how the French school system is run and what the levels are called. I then asked them which path they might be choosing going forward, using the categories you outlined, and they were eager to reply and talk about their interests, abilities, what subjects they do or don’t like 🙂 in school and all those lovely, funny nuances teens like to talk about.
Merci!
Cathy
Many congratulations Geraldine! You should be proud of this great business you have. I dont have the time to look at your little emails as much as I should, as I always learn something, BUT, Im making more of an effort from now on. Merci!
Joyeux Anniversaire Géraldine! Merci pour tous tes films et toutes tes explications qui m’aide a ameliorer en meme temps mon francais et mon anglais. Merci beaucoup!
FÉLICITATIONS et MERCI.
Tu aidais/aides tellement beaucoup de gens par tes vidéos et cours moi y compris.
Happy birthday to you.
I have shared the experience of tuning in to your very helpful and instructive videos with some of my French friends. Nous sommes tous ravis pour cette approche différente de votre site très instructif.
Three years ago I was told (by my school administrators) that I had to switch from teaching Spanish to teaching French. I had been teaching Spanish for over 30 years! Though I have a degree in French, I hadn’t used it in quite some time and felt very uncomfortable and in fact, incompetent. I feel so lucky that I discovered you and Comme Une Francais. I have rediscovered my love of French and am no longer embarrassed to speak it! My students don’t even know that I am a Spanish teacher too! I know so much French culture thanks to you. I was able to conduct a teacher conference with one of my student’s parents all in French! Thank you so much!
Bon anniversaire chere Geraldine!!! I’ve read through all of the comments people have made on your fourth anniversary and I share in their appreciation for your superb initiative. You have made the difference for so many like myself who find it so much more enjoyable to learn real life French quotes and sayings. I started learning French while in my first year of high-school and went on to graduating with a French and German BA in college. But that was in 1977!, so when I was able to come back just six months ago following my retirement I felt at a loss. You see, I have a lot to digest because for every thought my mind goes around to find the proper answer in French and I have this catalog of words in Spanish (my native language), English and German. I’m proud I’m making a real comeback and I owe you so very much for it. Mil Felicitaciones y un fuerte abrazo!!!
I still have a long way to go in my French learning and not quite ready for one of your courses, but I do like your grammar videos the most and they are definitely helping me progress. Happy birthday and keep up the good work!
salut Geraldine,
j’ai emeliore beaucoup mon francais par suivre plusieurs de votre suggestions, mais je croit que le chose le plus important, c’est un que je ne ferai pas. Quand je suis en vacances en Languedoc en mai, je ne dirai pas “je suis tres excite d’etre ici”. Cela aurait sans doute passe si je n’avait jamais trouve votre chaine. Vous pouvez voir que le video que j’ai besoin de voir, c’est celui vers faire les accents avec le clavier.
merci beaucoup,
elliot
oops,
“cela se serait sans doute passe”
Still a lot of work to do.
Bravo Elliot !
I am proud to be able to share some updated sayings with my husband who is a professor of French in the US and whose French is so excellent that French people are amazed that he is American.
Well done, Marcia ! 😀
I’ve been following Comme une Française for a year now, and when I began watching your videos I used them to refresh my memory of the language, not daily, but every once in awhile. Comme une Française has reinvigorated my passion to keep up with my studies in the language, and now I’m doing something with the french language every single day (watching movies, tv shows, reading novels, watching french news online, reading news articles, listening to french music, chatting online with my online friend from France). All of this has led me to getting an invitation to stay (for any amount of time) with my friend in France when I am able to afford to go. Comme une Française jump started this journey that I am planning. I’m not only planning to visit my friend, and live with her family, but I am also planning to move to France, find a job in France, and if I am lucky continue to live in France for many years to come (which has been my life’s dream/goal since I was 9 years old and started to teach myself the language – I’m in my mid 30s now).
I can’t wait to actually move to France, and I am so happy to have found Comme une Française to get me back to daily interaction in the language.
Merci! Merci! Merci!
Super, Cassie !
Oui, je pense!
J’ai visite un lycee pour adresser une classe de francais. J’ai dit aux etudiants les erreur que j’ai fait comme un debutant. Par example: J’ai dit au server «quel sort de poison avez vous ce soir soir?» Il n’etait pas tres content. Plus tard quelqun m’a dit: poisson pas poison!
J’ai visité un lycée pour adresser une classe de français. J’ai dit aux étudiants les erreur que j’ai fait comme un débutant. Par exemple: J’ai dit au serveur «quel sort de poison avez vous ce soir?» Il n’était pas très content. Plus tard quelqu’un m’a dit: poisson pas poison! “Embarrassing Mistakes in French”
Joyeux anniversaire!
