AN INTRODUCTION TO FRANCE: MICHELLE’S MINI-SERIES INTRODUCTION
So, did you make a list of he places you’d like to see, the things you’d like to do, and the food you would like to eat in France?
Michelle wrote an article in French, where she describes all these things, and she also talks about the way she made herself write better in French.
If you want to write well in French, this is for you.
I’m touched by the sensibility of her stories, which, because are so personal, are so relatable.
I’ll let her words tell you the story of the evolution of her writing in French – an inspiration for your own progress – and the story of her bucket list that will give you food for thought.
I am not a creative person, and the thought of writing something in French each week is very difficult for me.
However, Llyane mentioned that I should write about something that I am interested in. That simple suggestion was the lightbulb that I needed, even though she had mentioned this before!
Someday I would like to travel to France, but honestly, I have no idea where I want to go, only that I want to experience more than Paris. This marked the beginning of my research into France, all of the marvellous places to visit, and this first of hopefully many writing exercises.
I originally wrote this piece in English as that was an easier way to express my thoughts in the way that I wanted. I then translated from English to French, which sometimes required me to restructure my sentences and thoughts, because my French writing skills are not as advanced as my English writing skills.
The process of translation was very eye-opening to me, as it showed me that I can communicate in French, even at a lower level. I anticipate that this will help with my spoken French as well.
In the end, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I researched a topic that I am interested in, wrote about it in English, and translated it into French. Of course I made mistakes, but I welcome mistakes as they help me grow in my learning of the French language.
Michelle R.
(January 2023)
Une introduction à la France
Quand j’étais jeune, j’aimais la sonorité de la langue française et les photos romantiques du pays. À cause de cet amour, j’apprends la langue française.
Un jour, je voudrais voyager en France et y rester un moment… peut-être longtemps.
Il y a beaucoup de lieux et de monuments, plages magnifiques, villes et villages historiques, ruines antiques, et châteaux majestueux à visiter. Je voudrais voir et faire tout ça, mais c’est un grand objectif.
La France compte plus de cent cinquante villages nommés les « plus beaux villages de France » ; cent cinquante-quatre cathédrales ; trois mille musées ; quarante-cinq mille châteaux ; quatre-vingt-cinq mille viticulteurs et plus d’un million de kilomètres de routes panoramiques.
Où est-ce que j’irai ? Qu’est-ce que je vais faire, manger, voir ?
D’abord, un peu sur le pays de France.
Il est presque cinq cent quarante-cinq mille kilomètres carrés, et il est le plus grand pays de l’Europe occidentale.
La France continentale est un peu plus petite que l’état de Texas, aux États-Unis.
La France compte plus de soixante-huit millions d’habitants. La capitale de la France est Paris, bien sûr, et elle compte onze millions d’habitants.
Le pays est béni avec trois chaînes de montagnes – les Alpes, le Massif Central, les Pyrénées – et trois rivières – la Seine, Le Rhin, le Rhône.
Elle est aussi l’épicentre agricole de l’Europe en raison de ses plaines fertiles.
La France partage des frontières avec huit pays – l’Italie, l’Allemagne, la Belgique, l’Espagne, le Monaco, l’Andorre, la Suisse, le Luxembourg.
J’ai divisé le pays en dix-sept domaines d’intérêt :
1. Alsace
2. Pays Basque
3. Bordeaux
4. Bretagne
5. Bourgogne
6. Carcassonne
7. Champagne
8. Dordogne
9. Côte d’Azur
10. Vallée de la Loire
11. Lyon
12. Normandie
13. Le nord de la France
14. Paris
15. Provence
16. Somme
17. Verdun
Au cours de l’année, je ferai des recherches sur chaque domaine d’intérêt et j’écrirai sur les endroits que j’aimerais voir, les choses que j’aimerais faire, et la nourriture que j’aimerais manger.
À bientôt, pour une merveilleuse tournée écrite en France.
(Janvier 2023)
NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below what is YOUR list of places to discover in France?
Let me guess.
Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?
Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.
Immerse yourself as you FINALLY reach your dream of becoming bilingual, learn to speak Parisian French on Skype and BREAK your language barrier!
…and now, please SHARE this article with your friends. They’ll love you for it! : )
Always in your corner,
Llyane
Photo credit: 4dmapart
