Blog posts on a variety of topics, written by our Alliance Fraçaise de Chicago team!
Hey francophiles. Crazy week, huh? (It doesn’t actually matter when you read this; I’m sure that week has been crazy too) In an effort to distract myself from the mounting…
By Matthew Jackson, AF staff Much like Barbie once said of math class, French is tough! I took class after class in a long trajectory from middle school to college…
Joyeuse Saint Valentin ! We have compiled a little guide for you so that you can celebrate the day of love the French way. Enjoy! Your French Valentine’s Day Guide:
We are wishing you Happy Holidays or Bonnes Fêtes! Here is a little French Guide with some French key words to learn during this holiday season. Your French Holiday Guide:
We hope you have a happy Thanksgiving holiday, here are some words you can use on Thanksgiving or share with your French friends! Enjoy!
Avoid a faux-pas, take this quiz on 10 French foods you’re probably saying wrong! Our very own Geoffrey Ruiz even gives you a few tips to wow the waiter next…
Last week, almost 50 students from Chicago Public Schools visited the Alliance for one of their last times this school year and exchanged laughs, memories, and even some bittersweet tears…
Meet Jin Jin, better known by her family and friends as Kitty! When she first stepped into the Alliance Française de Chicago four years ago she didn’t know any French,…
As some of you might have seen this past week we have released our first edition of the “Gazette de l’Alliance,” our very own student-made journal available here. I am…
The 2018 Olympics are upon us and let me preface this blog post by saying that I am a huge Olympics fan. Being a naturally competitive person, I am drawn…
Paul Bocuse, embodied all that you think of when you think “Chef” — White coat, tall hat, bit of a play-boy, French. But he was much more than just one…
Bonjour à tous! Elodie Kaplan, our wonderful co-director of the learning center sits down with us and gives us grammar and pronunciation tips when learning French. In this series of…
Bonjour à tous! Elodie Kaplan, our wonderful co-director of the learning center sits down with us and gives us grammar and pronunciation tips when learning French. In this series of…
Let’s hear back from one of our old laureates: Jacob Hamburger! Back up: Apart from being the leading French language and cultural center of Chicago, for the last 35…
French Revolution Collection at the Newberry Library – and a Chance to Hone your Translation Skills!
Did you know that a piece of French history sits just steps from the Alliance? Since the early 1960’s, our neighbor, The Newberry Library, has been home to a massive…
Who run the world? Girls! Who run the world? Girls! As we continue exploring other francophone countries and cultures, it’s hard not to pay respects to the all women warrior…
Bonjour tout le monde! Elodie Kaplan, our wonderful co-director of the learning center sits down with us and gives us grammar and pronunciation tips when learning French. In this series…
Salut tout le monde, ça va? Have you ever noticed how much francophones use the phrase ça va? Yeah, a lot. Like a lot, a lot. It feels like you…
Patricia Florio is a member of the Alliance Française and a valued patron of the Brown library. One of the things she loves most about the Brown Library is the…
So here we are, dear reader… on a new adventure. Why would we stop at La Martinique when another Francophone pocket of the world calls. Let’s trade shipwrecks and volcanoes for…
The Mais Oui! Podcast from the Alliance Française de Chicago continues! Today- episode 5 of the Staff Recommendation series. We talk to Maël Ginsburger (Culture and Administration intern), as he…
The Mais Oui! Podcast from the Alliance Française de Chicago continues! Today- episode 4 of the Staff Recommendation series. We talk to Zoe Moore (cultural intern) before her internship is…
The Mais Oui! Podcast from the Alliance Française de Chicago continues! Today- episode 3 of the Staff Recommendation series. We talk to Marie Lhuillery-Weber (brand specialist), as she gives us…
Time to stop treating la France Hexagonale like it is the only part of France that matters. Let’s travel to Les Caraïbes and explore La Martinique. Now, if your interest…
The Mais Oui! Podcast from the Alliance Française de Chicago continues! Today- episode 2 of the Staff Recommendation series. We talk to Ethan Safron (archive intern), as he gives us…
Welcome to the very first Mais Oui! Podcast from the Alliance Française de Chicago. This podcast will feature different series and topics throughout the coming months. Today, we welcome Renée Saito (director…
Taubira… Ce nom porte des consonances différentes pour chaque personne vivant en France, mais il est rarement inconnu. Il évoque souvent une loi, celle de 2013, qui a valu à…
Edith Piaf. If you don’t know her name, you surely know her music. Her raspy yet smooth, inviting voice has captured the hearts of millions of people over the decades…
Bonjour tout le monde, Your favorite Alliance intern here. If you are anything like me, you enjoy a good cup of coffee. I know some of you aren’t fans of coffee,…
J’ai rencontré dans la rue un jeune homme très pauvre qui aimait : son chapeau était vieux, son habit était usé ; il avait les coudes troués ;…
Bonjour à tous, Il y a deux semaine, on a écrit un email à l’école, ça y est! On a demandé une interview avec les chefs, pour le 11 septembre….