J’habite à Sun Valley, Idaho, USA.
Walking down Rue de Rivoli on our last trip to Paris, I was stopped by a tourist(!) and asked for directions. It is a good feeling to be able to give those directions in French.
And, bonne anniversaire!!!
Super, Ron ! Bravo !
I have tried many courses to learn French online but soon lost interest. Your course is different in that it is so personal which makes all the difference.
Glad to read this, Gunvor! 🙂
Of the many helpful videos you’ve provided, a lifesaver was the one on how to get from the Charles de Gaulle airport to the heart of Paris via the R&R B line. I had spent a couple of hours trying to figure out the best way to make this journey using other websites… and you had the answer so clear, and even with pictures for which machines would vend the tickets. Thus my first visit to Paris was smooth and I was able to arrive at my hotel quickly on that line, like a local!
Wonderful, Christine ! 😀
I’ve enjoyed your videos so much and found them entertaining as well as informative. I’ve taught my 8th grade students a new modern French expression every week, and many of them came from “Comme une Française”, alors merci mille fois!!
I won’t share your secret, Linda.
Glad to help!
Félicitations, Géraldine, et merci mille fois. Vous m’avez donné la confiance de parler ou écrire le français à chaque occasion.
Your videos give me strength to continue studding French.
Your tips on books were fantastic. I bought them and I am reading and learning.
It has helped me so much to learn how people ACTUALLY speak, and particularly the “ne….pas” construction; its not what we learn in school, but you’re right, it is how people really speak. I feel more like a “native” speaker when I use these slang ways of speaking.
Thanks,
Sylvie
Super, Sylvia !
Comme une Française est le premier site en ligne que j’ai jamais pris le stylo à le papier, pour ainsi dire. À mon avis c’est très important mettre en pratique ce que j’apprends afin que je puisse améliorer mon niveau de français. J’aime beaucoup partager mes opinions et à la même fois développer ma confiance. Ce qui me plaît c’est de lire les messages des autres membres.
Joyeux anniversaire Gerladine. C’est vous qui serait fière !
Pour moi, mes amis en France m’ont dit que j’ai fait bon progrès avec mon français et c’est grâce à vous en partie. De plus, je suis en train de lire le roman, La vérité sur l’affaire de Harry Quebert, dont vous avez recommandé. J’ai lu plus de 300 pages en ce moment. J’aime beaucoup ce livre et je suis fière que je comprends la plupart! Merci beaucoup.
Génial ! Félicitations Mark !
Oh oui, c’est un super exploit d’avoir déjà lu 300 pages ET d’avoir compris. 🙂
Bonne Anniversaire CUF et Félicitations Géraldine!
I’ve always been a bit wary of asking for recommendations or exploring options in stores when I’m overseas because I often don’t feel I can sustain a discussion or argument in another language.
Working through the Subtle French course has added to my confidence in attempting these sorts of exchanges (example below).
Through the course and watching the CUF episodes and I have learnt many interesting and useful bits of social-cultural differences.
Recently in Toulouse, after a big lunch, I was wandering aimlessly around a bande dessinée (BD) store – Bédéciné.
I wasn’t really able to settle in and focus on making any choices, partly from the wine, but also because there was so much to choose from.
Feeling a bit frustrated with myself I made a joke in vague broken French with the young man running the store about being too tipsy to concentrate.
He laughed and commiserated with me. Having broken the ice, I then asked him for suggestions for a few good modern truly French BDs.
We spent an enjoyable 10-15 minutes walking around the shop discussing various BDs, entirely in French.
I can’t say I understood every nuance of what he was telling me but I got a lot of it and managed to ask a couple of clarifying questions along the way.
I came out of the store with a varied selection of BDs and more confident that I had chosen ones that I was going to enjoy.
Great, Dennis!!! I’m so proud of you!
This is a wonderful accomplishment !
What did you buy?
Joyeux anniversaire à nous ! Quel vite passe le temps, 4 ans déjà ! Félicitations à vous et votre équipe, merci pour un excellent travail. Les exemples spécifiques (plusieurs qu’une chose, svp) que j’ai achevés avec l’aide de Comme une Française :
•Abandonné mon erreur d’usage le verbe introduire en présentant un ami / une amie ; et beaucoup d’autres expressions confuses.
•Connu la confusion d’application entre ’’la bise’’ et ‘’les hugs’’ selon la culture française. En Australie, on donne ’’les hugs’’ plutôt souvent !
•Grâce à vous je connais les ’’gros mots familiers’’ que l’on ne peut pas trouver dans un dictionnaire ; très pratique en regardant les films français.
