FrogProv - Your time to shine?

Theater buff? Improv fan? Don’t pass this by, this post is for YOU! We recently learned about a fantastic project involving French AND English language… Forgprov! Since this kind of mix is what we love best, we thought you would be interested too!

Summer is Sizzling: Lisons Ensemble!

Summer Reading List 2017 As much as I love hanging out by the beach and playing volleyball, nothing compares to relaxing with a good book in the summer sun. The only challenge is finding the right thing to read before the Chicago cold returns. Luckily, the Brown Médiathèque has chosen a dozen books that are the perfect companion for the season. Some are fast-paced romances that will fit in your hectic schedule; others will give your mind a workout on days when you’re not feeling the gym.

Meet the Family Lefko-Olson and read why they love the Alliance!

This Spring, we had the pleasure of learning more about Robert, Annika and Martiene, former students of the Alliance and Chez Kids Academy! Read more about their fascinating journey with French!

French woman, science, wit and "bonheur"

On June 8, the Alliance Française de Chicago will re-create a “Salon parisien” inspired by a significant woman of her time Émilie, Marquise du Châtelet. Zoé Moore tells us more about it;

Student Spotlight: Lauren Jones

I had two short but amazing experiences in Paris that started me on my French language-learning journey. I loved the city, food and culture and wanted to go back for a longer stay to see what else France had to offer if I could explore it more on my own. But before I could explore more I had to learn French.

Fashion of the Belle Époque

The Belle Époque period lasted from 1871 to 1914, the end of the Franco-Prussian war to the beginning of WWI. It is also known as the Edwardian era and the Gilded age. This period was known for luxury and excess for some people, and this was especially evident in the fashions of the time.

Thomas Robert Brashler

Thomas was a fantastic student, an avid Francophile and an even better person to be around. We feel lucky that we got to know him and interact with him on so many occasions, always with a smile. He will be missed by staff and fellow students alike.

Indulge in some French comfort food

Comfort food is an almost universally known concept. You have a hard day, you come home and you eat a gallon of mac and cheese and maybe you just feel a little bit better. Or maybe you had something a little more interesting to sate your hunger. If you identify with this, maybe it’s time you learned a little bit more about French comfort food!

How to plant your thyme seeds!

If you want instructions on how to grow your thym (thyme) seeds from Earth day, you’re in the right place! Thyme is excellent for container planting inside and outside. If you do plant outside, it is very attractive to bees which is great for the rest of your garden and the environment.

Verlan your French! How can your French sound more like a native speaker?

If you have ever learned a second language you probably have had the experience realizing that the language you are working so hard to learn might be very different from the way that language is actually spoken. Think of how in the English language, numerous words become trendy and other words fall out of fashion. Sometimes rather than a few single words changing, an entire separate grammar structure is born within a language. You may be familiar with pig-latin or cockney rhyming slang but did you know that there is a secret language that has become a big part of everyday spoken French? It’s called verlan!