Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Hello. Hello, Crimson Tide family.
Welcome to French with Carol, the show where we learn French, we discover Francophone culture, and ultimately, we have fun.
I am Carol, your host, and I am happy to be here with you today.
Whether you're walking to class, working in your office, heading to the library, grabbing coffee, or listening from home, this show is for you.
And guess what?
You do not need to know any French to enjoy this program.
Absolutely none.
Today, we're keeping it simple.
We are learning just one word in French. Yes.
Only one word.
But before we get started, I have two special guests in the studio with me. They are students in French 101 at the University of Alabama.
Welcome to French with Carole Abi.
[00:01:19] Speaker B: Thank you. I'm happy to be here.
[00:01:22] Speaker A: You're welcome. Welcome to French with Carol.
[00:01:25] Speaker C: Tristan, thank you for having us.
[00:01:28] Speaker A: You are welcome.
Now, I have to tell our listeners something.
These two are learning French just like some of you might be thinking about doing.
So nobody needs to be perfect. Today we are learning, and we are going to laugh and have fun together.
So are you both ready?
Yes.
Good. All right, let's do this.
It's time for our favorite little segment, le mod du jour.
And that is today's expression.
And today's expression is simple. It's bonjour.
Let's say it together.
[00:02:16] Speaker C: Bonjour.
[00:02:18] Speaker A: Yeah.
Beautiful. And to our listeners, say it with us.
Bonjour.
You don't have to speak loudly. Nobody in the library needs to know you are taking a French lesson. So bonjour.
Excellent.
Now, what does that mean? What does bonjour mean?
It means hello or good morning.
It's a simple way to greet someone during the day.
Let me ask our guest a question.
When you arrived on campus, when you arrive on campus and see a friend, what do you usually say? Abby?
[00:03:03] Speaker B: I usually say, hey, what's up?
[00:03:06] Speaker A: Oh. What about you, Tristan?
[00:03:08] Speaker C: I usually say, hi. How are you?
[00:03:11] Speaker A: Exactly?
Now, imagine you are in Paris or Dakar or Montreal or Paul au Prince or Yaounde. You can start a conversation by saying, bonjour.
And here's the fun part. You can use it with a professor, a classmate, a colleague, a university staff member, or someone helping you at a coffee shop.
It's a very useful word. Simply, bonjour.
Let's practice one more time. I will say it first, and you will repeat after me. So, bonjour.
[00:03:49] Speaker C: Bonjour.
[00:03:50] Speaker A: Thank you. One more time, everybody.
[00:03:54] Speaker C: Bonjour.
[00:03:55] Speaker A: Thank you. There you go. You already speak French.
Okay, maybe just one word. But everybody has to start somewhere, and we can start with bonjour.
Now, learning a word is good.
Using it in a conversation is even better.
So let's do a little role play.
And, Abby, imagine you are arriving at a French class.
I am your classmate, and we are meeting for the first time today.
And I say, bonjour.
[00:04:37] Speaker B: Bonjour.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Yeah, Bonjour. That's great.
And then comment Sava.
[00:04:43] Speaker B: Wait, what does that mean?
[00:04:45] Speaker A: Oh, I love that question.
It means, how are you? Commence means how are you? And you don't need to memorize everything today. Just listen. First comment.
It means how are you?
You can answer sava, which means I'm good or I am. Okay, so let's try that again. Bonjour. Habi comment?
Great.
Tres bien. Trs bien means very good.
Now, Tristan, it's your turn.
You are working into the office, and you see your colleague and you say, bonjour. Comment?
Excellent. Excellent. Sava bien means I'm doing well.
And if you're having a really good day, you can say pre bien. Pre bien means very good.
So let's put it all together.
I will greet you. Abi.
So, bonjour, Abi.
[00:06:01] Speaker B: Bonjour.
[00:06:02] Speaker A: Comment?
[00:06:05] Speaker B: Merci.
[00:06:06] Speaker A: Wonderful.
And merci means thank you.
Look at that. We have learned a few useful words without opening a textbook.
Let's bring this lesson right here at the University of Alabama once more.
Imagine you're walking across the quad. Is it quad? Correct me.
[00:06:28] Speaker B: It's quad.
[00:06:29] Speaker A: Quad. Okay. And you meet a student from your class.
What would you say? Tristan?
[00:06:36] Speaker C: I would say bonjour.
[00:06:38] Speaker A: Exactly.
Now, imagine you're meeting a professor before class. What are you going to say, Abi?
[00:06:46] Speaker B: Bonjour, Professor.
[00:06:47] Speaker A: Very nice. You can say, bonjour, professor, or simply bonjour.
A greeting is a great place to start.
Now, imagine you're working at a university office and someone comes to ask a question. You can welcome them with a simple and friendly bonjour.
