a lingual voyage!

just a blog in which i fangirl about languages and foreign customs | mainly french but trying to learn spanish and swedish (and maybe japanese later)

[strawblondiestudies]

Beginners Japanese textbooks

So I get a lot of questions here and on Instagram about the books I use for Japanese and what I would recommend to beginners. So I thought I’d put together a little list of books I would suggest you start off with as a beginner in Japanese (these are all books I have used myself or had/would consider using) Obviously I’m not saying you need all of these books, pick one and see how it goes (although I do recommend using more than one resource)! I may do another post like this for intermediate learners if there’s enough interest (with the textbook series they will take you to a higher level, but this is just recommendations as a starting point) ^^ 

Learning Hiragana and Katakana Flashcards

Japanese Kanji Flashcards Volume 1

Japanese Kanji for Beginners

Japanese From Zero Series

Kana From Zero | Hiragana From Zero | Katakana From Zero | Kanji From Zero

Japanese From Zero 1 | Japanese From Zero 2 | Japanese From Zero 3 | 

Japanese From Zero 4

Genki Series

Level 1 textbook | Level 1 workbook | Level 2 textbook | Level 2 workbook

Japanese For Busy People Series

Kana workbook | Level 1 kana ver | Level 1 romaji ver | Level 2

Basic Japanese

Japanese for Beginners

A Dictionary of Basic Japanese Grammar

Essential Japanese Grammar

Essential Japanese Vocabulary

600 Basic Japanese Verbs

[sayitaliano]

Some random Italian slang

Com’è? = how is it (going)? How are you? What’s up? Dai = come on / forza / please (according on the tone, i.e. “dai, dimmelo!” = please tell me! // “dai!!” = come on!!) Meno male = luckily Boh = Idk, whatever Magari = maybe / if only / I wish so! (according on the tone, i.e. “magari piaci anche a lui” = maybe he likes you back // magari piovesse! = If only it rained! // ti piacerebbe andare al cinema? - ma magari! = would you like to go to the cinema? - I wish so!/I’d love to!) Che palle = I’m so bored / Oh crap (i.e. “non so che fare oggi, che palle” = Idk what to do today, I’m bored // Che palle, pure la pioggia! = Oh crap, here’s the rain too!) Merda! = Shit! Che figata! = This/that is so cool!! (at times is used also ironically) Basta = Enough Piantala! / Smettila / Adesso basta! = That’s enough, stop it! (piantala = lit.: plant it) Che schifo = This/that sucks Bella merda = it sucks (lit.:nice shit) Mi fa cagare / mi fa schifo = It makes me sick, I’m disgusted (lit.: mi fa cagare= it makes me shit) Vai/Va’ a cagare! (vaffanculo) = go take a shit! , fuck you! Ma sei fuori/sei grullo/sei matto? = Are you crazy / our of your mind? Mollare qualcuno = To break up with somebody Mettersi insieme = To start a relationship, to become a couple (ex. Luca e Maria si sono messi insieme = Luca and Maria became a couple) Ricco sfondato = filthy rich (lit.: limitless rich) Con la testa tra le nuvole = with the head in the clouds Veloce come un razzo = (lit.: as fast as a rocket) extremely fast Amore a prima vista = love at first sight (=lit.) Guastafeste = party pooper, killjoy Gufare = to bring bad luck, to jinx (ex. non gufare! = don’t bring bad luck, especially in sports, you “gufi” the team you want to lose, by saying stuff like “tanto oggi perdete!” = you’ll lose today!) Pisolino = nap Saccente (sapone - masculine / sapona - feminine) = know-it-all, smartass (btw sapone is commonly used for “soap”) Non starmi addosso = Don’t push me / Don’t stress me / Don’t stay on me (=lit.) (i.e = allora hai fatto quela telefonata? - la farò, non starmi addosso = did you make that phone call? - I will, don’t keep asking me/don’t stress me )

Bella! = Hi! Raga / Regaz / Raghi = shorten for ragazzi = Guys ( even as “bella raga” = Ciao ragazzi - pretty famous especially some years ago was the sentence “bella raga tutto rego?” = ciao ragazzi tutto bene (rego = regolare)? = Hi guys is all fine?) Fra’ / Frate’ / Fratello = Bro’ / Brother Sore’ / Sorella = Sister (beware commonly “sorella” is used for nuns) Gente = people / guys

