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Welcome to the French Residential newsletter, with language tips, news from
the school and some of what's happening in Gourdon... Enjoy your read!
Giles Murray
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Reading tip: there is a wealth of free e-books out there, so finding French literature to read
has never been easier! If you have a less advanced level, try selecting from the
jeunesse category on
ebooksgratuits. You might also find it less daunting to read short stories, such as a collection from
Guy de Maupassant.
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Our blog will be one year old in October! Already containing around 30 articles on a range of subjects, we continue to add
to it regularly, covering aspects of French life and language. Many of our articles feature videos and links to useful
resources.
Check our site regulary, or follow us on
Facebook or
Twitter to get the articles as they come out.
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As autumn slowly spreads across France, there are only two more chances to come on our courses in
2018. The good news is, we have just put up the dates for 15 courses that we will be running in
2019. Due to popular demand, the first of these will be in March.
A chance to beat the Brexit, perhaps?
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We've recently updated the
ways you can pay for your French course, including by credit card. If you opt to pay by card, we will
send you a unique link to a payment page protected by the 3D secure system.
We continue to accept Paypal, bank transfers and French cheques.
Apologies to students from the UK: since the Brexit referendum, large fluctuations in the sterling rate mean that we can no
longer accept payment in pounds.
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More and more students are coming back for repeat courses, so we are continuing to broaden
our visits to new sites. The most recent addition is the
Jardins du Manoir d'Eyrignac, near Sarlat, which we visited with one of the August groups for the first time.
The gardens à la française, or in the formal French style, are a feat of topiary arranged over 10
hectares. As with our
other outings, students receive our factsheet to prepare the visit in advance.
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Listening tip: to watch French TV series, look to Youtube. This is a great way to listen
to current spoken French as it is possible to slow down the videos in the settings (bottom right of the
video). We recommend that you try some light-hearted, dialogue-based sketches, such as
Camera Café or
Un gars et une fille.
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After a break in the works over the summer season, the finishing touches are now being added to the new-look boulevard. The
planting of perennials and climbers for the pergolas are amongst the main jobs currently underway. The lighting and signage
are also receiving the last few tweaks and the shop keepers are happy with the results!
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Writing tip: remember having a penpal at school? This great way to get one-on-one language
exchanges still continues today! Of course email makes it quicker to communicate, while the internet can help
you to find a list of likely candidates. The site
studentsoftheworld has a list of potential penfriends, or why not put up your own ad?
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Speaking tip: It might take a little nerve, but why not make a phone call to France?
We suggest you start with the
tourist office of a place you plan to visit. Think through the call beforehand and the questions
you would like to ask. If your interlocutor tries
to reply in English, politely say that you want to practise your French!
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