Keeping Up With Language & Culture

Language

It is important for you to keep up with the French language prior to your departure for Aix.

You should review your favorite reference grammar book, which you might find useful to bring to Aix with you. The Academic Program in Aix has several copies of different grammar books, such as L.-F. Hoffmann’s L’Essentiel de la Grammaire Française. The Program also has French dictionaries as well as an excellent encyclopedia. However, you will probably want to buy the Petit Robert or the Petit Larousse for daily use after you have arrived in France.

In addition, you should become familiar with a good bilingual dictionary and bring it with you as well. Most students find either of the following two dictionaries very useful: The Collins Robert French Dictionary and Harrap’s French-English-French Dictionary. A French-French dictionary is highly recommended as it helps to build your vocabulary faster when you look up words. Many students have found it useful to download a dictionary app onto their mobile phones; one good one is by Larousse. Word Reference is also good and is free.

Films

We strongly recommend that students watch as many French films (in French with French subtitles) before heading to France. We especially recommend four films set in Provence and based on the works of Marcel Pagnol: Le Château de ma mère, La Gloire de mon père, Jean de Florette and Manon de Sources. A more recent film, Cezanne et Moi, gives a good introduction into the friendship between Cezanne and Zola. Shéhérazade is another recent film about young people in Marseille.

Reading

We strongly advise that you read as much French literature as possible before going to France. You might, for instance, enjoy reading works associated with Aix-en-Provence in particular or Provence in general. A number of famous French authors were born or resided in Provence (including, among others, Jean Giono, René Char, Germain Nouveau, Jean de La Ceppède, Mme de Sévigné, Marcel Pagnol). Emile Zola’s L’Oeuvre might be particularly interesting as it is a fictional account of Zola’s friendship with Paul Cezanne, which began when they were schoolmates in Aix. Jean-Claude Izzo’s Total Khéops is a mystery novel, which evokes a lot of geographically specific places in Marseille.

Read magazines such as Le Nouvel Observateur, L’Express, Le Point, etc. before you leave for France. In addition, read newspapers such as Le Monde, Le Figaro, and Libération. These newspapers are available on the web. They will help you familiarize yourself with current issues in France. For more local news in the region of Aix, you can also look at the website of the newspaper La Provence.

For a better grasp of French society and Provence, read some of the following books:

• Carroll, Raymonde. Evidences Invisibles: Américains et Français au quotidien. Paris: Seuil, 1987. (It deals with differences between Americans and French cultures). Chapters include studies of “L’amitié,” “Le téléphone,” “Se renseigner,” “Le couple,” and body language). English version: Cultural Misunderstandings.
• Barlow, J. and J.-B. Nadeau, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong. Version française: Pas si fous ces Français!
• Mayle, Peter. A Year in Provence
• De Larabetti, Michael. Tales from Provence
• Fisher, M.F.K. Two Cities in Provence
• Guide Michelin (vert), Provence (Get the French version to help you build vocabulary)
• Clarke, Stephen. Talk to the Snail (Humorous accounts of surviving and thriving in French culture)