And here's something I want everybody to.
Learning a language isn't only about passing an exam is also about connecting with people.
One little word can open the door to a conversation.
So here's my challenge to the UA community. If you meet someone who speaks French, try greeting them with bonjour.
You might make beer day.
Now it's time for parlonculture. Parlon culture.
That means let's talk culture or let's talk about culture.
When people hear the word French, they often think about France, the Eiffel Tower, croissant, or Paris.
And those things are part of the picture. But the Francophone world, it's much more bigger than France.
French Is spoken in many parts of the world, including countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, North America, and the Pacific. For example, French is speaking. Is spoken. Sorry. In Cameroon, where I come from, French is spoken in Senegal, in Cote d', Ivoire, in Haiti, in Belgium, in Switzerland, in Canada.
You see? And people use French in different cultural settings with different accent, just like mine, which might be very funny.
Expressions, traditions, and history.
So, Abi, before you started learning French, what came to your mind when you heard the word French?
[00:08:57] Speaker B: I thought about France and the Eiffel Tower.
[00:08:59] Speaker A: Exactly. And that's normal. It's perfect.
So, Tristan, what about you?
[00:09:06] Speaker C: I thought about food, maybe fashion.
[00:09:09] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
But now, as you learn French, you're also discovering a whole world of people and cultures. I mean, think about it. You're discovering me, Carol, your short teacher from Cameroon. Okay.
And that is one of my favorite things about learning language.
When you learn a language, you don't just learn how to speak words. You. You discover new ways of communicating and understanding people.
So the next time you hear the word francophone or French, remember it refers broadly to people, communities, and places connected to the French language. Their experiences and cultures are wonderful and very diverse.
All right, Crimson Tide family.
Roll Tide.
[00:10:07] Speaker C: Roll Tide.
[00:10:09] Speaker A: It's game time.
Welcome to Le Defy Francais. That is the French challenge.
Today's challenge is easy. I'm going to give you a situation, and you tell me what you would say in French. So ready? Abby and Tristan?
[00:10:28] Speaker C: Ready?
[00:10:29] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:10:30] Speaker A: Question number one. It's 9:00am you're walking into class and you see your classmate. What do you say? Do you say goodbye? Do you say bonjour? Or do you say good night?
[00:10:45] Speaker B: Bonjour.
[00:10:47] Speaker A: Excellent. Excellent. Question number two. You are entering an office and greeting a staff member.
Can you use bonjour?
[00:10:58] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: Absolutely. You can use bonjour in that situation.
Here is question number three.
I say bonjour. When I say bonjour, what do you say back? Abi.
[00:11:12] Speaker B: Bonjour.
[00:11:13] Speaker A: Perfect.
And now one final challenge for everyone listening. I'm going to give you three seconds to say bonjour out loud.
Three, two, one.
[00:11:28] Speaker C: Bonjour.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: I hope in the office.
I hope someone in the office just looked up and wondered what happened.
Congratulations. You've completed your first French with Carol challenge. Okay, before we wrap up, let's review what we have learned today.
Our word of the day is bonjour.
That means hello or good morning.
So we have learned comme unsava, which means how are you? We have learned sava bien, which means I'm doing well. We have Learned. Merci, which means thank you. And we have learned, which means very good. That is comment Sava. Sava. Bien. Merci. Trs bien. Okay, now let's practice one last minute conversation. I will say hello and you will answer me. So. Bonjour.
[00:12:38] Speaker C: Bonjour.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: Comment sa vlog.
Beautiful. Look at you guys. You're already speaking French.
And remember, you don't have to become fluent in French overnight.
One word, one phrase, and one conversation at a time. That's how we learn to our students, faculty, staff, and everyone listening.
You can start learning French right where you are, in your dorm, at a library, on your way to class or during your coffee break. And if you're already taking French, keep practicing.
Every little bit counts.
So, guys, we have reached the end of today's episode of French with Carol.
A big thank you to our two wonderful French French 101 guest for joining me in the studio. Thank you, Abby.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: Thank you. This was fun.
[00:13:47] Speaker A: Thank you. Thank you, Tristan.
[00:13:50] Speaker C: Merci. And bonjour, everyone.
[00:13:52] Speaker A: Bonjour, everyone.
Look at you, Tristan. You're already mixing French and English to everyone listening. Thank you for spending time with us. Thank you for joining us again for one simple French exciting cultural discovery and fun challenges. Until next time, keep learning, keep exploring and keep smiling.
And don't forget your word of the day, which is bonjour.
You've been listening to French with Carol on UA campus media at the University of Alabama. Learn French, discover francophone and culture. Have fun. Have dianto, everyone.
See you soon. This was French with Carolina.
