One of the most crucial elements of experiencing another culture is learning the language. Language immersion is a fantastic way to maximize the cultural value of a tour, by putting yourself in a completely new situation and combining travel with study. By engaging in language immersion, you acquire a much greater understanding of the culture with which you are engaging than you would by just sitting in a classroom; you pick up on colloquialisms, and can speak with and understand locals as you pick up on more nuanced social cues and interactions in these new cultural environments.
French Language Facts and Statistics:
French Language History:
Useful French Language Immersion Phrases:
French |
Phonetic Spelling |
English |
Bonjour | Bohn-joor | Hello |
Merci | Mehr-see | Thank you |
Parlez-vous anglais? | Par-lay voo ahng-lay | Do you speak English? |
Excusez-moi. | Ek-skew-zay mwah | Excuse me |
Parlez lentement. | Par-lay lawn-te-muhn | Please speak slowly. |
Je suis de… | Juh swee duh | I am from… |
Je voudrais… | Juh voo-dray | I would like… |
Où est-ce que se trouve…? | Oo es-cuh suh troove | Where is…? |
Combien coûte-t-il? | Com-byehn coot eel | How much does it cost? |
S’il vous plaît. | See voo play | Please |
Non. | Nohn | No |
Je ne comprends pas. | Juh nuh kom-pruhn pah | I don’t understand. |
Où sont les toilettes? | Oo sohn lay twah-let | Where are the bathrooms? |
And Here’s Some French Slang:
French |
Phonetic Spelling |
English |
Ouf | Oopf | Awesome |
Ça dechire | Sah duh-shee | It rocks |
Accouche! | Ah-koosh | Out with it! |
Mon chou | Mohn shoe | Term of endearment (honey) |
Chai pas | Shay pa | I don’t know |