A fagiolo - (lit.:to the bean.) “to the letter.” Quattro gatti -  (lit.:four cats.) really few people. i.e. “nel pub c’erano quattro gatti” = at the pub there were only four cats Avere le batterie scariche - To have a run-down battery  Spettegolare - to gossip Botte da orbi - (lit.:barrels from blinds.) “a knock-down-drag-out.” Uccel di bosco - (lit.:bird of the woods) when you can’t find someone, that person cannot be reached/disappeared to not do something, i.e. if your mum cannot find you to help her clean the house she might say you’re “uccel di bosco” Non sapere che pesci prendere -  (lit.:to not know what fish to take.) to not know what to do. Piove sul bagnato - (lit.:it rains on the wet.) “when it rains it pours.” Cotto a puntino - (lit.:cooked to the little dot.) a meal cooked perfectly  Sei proprio cotto! = You’re so in love! / You are crazy in love! (lit.: you’re cooked for real) Innamorato perso = (lit.: lost in love) crazy in love Da cosa nasce cosa -  (lit.:from thing is born thing.) “one thing leads to another,” Pavoneggiarsi -  (lit.:to peacock oneself.) to show off

(Some more of these sayings can be found on our twitter page)

[bonbonlanguage]

You know what I think is really cool about language (English in this case)? It’s the way you can express “I don’t know” without opening your mouth. All you have to do is hum a low note, a high note, then another lower note. The same goes for yes and no. Does anyone know what this is called?

[rk8con]

[suspendnodisbelief]

These are called vocables, a form of non-lexical utterance - that is, wordlike sounds that aren’t strictly words, have flexible meaning depending on context, and reflect the speakers emotional reaction to the context rather than stating something specific. They also include uh-oh! (that’s not good!), uh-huh and mm-hmm (yes), uhn-uhn (no), huh? (what?), huh… (oh, I see…), hmmn… (I wonder… / maybe…), awww! (that’s cute!), aww… (darn it…), um? (excuse me; that doesn’t seem right?), ugh and guh (expressions of alarm, disgust, or sympathy toward somebody else’s displeasure or distress), etc.

Every natural human language has at least a few vocables in it, and filler words like “um” and “erm” are also part of this overall class of utterances. Technically “vocable” itself refers to a wider category of utterances, but these types of sounds are the ones most frequently being referred to, when the word is used.

[kieletlanguage]

When you are learning alone and see how many exceptions are in a simple grammar lesson

[todoulist]

Hey, there guys ! I’m back with a small collection of some of my favorite websites and resources for studying and learning Japanese! I’m currently taking Japanese II in school but I’m a firm believer in the benefits of self-study out of the classroom and these sites really make my life easier (*´▽｀*)

Keep reading

[lucylangblr-deactivated20220424]

SEMI-AUXILIARIES in French

Semi-auxiliaries are verbs that are always followed by an infinitive. They have several uses:

They indicate the aspect of a verb:

The aspect of a verb indicates whether it is the beginning or end of an action, or whether it is in the middle of an action.

1. The beginning:

verbs: commencer à/de, se mettre à, être sur le point de

e.g. en entendant cette blague, tout le monde s’est mis à rire.

Upon hearing that joke, everyone started laughing.

J’étais sur le point de me coucher quand mon ami est arrivé.

I was about to go to bed when my boyfriend arrived.

2. During an Action:

verbs: être en train de, continuer à

Ne me dérange pas ! je suis en train de travailler !

Don’t bother me, I am working!

3. The End of an Action:

verbs: finir de, cesser de, arrêter de

e.g. J’ai fini de lire le journal

I finished reading the newspaper.

Au bout de trois jours, la pluie a enfin cessé de tomber.

After three days, the rain finally stopped.

  They indicate the tense/time:

1. The future

aller + infinitive = le future proche (going to)

e.g. je vais sortir bientôt

I’m going to go out shortly

e.g. J’allais rentrer chez moi quand Laurent m’a appelé pour me raconter qu’il ne n’aimait plus.

I was about to go home when Laurent called me to say that he didn’t love me anymore.

2. The Past.

Venir de + infinitive = le passé recent/(having just done something)

e.g. Violetta vient de sortir

Violetta just left.

Violetta venait de sortir quand Ramón est arrivé.

Violetta had just left when Ramón arrived.

