For the discerning francophile….
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There are those among you –lovers and users of the French language- who are very happy when you can finally reach conversational level and be understood and understand enough in France to have a good time with friends, neighbours, etc… or even to deal with the plumber. For you, spelling is not really an issue, but idioms and slang might be.
There are those among you who need to send and respond to emails in French, write reports, etc… and for you, the correct use of grammar becomes more important.
There are those among you who like to devour the French press, read French books, enjoy magazines, etc… and for you a handy dictionary is a must ; or one online which holds off-the-beaten-track expressions.
And then there are those among you who revel in the art and pleasure of speaking perfectly, who read in French and listen to programmes everyday, who love a bit of translation, who in fact won’t put the book down until they have found the exact translation. You know who you are….
For all of you, dear lovers of my language, there are brilliant online sites, ready to answer all of your questions ; from the right word to use, to its more vernacular alternative ; form the correct past participle agreement, to the difficult or irregular conjugation ; and even the proper punctuation or a bit of “argot” (slang)! These sites are both fun and useful, easy and quick to use. Enjoy!