AMDG and bonjour! Today, language department chair and French teacher Madame Jenni Mammola joins the cast to share her enthusiasm and insight into the field. She takes on the idea that French can have a reputation as a superfluous or overly romantic “elective” and describes how the language is set to be the third-most spoken language in the world, is important in a variety of industries (including technology), and has had huge influence on how the English language has developed. Madame also talks about the practical side of language learning, from being silly with accents to having unstructured time where academic knowledge can become conversational. And stay tuned, s’il vous plait, to the end of the episode for a special version of the Kolbecast Litany.
Madame Mammola’s tips for increased listening and practice in the home:
*** Parents should always examine resources before sharing with their children. ***
Bolded words below are links:
- Use YouTube for free episodes of children’s cartoons in French, such as Peppa Pig and Caillou
- Select “French language” dubbing on most Disney movies. You can do this on DVD but also on Disney Plus.
- TV 5 – bilingual world news as well as free French lessons
- Listen to French music! There are many free French playlists available on Amazon Music and Spotify. This link takes you to a playlist with 600 French songs.
- Free online books organized by reading level
- Explore masterpieces of art free online by going directly to the Louvre or the Musee d’Orsay
- Watch French films kids might enjoy like Le Petit Nicolas (also a book series) and Le Petit Prince (2015 film has both a French and an English-speaking version).
- Listen to podcasts. There are many, many podcasts aimed at people who are learning French. A few suggestions (again, review first for any content you don’t want your children hearing): One Thing in a French Day; News in Slow French; Coffee Break French; Duolingo French Podcast
- Useful apps for your phone or iPad:
- Wordreference (best French dictionary)
- Verb2Verbe (conjugate any verb)
- Incorporate French traditions into some of your Catholic feast days, for instance, bake a galette des rois for Epiphany, serve crepes on La Chandeleur (Candlemas), or try a buche de noel at Christmas. Read about Poisson d’Avril on April Fool’s.
Have a question or suggestion for the Kolbecast team? Drop us a line at podcast@kolbe.org. Subscribe in your favorite podcast app for effortless episode delivery.