Over the years, you have seen these treasured keys in various scenes at our old vineyard and here, in the window seat at Mas des Brun. Today, I am giving away a precious third key! Reader Gus Ellison won the first in 2012, and shared these touching photos. It's time to share one more cherished antique French key… in today's post. (Notice Jackie in the photo. She leaves tomorrow for her couture internship in Paris…)
TODAY'S WORD
la clé (klay)
: key
PRENDRE LA CLE DES CHAMPS = To make off with the goods.
AUDIO FILE: Who will run off with today's treasured antique? Follow these instructions and enter to win (you may listen to the instructions here in French, if you wish)
Une clé. Si vous souhaitez gagner une clé issue de ma collection antique, veuillez, s'il vous plaît, cliquez sur le lien suivant et visitez mon nouveau sponsor. Merci, également, de laisser un commentaire pour le tirage au sort.
A key. If you wish to win a key from my antique collection, please click on the following link and visit my new sponsor. Thanks also to leave a comment to enter the drawing.
COMMENTS
To enter today's drawing, click on the banner, above, and tell us what you saw at the FluentU website that appealed to the French learner inside of you! Click here to comment and bon chance!
A MORE NATURAL WAY TO LEARN A LANGUAGE
FluentU is a great new way to learn languages with music videos, movie trailers, news, and more. It's the perfect way to learn French with video context and cultural immersion. They have a terrific website (click here) and just launched their iPhone app today. Check it out!
Smokey says: Step right up! One of these antique French keys may soon be yours!
Simply click on my sponsor link, here, then come back and leave a message in this comments box telling us what you like about FluentU's approach to learning the French language.
Smokey will toss lucky stardust on your comment when you forward this post to a friend. Lucky star dust just might make the difference in winning today's very personal gift: an antique key to the French language. I promise to choose a wonderful key for you and to announce the winner in the next week… from Paris! Your key will then be posted, before June 20th, from The City of Light (La Ville de Lumière).
These treasured keys were spotted in a brocant in 2008 and are a real trouvaille! Read the story here.
Thank you so much for participating in this very special giveaway, made possible by FluentU. When you visit the FluentU site, you sprinkle Lucky Star dust on Kristi's French Language journal, still trucking in its 14th year online, and sharing the goal of FluentU: to make online language learning accessible to all who wish to speak a foreign language.
Click here to say something about FluentU's language approach and to be automatically entered in the drawing.
LEARN MORE THAN FRENCH!
FluentU is currently available for Chinese, Spanish, French, English, German and Japanese. Check it out.
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What a fantastic idea collecting keys. Well I can’t afford to collect French houses. Would love to, so French keys is obviously the next best thing. I’ll put them on my 2015 vide grenier hit list on Pinterest😍
Hello, Smokey! I visited Fluent U- I’ve not heard of the website before. I found it a bit confusing to be honest, but I liked the videos and the choice menu as to where I wanted to start. Thank you for the sweet giveaway.
Hi, I visited Fluent-U. The idea of working with real situations for immersive language education is interesting. I have tried Duolingo, but with my rusty grammar, I did not find I was really learning anything vs mimicking. I may try Fluent-U to improve my rusty French speaking skills!
Each key holds a mystery and a story unknown to us. That’s what makes them precious. Likewise, learning French with the FluentU can open many doors to us, as well. I particularly like the idea of learning a language is one is not available to be in a classroom all the time. Thanks for sharing that opportunity.
Oh keys yes keys, Le Cle! I read Tarot and Cartomancy in France and the deck I use is a Lenormand deck based on Mme. Lenormand, Napolean’s astrologist/tarot reader and the most famous fortune teller in Europe at that time. The Cle card, Karmic Key of Destiny is my favorite card and how lovely it would be to have an antique key to go with it. Fluent U looks like fun and a somewhat different approach so I am giving it a go.
FluentU will allow me to follow my whims, interests and personality into another world- for another world is what a new language gives. At my speed, at my time. Kristin, quelle vie formidable vous avez trouvé en apprenant le français.
This seems like a great addition to all the ways I try to incorporate French into my brain. Being able to stop and learn that one word in a sentence that you don’t know is fabulous. Thanks for finding these folks and hooking us up!
My brain needs constant nurturing to retain a second language. FluentU may just turn me into a European language mistress yet. Love the ability to sidetrack when you already know something but the level I have chosen helps me consolidate when required.
Je ai suivi “mot français par jour” depuis mon arrivée à Parcoul (24). Il a été une merveilleuse chance de suivre langue française et les faits et gestes quotidiens de la famille Espinasse.
I centainly need all the help I can get with my French. Excited to check out Fleunt U. Kristin, hope you are well. Moving on to Bonnieux tomorrow.
Love the idea! I’m a visual learner, so anything to help in that regard is wonderfu! Just downloaded the app! Merci bien!
This program is just what’re I need as I am a visual learner. I also am impressed by how the program is organized. Another good feature is that the program alerts the user before the review starts.
FluentU looks interesting, although a bit pricy. I am, at the moment, trying to learn Tamazight, which is a Berber language. I have very few resources for this, so it would be wonderful if some company would pick this up. Hello, FluentU? And anyway, I would adore having an antique French la clé.
Just watched the video of darth vader disciplining his cat “son” about not doing homework. Great way to learn the language!
Fluentu offers the clever twists and turns of real language usage. We miss so many puns and double entendres of marketing and such when we study a language academically. Looks like an interesting approach. Love the key–I remember the post when you found them!
A video approach! Brilliant, FluentU!
Merci! I visited the site and signed up. I like that all videos are subtitled in French and have English translations and links to new words.