•J’ai appris les manières et la culture françaises comme l’étiquette à table, au mariage, des fêtes, et beaucoup d’autres … et j’étais plus assuré parler français avec tout le monde dans ma deuxième visite en France en octobre l’année dernière. À propose de la culture française, j’espère que (un de ses jours peut être) vous puissiez m’expliquer pourquoi les français aiment beaucoup des manifestations, des grèves, des blocages …. qu’on voit presque tous les jours sur les actualités de la chaine France 2 ?
Merci de nouveau. Bonne chance et continuez votre bon boulot.
Bonjour Tran,
Super ! Oui, on devrait faire un épisode sur les grèves et tout. 🙂
Surtout en ce moment !
Vos vidéos sont super, Géraldine. Mes étudiants les aiment beaucoup. Merci et bonne continuation.
I’m sorry but your two last videos have no sound. So I’ve missed the class.
Kind regards
Cira
Mes élèves et moi avons beaucoup profité de tes excellentes vidéos (par exemple, il y avait des tas de poissons d’avril accrochés aux dos le vendredi dernier!) – nous vous souhaitons un très bon anniversaire (à toi et à ton équipe)!!
Bonne continuation!
Super, David ! Tu as fait des photos ?
Quel dommage ! Hier, 5th Avril, etait mon anniversaire. Je suis un jour plus tot !
J’ai une amie Francaise et maintenant me peux lui envoyer des messages texte utilisatant les expressions Francais J’ai apprise de tu. But I can’t change my iPad to French text.
Bonjour Gerry,
Joyeux anniversaire en retard 🙂
I encountered a French couple in Trinidad & went right up to chat with them in my primitive French. Thanks so much for helping me get past embarrassment and shyness to make connections and practice French!
You have become the super star guest speaker in my classroom! My students look forward to watching your posts as a part of our lessons at school. Thank you for being a part of our class!
Merci Nancy ! Please say hello to your students from me!
Yeah for the improvements to your French Club. I was in the French Club in my high school many years ago, and we were similar to you. Later on in college or university I continued with my French, and I would have loved to practice French more. In my last French Lierature class we had to write papers in French. I did not know how to say so many things in French. This was before the Internet was very big, and I had so many red marks on my papers. Yes, I am sure there were some grammar errors, but I know there were syntax errors, how things are said in different languages. I usually have to construct sentences in French, and practice would have been really nice. Bonne chance with your schools French Club.
I was walking into town last week when a French lorry driver stopped & asked me the way to the industrial estate just outside town. I was able to reply in French & he looked so surprised when I gave him directions & he complimented me on my French which made me feel good. ” Vous parlez bien le francais monsieur” he said.
WOW! This is awesome, David! Compliments on your French, by a Frenchman… You are the best. 🙂
Bon anniversaire Géraldine,
Je te remercie pour tous les astuces et mots contemporains, et je suis très heureuse quand tu me donnes les encouragements chaque fois je t’envoie un mail. Je viens de bavarder avec mes voisins avec confiance, et ils m’ont compris !
Merci mille fois
Amicalement
Mary
Parfait !
Salut Géraldine,
Bonne anniversaire!
Together with my weekly French tuition, Comme Une Française gave me the confidence to drive halfway down France on my own last year. I even felt brave enough to make a joke with a service station employee!
I now throw in the odd phrase I have learned from you ‘quoi de neuf’ etc when I write to my French ami each week and he has recently asked me to translate some of his work into English so he can’t think my French is too bad! Thank you for keeping it ‘real’. I have enjoyed reading the stories above and can identify with that great feeling one gets with every little triumph. Merci Beaucoup.
Bonjour Fiona,
Great! Yes, having a French tuition is a nice way to improve your French faster. Well done, Fiona!
I’m sure your friend is glad to have someone to help him with his English.
I ordered & enjoyed a cafe gourmand, which I had previously assumed was an alcoholic coffee.
Super ! Well done Kate. Will you keep ordering it? 😉
It’s soooo good.
Congratulations Geraldine on four years ! I was able to write a few sentences in French to my French pen pal. Thank you for your blog.
Salut, Geraldine!
Je te félicite de tout mon coeur à l’anniversaire de commeunefrançaise.com! Ce que tu as fait pour moi avec tes efforts c’est de me donner l’opportunité d’écrire en français. J’habite aux États-Unis dans une grande ville cosmopolite ; donc j’ai assez d’opportunité de parler et d’écouter le français. Ce qui me manque est d’exercer la discipline d’écrire en français, singulièrement à des français. Tu me donnes cette opportunité, et je te suis très reconnaissant à cet égard.