Being a new intern at the Alliance Française, I am still learning about the many classes, workshops, and events that go on here, including Immersion Day. For weeks now, we…
Does America’s pastime translate to the langue de Molière ? Mais oui! Learn les positions de baseball en français and meet some of the many big-name players have connections to France. Here’s…
Bonjour tout le monde! La semaine dernière, nous avons partagé une liste de francophones célèbres à Chicago que nous avons considérés pour l’interview. C’était une décision difficile, mais nous avons…
Bonjour chers lecteurs, My name is Ilyssa Silverman, and I’m an intern at the Alliance Française this summer. I am a rising sophomore at Tufts University, a French and Biopsychology…
Bonjour! Cette semaine nous avons discuté des personnes potentielles pour notre interview. Il y a beaucoup de personnes intéressantes qui sont des francophones célebres à Chicago. Voici la liste finale:…
Bonjour tout le monde ! Laissez nous nous présenter… Nous sommes un groupe d’étudiants français qui termine le niveau A2 à l’Alliance Française de Chicago et nous entreprenons un projet spécial…
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…
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…
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!…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
During the entire month of March, we at the Alliance Française de Chicago have hosted a variety of events as part of our Festival de Francophonie. By the end of…
What was it about the Alliance Française that first interested you? I was interested in the Alliance Française because of its reputation as being one of the best French language…
By Monica Fredette (With input from Yves Fredette) I met the love of my life on March 10, 2007 at Le Festival de la Francophonie at Chicago’s Alliance Française. It all…
A few weeks ago, on February 13, in conversation with our very own Director of Programs, Aimee Laberge, Dany Laferrière told us stories about his life. When asked where he lives…
No language is a completely static thing. In a way, a language breathes and grows, similar to a living organism. Over time, words are gained and words are lost. English…
Imagine that you are on the train. You’re sitting down and trying to read an Alliance Française blog post on your phone but you can’t help but get distracted by…
Irène Jacob is a singer and an actress of stage and screen. She doesn’t seem to be one to shy away from any genre and her career so far is…
At the Planète Sauvage in Port-Saint-Père, France in 2011 it was observed that captive dolphins were talking in their sleep. While sleep-talking in general can be rather alarming, what made this…
In the mid-west we are known for our casseroles and hot dishes. If you grew up here you might have memories of eating mounds of tater tot hot dish or green…
If you clicked on this post, you probably have some idea of what champagne is. You might be able to recall the pleasant fizz of the bubbles or a particular…
Sophie Loubière is a French journalist and writer who already published more than ten novels. She is urrently working on a new one, Bloody Coffee and this one…
Jaques Offenbach composed the opera The Tales of Hoffmann in the late 1870s. Before dying he apparently had a premonition that he would not survive to see his opera performed… He ended up…
I met Dany Laferrière at the Salon du livre de Quebec in April 1986, where I was peddling my first publication, a collection of bad poems hesitating between French and…
What do you do if you want to learn French at the Alliance Française de Chicago but none of our classes fit your busy schedule or it’s an ordeal for you to…
The potato arrived in Europe at the end of the 16th century with very little fanfare, yet it soon found its way into the hearts and stomachs of many as…
Here at the Alliance Francaise we are always interested in learning about new ways to acquire language. So when we found this article we thought you could be interested too! Cap…
The Alliance Française de Chicago team is very happy to host its first Marché de Noël ! Before, between or after your classes, shop and enjoy our very unique…
And no, that’s not a joke! ‘Tis holiday season after all so treat yourself or your friends and family by signing up for our Guest program. Call us (312) 337-1070…
Dear students, dear friends, dear all of you… When we see something we like, it’s hard to keep it to ourselves. That’s who we are at the Alliance Française de…
A ne pas manquer! It is that time of year again… when we welcome you and your friends, our students, teachers, and volunteers to celebrate work well-done en français…
The Brown Médiathèque at the Alliance has a great selection of Francophone novels from Africa. Culturethèque, the online French library, also offers Francophone African literature. Alliance members have FREE access to Culturethèque! Register here….
AF Student Spotlight: Dennis Smithenry When Dennis Smithenry learned that his ancestors were from Alsace, France, he became motivated to learn French in honor of his family heritage. His journey at…
Voulez-vous ‘crochet’ avec moi? Sign up for “Tricot Social”! About the Course Join crochet designer Heïdi Mullins-Lemieux for an exclusive introduction to the art of crochet: Tricot Social! In this crochet…
Take the “fast lane” in French at the Alliance with our new Fast Track courses! Fast Track courses are running from September 6 through September 9. This your chance to improve…
Check out the brand new course “Improv en Français” at the Alliance this fall! About the Course Taught by Renée–Claude Thériault, this course is designed to help you think on…
”There are good reasons for learning other languages. As scientists unlock more of the neurological secrets of the brain, they’re learning that speaking more than one language may have cognitive…
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Saturday, April 09, 2016 9 a.m. – 12:30, Free Admission 54 W. Chicago Avenue A morning of fun, games, and a photo booth. Spend a memorable day with your kids chez…
As we enter a new year, we wanted to share with you what we believe is a very inspirational story about one of our students. Meet Marc! Marc is a…
Chers étudiants, Au nom de toute l’équipe de l’Alliance Française de Chicago nous tenons à vous remercier pour cette belle année 2015. Ce fut un plaisir de la passer en…
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