carolh Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 well this time next week we should be somewhere on the M25! heading down to Dover. I have been trying to learn some French, there has been a big improvement since last year - well - any improvement had to be big - my knowledge of French has always been abysmal, but now I am beginning to understand more. I am trying to put together a few simple sentences - just to fall back on - you know the sort of thing - Can we stay here for the night please? Where can I buy the jeton to use the borne? Where is the camping car aire? and any thing else anyone can think might be usful (keep it clean please) :$ We have only had one trip across the channel, last November - for a weekend when the engine battery let us down - had to wild park - cause the battery was flat!! and I know my little 'billet du' on the windscreen to that effect was understood, and found amusing - if the expressions on the faces of the locals were anything to go by. *-) thanks Carol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 MMMmm Not much to say then carol? david Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Madge Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 [QUOTE]carolh - 2006-08-18 7:12 PM [/QUOTE] Carol I'm glad I'm not the only one :$ Don Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolh Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 [QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-08-18 7:19 PM [QUOTE]carolh - 2006-08-18 7:12 PM [/QUOTE] Carol I'm glad I'm not the only one :$ Don[/QUOTE] I too have just joined the club :-> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Bell Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Carol, I seem to remember reading a list of useful phrases for motorhomers travelling in France in something about a month ago. I will have a look through all my parafanalia (is that how you spell it) no doubt starspirit will correct me, and I will report back tomorrow if I find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carolh Posted August 18, 2006 Author Share Posted August 18, 2006 thanks Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barrie w Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 if you an aldi near you have a look amongst their specials. there is an aa booklet "french for kids" a very good basic start. long term look for "french with michel thomas"on cd very good & easy to follow. 8 cds for around £40 on amazon etc. bon nuit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Carol Have a look at the BBC's French language site at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/lj/ You should be able to find some useful bits on there, we've been doing French at night class for 2 years so have a fairly goodish grasp of the basics now. We still find the AA Pocket Guide French Phrase book very useful as it has lots of basic phrases in of the type you're looking for. It cost us £2.00 (should've been £4.99) last year and you can get it from loads of bookshops, even the discount ones which is where we got ours. At Lidl at the moment they're selling a French dictionary for £1.49 One phrase you might need if you break down again is: "Voux pouvez m'appeler ungarage?" (Could you call a garage for me please?) Or as one unfortunate chap did last year whilst we were there: "J'ai laisse les clefs dans la voiture fermee!" (I've locked the keys in the car) Or, if you've been stopped by the Police this might come in handy: "Puis-je partir maintenant?" (Can I go now?) A bientot Mel B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 CarolGot your van repair fixed up yet?Re francais, I'd say don't try to be too ambitious. Learning phrases can be a bit dodgy, in that they can imply more understanding than is helpful. Download the phrase, then watch the faces. Total puzzlement is a good sign, what you don't want to achieve is instant recognition and relief. That just means you've just scored 100% on the communications scale, they think you're fluent, and the reply will be extensive and fast. Then it's your turn to look blitzed!Keep it simple. Very few words, possibly commencing "excusez moi (Monsieur/madame etc), je suis anglaise. Pour les jetons? (but intoned as a question). Then, you may just get them to talk more slowly - but you may have to keep asking them to do so. (Laughing) "Parlez plus lentement s'il vous plait monsieur/madame, je ne comprends pas". The French just don't do slow, but they are very friendly and helpful if you try a bit of French. The older generation, generally, don't do english - at any speed. However, the younger ones probably can speak some, once they've stopped being bashful about it!J'espère que ça vous assiste un peu ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trigrem Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Hi carolh, I have a little booklet called "Camping and Caravanning in France "by Rick Allen, it is full of the usefull expressions required by campers. I have had it a few years so do not know if it is still available. It was published by "Editions de la Montagne" PO box 732 Southhampton SO16 7RQ. ISBN number 0 9533386 0 6. I use it regularly due to my lousy memory and even worse French, but I try, doug Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Bell Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 No good Carol I'm afraid, turned the place upside down, can't find the blessed book anywhere, sorry, but its given me a great idea. There is a huge contingent of motorhomers travelling from UK to France most of whom only speak schoolboy sorry schoolperson French. I think MMM magazine should produce a English to French Motorhome phrase book in the form of their occasional puzzle give aways like what they do, and attach it to their next issue. I guarrantee they will have record sales that month. We could all contribute the phrases we would like translated, in fact heres the first. Is their somewhere nearby where I can park my Camping car overnight? I expect every one active on the forum to contribute, and hopefully MMM will take up the Challenge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geoff Bell Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Except Mic from Hell eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee whose obviously already very competent. Is'nt it nice to be able to talk about her without getting a load of verbal back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greynomad Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 On my Favourites, I keep a useful Website called: www.SmartPhrase.com - Online Phrasebook I found this very useful earlier this year for Italy, I just printed off the subject pages I thought might be useful, there are things like; Numbers, Days/Months/Seasons, Weather, Motoring, Shopping, Food, Etc. Etc. The staff in our Hotel were delighted when I was the only guest to wish them a 'Happy Easter' (in Italian)!! Most languages are covered by SmartPhrase.com - and it is FREE. Chris (Greynomad) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michele Posted September 4, 2006 Share Posted September 4, 2006 [QUOTE]Mel B - 2006-08-19 6:38 PM Carol Have a look at the BBC's French language site at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/lj/ You should be able to find some useful bits on there, we've been doing French at night class for 2 years so have a fairly goodish grasp of the basics now. We still find the AA Pocket Guide French Phrase book very useful as it has lots of basic phrases in of the type you're looking for. It cost us £2.00 (should've been £4.99) last year and you can get it from loads of bookshops, even the discount ones which is where we got ours. At Lidl at the moment they're selling a French dictionary for £1.49 One phrase you might need if you break down again is: "Voux pouvez m'appeler ungarage?" (Could you call a garage for me please?) Or as one unfortunate chap did last year whilst we were there: "J'ai laisse les clefs dans la voiture fermee!" (I've locked the keys in the car) Or, if you've been stopped by the Police this might come in handy: "Puis-je partir maintenant?" (Can I go now?) A bientot Mel B[/QUOTE] Mel B Old topic . I was just wondering If you ever use Babelfish . My daughter speak's quite good french . She say's that it does not translate it enough because you cannot get the verb's . This would explain why no one could read mine . As I Cheated and used Babelfish. Hoping to enrol my husband at college as I cannot do the english let alone the french . As you have no doubt noticed . So I done BSl (british Sign language ) and today passed my 2nd level ... regards :$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mel B Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Congrats on the sign language qualification, I must admit I have thought about doing it myself but never seem to have the time. I French for 2 years at night class with my husband and trying to read your French bits certainly made me wonder just what I had missed!!! Babelfish explains a lot, it's useful to find an odd word to remind yourself but not much else, but it can be wonderful if you do a translation from English into French and then back again, it comes up with some hillarious phrases! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Dwight Posted September 12, 2006 Share Posted September 12, 2006 Well done Michelle. Not easy is it. We have to use Makaton and the problem is as in any spoken language people have dialects, and we find that some of our folks use their own form of Makaton, but we get used to it. David Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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