Je te souhaite beaucoup de succès, et je te prie de ne pas quitter ce bel effort visant à aider aux anglophones à améliorer notre français!
Bisous, Jim
Ravie de t’en donner l’opportunité, Jim. 🙂
I especially like when you teach us double and hidden meanings. I was reading when I came across the sentence: “Où qu’il y a un poilu qui me ressemble.” The vocabulary at the back of the book gave the meaning a WWI soldier, but I recalled you’re telling us it meant hairy chested fellow. I felt as if I knew a secret. Merci et bonne anniversaire!
Oui ! Super, Sharon.
And it’s always a lot of fun to make those episodes. 🙂
Joyeux anniversaire Géraldine (and to this little family of France lovers)…what I have gained is hearing real words as not a bunch of gobbledygook when a born french speaker is talking to me. I listen to Geraldine and endeavour to pick up a phrase to practice ‘live’ when I take the occasional short breaks to Paris. My husband dreams of retiring to France (at which point I will need an immersion course with you). X
ahahah, you just taught me a word Christina: gobbledygook. I love it!
And congratulations!
Joyeux Anniversaire, grande et étincillante étoile de la Francophonie!! After your “school in France Video” I could finally explain what level of schooling our French exchange student is in to an american friend. The progressions i.e. collège, lycée, premiere année are tricky for us!! Merci Geraldine pour tous ce que vous nous apportez!!!!
You are welcome, Andrea 🙂
What did you do with your French exchange student?
And who’s going to France next, for the exchange?
On peut dire beaucoup de choses sur Comme une Francaise et on pense souvent qu´il n´y a pas un effort pour produir les lecons et tout ce qu´il faut faire pour obtenir des bons resultats apres quatre jours, mais on est sur qu´on a la meilleure prof du monde. Quatre jours veut dire beaucoup de choses et beaucoup de nouvelles idees. La sensation d´etre en France sans étre en France. La sensation d´obtenir la meilleure information et la vraie manniere de vivre chez les francais. Pour moi, ca a ete absolument incroyable. Je suis tres fier de Geraldine et j´ai les meilleurs sentiment sur la France et on va essayer de devenir plus francais au futur en allant la bas et on va habiter á Cherbourg pour bien sentir tous les lecons dans la vie vraie. Ca sera superb ! On a fait cette resolution apres avoir eu la chance de faire la connaissance de Geraldine. Quelle Prof ! Quelles professionnele de la langue anglaise et francaise. Quelle femme ! Merci bien Geraldine !! Tu es le pied, vraiment ! Georges Modilevsky. A Mexico.
Merci George ! Je croise les doigts pour ton installation à Cherbourg ! 🙂
Comme une FranÇaise has given me the confidence to pack it up and move to France!
This is so great Sally!!! Well done!!!
Where do you live?
Congratulations Géraldine – You are user friendly and make learning a pleasure. Thanks to your tips, I can travel to France on my own and feel confident meeting people. Last April, I cycled from St Malo to Rennes and later in the year, I explored all the railway stations in Paris and stayed in a non tourist hotel overlooking the Gare l’Est.
Bonjour Malcolm,
Congratulations, Malcolm! That’s 70 km by bike! I’m impressed. How did the trip go?
If you like trains, check out the TV show “Un train pas comme les autres”. It’s about travel by train around the world (there must be episodes in France too).
We like this show, my dad too.
I was much more comfortable in telephoning a small hotel in Mirepoix to book a room twelve months in advance and organise a dinner so that I could celebrate my 70th birthday with my French friends. And, I paid my deposit as well!
That was a wonderful gift of self-confidence, Gareth! Hurray!
I enjoy Comme une Francaise for two reasons. Firstly, because of Geraldine, thank you. Today is my birthday on 6th April and the same anniversary of Comme une Francaise. Secondly, with all the help and information I took the challenge to test my French and applied to take a written and oral exam. I passed and now have a Diploma in reading and writing French. Now I am going to apply for French Nationality. Thank you et bon anniversarie.
Well done Sharon! I’m so happy for you.
Wow! You’re going to become French!!!
Bon anniversaire 😉
My husband and I lived in Paris for a month this winter (and last winter too). We use Ontario high school French learned many decades ago. But this year my spoken French was less formal and almost always understood by Parisians with some compliments. Fewer people switched to English!
One example is the use of “on” rather than “nous” in conversation. Most Parisians are keen to help–last winter the green grocer finally explained to me that “bonne apres-midi” was really not necessary, that a simple ‘bonjour’ would suffice all day.
Keep up your great work. Et joyeux anniversaire.