(aller and venir are also verbs of motion, not only semi-auxiliaries)

to be continued…

[mochi-studies]

[ 13/100 DAYS OF PRODUCTIVITY • 09.10.16 ] FIRST bujo spread i’ve posted ♪(๑ᴖ◡ᴖ๑)♪ ((much excite)) and funfact: I spent like hella long editing this set of photos to finally get the hue and luminance to look coordinated ahhh but for some reason it looks like there’s a greenish hue when I post it (● ˃̶͈̀ロ˂̶͈́)੭ꠥ⁾⁾???idk i give up tell me if that’s how it looks like on your side maybe it’s just my phone lmao also my finals are coming to an end soon, so by next tuesday I’ll be free!!! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵) I’ll try and post as many notes as I can until we have to go back to school for like a week(?) and then my end-of-academic-year break starts ＼＼\٩( ‘ω’ )و //／ hope you guys have been doing well!! p.s. I also feel like I use way too many kaomojis in my posts sometimes but whatever

[lanoireafar]

Language Nuances You Don’t Learn in a Classroom

Conjugation, subject-verb agreement, verb tenses…is there anything more clinical than learning a language at school? While these are all necessary elements of language learning, real fluency is born from listening to native speakers in their natural element.  

I’m talking about the type of mannerisms and peculiarities even native speakers don’t know about themselves! Sure you can write a 10-page essay in impeccable french, but can you gab with the girls at the hair salon? Here are the five languages nuances your teacher won’t teach you. 

1. Inflections 

Languages don’t sound the same. That’s an obvious statement. But even the inflections and vocal tones don’t necessarily translate. In english, depending on the context, we don’t necessarily need to go up at the end of a question. But in french, its essential. I’ve even been told before that even thought my american accent is often undetectable, I speak in an american manner. I’m not sure what that means but it just emphasizes how these subtle differences can make a difference. 

2. Interjections

I always thought interjections were intuitive. Actually, I never thought about them much at all until I moved to France. But I quickly realized that interjections are a learned part of language. If you stub your toe, you’re not going to say “ouch”. You should say “Ouïe”. If you eat something gross, you’ll get quite a few looks if you say “yuck” instead of “Beurk”. Even animals aren’t safe. Ducks don’t quack and pigs don’t oink. One of my classes (embarrassingly) had me imitate the entire animal kingdom because they found the differences so peculiar. At any rate, it’s definitely worth looking these interjections up because they’re a huge part of language. 

3. Facial Expressions

The french are quite facially expressive people. It’s quite entertaining as an outsider and all expats notice this right away. My favorite expression is the dumbfounded look my students give me when they have no idea what I’ve said. They widen their eyes and puff their cheeks like a blowfish…it’s hilarious. You can see that look HERE at 0:49. 

4. Hand gestures

The french start counting with their thumb instead of their index finger, the “Ok” sign actually means “zero”,  and rubbing your nose means you’re drunk. Hand gestures are definitely cultural. It’s recommended before going to any country to look these up because you may think you’re giving the thumbs up but instead you’ve just started a fight in public. Typically, you won’t find these cultural differences in a textbook. 

5. Idioms 

One day I asked a friend what she thought of this guy she was seeing. 

Her response: “Il est sympa, mais il se regarde le nombril (He’s nice but he looks at his bellybutton). 

My first thought: “….That’s weird” 

What I didn’t know (and didn’t find out until a week later) was that se regarder le nombril is an idiomatic expression that describes someone as egotistical or narcissistic. 

Idioms are a little harder to prepare yourself for because the possibilities are endless and often the expression holds very little indication of what it actually means. However, whenever you hear one try hard to remember it and challenge yourself to use it in another situation. 

[visual-me]

[thatwordofmine-blog]

Moyen Âge | Middle Ages French vocabulary

le roi: king

le royaume: kingdom

le seigneurie: the Lord’s land

le seigneur: lord

le baptême: baptism

le sacre: coronation

la dynastie: dynasty

la chute: fall

une invasion: invasion

le barbare: barbarian

le chevalier: knight

le soldat: soldier

l'église: the church

chrétien: christian

le Pape: Pope

un évêque: bishop

le moine: monk

le prêtre: priest

les tenures: the fields

le paysan: peasant

le château: castle

le village: village

[jiyeonstudies]

6/21/17 - 79/100

happy wednesday from my smol flower garden 🌿

[inteqrals]

\170605\ Spent my Monday reading, relaxing, and taking care of myself ☕️

[lucylangblr-deactivated20220424]

