As usual, the rentrée has been busy and my blogging has been a little sporadic. But with the shiny new lockdown, things have quietened down (a bit) and I’m back. Rather than following the ups and down of being stuck at home, again, I thought about my English copywriting experience and what I can bring…
Category: English language
British English & American English – friend, foe or family?
Millions across the globe speak English. Millions more learn the language of both Shakespeare and Donald Trump. Yet, behind this apparently monolithic or, at least coherent, term lies a more nuanced reality. In England alone there are still more than 37 dialects. And many more have been trampled and erased by the passage of time.…
Just how easy is it to become bilingual?
I’ve been living and working in France for quite a while now. I use thousands of French words every day, but when the crunch comes, I always have to slightly adjust what I want to say or unconsciously opt for the same phrases I use on a rather too regular basis. We all do this,…
English Copywriter in Paris: English on the Way
I recently spent a lush green week walking along the Camino de Santiago (St. James’ Way) in Northern Spain. We crossed paths with an exciting linguistic and cultural hotpot of walkers from all over the world. No, this isn’t just an excuse to boast about my latest holiday. There is a linguistic point to this…
English Copywriter in Paris: accent-uating class difference
In my last post I talked about accents when speaking foreign languages. Now my musings have moved on to accents in English. I keep coming back to the question of how far we judge people by their accents. A memory from my Cambridge uni days suddenly springs to mind. Still dominated by middle class southerners,…
English Copywriter in Paris: living in limbo
© Giulia Agostinelli, Flickr Living in foreign country is a fabulous and enriching experience. As a Brit who’s been living in Paris for the last 5 years, I can safely say that you learn a lot about yourself, another culture and also (more surprisingly) about your own country. As I toppled off the train at…
English Copywriter in Paris: words without translation
In one of my recent posts, I mentioned some of my favourite French words with no direct English translation. This got me digging and I’ve come up with some more delightfully unique words both in French and other languages. Here’s my little list. French words no English equivalent La douleur exquise: the heart-wrenching pain of…
English Copywriter in Paris: parlez-vous anglais?
Parisians don’t speak English. The French are useless at learning languages. French people find the English accent sexy. The list of stereotypes about the relationship between French people and the English language is long… and filled with some half-truths and plenty of plain nonsense. Based on my 6 years living in the French capital, including…
English Copywriter in Paris: Easter meanings
Easter will soon be busily celebrated across the world with a multitude of church services and even more chocolate gobbling. But, where does the word “Easter” actually come from? 1.) According to some sources, the word Easter has its origin in an Anglo-Saxon goddess called Eostre (also Estre, Estara, Eastre & Ostara). It is believed…
English Copywriter in Paris: A little less English?
I recently applied for French nationality. Partly in a reaction against Brexit. Partly because (nearly) my whole life is based in Paris now: my clients, my apartment, my partner and now my soon-to-be-born child, who will be educated in France and feel more French than British. This decision got me asking lots of questions. Does…