French Facts
Unlike Latin (but much like most other Romance languages), French has only two grammatical genders (masculine and feminine), and uses auxiliary verbs to form some tenses
Being a Romance language, much of the French vocabulary is derived from Vulgar Latin, thanks to Caesar's invasion of Gaul (58-52BC) and the subsequent manipulation of Latin by invading Germanic tribes
From the 17th to 19th centuries, France was the leading power of Europe, and was the lingua franca (a language widely used beyond its native speakers) of educated Europe, especially when involving the arts, literature and diplomacy
French
Glossary
La grotte de Lascaux
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La grotte de Lascaux, située dans le département du Périgord, est mondialement connue. Elle abrite environ 1 500 fresques peintes il y a plus de 17 000 ans, qui représentent, entre autres, des chevaux, des taureaux, des aurochs, des ours et des cerfs.
La grotte fut découverte en 1940 par quatre étudiants à la recherche de leur chien perdu dans un trou.
Des travaux d’aménagement facilitant l’accès à la grotte s’engagèrent après la Seconde Guerre Mondiale et Lascaux devint rapidement une véritable attraction de foire.
Les premiers signes de dégradation apparurent en 1955, et les recherches démontrèrent que ces dégradations étaient dues à l’exploitation excessive du site. Par conséquent, la grotte fut fermée aux visiteurs dès 1963, pour des raisons de rénovation et de conservation.
En 1983, un fac-similé de la grotte, Lascaux II (située à 200 mètres de la grotte originelle) fut ouvert au public. Deux des galeries y sont reproduites : il s’agit de la « Salle des Taureaux » et du « Diverticule Axial », qui abritent la majorité des peintures de Lascaux.
Cette réplique fidèle a été réalisée avec une grande rigueur scientifique : les mêmes colorants naturels ont été utilisés pour effectuer les peintures sur les parois, la température et le taux d’humidité ont été également conservés.
Aujourd’hui, la grotte de Lascaux acceuille plus de 300 000 visiteurs par an
French Courses in Norwich
Our native speaker qualified French language teachers can train you and your colleagues at your office or home at a time to suit you. Classes can be any day of the week (even weekends) in the morning, afternoon or evening. In certain circumstances, if your home or office is not suitable, you can take your classes at the trainer's office. Course books are provided.
Book now / EnquiryFrench 1 to 1 Business
French courses of this type are aimed towards those that need to learn French to aid them with their employment. For those just starting out, it is integral to learn basic greetings and business etiquette; and reading and writing can be adopted once the simple precepts are out of the way. Success has come from students who are involved in import/export, international negotiations and acquisitions, those seeking jobs in multinational companies, and those working with foreign colleagues, academia and bureaucracy. Just our most basic beginners course will have the student finishing the course with basic telephone/e-mail skills in French, as well as survival French should a short stay in the country be needed.
Book now / EnquiryFrench 1 to 1 General
These courses in French are wider-ranging in their nature, and are driven towards students who have a variety of differing needs. All beginner students will expect to study enough survival French to get them through a short visit to the country, those staying on with the course can progress differently, depending on their individual requests and requirements. Whether you are buying property in a foreign country, married to a foreign national, planning a round-the-world trip, interested in French history and culture, or if you simply want to attain a particular level of French, this is the choice for you.
Book now / EnquiryFrench Group Lessons
Those wishing to learn French in groups of 2 or more together (Two-to-One French Courses or Small Group In-Company French Courses) can sign up for our group classes. All students must be at nearly the same level of French proficiency, must have the same needs from the language, and must be able to study at the same time and place as the others. Bookings must be made for all students simultaneously. Listen & Learn do not propose group sizes or more than 6-8 people, but In-Company Taster French Courses can occur with up to 12 people.
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Norwich
A city in East Anglia, Norwich has a population approaching 130,000. Sometimes portrayed humorously in the media as a remote, undistinguished part of the UK as a result of its geographical isolation and its comparatively low population of ethnic minorities, Norwich in fact has plenty lot to offer. It has a rich history of chocolate manufacture; along with a wealth of historical architecture, but much of this was somewhat cut short by the Second World War. In 2006 Norwich was voted the "greenest" city in the UK.
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"Our native speaker qualified French language teachers can train you and your colleagues at your office or home at a time to suit you. Classes can be any day of the week (even weekends) in the morning."
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