Bonjour Lynda,
Parfait ! I’m glad to read that. Indeed, it proves that your green grocer was really attached to you and wanted to help. 🙂
Indeed, we use “Bon(ne) après-midi” as a “Have a nice afternoon” not a “Good afternoon”.
Bonne anniversaire ! Ce que j’ai le plus fier, c’est que je viens de finir lire « Germinal » d’Émile Zola. C’était un chef-d’oeuvre magnifique !
Bonjour Alan,
Bravo ! Il faudra que tu me racontes alors… car je ne l’ai pas lu. 😉
I was able to order coffee like a French at “Les 2 Moulins” in Paris. Thank you and Joyeux Anniversaire!
Ju suis visite Martinique l’annee derniere. Et je parlais en francais le plupart de temps. Je vous remercie! L’annee prochaine, peut-etre Paris ou Lyon!
Joyeux anniversaire Comme un francaise!? Thanks to you I know the Mona Lisa’s French name and have many more cultural insights! Merci! Bravo!
Apologies Geraldine, I accidentally touched my computer track pad before I had finished my comments. I had started to type ‘bon anniversaire’ !!
This is a small thing and may seem a strange example to choose, but here goes! Recently I visited France with my wife. We were staying in a very nice little hotel in Provence. On walking past the swimming pool, on a windy day, I saw a magpie trying to drink from the pool. Unfortunately the water was only just in reach and the bird toppled over into the pool and drowned. I was the only person too witness this accident and I felt comfortable in going to the reception desk and telling the receptionist, in French, what had happened so that she could arranged for the bird to be removed quickly. She understood without my having to resort to English. It made me feel that I was really making progress with the language. meilleurs Voeux et bon
This is a great example Michael! Congratulations!
It’s in the everyday confidence that we see the biggest changes. Even if you (maybe) didn’t know all the words (mapgpie is “pie” in French), you knew you could make yourself understood and that’s wonderful.
Bonne Anniversaire,
I’ve been looking at your free videos on Comme Une Francais for a couple of years, and I definitely become a member for your conversational French course! It is so worth it! I’ve been learning French since I was small, and 30 years later I need to put it all in order – I still felt mute talking a foreign language! When I collect my first Cesar award I’ll be sure to thank you!!!
Let me know when you’re “nominé” so I turn my TV on, Thomas. 😉
Fingers crossed.
Last week I had a routine medical examination at a local clinic having, for the first time, made the appointment myself via the telephone rather than having asked my bi-lingual husband to do it for me.
And on Saturday, having dinner with friends, the Mayor’s wife explained to our new (Belgian) neighbours how much my language skills have improved since we arrived here to live in France in late 2010. This is due, in no small part, to you, Geraldine, so thank you very much and here’s to the next lesson!
Congratulations Elaine!
Hope your exam went well.
Wow, the mayor’s wife noticed your improvements, that’s a great sign!
Chapeau, Géraldine et je te souhaite beaucoup plus d’anniversaires qui ont du succès chez Comme une Française! Je vivais à Lausanne depuis 2009 et je pensais que ma connaissance de la langue était suffisant, mais apparemment cela n’est pas du tout le cas!
Grace à ton site, j’ai changé tout de suite d’une noisette à un noisette en commandant mon café. Ben oui, pendant 7 ans, je ne dirais pas le bon mot! Merci bien pour ça et bon anniversaire!
Ah bah ça fait plaisir ! Et à Lausanne, ils servent de la vraie crème avec le café, non ? 🙂
Salut Geraldine….I was able to purchase 6 identical items at the grocery store and only took one out of my cart. I said “cinq plus de meme….” and the cashier smiled and rang up five more of the same without having to take out each one and scan it separately !!
And small though it may be all the people where I shop appreciate my “bonjour, au revoir, bon journee, and bon soiree….”
Merci et bonne anniversaire 🙂
Great! Well done Susan! You’re a local, now!
Joyeaux anniversaire! You have produced a fantastic site and helped so many people; Geraldine, you are an excellent teacher! WIth the help of Comme une francaise and related links, in 2015 I took two trips to France, navigating CDG and getting on the right train to Lille, asking questions and ordering food all in French, all by myself! I would never have had the courage to try that before learning some of those very useful phrases that you have taught me. Merci bien!
What a great trip, Kathie! 🙂
I’m so proud!
Normalement quand je suis en France et je parle en français les gens répondent en anglais mais la dernière fois que nous étions la ça n’arrive pas.
Aussi notre U3A groupe français trouve que les vidéos sont très utiles et nous aident à parler mieux. Merci beaucoup Géraldine et j’espère que vous allez continuer. Joyeux anniversaire.
