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Find out more about Julie

• Did you grow up speaking this language? Or were you inspired by a trip abroad, an individual or a certain aspect of the culture?

  I grew up in France, where I was lucky to experience the diversity of French dialects and accents. Born in Paris, my first exposure to French was that of the capital, with its clear and sharp articulation. My family then moved to Ardennes, where the language is coloured with Belgian and German influences. As a young adult, I moved to the multicultural city of Montpellier and immersed myself in the singing variety of Mediterranean accents.
  My love story with the English language began at school, where I was rapidly identified with a strength in hearing and pronouncing different accents. After 12 years of living in Australia, my English has now been acknowledged at the C2 level.

• Can you name a living, historical or fictional character that you think is the emblematic representative of the language's culture?

  French: I have always been a fan of Brigitte Bardot. To me, she is the epitome of the female French grace: she is on the shorter side, with small features yet a very strong personality. She has this deep, serious and meaningful gaze, famous in her acting career, which betrays a thoughtful character, someone who thinks about the world, relationships between people and political and philosophical issues. She is also an activist - you cannot get more French than that!
  
  English (Australia): This might be a surprising take, but I am a big fan of Bluey! Both the show and the character. To me, she exemplifies Australian culture: she is friendly, positive, her family values connections, the outdoors, and play. The shows carries typical and wonderful Australian values such as mateship, equality of opportunity, or honesty. I recommend the show to all my English learners :)

• Is there a typical word, phrase, tradition or expression in the language that you particularly like?

  The French language is often associated with romance, as well as a deep, emotionally charged way to perceived the world. I love sayings like "rire aux éclats", which is used to described a mirthful laughter; " éclat" means brilliance, shine, brightness. This saying expresses the feeling of a luminous laughter, so pure and strong that it shines.
  In English, I am deeply touched by the meaning of the verb to wonder. I love that it encompasses a sense of awe, of marveling, while also meaning the process of questioning, of keeping an open mind. This is a word I use very often when teaching, especially young children, as it prompts this open, curious and welcoming mindset which fosters creative thinking.

• Why does speaking this language matter to you?

  As a bilingual, dual citizen, speaking, thinking and dreaming in both French and English, I have a strong attachment to both my birth and adopted Countries, culture and languages. Speaking these languages and sharing them is a way for me to contribute to keeping the cultures of France and Australia alive, actualised and real in people's minds.

• What is the main difficulty in learning this language and what can help the process of learning?

  French is a difficult language to learn for people who do not speak another latin language (Italian, Portuguese, Spanish). It has genders for everything, and verb tenses which change the structure of the verbs themselves. Grammatical ans syntax rules all have exceptions. My advice is always, practice, practice, practice! Small, regular sessions, every day if you can, will do a much better job of supporting your language journey than longer lessons taken sporadically. Listening, reading, watching French media is a great way to immerse oneself in the language. I always encourage my students to find what motivates them, what their goal is in learning this language, and to practice with this goal in mind- setting achievable and measurable targets that make them feel good about their learning journey.
  
  With English, I have found that the hardest obstacle is often my students' native language's accents. I focus a lot on oral language practice with them, and recommend podcasts, series, music and audiobooks to train their ear.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your language learning or your days at school.

  Australia is a very multicultural nation, where a variety of accents can be heard. During the first two to three years of living in the country, my accent changed drastically as I "absorbed" accents heard around me. As a result, most people who heard my accent mistook me for an expatriate from the Netherland, South Africa, or even New Zealand at times! It was always a surprise to them to learn that I was actually of French origin. This is the drawback of being an auditory learner I guess!

• How has travel or a specific trip helped you to increase your skill and knowledge of the language?

  Paradoxically, being in Australia improved my knowledge of French; needing to explain my native language to English speaking students forced me to study French in depth, learning the meta-language to use to explain grammatical and syntax rules and phonetic soundings. I also learnt how to compare and contrast the pronunciation of French and Australian English, taking professional development courses in speech therapy to learn the movements of the palate and lips associated with each language. It is fascinating!