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When in French: love in a second language
(CD Audiobook)

Book Cover
Average Rating
Published:
[New York] : Penguin Random House, [2016].
Physical Desc:
6 audio discs (7 hr., 30 min.) : CD audio, digital ; 4 3/4 in.
Status:
Isleton
CD 448.0092 C712 2016
Valley Hi-North Laguna
CD 448.0092 C712 2016
Description

When New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins moves to Geneva, Switzerland, she decides to learn French--not just to be able to go about her day-to-day life, but in order to be closer to her French husband and his family. When in French is at once a hilarious and idiosyncratic memoir about the things we do for love, and an exploration across cultures and history into how we learn languages, and what they say about who we are. In her late twenties, Lauren Collins moved to London, and fell in love with, and married, Olivier, a handsome French mathematician. When he has to relocate to Geneva for his work, she decides to go with him. In Geneva, however, Lauren is lost for words, literally: not only can she not communicate to the local chimney-sweep when he visits, but, watching Olivier converse fluently in French every day, she is also made painfully aware that she has never really spoken to her husband in his own language. She can say, "au revoir" and "bonjour" but that's about it. "Hello and goodbye were a pair of bookends," she writes, "propping up a vast library of blank volumes, void almanacs, novels full of sentiment I couldn't apprehend." What will happen when she has children? she wonders. If they grow up speaking French, will they be stuck with a "Borat of a mother" who can't properly understand them? So she embarks on a quest to learn French, and, in doing so, must tangle with the intricacies of French culture--which, it turns out, is a far cry from family life back home in North Carolina. Down the rabbit hole of French Collins hurtles; role-playing with her classmates at language school; coming to terms with antique French social customs; accidentally writing explicit "thank you" notes to her French in-laws; and delving into the strange and wonderful history of humanity's many forms of language. When in French is a moving, laugh-out-loud funny memoir about falling in love, learning another language, and living far from home, as well as a freewheeling history of language. Collins investigates, among other things, how children acquire speech, the history of the idea of "American" as its own language, and why we don't trust people who adopt accents. (Her own father takes on a southern accent after moving to North Carolina, much to her mother's chagrin.) Plumbing the depths of the mysteries of foreign languages, Collins confesses--with style, sparkling humor, and touching honesty--to the frustrations, pleasures, surprises, and, finally, satisfactions of learning French.

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Status
Isleton
CD 448.0092 C712 2016
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Valley Hi-North Laguna
CD 448.0092 C712 2016
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More Details
Format:
CD Audiobook
Language:
English
ISBN:
9780735288171, 0735288178

Notes

General Note
Unabridged.
Participants/Performers
Read by Khristine Hvam.
Description
When New Yorker staff writer Lauren Collins moves to Geneva, Switzerland, she decides to learn French--not just to be able to go about her day-to-day life, but in order to be closer to her French husband and his family. When in French is at once a hilarious and idiosyncratic memoir about the things we do for love, and an exploration across cultures and history into how we learn languages, and what they say about who we are. In her late twenties, Lauren Collins moved to London, and fell in love with, and married, Olivier, a handsome French mathematician. When he has to relocate to Geneva for his work, she decides to go with him. In Geneva, however, Lauren is lost for words, literally: not only can she not communicate to the local chimney-sweep when he visits, but, watching Olivier converse fluently in French every day, she is also made painfully aware that she has never really spoken to her husband in his own language. She can say, "au revoir" and "bonjour" but that's about it. "Hello and goodbye were a pair of bookends," she writes, "propping up a vast library of blank volumes, void almanacs, novels full of sentiment I couldn't apprehend." What will happen when she has children? she wonders. If they grow up speaking French, will they be stuck with a "Borat of a mother" who can't properly understand them? So she embarks on a quest to learn French, and, in doing so, must tangle with the intricacies of French culture--which, it turns out, is a far cry from family life back home in North Carolina. Down the rabbit hole of French Collins hurtles; role-playing with her classmates at language school; coming to terms with antique French social customs; accidentally writing explicit "thank you" notes to her French in-laws; and delving into the strange and wonderful history of humanity's many forms of language. When in French is a moving, laugh-out-loud funny memoir about falling in love, learning another language, and living far from home, as well as a freewheeling history of language. Collins investigates, among other things, how children acquire speech, the history of the idea of "American" as its own language, and why we don't trust people who adopt accents. (Her own father takes on a southern accent after moving to North Carolina, much to her mother's chagrin.) Plumbing the depths of the mysteries of foreign languages, Collins confesses--with style, sparkling humor, and touching honesty--to the frustrations, pleasures, surprises, and, finally, satisfactions of learning French.
System Details
Compact discs.
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Citations
APA Citation (style guide)

Collins, L., & Hvam, K. (2016). When in French: love in a second language. [New York], Penguin Random House.

Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)

Collins, Lauren and Khristine, Hvam. 2016. When in French: Love in a Second Language. [New York], Penguin Random House.

Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)

Collins, Lauren and Khristine, Hvam, When in French: Love in a Second Language. [New York], Penguin Random House, 2016.

MLA Citation (style guide)

Collins, Lauren and Khristine Hvam. When in French: Love in a Second Language. [New York], Penguin Random House, 2016.

Note! Citation formats are based on standards as of July 2022. Citations contain only title, author, edition, publisher, and year published. Citations should be used as a guideline and should be double checked for accuracy.
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Grouped Work ID:
f222c7fe-f85c-8a51-6a1c-dfebd115abf0
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Record Information

Last Sierra Extract TimeMar 21, 2024 07:38:20 PM
Last File Modification TimeMar 21, 2024 07:38:35 PM
Last Grouped Work Modification TimeMar 29, 2024 02:17:20 AM

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