The Story of Spanish on Stuph File

The Stuph File Program Talks About The Story of Spanish

Incendies

Peter Anthony Holder, host of the Stuph File Program, interviews Julie and Jean-Benoît about the many surprising facts they discovered while researching their new book, The Story of Spanish. Listen »

Jean-Benoît Nadeau & Julie Barlow
Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau are bestselling authors of books on language and culture. Partners in life and writing, the couple lives in Montreal, Canada with their twin daughters.
Jean-Benoît Nadeau & Julie Barlow
Como escritores trilingües, Jean-Benoît Nadeau y Julie Barlow han dedicado sus carreras a cerrar brechas culturales, primero como periodistas, y ahora como autores.

Monthly Archives: February 2011

Language Learning: The Hammers and Nails

Language Learning: The Hammers and Nails

When you want to learn a new language, where do you start? In my experience – and this is my fourth – it doesn’t really matter.

Learning a new language is like building a house. Not that I’ve actually built a house. But I’ve seen it done. You start with a structure and some kind of foundation. Then you add walls, eventually you have something that stands on its own. Then you make it something you can live in. Later, you maybe make it elegant.

It’s the same with languages. Except for one difference. Don’t start with a plan. Just plunge in. Read more »

Posted in Arabic, Language Learning, Various | Leave a comment

Is French really on the decline?

This is the question that motivated us to write The Story of French in the first place. With the mind-blowing spread of English across the planet, a lot of people assume French is being wiped out. Is it? Do these numbers surprise you? Read more »

Posted in French / Linguistics, Language Learning, Various | Leave a comment

To Be Or Not To Be…a Francophone

Organisation internationale de la Francophonie

In my last posting I spoke about francophones and used the pronoun “we.”

Okay, where I live, in east Montreal, no one would call me a francophone. I moved to Montreal when I was 19 and learned French as I worked my way up in society, from retail sales to writing.

Today I speak French almost without an accent. Read more »

Posted in French / Linguistics, Various | Leave a comment

Book launch in Paris!

Le français, quelle histoire!

Jean-Benoît Nadeau will be in Paris from March 11th to the 27th for the release of their new book, Le français, quelle histoire! With Télémaque Publishing.

This is a second edition and an adaptation of The Story of French. Jean-Benoît will give two public lectures on March 16th and March 22nd.

Posted in Recent Events, Various | Leave a comment

The WSJ on Sixty Million Frenchmen…

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong

“… does its job marvelously well.  After reading it, you may still think the French arrogant, aloof and high-handed, but you will know why.”
The Wall Street Journal

Posted in Press, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong | Leave a comment

The Independent reviews The Story of French

The Story of French

“…an excellent book … stuffed with surprises, insight and humor.”
The Independent

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The Story of French in the New York Times

The Story of French

“…a well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world.”
The New York Times

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Martin Léon

Martin Léon

If you’re a Quebecker, you’ll probably recognize the background music playing on our speaking page. It’s Quebec singer-songwriter Martin Léon’s song “C’est ça qui est ça”. (And YES, we paid for the right to use it.)

If you’re not a Quebecker, Martin Léon is big star on the Quebec music scene. He’s still pretty young so he’s bound to become an even bigger star, maybe even what you call a monument in Quebec. Other Quebec musicians are starting to record his music, so that’s a good sign. Read more »

Posted in Français / Québec, French / Quebec, Québec, Various | Leave a comment

Livin’ in the francophonie?

Incendies

Last Saturday over a lunch of steamies and toastés at our favourite Montreal greasy spoon, Jean-Benoit and I tried to tackle a lofty question: what exactly is the francophonie?

We wondered, what unites francophones? Our shared cultural references? A different way of thinking? Does it go beyond language, or the love of that language?

The answer was sort of staring us in the face. Read more »

Posted in French / Francophonie, French / Linguistics, Various | Leave a comment

FREE Sample Chapters!

The Story of French
The Story of Spanish

The Story of Spanish

The history of the Spanish language (May 2013).

The Story of French

The Story of French, US ed.

The first biography of the French language.

The Story of French

The Story of French, Can. ed.

The first biography of the French language.

Story of French

The Story of French, UK ed.

The first biography of the French language.

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong

Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong

A voyage through the French mindset.