The Bonjour Effect

2016-04-19 Travel

Author : Julie Barlow
Release : 2016-04-19
Genre : Travel
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 448/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Bonjour Effect by : Julie Barlow

Download or read book The Bonjour Effect written by Julie Barlow. This book was released on 2016-04-19. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow spent a decade traveling back and forth to Paris as well as living there. Yet one important lesson never seemed to sink in: how to communicate comfortably with the French, even when you speak their language. In The Bonjour Effect Jean-Benoît and Julie chronicle the lessons they learned after they returned to France to live, for a year, with their twin daughters. They offer up all the lessons they learned and explain, in a book as fizzy as a bottle of the finest French champagne, the most important aspect of all: the French don't communicate, they converse. To understand and speak French well, one must understand that French conversation runs on a set of rules that go to the heart of French culture. Why do the French like talking about "the decline of France"? Why does broaching a subject like money end all discussion? Why do the French become so aroused debating the merits and qualities of their own language? Through encounters with school principals, city hall civil servants, gas company employees, old friends and business acquaintances, Julie and Jean-Benoît explain why, culturally and historically, conversation with the French is not about communicating or being nice. It's about being interesting. After reading The Bonjour Effect, even readers with a modicum of French language ability will be able to hold their own the next time they step into a bistro on the Left Bank.

The Story of French

2008-01-08 Language Arts & Disciplines

Author : Jean-Benoit Nadeau
Release : 2008-01-08
Genre : Language Arts & Disciplines
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 406/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Story of French by : Jean-Benoit Nadeau

Download or read book The Story of French written by Jean-Benoit Nadeau. This book was released on 2008-01-08. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why does everything sound better if it's said in French? That fascination is at the heart of The Story of French, the first history of one of the most beautiful languages in the world that was, at one time, the pre-eminent language of literature, science and diplomacy. In a captivating narrative that spans the ages, from Charlemagne to Cirque du Soleil, Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow unravel the mysteries of a language that has maintained its global influence despite the rise of English. As in any good story, The Story of French has spectacular failures, unexpected successes and bears traces of some of history's greatest figures: the tenacity of William the Conqueror, the staunchness of Cardinal Richelieu, and the endurance of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Through this colorful history, Nadeau and Barlow illustrate how French acquired its own peculiar culture, revealing how the culture of the language spread among francophones the world over and yet remains curiously centered in Paris. In fact, French is not only thriving—it still has a surprisingly strong influence on other languages. As lively as it is fascinating, The Story of French challenges long held assumptions about French and shows why it is still the world's other global language.

The Story of Spanish

2013-05-07 Foreign Language Study

Author : Jean-Benoit Nadeau
Release : 2013-05-07
Genre : Foreign Language Study
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 025/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis The Story of Spanish by : Jean-Benoit Nadeau

Download or read book The Story of Spanish written by Jean-Benoit Nadeau. This book was released on 2013-05-07. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the origins and evolution of the Spanish language, covering Hispania's Vulgar Latin of 800 AD, the language's development through the age of Queen Isabella and the rise of Spanish in the Americas.

Stuff Parisians Like

2011-07-05 Humor

Author : Olivier Magny
Release : 2011-07-05
Genre : Humor
Kind : eBook
Book Rating : 712/5 ( reviews)

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Book Synopsis Stuff Parisians Like by : Olivier Magny

Download or read book Stuff Parisians Like written by Olivier Magny. This book was released on 2011-07-05. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the tradition of the New York Times bestseller Stuff White People Like, a tongue-in-cheek homage to Parisians. To be mistaken for a Parisian, readers must buy the newspaper Le Monde, fold it, and walk. Then sit at a café and make phone calls. Be sure to order San Pellegrino, not any other kind of fizzy water. They shouldn't be surprised when a waiter brings out two spoons after they order le moelleux au chocolat- it is understood that the dessert is too sinfully delicious not to share. Go to l'île Saint-Louis-all Parisians are irredeemably in love with that island. Feel free to boldly cross the street whenever the impulse strikes-pedestrian crosswalks are too dangerous. If they take a cruise on the Seine, they will want to stand outside, preferably with their collar popped up. If they want to decorate, may we suggest the photographs of Robert Doisneau? To truly be cool in Paris, own an iPhone, wear Converse sneakers, and order sushi. And as they stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens, remember-they can't go wrong wearing black.

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