Did you know that the French engineer Clément Ader invented the word avion?

Did you know that the first flight in France was made in 1890 by the engineer Clément ADER who also invented the word  "avion" and influenced the Wright brothers in America ? French aviation history offers a lot of very famous names like Saint -Exupery, Closterman, Nungesser . But names like Mermoz or Hélène Boucher , the French Amy Johnson , are not so well known and a lot of people think that Roland Garros was a " joueur de tennis" rather than a pilot.
Elisabeth who is a French tutor with Alliance Française will give a talk  which will present pilots male and female, the "as des as" of the First World War as well as French pilots who joined the RAF during the Second World War, and many, many others as dedicated and enthusiastic,"  héros et pionniers des temps modernes". The whole presentation is done with the aid of Powerpoint  and has attracted a huge range of interest parties.
This talk is for students taking French tuition with Alliance Française de Bristol but is also open to anyone interested and is suitable for people with a GCSE level in French.
The talk  will take place on Friday, 19th November at 7.30pm;  For more info:

Drama Course Starting Soon!

You like speaking French? Why not improve your communication skills with our theatre workshop? Learning in context improves memory, while being involved physically and emotionally will boost your confidence.

Join us! All you need is a willingness to participate and a good GCSE level. 

We start a new series of 10 sessions on Tuesday November 2nd at 8 p.m. in Southville (each lasting 1.30-Tuesday nights @ Comedy Box, BS3 1JF). We still have a few spaces. To enrol or simply find out more, please send an email to info@theatre-vo.com, visit our Alliance Française de Bristol website or call Audrey on 0781 659 0609. The price is £160.

"Theatre VO is a completely different way of learning French; it's amazing how much you take in without even realising it. Acting was never really my thing- but acting in French is completely different!! It's great fun and I'd recommend the course to anyone who wants to improve their ability to speak French." - Rosie

You'd like to see more? 

You can even follow us on Facebook or on Twitter (@afbristol) so you get to know about French events.

Theatre VO also offers tailored workshops for schools and businesses. For more info, visit www.theatre-vo.com

Did you go to see the Misanthrope? What did you think? Tell us about your favourite French theatre quote!

Did you know that the Autumn fruit la mirabelle comes from Lorraine?

La mirabelle is a tiny plum slightly bigger than a cherry, it has a nice reddish golden colour and is sweet and juicy. It was first planted in Lorraine, the orchards now produce mirabelles from mid-August to early October.
Its name comes from the Latin and means: belle à voir ( nice to look at).
It is lovely to eat as a piece of fruit or cooked to accompany venison or veal.
Try some next time you go to France. Buy them on a market so that you can choose some nice juicy ones.
Bon appétit!

If you are interested in food and cooking, why not  try our next French cookery course? It is run by one of our French tutors who is also a French chef.
For more info:

Some short poems written by a student taking French tuition with Alliance française de Bristol

Michael started to take French lessons last March, he had very little French then. Here are a couple of poems he wrote after 15 hours of French tuition:

Ton image dans le miroir
Ton parfum flotte dans l'air
Au point du jour je pleure
Parce que tu n'es pas là.


Les livres sur la table
Mon stylo dans ma main
J'écoute chaque mot que tu parles
Je vais être chagrin quand je vais partir.


We had looked at the beginning of the poem by Jacques Prévert, Alicante:
Une orange sur la table
Ta robe sur le tapis
Et toi dans mon lit

I had asked my students to imagine a poem in the same vein.
What about having a go yourselves and adding your own poems in the Comments?

More info about our courses:

French classes in Bristol and Bath: Did you know?

Did you know that our French classes are starting again either the last week of September or the first week of October?
We still have a few places left so hurry up and contact us to be assessed and then join!
A complete beginner's class will start in Bristol on 22nd November.

To find out more:

Going back to school: did you know?

Did you know that going back to school was called: la rentrée? You have probably noticed the big signs in supermarkets for la rentrée des classes. Young children are very excited as they choose their new pencil cases ( la trousse), their satchel ( le cartable), exercise book covers ( le protège cahier) and their homework books ( le cahier de textes). All this school material is called les fournitures scolaires. Textbooks also have to be purchased as they are not provided by schools. September is a very expensive month for families! The state provides some subsidies ( une allocation rentrée) to struggling families of around 100 euros.

If you would like to find out more about French culture and French lessons now is the time to contact us:

French holidays: Did you know?

Did you know that the majority of French people take their holiday in July (les juilletistes ) or in August (les aoûtiens). The busiest weekend of the year is the last weekend of July when there is: le chassé croisé des juilletistes et des aoûtiens, it means that the July holiday makers are going home towards the North whereas the August holiday makers are heading towards the South and the sun.That particular weekend is well known for its traffic jams ( bouchons or embouteillages). Motorists are given advice for alternative routes ( les itinéraires bis), on the radio, on TV, on the Internet or on signs on motorways by Bison Futé ( clever buffalo). Bison Futé is symbolized by a sign with a small native American and was created by Le Centre d'information routière , equivalent of the AA.

Advice: Avoid travelling through France on that weekend but also on the first weekend of July, around the 14th July and the 15th August when traffic is very heavy too.

Why not  think about joining one of our classes on your return from a lovely holiday in France?
For more info,