The Best French English Dictionary App

October 10, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources, Learning Resources, Teaching French

Though I majored in French and English in college, I somehow made it through my studies with only a pocket-size French English Dictionary from the early 1980s. I had no idea how impressive a dictionary could be until I began teaching and purchased a two-and-a-half-inch thick, five pound French Unabridged Dictionary from Collins Robert for classroom use. When a translation question arose that I couldn't answer, the student who volunteered to be the daily fée du dictionnaire (dictionary fairy, with optional wand, ID tag, and tiara) would find the answer in that massive dictionary. But ever since I downloaded the Collins-Robert Concise French Dictionary App as a stay-at-home mama, I've been amazed at how useful a dictionary app can be.

Avoiding Resentment in Marriage

October 08, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Cultural Reflections, Home Management

Before our marriage seven years ago, my husband and I had a few sessions of premarital counseling. (It was paid for by my parents, and at one point my mama wanted to know what was being discussed. The counselor, bless him, didn't share.) The counseling was pretty straightforward, as we were a confident couple who'd already dated for five years. (We have long-distance excuses, among others.) In any case, two agreements came out of that counseling:

Saturday Snapshot: Beginning Violin Lessons as a Preschooler

October 06, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting, Education

My four-year-old daughter has wanted to play the violin for nearly two years now. I am a rusty pianist and my husband is an active drummer, so the violin is a different choice for our household. I think her interest in violin stems from listening to a Classical Kids Vivaldi CD many times as a toddler. She also had a wonderful experience trying out the violin last year at an Oregon Symphony Storytime with the guidance of a volunteer (video above).

The Best French Children's Books for Learning Object Names

October 04, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning, French Resources

American parents love educational toys and books for their preschool-age children, so I find it a little strange that the French have an entire category of children's books for which we don't have a word in English: l'imagier. Wikipedia.fr defines an imagier as "A collection of photographs or drawings featuring objects, animals, and individuals along with the word that characterizes them." Put simply, they're word books with corresponding images. For little language learners, imagiers are a fantastic visual resource.

Halloween Howls and A Momentary Lesson on Contentment

October 03, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Contentment, Reflections on Parenting

Yesterday my four-year-old daughter announced that she wanted a different Halloween costume--one from the printed advertisement that she'd seen at her friend's house. "Alex got a costume from the magazine, and Claire bought one from it too. I want one! There was even a Hello Kitty." I'm sure the skeptical look I gave her was disappointing, but she'd been prancing around for two weeks in the fairy costume she'd convinced me to buy at a resale event. "Honey," I told her, "You already chose a costume. We're not buying another one." Normally I'd suggest that she do some extra chores to earn the money to buy what she suddenly fancied, but I figured the catalog she'd seen probably featured costumes that cost more than either of us wanted to pay.

5 Reasons to Consider Hosting an Exchange Student

October 01, 2013 by Michele Cherie in International Exchange

When I returned from an amazing year in France as a university exchange student, I wanted to continue to support international understanding. For a few years, I volunteered with Mercy Corps, an NGO bringing life-changing aid programs to those in devastated areas such as Syria and Ethiopia. My husband and I have also hosted several exchange students over the past few years. Someday soon I'll share stories about those host family experiences, but in the meantime, here are five reasons you should consider hosting an exchange student:

What A Mother of Young Children Needs to Hear Now

September 30, 2013 by Michele Cherie in Reflections on Parenting

I know you. I know your work. From the moment you rise, you respond. You take a deep breath and begin to serve and never look back. Many years ago you were a daughter, a friend, a student, independent and eager. Your steps led you to this place--your family encircled around you. You are weary but you are grateful, because this family is amazing.

Baby Talk + First Words in French and English

September 27, 2013 by Michele Cherie in French Language Learning

I spoke French with my first child from her birth, but of course it wasn't until she was well over a year old that we began to truly interact through language. At that point, I noticed that many basic French nouns and verbs seemed longer than many of the first words anglophone babies speak. Here are a few examples of basic nouns and verbs in both languages: