Both @lumosstudies and @darkrainshines asked me recently for some French pronunciation tips. I hope this helps, y’all

1. Sounds are shorter in French, so you don’t need to move your tongue as much.

2. Say some tongue twisters( like “dans ta tente ta tante t’attend.” (In your tent, your aunt is waiting for you) or “les chaussettes de l’archiduchesse, sont-elles sèches ? Archi-sèches!” (Are the socks of the archduchess dry? Extra dry!)*

3. To pronounce the ‘u’ sound, say an english ‘ee’(like in free) and then move your lips to an ‘ooh’ shape without moving your tongue. I tried this, and it felt funny, but it worked.

4. To pronounce ‘é’, say an ‘ay’ sound .

5. To pronounce ‘r’, try to make the sound in the back of your throat and make it sound more like ‘airrr’. I’m awful at this, so you aren’t the only one if you can’t get it!*

6. H is usually silent

7. The final letter in a word( like an e, s, or really most letters) is silent*

8. Syllables usually kind of run together in French. Therefore, try speaking pretty fast!

9. To pronounce ‘e’(with no accent), try saying it like the e in her.*

10. The last syllable of words is usually stressed more than the others

11. To pronounce ‘oi’, say it like ‘wah’*

1. fixer- to stare

2. revoir- to review

3. lorgner- to leer

4. considérer- to regard

5. loucher- to squint

6. lancer des regards furieux- to glare

7. plonger son regard dans- to bore into

8. entrevoir-  to glimpse

9. inspecter- to view

10. examiner- to survey

11. examiner minutieusement- to scrutinize

12. remarquer- to notice

13. se concentrer sur- to focus on

14. faire un clin d'œil à- to wink

15. observer- to observe

16. faire les yeux ronds- to goggle

17. regarder bêtement - to gawk

18. lire- to read(a room)

19. parcourir rapidement - to scan

Study breaks are really important, but sometimes it can be difficult to think of what to do, or even know what kind of break to take. So here are some suggestions for breaks depending on how you’re feeling at the time. 

Some generic multipurpose breaks:

Yoga or guided meditation.

Moisturise your hands, or paint your nails.

Go to the toilet, and get a drink.

Go for a walk.

Play a game online.

Listen to some music.

Write down a bit of your daydream.

Make a meal.

Play with a pet.

Read an article/wiki page

For when you’re overwhelmed:

Have a relaxing shower with a favourite body wash.

Make sure to step away from your study space, this is important.

Go for a walk; do a short yoga routine, or a 15 minute guided meditation.

Talk to a friend or parent, see if they can give you some support.

Give yourself a treat - like a packet of chocolate buttons, or something small you enjoy. Eat them, and savour them, away from your desk.

For when nothing seems to be coming together:

Make a to-do list of what needs to be done.

Look at the task as if you’ve never seen it before.

Have lunch or a snack, or nice drink. Do it away from your desk.

Do something you enjoy, like reading a bit of a book, or playing a playlist you like.

Talk to someone about the problem; ideally a supportive parent, friend, or teacher

For when you are stressed and want to rip your hair out:

Shower, or have a bath.

Watch funny videos online, or read those funny reviews, like the Haribo gummy bears ones.

A short yoga or guided meditation video can really help (and I’m not one of those ‘yay, yoga’ people, but it can really help).

Do something you are capable of doing without much stress - this could be a chore, a hobby, or something random you like.

Make yourself a drink you enjoy, make it as special as you can, and then find somewhere else to drink it.

When you are bored:

Engage in productive procrastination.

Learn a new skill - such as a basic crochet stitch, or how to start a fire without a lighter.

Watch a TedTalk, or short documentary on YouTube.

Make a study playlist, try to include some music you’ve not heard before.

Find a new recipe to try / place to visit.

Play a quick game online - bingo, pictionary, etc.

When you are hungry, but the bored kind of hungry:

Try eating something that takes longer to prepare. Not just a snack that’s quick to grab, but something that takes a little more time. Cut up your fruit, make it look nice; make several snacks that can be stored for latter or another day.

Take a few minutes to some pictures of your study space or notes, edit them and make them into a post ready to pop on your blog.

Go for a wander. It needn’t be outside, even walking around the stacks in a library and looking for some interesting titles can give you a break (and an inflated reading list, so do this one at your peril).

Paint your nails, or do some cuticle maintenance by moisturising them.

Spend five minutes on Pinterest looking at ideas for crafts or something you enjoy (make sure to set a timer for this, it’s easy to be distracted).

When you haven’t taken a break in a while because breaks are for wussies:

Read about the Pomodoro method and how it helps boost productivity. Use a free timer app to give it a go.

Zentangle, relaxation colouring, going to the toilet, etc.

Just chil-lout. Seriously, do something to relax yourself. You need a break!

When literally anything is more interesting than what you’re supposed to be doing:

Go for a short walk, or do a few stretches away from your study space.

Watch a TedTalk on something interesting or a totally random subject.

Find an article/wiki page on something you know nothing about. Remember to limit yourself, time-wise, on this sort of thing.

Organise your bag/folder/pencil case (anything small you have on you).

Listen to some music in a target language/language you would like to learn.

When something keeps distracting you:

If it’s something you can get rid of, try to do that.

If it’s something you need to do, if possible, then to do it.

If it’s a thought that won’t go away, take five minutes and write it down in as much detail as you can, and then put it away for later.

Leave your study space for a moment, get up and walk around a bit, maybe stretch your neck, back and arms.

Tell your pet what’s wrong. Bonus if you do this in another language.

For when you feel like giving up:

This is a good time to step away from your work and doing something else entirely for a little while. Take a longer break, watch an episode of a show you like, or browse for some new music, read a bit of a book.

Take a shower.

Make yourself a drink and something to eat, and eat it away from your desk. Relax a bit while you’re doing so, and set up a pomodoro-style timer when you get back to studying, so you can remember you’ll soon have another break.

Engage in a small act of kindness.

Pet a cute fluffy friend.

When you feel entirely unproductive:

Perform some productive procrastination! Vacuum the house; wipe down a window, scrub the kitchen tiles, reorganise your underwear drawer. Pick a chore that needs doing and do that. Honestly, even just tidying a bookshelf, or taking your washing out of your room, or packing away some clothes can help. Do something where you will be able to see a visible difference that your actions have made.

Spend half an hour on a hobby you like - knit, make origami swans, fiddle around with a robotics project.

That thing you’ve been putting off? Go on, go and do it, and tick it off your check-list.

Can’t pay the full amount you owe on a bill? Pay as much as you can each month. Most places just wanna know you’re making a good faith effort. You can usually even call and ask for a smaller minimum monthly payment plan until you catch up, so that maybe you won’t be getting late fees added on to your balance. It’s worth calling to see. 

Third time you’ve had to reschedule that doctor’s appointment? Oh well. Your doc probably just wants to make sure you make it in to their office at all. Keep trying.

Half-assing is always better than no-assing folks. I know lots of us are anxiety-ridden perfectionists and it feels like if we can’t do everything exactly right on the first try we just shouldn’t bother. But that’s not true. 

Consider getting a backpack if you’re gonna do a lot of walking / carrying a lot of stuff to and from uni

Bring all types of clothes. NB this does not mean bring all your clothes don’t do that. Bring clothes for professional stuff, going out, casual clothes, comfy clothes. Bring a bit of everything.

Stock up on easy but semi-healthy snacks. It prevents you from snacking on unhealthy thing, and they’re a+ if you have back-to-back lectures

Keep a plastic bag in your bag / backpack!!! This has saved my laptop and my books from getting ruined so many times when a downpour has snuck up on me, and I could just put my laptop and books in the plastic bag. 

Make a consistent sleep schedule for yourself, even if you don’t have a set time you have to get up every day. It’ll make you feel more organised and make you sleep better

Break down big projects / assignments into smaller tasks and start working on them early. You don’t want to be writing your 3,000 word essay the night before. 

Get a hobby or get involved. Find something that you enjoy doing outside of school, that isn’t watching Netflix. It can be absolutely anything.

Don’t go out or do anything if you really don’t want to, but try to keep an open mind and give things a shot. NB this is not an encouragement to do anything illegal don’t do that. Even if you don’t end up loving it, who knows what’ll happen or who you’ll meet.

Try your best not to eat junk 24/7. It’s hard to be super healthy in uni, but make sure to get some nutrition, or else you’re gonna feel like shit

Devotes time to one language

Discovers more languages

Wants to learn them

Tries to juggle learning 58 languages at once

Can’t

Goes back to one language

pure love

a kind heart

prosperity

genuine happiness

honesty and transparency

softness

hope

good art