DEATH and GRIEF in French

 DEATH

à l’article de la mort - at death’s door

la mort - death

casser sa pipe - to kick the bucket (argot)

clampser - to die/snuff it (very familiar)

claquer - to die (familiar)

une surdose - an overdose

décéder - to pass away (more formal)

décéder de mort naturelle - to die of natural causes (more formal)

mordre la poussière - to bite the dust

mourir (de) - to die (of)

mourir de mort naturelle - to die of natural causes

mourir de sa belle mort - to die a natural death (familiar)

mourir prématurément - to die an early death

nous quitter - to be taken away (euphemism for dying) e.g. un ami nous a quitté

partir - to depart this life (euphemism)

passer de vie à trépas - to pass on

passer l’arme à gauche - to go west (euphemism for dying)

perdre sa vie - to lose your life

rendre l’âme - to breathe/take your last breath

rendre son dernier souffle - to breathe/take your last breath

s’éteindre - to pass away (generally of old age)

s’en aller - depart this life (euphemism)

tomber raide mort - to drop dead

trouver sa mort - to pass away (generally because of an accident)

une mort paisible - a peaceful death

y laisser sa peau - to cost (sb) their life/to lose your life

y rester - to die/kick the bucket

GRIEF

accablé par le chagrin - grief-stricken

accablé de chagrin/douleur - grief-stricken

de chagrin - in grief (when mourning the death of sb)

en être tout retourné - to be bowled over/to be devastated~shocked by

être anéanti - to be torn in two

faire le deuil de (qqn) - to grieve/mourn (sb)

faire son deuil - to grieve/mourn

fou/folle de chagrin - mad with grief

la perte (d’un être cher) - bereavement

le deuil - grief

le chagrin - grief

la douleur - grief

la peine - grief

un psychologue spécialiste du deuil - a grief counselor

se complaire dans le malheur - to wallow in your grief

A lot of my French posts are related to how I feel when I write them.

My uncle found my cousin dead in his apartment yesterday. Apparently he looked like he was sleeping. We lived in different cities and he was about 15 years older than me so we didn’t know each other very well. But my brother remembers that he gave him a tiger when he was little and that he was very kind to him. 

Some of the phrases I have provided may seem a little crass in light of this, but this post is still a learning tool and I want everyone to have a full and nuanced understanding of the vocabulary related to the subject.

Here is an example of some of the words in context:

Mon cousin s’en est allé hier. J’espère que c’était une mort paisible. Nous en étions tout retourné quand mon oncle nous a donné la nouvelle. Il est accablé de chagrin. Sa perte touche toute la famille, qui est maintenant plus petite qu’elle ne devrait être.

Feel free to remove this part when you reblog.

Lucy

[sprachensalat]

French Verbs, Expressions and Conjunctions that Trigger the Subjunctive

VERBS: WISH, REQUIRE, WANT, FORBID              

Je veux que tu ailles à l'école.

aimer que - to like that attendre que - to wait for demander que - to require, to ask désirer que - to desire exiger que - to demand, to require interdire que - to forbid ordonner que - to command permettre que - to permit préférer que - to prefer souhaiter que - to wish vouloir que - to want

VERBS: SUGGEST, APPROVE, OBJECT, PREVENT              

Il propose qu'ils fassent une excursion.

accepter que - to accept  that approuver que - to approve désapprouver que - to disapprove empêcher que -  to forbid, to prevent éviter que - to prevent, to avoid proposer que - to suggest, to propose recommander que - to recommend refuser que - to refuse souffrir que - to suffer supporter que - to bear, to endure tolérer que - to tolerate

VERBS/EXPRESSIONS: PERCEPTION, OPINION  

Je regrette que ma famille ne puisse pas venir.

admirer que - to admire that adorer que - to love, to adore aimer que - to love apprécier que - to appreciate avoir honte que - to be ashamed avoir peur que - to be afraid (ne pas) comprendre que - (not) to understand craindre que - to fear critiquer que - to critize déplorer que - to deplore, to regret détester que - to detest, to hate regretter que - to regret s'étonner que - to be surprised se réjouir que - to be delighted, to look forward to être content que - to be glad être déçu que - to be disappointed être désolé que - to be sorry être heureux que - to be happy être satisfait que - to be satisfied être surpris que - to be surprised être triste que - to be sad trouver bizarre/bon/important/… que - to find it strange/good/important/…

VERBS: DOUBT, QUERY

Personne ne doute que le chômage soit un grand problème.