Bonjour John,
C’est un très très bon signe que les Français te répondent en français !
Félicitations. 🙂
Congratulations Geraldine on four years!
I have worked with a man who is French for years, and I never had the courage to even admit I spoke a little French. but the other day I felt so confident, I just started to speak to him in French and he was so surprised! And happy to hear even my baby French. From now on, we will only speak French together!.
Merci beaucoup and thank you for your incredible gift as a teacher – it has helped me immensely! xx
Bonjour Bridget,
Yes! He must have been very surprised and very happy too!
Keep up the good work. He’s be delighted to hear your colloquial French. 🙂
Ask him about popular culture and his tastes, French people love to do that.
Joyeux anniversaire et merci Geraldine!
Hello Geraldine,
Hello Geraldine,
I want to tell you how much i appreciate your tips. I till struggle to understand the accent in conversations because i do understand when i read french. So when you say the sentence in french, it gives one the exact way how to understand french when it is spoken. I have much more confidence and have lot more knowledge of french than before after listening to your videos and have shared it with my friends. Thank you very much.
Kind regards et salut!
Glenda
Grace à toi, j’ai une correspondente (pen pal) à Paris.
Joyeux Anniversaire!!
Joyeux Anniversaire Comme une Française !! I will visit France this year … maybe I will have a story to tell afterwards. 😉
J’ai vu ‘Happy birthday to uuuuuus!’ parmi mes emails, et j’ai dit, tiens intéressant… parce que je partage une anniversaire avec Comme une Francaise (bien que je sois plus agé que 4 ans, moi)! Pour cadeaux, je vous remercie de la leçon ‘tout/tous’ – maintenant j’utilise ce mot dans mes correspondences a mon amie Francaise comme un Francais!
Joyeux anniversaire Brett! 🙂
I live in the UK, so don’t get to practice enough, but when on holiday in Alpe D’Huez last month I rented skis ALL IN FRENCH! I even managed to explain that my husband’s left boot was too narrow and could we try another brand in the same size. I was so pleased I went to the top of the mountain and shouted “Allez” to my husband before bombing down the piste 😀
Wouhouuuuu ! Well done Gilly!
If you want to be super colloquial, in the Alps, we say “Celui qui freine, il paye la sienne!” before bombing down the piste. It means the one who slows down, pays the apero.
😉
Cool! B-)
Je suis prof de français au lycée aux USA (dans une petite ville dans le Wisconsin :). Je montre vos vidéos dans mes cours et il y a toujour quelque chose que j’apprends aussi avec mes élèves. Je suis tellement reconnaissante, Géraldine!!
Joyeuse anniversaire à tous, et spécialement à toi, Géraldine !
J’ai pas une histoire, ni grande ni petite, mais je te féliciter, bien sur!
Merci pour les vidéos et aussi pour ta manière bien charmante. Tu es toujours en souriante et je crois ceci est la formulaire que fait Comme Une Francaise si agréable pour nous, tes élèves très chanceux! Merci et bon anniversaire de nouveau.
PS: Pardon pour mes fautes grammaires/ orthographe, je ne pratique pas le français écrit aussi souvent que je dois.
I spent sometime over the weekend with my French friend and his mother and managed to have a coversation. Although it was short and before I left she mentioned that my French has improved. Which made me feel quite ( in English ) chuffed /tout son content ou être satisfait. I smiled ?
Great, Shirley! I’m thinking about a “How to make your French in-laws love you” episode, now! 😉
I had an interview assessment to earn a place in a French course recently. I was really nervous because my spoken French was very rusty! The interviewer commented on my natural accent, and was impressed to hear me use colloquial phrases (that I picked up from Comme Une Francaise). She even assumed I had lived in France for a while! In reality, I haven’t even been to France on holiday…. yet. I hope to go this year! Returning to French was initially daunting, but with your help I feel much more confident and excited to learn again. Merci & Joyeux Anniversaire <3
Wow! Well done, Grace! Did you get it? Fingers crossed!
