Rachel

native language: english, currently learning: spanish, hebrew, asl, and french. words are my passion!

[learningonesignatatime]

I feel wonderful.

[wordsnquotes]

I want to read and write and be very quiet.

Martha Gellhorn (via wnq-writers)

[wiccawiccawitch]

✨📅✏️📄💯📓💯📄✏️📅✨

emoji spell to get good grades and survive school/college this year 

likes charge it, reblogs cast it

[polyglotjunky-blog]

i like the way french feels in my mouth

[polyglotjunky-blog]

being put in Spanish 1 because I'm in a new high school had to be the single worst feeling ever

[languagenerds-archive]

How to Study Advanced French

This guide is aimed at non-native French-speakers who have a solid grasp on grammar and can read and understand spoken French with ease. Often, when you get to this point, it’s difficult to know how to keep improving, so I’ve made this guide based on my experience. 

Disclaimer: This guide is based on “Standard” Parisian French. This is the dialect most people learn in school and most resources are based off of. I recognize that all other dialects of French are just as important and will post more on them in the future. 

PRONUNCIATION

1. Once you reach proficiency in French, it’s a good time to practice your accent. You probably already have a decent accent, but wouldn’t it be sweet to sound like a native? To practice I usually watch French youtubers and pause and repeat after them. You can also use Forvo to isolate specific words you want to practice. Also, here’s a good guide on how to pronounce the French r which is difficult for many native speakers of English. 

VOCABULARY

You probably have a pretty good vocabulary. You know the words for most things you come across in everyday life. But what if you are in a situation where you need to know how to say mushy? These kind of words are good to know to increase your fluency.

1. Reading is a good way to find words you don’t know. I usually underline words I don’t know while I read, and look them up later. That way I don’t interrupt my reading. 

2. Think to yourself in French. Make a note when you can’t find a word for something you’re thinking about and look it up later. 

CULTURAL FLUENCY

1. Usage - The rules we learn from textbooks are based on “correct” grammatical French. In reality, the native usage of words differs from what we are taught. For example, the French shorten many words just like we often call a picture a pic in English, or a telephone a phone. Contractions, filler words can also help make you sound more natural. 

2. Proverbs/Sayings - These are also important to know and will help you sound like a native: proverbs, colloquial expressions, quotations from movies, euphemisms, and more colloquial expressions. 

3. Slang - While you may not use all the slang you learn (I’m not sure what might be considered appropriative), it will greatly enhance your comprehension of spoken French: phrases, words derived from Arabic, words for money, verlan, swears, and expressions with foutre. 

Bonus: ways to avoid gendered or binary language.

[october-wing]

[lucylangblr-deactivated20220424]

Diary Writing in French

cher journal - dear diary

- you can talk about how your day was - this is a great opportunity to apply your knowledge of past tenses. 

How to say that you had a good day -

j’ai passé une très bonne journée

j’ai passé une excellente journée

j’ai passé une belle journée

j’ai eu une merveilleuse journée

j’ai passé une journée fantastique

How to say that you had a bad day -

Je n’ai pas eu une bonne journée

j’ai eu une journée affreuse - a really bad day

j’ai eu une mauvaise journée

j’ai passé une journée difficile 

How to say that you had a busy day - 

j’ai eu une journée des plus occupés

j’ai eu une journée chargée

la journée d’aujourd’hui s’est avérée fort occupée

How to say that you had a quiet/relaxing day - 

j’ai eu une journée tranquille

j’ai passé une journée tranquille

j’ai profité d’une journée de détente

Talking about time -

hier - yesterday

hier soir - last night

hier matin - yesterday morning

hier après-midi - yesterday afternoon

demain - tomorrow

demain matin - tomorrow morning

demain après-midi - tomorrow afternoon

demain soir - tomorrow evening

le lendemain - the next day

cette semaine - this week

la semaine dernière - last week

la semaine prochaine - next week

ce mois-ci - this month

le mois dernier - last month

le mois prochain - next month

cette année - this year

l’année dernière - last year

l’année prochaine - next year

when talking about a coming day e.g. next saturday = samedi prochain/le samedi suivant

To add a dash of drama -

et mon cul, c’est du poulet ? - yeah right!

faire du cinéma - to be a drama queen

j’ai du mal à croire que - I can’t believe that

jai vraiment foiré sur ce coup là - I really stuffed up!

je n’arrive pas à y croire ! - I can’t believe it

je n’en crois pas mes yeux - I can’t believe my eyes

je n’en reviens pas ! - I can’t believe it!

mon cul ! - my arse! (when you don’t believe someone, say if they’ve been lying to you)

Let me know if there is anything that you think I should add or if there are any corrections:)

[bilingualish-deactivated2017091]

The Swedish language manifested in human form and fucked me in the ass behind IKEA.

[polyglotjunky-blog]

u know u loved it

[lachantefleurie]

“Your voice sounds completely different in different languages. It alters your personality somehow. I don’t think people get the same feeling from you. The rhythm changes. Because the rhythm of the language is different, it changes your inner rhythm and that changes how you process everything.When I hear myself speak French, I look at myself differently. Certain aspects will feel closer to the way I feel or the way I am and others won’t. I like that—to tour different sides of yourself. I often find when looking at people who are comfortable in many languages, they’re more comfortable talking about emotional stuff in a certain language or political stuff in another and that’s really interesting, how people relate to those languages.”

– François Arnaud, for Interview Magazine

[kieletlanguage]

Goal: reaching a respectable level of fluency in a foreign language without anyone knowing that you have been learning it then randomly starting to speak that language

[sprachtraeume]

do u ever cry bc u dont speak icelandic bc same

[sprachtraeume]

I wrote this in 2015 and I am actually quite OK at Icelandic now so I guess the moral of the story is follow your dreams nothing is impossible

[sangsaracycling]

this is the langblr rainbow dog, reblog this and you too will be quite ok at your target language after like two years of studying 

[polyglotjunky-blog]

back to the basics

[polyglotjunky-blog]

finishing a book at the library in one sitting has to be the most fulfilling thing in the world

[langblog]

Todavía vs Ya

[requested by @misskitten4 ]

okay so some spanish learners get confused about when to use todavía and ya so im going to try to explain it to the best i can!

todavía means “still” and expresses the continuity of an action. It implies that something was happening in the past and it is still happening in the present. When used in the negative“todavía no”, means “still not/don’t” which implies that something hasn’t happened in the past or present but you’re planning to do it in the future.

“Todavía tengo sueño”

“I’m still sleepy

“Todavía no tengo trabajo”

“I still don’t have a job”

ya means “already”& “now” but depending on the context it can have multiple meanings. it expresses something that is complete and final.

“Ya te hice la comida”

“I already made you the food”

“Ya lo había oido”

“I had already heard it”

“¿Ya te puedo llamar?”

“Can i call you now?”

“Ya tengo un perro”

this sentence can mean “I already have a dog” or “I now have a dog” depending on the context

when used in the negative, “ya no” means “no longer” and “anymore” & it expresses a change in the action. It implies that you had or used to do something in the past but not anymore in the present

“Ya no tengo dinero”

“I no longer have money”

“Ya no toco la guitarra”

“I don’t play the guitar anymore”

ya actually has a lot of meanings depending on how it is used so if anyone would like for me to go more in depth please let me know!! and i hope this was helpful!! & pls let me know if i made any mistakes :)

[polyglotjunky-blog]

on my way to see ma vie de courgette!

[languageoclock]

[polyglotjunky-blog]

my friend and i are going to montreal for spring break in less than a month! i'm very nervous about practicing my limited french.