douter que - to doubt that contester que - to dispute nier que - to deny

VERBS: NEGATION        

Je ne crois pas qu'ils sachent nager.

ne pas croire que - not to believe that ne pas espérer que - not to hope ne pas estimer que - not to estimate ne pas s'imaginer que - not to imagine ne pas penser que - not to think ne pas se rapeller que - not to remember ne pas trouver que - not to find ne pas affirmer que  - not to affirm ne pas assurer que - not to assure ne pas avouer que - not to admit ne pas constater que - not to observe ne pas déclarer que - not to declare ne pas dire que - not to say ne pas jurer que - not to swear ne pas prétendre que - not to pretend ne pas soutenir que - not to support

OTHER EXPRESSIONS    

Il est bon que tu viennes.

il est bon/bizarre/important/nécessaire/… que - it is good/strange/important/necessary that cela m'amuse que - it amuses me that cela me gêne que - it bothers me cela m'inquiète que - it worries me cela me plaît que - it pleases me cela me surprend que - it surprises me il convient que - it is right that il faut que - it is necessary that il importe que - it is important il vaut mieux que - it’s better

CONJUNCTIONS              

à condition que - if afin que - so that avant que - before bien que - although de peur que - for fear that de crainte que - for fear that jusqu'à ce que - until malgré que - despite pour que - so that pourvu que - provided that quoique - although sans que- without supposé que - supposed that

- Source: Grammatik Kurz & Bündig Französisch, PONS 2015 (Gabriele Forst)

[kindofapolyglot]

FRENCH MUSIC RECOMMENDATIONS

Note: Some of these artsits are not from France, but are Belgian, Canadaian, even Austrian. What I mean by ‘French music’ is that it is sung in the French language.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEMS OF THE FRANCOPHONE COUNTRIES: France - La Marseillaise Belgium -  La Brabançonne Canada - Oh, Canada!

POP AND JAZZ

It would be fair to start off with one of the most successful and famous French singers - ZAZ. Her genres are jazz and acoustic, some songs you should definitely check out are: Je veux | On ira | Les passants | La vie en rose |  Si jamais j'oublie; Another obvious one is Lara Fabian. Some of her songs are: Je t’aime | Je suis malade | J’ai besoin de parler | Ma vie dans la tienne | J’y crois encore; Céline Dion Pour que tu m’aimes encore | Je sais pas | On ne change pas |  Parler à mon père | Encore un soir; Desireless Voyage, voyage; Indila Dernière danse | S.O.S. | Tourner dans le vide | Feuille d’automne;  Amir Haddad (my personal favourite) J’ai cherché | On dirait | Au cœur de moi | Oasis; Alma Requiem | La chute est lente | Ma peau aime; Tal Le passé | Le sens de la vie | Rien n’est parfait | Je prends le large;  Vianney Je m’en vais | Moi aimer toi | Dumbo | Sans le dire;  Zoë Loin d’ici | Mon ange | Adieu | La nuit des merveilles;  Le coeur de pirate Comme des enfants | Crier tout bas; Christophe Maé Il est où le bonheur | La parisienne | On s’atache | Belle demoiselle; Jean-Jacques Goldman 4 mots sur un piano | J’irai où tu iras | Sarbacane;

RAP AND HIP-HOP

Stromae 

Papaoutai | Alors on danse | Formidable | Tous Les Mêmes | Ta fête | Carmen |  Quand c’est; Maître Gims J’me tire | Est-ce que tu m'aimes? | Bella |Habibi | Sapés comme jamais | Laissez passer;  Columbine Les Prélis | Dom Périgon;  Suprême NTM Ma benz | That’s my people | Seine-Saint-Denis Style | Métèque; Diam’s Jeune demoiselle | Car Tu Portes Mon Nom | Par Amour | Coeur de bombe;  Booba Validée | Tombé pour elle | Scarface | Comme une étoile | Ma couleur | Au bout des reves;  Nekfeu Mauvaise graine | Tempête | Egérie | On verra | Ma dope; SCH Allo maman | Fusil | Champs-Élysées | A7; Lacrim Grand Armée | Colonel Carrillo | Gustava Gaviria | Poutine | Brasse au max;