I agree that fun videos seem like a much more interesting way to improve language mastery. I also liked their suggestions on the 10 best t.v. shows to improve French – I can’t wait to see “Camera Cafe”! I’m sure it’ll have me laughing while learning some interesting vocab.
I will give it a look see. Planning on France next year for our 40 th Wedding Anniversary. My 5 years of French in high school I have not retained! Excited to relearn with Fluentu.
I have already been learning with Fluent U. I love the short videos on different subject matter to keep it interesting. I wish there was a way to hind the subtitles but I get around that by just covering them for the first run through.
When I visited the web site FluentU it reminded me of what my French instructor said 35 years ago when I asked how I could speed up my French learning. “Regardez la télé!” he responded seriously. It seems FluentU has improved on the concept. Neat idea.
I’m a recent convert to the “smaller bits, but more frequent exposure” approach to learning a language for better retention at my less-than-young age. It looks like FluentU might be a convenient tool for this approach.
FluentU seems very useful for language learners at all levels. Videos of spoken language. Flash cards, quizzes and assessment of what is learned help with learning and motivation
A good idea to keep current with videos and conversation! I will download the app! And, a key is a great idea, but you already have the key to our hearts!
I signed up for Fluentu because it does look like a very useful resource. Smokey looks adorable, I hope he is doing well. And I love antique keys!
I have been just this week looking for a new approach to acquiring language skills. FluentU looks like a fun “authentic” approach to language learning. The fact that it is available as an “app” is appealing to me. This would be convenient for my busy life! Thanks for the connection!
Very interesting approach! I will try almost anything different to increase my comprehension !
Fluent U seems as though it is certainly worth a try as a new key to the French language. So happy they have joined you as a sponsor also.
Looks like fun. As they say…a picture is worth a thousand words!
Love the self paced videos 🙂
Thanks for introducing me Fluent U. I am planning to fully check it out soon.
Thank you for another French language resource: FluentU will add variety to learning French. There’s nothing compared to full immersion(been there-done that! and highly recommended)but until my next trip FluentU will be embraced and helpful I’m sure.
I like the idea of learning with real world videos. Looks like a program that is worth exploring further. And I love those keys!!
Fluent U est fantastique! Now when I need an excuse to sit down and rest, I can have fun brushing up on my French instead of playing solitaire. Gagner une cle serait fantastique aussi.
FluentU will be a huge help to me as I try to learn enough French to navigate my way through France comfortably. I’m a “visual” learner and need to see the words being spoken. So glad to be pointed in their direction. Oh how I’d love to be the lucky winner of the antique key. First the key, then the chateau, right? Thanks for the chance to win!
Salut Kristin,
I’ll be watching for FluentU’s android version for my tablet which I use while summering in Flagstaff.
Here’s a link to a poem written for Paulette and Gus after winning their key.
http://herms-rhyme-thyme.blogspot.com/2012/03/key.html
à plus tard
What a wonderful app for learning French on the go! Also many thanks for your weekly words and I’m sure my French will improve greatly. Merci!
Wish I had had FluentU when I was preparing for my first trip to France a few years ago. One shop owner in Arles said to my friend (who spoke fluent French), “Thank you for learning our language.”
I like that it’s classified up by level (beginner, intermediate, advanced etc)and videos would be great for remembering content.
FluentU looks interesting! I plan to use it with my daughter when school gets out, as she is interested in language and our school district does not offer French (quelle horreur!!). I look forward to your posts every week!
FluentU may be the “key” to improving my skills in understanding spoken French! I like the idea of stopping videos to identify particular words. I am looking forward to practicing. (I am also looking forward to displaying a lovely French key!)
Merci. Quelle bonne idée. Le clé d’apprendre le français. 🙂
I would love to win a key from France.. I love French and hope to one day visit France too. Merci!
Bonjour Smokey! FluentU will help me get over the first jittery beginnings of learning more French. Merci 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this website with us!! It’s marvelous! The variety of videos, how you can stop and learn more about a word, hear it pronounced…wow!! It really is a helpful key to learning. Very user friendly and free to sign up, what could be better. We will all be able to speak this beautiful language and have fun learning!!
I love the French keys! FluentU is a great idea and I love the videos. Then you are able to look up words that you don’t understand. It is helpful to have it subtitled to really understand the words in the video. Sometimes words sounds similar. I am wondering about the Chinese words next to the presentation of French videos…? But I am interested in trying it. Thank you for the recommendation! I will be in France in October so I would love to enjoy a French key!
Just downloaded the FluentU app! Can’t wait to get started! I’ve tried to learn French on my own so many times, usually not getting past the greetings! I love the videos…very helpful!
Again thank you for another very visual way to learn the French language. My grandmother was from Paris but back then you came to American to be an American and to leave all remanents of your past life behind. I was never taught or spoken to in French but used to love being with her and her best friend as they spoke and spoke I. The most beautiful language ever. A French key would hang next to her picture on my wall.
Fantastic website as it helps train the ear to native French speech which is much faster than what occurs in a classroom and not static, which is what you encounter in printed lessons. This is definitely a great addition to any French learner’s library. Thank you, Kristn for adding this to your website! Winning a key would be the icing on the cake. 🙂
Watching the FluentU video within an hour of arising was annoying – busy music, narrator with forced ‘happy’ voice, fast moving clips from one to another concept of feature. Perhaps I am simply not awake enough after an hour, but this program looked like a busy, scolding, noisy approach to learning a language. “We’ll remind you when it’s time to review” in a fake sounding cheerful voice.
No thank you – french word a day brings me friendly, warm glimpses of life and language in France with real people in real situations. This is good.
Canned created videos with apparent actors with a background of fast paced music is an experience to which I am grateful to be able to say No!
If I were required by my job to learn a language quickly this might be good.