Food waste: fact or fiction?

Whether or not this is true I haven't looked into.  You can't always trust everything you read on the internet. If you're viewing this, feel free to fact check and post in the comments section!

School Vacations

When we talk about the French school system, we're often jealous of how many vacations they get.  This article offers a different perspective: that students get too much vacation!  Is that even possible?  What are the benefits and drawbacks of having a two-week vacation every six weeks?

"One Woman's Struggle To Survive 'Too Much Vacation' In France"

Le Pont d'Avignon

I have a very special place in my heart for le Pont d'Avignon since Avignon is where I studied in college.  It's also the subject of a classic French kids song that I learned as a child.  Here is a video that imagines what the Pont d'Avignon looked like before it was washed away and an article about it.

Language Family Map

I absolutely love this language tree that shows which languages are related and how they are connected to one another.  Click the Hyperlink for a full-sized, enlargeable image.

What Do Countries Call Themselves?

This topic often comes up when we learn the French names for different countries.  "Why don't they just call it Germany?" I'm asked.  Well... Why don't we all just call it Deutschland?

This map shows the names of countries as they're called in the dominant language of that country. The word for this concept is "endonym".  What many English-speakers-- or perhaps users of the Roman/Latin alphabet in general-- may not realize is that spelling and pronunciation are not the only differences between our names for countries and their own endonyms.

If you like maps, geography, or are interested in other languages, this article is for you.  Be sure to navigate to the original source as well.

Countries as Named in Their Own Languages

Ibeyi: French-Cuban Music

These Cuban twins were raised in France, sing in English (at least in this clip), and somehow manage to blend it all.  Click the hyperlink to visit KEXP's brief article and watch a studio session with the duo.  Definitely worth a listen.

Ibeyi 

Why is English Spelling so Weird?

This is a great explanation about why English spelling is so weird, some of which has to do with French.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhqr-GNNgGo