https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from France in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed For language learners, it's a common experience to have your grammar or pronunciation corrected while speaking to a French person. It is a - mostly - well-meaning habit, but as Emma Pearson explains, it can also take some getting used to. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260820/opinion-being-corrected-by-the-french-can-be-hard-to-take-but-it-really-is-helpful Thu, 20 Aug 2026 11:54:09 +0200 opinion-being-corrected-by-the-french-can-be-hard-to-take-but-it-really-is-helpful It's a common occurrence when speaking French that the person you're talking to will casually correct your grammar or pronunciation - but do language learners find this helpful or annoying? We asked readers of The Local for their views. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260819/its-beautiful-how-language-learners-react-to-the-french-correcting-their-grammar Wed, 19 Aug 2026 17:06:30 +0200 its-beautiful-how-language-learners-react-to-the-french-correcting-their-grammar It's a common experience for French learners to find their language corrected when having a conversation - but how do you react when it happens to you? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260814/tell-us-how-do-you-react-when-people-correct-your-french Fri, 14 Aug 2026 16:53:36 +0200 tell-us-how-do-you-react-when-people-correct-your-french A lot of French learners hit a wall with two tiny words: 'y' and 'en'. They’re short and can be confusing - here's how to use them. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260804/french-grammar-tip-how-to-use-the-pronouns-y-and-en Tue, 04 Aug 2026 13:31:41 +0200 french-grammar-tip-how-to-use-the-pronouns-y-and-en From Hollywood stars to world leaders, the list of famous people who speak French is long (and their accents are sometimes to die for) - let's take a look at their overall competence, accent and vocabulary. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210323/rated-the-french-accent-and-vocab-of-these-11-celebs Tue, 23 Mar 2021 11:51:48 +0100 rated-the-french-accent-and-vocab-of-these-11-celebs If you're vacationing in France's Brittany, you'll quickly notice that road signs, shop names and even restaurant menus often feature Breton words. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260803/from-breizh-to-kenavo-10-breton-words-youll-see-across-brittany Mon, 03 Aug 2026 16:34:43 +0200 from-breizh-to-kenavo-10-breton-words-youll-see-across-brittany As most people will know, merci is the French word for 'thank you' - but there are many other ways to express your thanks or gratitude when speaking French. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260722/beyond-merci-all-the-ways-to-say-thank-you-in-french Wed, 22 Jul 2026 11:18:24 +0200 beyond-merci-all-the-ways-to-say-thank-you-in-french Learning French in the classroom is one thing, launching into conversation with a French person is quite another - French language coach Llyane Stanfield has some tips for taking control so that conversations remain calm and comprehensible. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260716/the-hidden-art-of-taking-control-of-french-conversations Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:03:39 +0200 the-hidden-art-of-taking-control-of-french-conversations From the phrases people use before heading off on holiday to the expressions that capture the excitement of escaping for a well-earned break, here's a guide to the French expressions and vocab you'll come across over the next two months. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260710/prendre-le-large-the-french-expressions-and-vocab-you-need-for-the-summer Fri, 10 Jul 2026 14:43:57 +0200 prendre-le-large-the-french-expressions-and-vocab-you-need-for-the-summer The liaison is a crucial part of making your French sound natural and native - but why do some French words flow together while others don't? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260703/french-grammar-tip-pronouncing-liaisons-in-french Fri, 03 Jul 2026 17:23:42 +0200 french-grammar-tip-pronouncing-liaisons-in-french Searing temperatures in France lead to a lot of discussion around the heat, the climate and ways to stay cool - here are some useful words and phrases to get involved in a French chat. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260626/greenhouse-effect-to-climate-leave-navigating-a-heatwave-in-french Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:49:58 +0200 greenhouse-effect-to-climate-leave-navigating-a-heatwave-in-french Long feared as the savage beast lurking in the woods, the wolf has inspired a range of French language expressions that still exist today. Here are some of our favourites. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210401/speak-of-the-devil-why-are-there-so-many-wolves-in-the-french-language Thu, 01 Apr 2021 08:59:28 +0200 speak-of-the-devil-why-are-there-so-many-wolves-in-the-french-language The men's football World Cup tournament gets underway in June with France among the bookies' favourites - so here are some helpful French football phrases to shout while watching. https://www.thelocal.fr/20210614/allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football Mon, 14 Jun 2021 11:15:41 +0200 allez-putain-french-phrases-for-watching-euro-2020-football As millions of visitors prepare to travel across France this summer, getting around is usually straightforward - strikes and occasional disruptions aside. But knowing a few key French travel terms can make a big difference when plans go awry. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260604/supprime-to-bouchons-essential-french-travel-words-to-know-this-summer Thu, 04 Jun 2026 10:25:59 +0200 supprime-to-bouchons-essential-french-travel-words-to-know-this-summer When the heatwaves arrive, you're likely to end up a bit sweaty - luckily, the French language is rich with ways to express that you're feeling somewhat hot and bothered. https://www.thelocal.fr/20200730/pate-in-the-armpits-10-french-ways-to-say-youre-sweating Thu, 30 Jul 2020 15:58:09 +0200 pate-in-the-armpits-10-french-ways-to-say-youre-sweating From AI instructions to flirting, via influencers, slackers and chocolate - here are some of the new words that have been included in French dictionaries for the first time this year. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260512/the-new-words-added-to-the-french-dictionary-for-2027 Tue, 12 May 2026 16:29:46 +0200 the-new-words-added-to-the-french-dictionary-for-2027 Foreigners tend to be taught that 'désolé' means sorry in French, but in fact the French language has a variety of different ways to apologise, ranging from the casual to the phrases used for a more serious or formal affair. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260512/beyond-desole-7-ways-to-say-im-sorry-in-french Tue, 12 May 2026 11:47:43 +0200 beyond-desole-7-ways-to-say-im-sorry-in-french French endings like -tion, -sion, -ssion or -xion all sound the same but when do you actually know which one to use? https://www.thelocal.fr/20260507/french-grammar-tip-when-to-write-tion-sion-ssion-or-xion Thu, 07 May 2026 08:20:36 +0200 french-grammar-tip-when-to-write-tion-sion-ssion-or-xion Language classes will likely teach you 'de rien', but depending on the context and who you’re speaking to, there are several alternative expressions to say 'you're welcome' in French. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260429/5-things-to-say-instead-of-de-rien-when-someone-thanks-you-in-french Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:39:43 +0200 5-things-to-say-instead-of-de-rien-when-someone-thanks-you-in-french They might sound easy, but casual chats with French neighbours, colleagues or the local boulanger can be the hardest to master - French language coach Llyane Stanfield offers some tips for easier conversations. https://www.thelocal.fr/20260429/5-tips-for-having-a-casual-conversation-in-french Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:23:35 +0200 5-tips-for-having-a-casual-conversation-in-french