The Bonjour Effect

The Bonjour Effect

Author: Julie Barlow

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Published: 2016-04-19

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1250102448

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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.


La Seduction

La Seduction

Author: Elaine Sciolino

Publisher: Macmillan

Published: 2011-06-07

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 1429933291

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The hidden truth about the French way of life: it's all about seduction—its rules, its pleasures, its secrets France is a seductive country, seductive in its elegance, its beauty, its sensual pleasures, and its joie de vivre. But Elaine Sciolino, the longtime Paris bureau chief of The New York Times, has discovered that seduction is much more than a game to the French: it is the key to understanding France. Seduction plays a crucial role in how the French relate to one another—not just in romantic relationships but also in how they conduct business, enjoy food and drink, define style, engage in intellectual debate, elect politicians, and project power around the world. While sexual repartee and conquest remain at the heart of seduction, for the French seduction has become a philosophy of life, even an ideology, that can confuse outsiders. In La Seduction, Sciolino gives us an inside view of how seduction works in all areas, analyzing its limits as well as its power. She demystifies the French way of life in an entertaining and personal narrative that carries us from the neighborhood shops of Paris to the halls of government, from the gardens of Versailles to the agricultural heartland. La Seduction will charm you and encourage you to lower your defenses about the French. Pull up a chair and let Elaine Sciolino seduce you.


101 Conversations in Intermediate English

101 Conversations in Intermediate English

Author: Olly Richards

Publisher:

Published: 2020-12-10

Total Pages: 238

ISBN-13: 9781914190124

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*** New Intermediate Edition! *** Improve your spoken English from home with 101 real-world conversations in intermediate English. Real English people don't speak like your textbook... so it's no wonder you feel unprepared when it's your turn to speak! This book fixes that. For the first time, you'll learn to move beyond beginner level, and speak English in the real world! With 101 authentic conversations in intermediate English, so you'll become confident in the words, phrases and expressions you need to communicate like a local. 101 Conversations in Intermediate English transports you into a real-world story that unfolds between six English characters, told by the people themselves. Over 15,000 words of real English, you'll immerse yourself in a gripping English drama and get an education in natural English in the process. Here's what you'll get: 101 conversations in intermediate English, so you can learn the real English spoken in the street, understand spoken English with ease, and have English roll off your tongue more fluently Over 15,000 words of dialogue - an unparalleled resource that will immerse you in English, at a level you can understand. You'll learn real spoken English without getting lost or overwhelmed Real, daily spoken English throughout - it's as if we held up a microphone and recorded the exact words coming out of people's mouths - so you can learn the expressions that real people use on the street (not in textbooks). You'll sound more authentic when you speak and make English-speaking friends more easily. Situational dialogues from typical daily circumstances, so you can prepare yourself to survive realistic English encounters, in shops, cafés, and on the street, making meeting people second nature Conversations that are carefully written to be accessible for intermediate learners (B1-B2 on the CEFR), so you can learn from real, spoken conversations, without having to go through the rollercoaster of difficult conversations with strangers Each conversation is limited to around 15 lines of dialogue (150 words), so you can get that crucial sense of achievement and motivation when you finish each conversation, and say "I actually understood all of that!" Summaries of each conversation which contextualise each dialogue, so you can easily follow the plot and enjoy the story without getting lost The story is set in England and includes expressions that are typical in British English. However, since the conversations use mostly "neutral" English, you'll have plenty to learn, whether you're learning the English of America, England, or Australia. Created by Olly Richards, internationally-renowned language teacher and author, 101 Conversations in Intermediate English gives you an experience in real English that you won't find anywhere else. You'll be better prepared for using English in the real world, speak with more confidence, and take a giant leap towards fluency in English! SCROLL UP AND GRAB YOUR COPY NOW