French, One Curiosity at a Time
There's no shortage of podcasts about France, but the smaller details rarely get their own spotlight. French, One Curiosity at a Time looks at French culture and language through the eyes of someone discovering it from the outside, exploring the little stories that make it so distinctive. Each episode follows a single question, idea, or cultural detail, from films and food to language, history, and everyday life, one curiosity at a time.
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Why Are So Many French Book Covers Blank?
I've seen these book covers all over France. Cream colored or white, basically blank, just a title and the author's name. For the longest time I assumed they were for really old classics. But that’s actually not true. This episode goes into why so many French books have blank looking covers.
Why Does France Put a Rooster on Everything?
What's up with the French rooster? I've seen it everywhere, on jerseys, on restaurant logos, in store names, but I was never taught what it means. This is a short episode about where the bird actually comes from, about the emperor who turned it down, and about the word cocorico, which French roosters say and French front pages shout. A short and light one.
The Philosophy the French Learn in School
Can you be happy when other people are not? This past June, more than five hundred thousand French eighteen-year-olds opened an envelope with that question inside, and got four hours to answer it in writing. Philosophy is mandatory in French high school, and I've wondered for a long time what they actually learn in there. So I dug in, and then went one step further: I took this year's exam myself, cold, and had it graded the French way.
Are Chinese Speakers Better at French Pronunciation?
Someone on YouTube has a theory: Mandarin Chinese speakers are better at French pronunciation... unless they also speak English. Quite the emotional roller coaster for me, in about five seconds. I went up so high, because I speak Mandarin. And then I was dropped to the bottom, because I speak English too. So this episode is me checking the theory against the actual research. Turns out some of it is really true.
Complimented, or Roasted? Decoding French Humor
The French might be some of the funniest people in the world, and half the time the rest of us can't even tell. The wink never comes. This episode is me learning how much of what I'd read as rude, or maybe flirtatious, was actually a joke sailing right past me.