ROCK - classic, alternative, indie, folk

Kyo Dernière danse | Le chemin | Le Graal | Je cours | Je saigne encore | L’équilibre; Indochine J’ai demandé à la lune | L’avanturier | Trois nuits par semaine | 3ème sexe; Noir désir Le vent nous portera | L’homme pressé | Un jour en France | Comme elle vient;   Izia La vague | Les ennuis; Images Les démons de minuit | Corps à corps; Rita Mitsouko C’est comme ça | Marcia Baila; My diet pill L’air de rien; Luke La sentinelle | Soledad | La terre ferme | Le reste du monde | Se taire | Stella;  Sortilège D’ailleurs | Metaporphose | Rock city;

FOLK/ CHANSON FRANÇAISE

Jacques Brel Ne me quitte pas | Quand on n’a que l’aimour | La chanson des vieux amants; Renaud Toujours debout | J’ai embrassé un flic | Mistral gagnat; Bénabar Le diner | L’effer papillon | A la campagne | Politiquement correct | Dis lui oui;  Fréro Delavega Ton visage | Le coeur éléphant | Mon petit pays |Autour de moi; Louane Avenir | Jour 1 | Jeune (j’ai envie) | Nos secrets | Rester seule; Edith Piaf Non, je ne regrette rien | La vie en rose | La foule | La boheme; Claudio Capéo Un homme debout | Ca va ça va | Riche; Kendji Girac Andalouse | Cool | Conmigo | Elle m’a aimé | No Me Mirès Màs | Les yeux de la mama; Léo Ferré Avec le temps | C’est extra | La solitude | La mémoire et la mer; Mes Aïeux Dégénérations | La différence | Ça va mal | Train de vie; 

EDM/ ELECTRONIC 

WoraklsToi | Salzburg | Bleu; N’to Trauma | Time | Minuit Caféine | Sur les berges | Flash;

INDIE POP/ INDIE ELECTRONIC

Le couleur L’amour le jour | Jukebox | Voyage amoureux; Bagarre Mourir du club | Le gouffre | Claque-le | Ris pas; Les Pirouettes L’escalier | Je nous vois | Dernier métro;  Poom Les voiles | Toi et moi | Qui es-tu?; Aline Je bois et puis je danse | Elle m’oubliera | La vie électrique; Fishbach Un autre que moi | Béton mouillé | Y crois-tu; Lescop La forêt | La nuit américaine | Le vent | Le mal mon ange; Juniore Panique | A la plage | La fin du monde; Frànçois & The Atlas Mountains La Fille Aux Cheveux de Soie | La vérité |  Grand Dérèglement;

[topofrancais]

Les 10 pays comptant le plus de francophones dans le monde (source : Wikipédia). 🇫🇷 🇨🇩 🇩🇿 🇲🇦 🇨🇦 🇨🇲 🇧🇪 🇨🇮 🇹🇳 🇨🇭

[thewordhord]

A French Masterpost

My masterpost for those learning French. I’ll continue to update this as I find/remember more resources!

Reading

L'Internaute (news and features)

Huffington Post in French (poorly reported shock journalism but in French so)

Le Monde (news)

Comment Ça Marche (tech stuff)

L'Équipe (sports)

Wattpad (read amateur stories in French)

French books available for Kindle in the United States

A store that sells foreign-language books in the US

Être Meilleur (self-improvement)

1jour1actu (news)

Waiting for Godot

Courrier International (collects news stories from around the world and translates them into French)

Hygiène de L'Assassin

Watching

Some recommended French movies

Some more recommended French movies

TV5MONDE+ (News videos in French)

1jour1actu (lots of short, easy-to-understand videos)

Some movies and TV shows to stream, mostly dubbed

Listening

France Bienvenue (listen to native speakers during an interview and read the transcript)

France Inter (A bit like NPR in France)

Radio Stations in French

RFI (More French radio. Click “Apprendre le français” in the top left corner to listen to a short top-stories broadcast while reading the script)

Pronunciation

Forvo (search for any word and hear a native speaker say it.)

Introduction to French Phonology  (I cannot stress enough how much this program will help you if you’re a native English speaker and having trouble pronouncing in French. It’s not exactly super stimulating but HUGELY beneficial.)

Grammar

french.about.com

Some grammar exercises from Columbia

French Test by Kwiziq

Podcasts

All available on iTunes:

Coffee Break French

Native French Speech

RFI - Journal en français façile

News in Slow French

Vocabulary

Memrise

Linguee (SO HELPFUL. Put in the short phrase you’re trying to say in English and see how professionals have translated it.)

Misc

A bunch of quotes about travel in French

OpenCulture (TONS of great resources for language learning)