In this week’s Bilingual Zoom Class - our bilingual class with our French-speaking pen pals - we are going to take a little world tour of the places where my French and English-speaking students live. Google Earth is an excellent tool for discovering the world, easy to use during Zoom classes, and it always fascinates my students. We live all over the planet, we are in different time zones, and yet, we meet every Tuesday at 6 PM for some (France), 9 AM for others (Las Vegas), or 12 PM (in North Carolina) or 9 PM (Réunion Island). It’s a perfect opportunity to learn to tell time in English and French, compare our climates, etc. Interview with the family of some of our French students Some of our French students recently moved to Versailles, France. We had the pleasure of speaking with the happy mother of 6 bilingual children. Here, she shares their experiences and insights about living in this historic city. What brought you to Versailles?  My husband’s job. Where were y...

Using weird or funny imagery to memorize vocabulary is a technique known as the “mnemonic method.” Here’s how it works: Choose a word you want to remember. Create a vivid, unusual image that links the word to its meaning. The more bizarre or humorous, the better, as it makes the memory even more unforgettable. Associate the image with the word. For example, if you’re learning the word “gregarious” (which means sociable), you might imagine a gregarious gorilla hosting a party with lots of friends. A gregarious gorilla This method works because our brains are better at remembering visual and emotional stimuli than abstract information. The strange or funny image creates a strong mental link to the word, making it easier to recall. Learning words in context means understanding how they are used in sentences and real-life situations, rather than just memorizing definitions. Here are some reasons why this approach is more effective: Better Understanding: Seeing a word in context helps you ...

  Here is a list of the 100 most commonly used words in French, along with a simple sentence for each: 1. le - Le chat dort. (The cat is sleeping.) 2. de - Il vient de partir. (He just left.) 3. un - J'ai un livre. (I have a book.) 4. être - Il veut être médecin. (He wants to be a doctor.) 5. et - Marie et Paul sont amis. (Marie and Paul are friends.) 6. à - Je vais à l'école. (I go to school.) 7. en - Elle est en France. (She is in France.) 8. avoir - J'ai une voiture. (I have a car.) 9. que - Je sais que tu viens. (I know that you are coming.) 10. pour - C'est pour toi. (It's for you.) 11. dans - Il est dans la maison. (He is in the house.) 12. ce - Ce livre est intéressant. (This book is interesting.) 13. il - Il est gentil. (He is kind.) 14. qui - La fille qui chante. (The girl who sings.) 15. ne - Il ne veut pas venir. (He doesn't want to come.) 16. sur - Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table.) 17. se  - Il se lève tôt. (He...