Oui, merci! Grâce à toi 🙂
I use your videos all the time in my French classes in the U.S. and the students LOVE them. They are bright, fun, and interesting! Thanks! The president of our French Club uses them as well as we try to encourage the study of French in the U.S. as the enrollment is declining…
Joyeux Anniversaire Géraldine! Une chose qui m’a rendue très heureuse était j’ai recommencer à penser en français. Je suis née en France, mais je vis au Portugal depuis que je suis 6 ans et j’ai oublié ma langue maternelle, le français. Merci pour tes super vídeos et pour ta joie,
Bisous
Ravie que ça serve même aux Français, Sylvie. 😉
Joyeux Anniversaire, Géraldine! Voilà mon petit cadeau pour toi…il y a quelques semaines, j’ai fait une petite excursion à Cuba pour les vacances de mars. (Je suis canadienne, d’une partie anglophone.) Un soir, on a rencontré des Québecois dans un restaurant et on a commencé à parler ensemble — en français, bien sûr! À la fin de la conversation, un homme m’a demandé où je suis née car, il a dit, “vous parlez comme une vraie française!” Incroyable! Quel compliment! J’ai découvert qu’il est né à Lyon mais il habite maintenant au Québec. J’étais tellement heureuse! Mille fois merci pour tes leçons! Joyeux anniversaire!!
Incroyable ! Bravo Sera ! J’en reviens pas !
Merci, et Bonne anniversaire! Tu dois être très fière de vous-même. C’est bien mérité! ….. à l’année prochaine!
Because of Comme Une Françaisei found the courage to join s language exchange group. Last week, for the first time in two years of self-education,I spoke with two people in French for one hour. Merci Geraldine, et joyeux anniversaire!
Well done, Candace. Did you celebrate? It’s worth a croissant and chocolat chaud. 😀
Vous avez m’aider beaucoup avec mon Francais et je vous remerci pour ça! Maintenant je trouve que les francaises ne me reponde pas toujours en anglais lorsque je parle Francais avec eux. Même mon mari ma dit que j’ai fait du progress! Maintenant je ne décline pas une occasion de pratique la langue francaise! Mille merci à vous Geraldine et Joyeux Anniversaire!
C’est super bon signe, Daphne! Bravo !
Une française m’a demandé “Quand es-tu venue aux Etats-Unis?”
Elle pensait que j’étais française!
Incroyable ! Bravo Marcia. Elle a dû être bien surprise !
Merci, Geraldine, de vos contributions! J’ai l’impression que les Francais sont très sympa. Votre maniere et générosité en fournissant ces leçons confirment cet impression. Il est utile écouter les mots parlés dans votre vidéos. Ma confiance parler en francais a augmenté avec cet expérience. Ma femme et moi allons aller en France en mai et je m’attends à essayer mes habilités à la langue francais en une situation pratique! Merci encore!
Bon voyage Terry ! Tu me raconteras ! Passe le bonjour à ta femme de ma part. 🙂
I don’t have a story but I just wanted to wish you bonne anniversaire ! I so enjoy your little videos on a Tuesday and love the way you present them. x x
I was eating in a Michelin starred restaurant here in Scotland on my birthday 2 months ago. The head waiter was French (quelle surprise!) and I said something like “Vous êtes Francais: vous êtes d’ou? Notre fille habite en France.” He replied speaking just too fast and I said “il faut que vous parler doucement”. To my delight he said he thought I was French because my accent was so good. When practising my French via your emails I speak aloud here all the time as I am alone during the day. So merçi beaucoup Geraldine and congratulations!
Génial ! You must have been so proud!
Joyeux Anniversaire, chere Geraldine! C’est un grand plaisir de lire tes messages, de t’entendre et de te voir. Je te souhait de tout mon coeur de ne jamais rennoncer a nous rejouir avec tes charmantes methodes de nous faire apprendre la belle langue francaise.
Grace a toi j’etais en mesure a systématiser ma connaissance, en plus merci pour touts les petits aubaines et astuces – proverbes, mettre en lumiere les differences culturelles! Merci Gerlandine! T’es chouette!
A few weeks ago I made an on line booking for a small hotel in Montelimar, unusually the hotel did not take credit card bookings. The lady owner sent me an e-mail requesting a deposit to secure the booking. Unfortunately she didn’t include her bank details, and so I decided to phone her. The lady spoke no English and so this involved conducting the entire conversation in French, which I might add was quite a lengthy one with the lady asking me if I had visited Montelimar before, and what other parts of France I would be visiting. At the start of last year I would have found this almost impossible but found that although far from perfect I both understood her and the lady understood me. A small step for some, but a major step for me.
That’s definitely a BIG step, Trevor. The phone is super scary! Congrats!
Grâce à toi, Géraldine, j’ai enfin commencé à écrire en français on-line ! Mon niveau de compréhension est déjà suffisant, mais j’ai encore des difficultés quand j’essaye de m’exprimer. Je suis très très heureuse que je puisse suivre tes vidéos – pour moi, c’est une occasion pour laisser un commentaire et, bien sûr, pour lire ce que les autres gens écrivent. Merci encore une fois et joyeux anniversaire ! 🙂
J’adore te lire Martyna, car tu écris en français presque mieux que moi. 🙂
Tu t’exprimes parfaitement. J’aimerais tellement être à côté de toi pour te prouver.
Aie confiance, tu vas voir, les Français seront très impressionnés !
I was so proud recently when a fellow member of our local walking group (in the south of France) asked me how and when I had learned my French because it really was remarkably good. She is French and has lived in England and speaks good English, but she thought I spoke good French! I know that this is because of all the great tips that you give about speaking ‘real’ French, which has given me loads of confidence and determination to give things a try. Many thanks, Geraldine and Bon anniversaire.
Hurray! Well done Jill.
The lady on the till at my local SuperU gave me the wrong change by 10€, I asked her for the money, she said she couldn’t do that so then I had to speak to the manager and he said the till would be checked that night and if it was over they would phone. The next day I got a call and then collected my 10€. I was very pleased with my French and my wife couldn’t believe I had managed this without help. Keep up the good work Geraldine – how about something on the use of “y” and “en”. Biz
Congrats Peter. Indeed, doing all this in French, was a challenge. Did they hope you’d give up? 🙂
Joyeux Anniversaire, Géraldine! Congratulations!
Since watching your videos, I feel more confident about talking to people and have made a good friend at one of the campsites we visit every year at Easter, at Lac de l’Ubt in the Gers, where I am at the moment. We both do crochet and when we first met 2 years ago when her husband saw me crocheting in the campsite and asked me if I spoke French and if I could help his wife translate a pattern she had in English into French, as she couldn’t quite understand some things about it. Well, we worked it out together and started talking about other things too. Since then, I have made things for her and she has made things for me and she’s arriving tomorrow: I can’t wait.
Thank you for giving me the confidence to speak and not care about making mistakes. People will always help you to get it right. ?
Keep crocheting Fatima! 😀 A great way to practice your French, indeed.
J’ai commence parlé avec les gardians de notre immeuble en français et maintenant ils sont nos amis! Ils nous offrent les cadeaux et essaient de parler anglais avec nous. Je suis fier parce que j’a fait l’effort. Merci Geraldine et bon anniversaire! Bisous
Bravo Brenda! Ils doivent être très contents d’apprendre quelques mots d’anglais avec toi.
Yes, I do have a story for you Géraldine, and I hope
it pleases you as much as it does me 🙂 I drive a taxi
around London (one of those black cabs) and I quite
often pick up people from the Eurostar at St. Pancras
station and, again yes, quite often those people are
French. Well .. without a doubt my confidence at
speaking to those people in French has improved
hugely since tuning in to both the Comme une
Française lessons and the Subtle French course.
All round I would say that this is a very big help for
both them and me, but without question it’s the
Comme une Française connection that has given
me the boost I needed to let things run along in
French. Super bravo, et merci beaucoup 🙂
John
I’m sure your grumpy French clients must end up with a big happy smile once they hear you, John!
Keep up the good work. 🙂
I was walking with my family on Sunday in the foothills of the Pyrenees when we met two French ladies who complimented me on my spoken French!! I was so proud thank you for all the encouragement and help. Here’s too many more happy years together, Bon anniversaire!
Well done Ruth! A compliment from a French person in a big deal. 😀
I can feel your pride, from here.
Joyeux anniversaire. I am following your videos Geraldine and find them so helpful. My neighbour recently died and I was able to find the courage to send his wife a card and write some of the words I learnt by watching your videos. Thank you Geraldine, I doubt that I would have been able to find out this info with out you. Many thanks. Xx
Well done, Jane. This is a great use of your French is such hard times.
I’m proud of you.
I joined a french group and even though i know how broken my french is they understood me!!!
I formally took courses at institute fracais indonesien but you help a lot Geraldine… so merci…
merci beaucoup.
Votre travail est tres utile !
Bravo Paul !
On July 7th I got married at the Marie in my little village of Bolazec and after the ceremony all of our neighbours and villagers from the next village of Scrignac came to our house for a party only four people there speak English but we had a fantastic day speaking French.
Congratulations on your wedding, Tony! This is great news! You’re definitely a local, now. 🙂
One thing that I am super proud of is this year I braved up and became the president of my school’s French club! The club, in general, was very unpopular and eventually just fizzles out before the year ends. So, this year my co-president and I made major reforms to French club and one was inspired by your videos on French Expressions 🙂 so each meeting I teach the club a new expression as part of the meeting plans! Also, the club is usually entirely in English and just studies French culture, but this year I’ve changed it up so that we speak much more French in the club and comme une francaise has helped me gain the confidence to do so. Merci mille fois et Joyeux anniversaire!
~Catherine
Wouhou! Keep up the great French work, Catherine!