Book picks similar to
Lonely Planet French Phrasebook & Dictionary by Lonely Planet
language
non-fiction
travel
french
The Chambers Dictionary
Ian Brookes - 1901
It contains a wealth of appendices with information from chemical elements to first names, and the plays of Shakespeare to the Greek and Hebrew alphabets. This edition contains definitions of more than 500 new words.
From Source to Sea
Tom Chesshyre - 2017
He’s walking the length of the river from the Cotswolds to the North Sea – a winding journey of over two hundred miles. Join him for an illuminating stroll past meadows, churches, palaces, country (and council) estates, factories and dockyards. Seeing some familiar sights through new eyes, and meeting a host of interesting characters along the way, Tom explores the living present and remarkable past of England’s longest and most iconic river.
My (Part-Time) Paris Life: How Running Away Brought Me Home
Lisa Anselmo - 2016
Lisa Anselmo wrapped her entire life around her mother, a strong woman who was a defining force in her daughter’s life—maybe too defining. When her mother dies from breast cancer, Lisa realizes she hadn’t built a life of her own, and struggles to find her purpose. Who is she without her mother—and her mother’s expectations? Desperate for answers, she reaches for a lifeline in the form of an apartment in Paris, refusing to play it safe for the first time. What starts out as a lurching act of survival sets Lisa on a course that reshapes her life in ways she never could have imagined. But how can you imagine a life bigger than anything you’ve ever known? In the vein of Eat, Pray, Love and Wild, My (Part-time) Paris Life a story is for anyone who’s ever felt lost or hopeless, but still holds out hope of something more. This candid memoir explores one woman’s search for peace and meaning, and how the ups and downs of expat life in Paris taught her to let go of fear, find self-worth, and create real, lasting happiness.
Lost in Translation: An Illustrated Compendium of Untranslatable Words from Around the World
Ella Frances Sanders - 2014
Did you know that the Japanese language has a word to express the way sunlight filters through the leaves of trees? Or that there’s a Finnish word for the distance a reindeer can travel before needing to rest? Lost in Translation brings to life more than fifty words that don’t have direct English translations with charming illustrations of their tender, poignant, and humorous definitions. Often these words provide insight into the cultures they come from, such as the Brazilian Portuguese word for running your fingers through a lover’s hair, the Italian word for being moved to tears by a story, or the Swedish word for a third cup of coffee. In this clever and beautifully rendered exploration of the subtleties of communication, you’ll find new ways to express yourself while getting lost in the artistry of imperfect translation.
The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language
John McWhorter - 2001
While laying out how languages mix and mutate over time, linguistics professor John McWhorter reminds us of the variety within the species that speaks them, and argues that, contrary to popular perception, language is not immutable and hidebound, but a living, dynamic entity that adapts itself to an ever-changing human environment.Full of humor and imaginative insight, The Power of Babel draws its illustrative examples from languages around the world, including pidgins, Creoles, and nonstandard dialects.
Collins Robert French Dictionary: French-English English-French
Collins - 1978
A newly revised and updated French dictionary offers more than 130,000 contemporary references and 215,000 translations, along with thousands of idiomatic phrases for the French business traveler, tourist, or student.
Cambridge IELTS 4 Academic
University of Cambridge - 2005
An introduction to these different modules is included in each book, together with an explanation of the scoring system used by Cambridge ESOL. A comprehensive section of answers and tapescripts makes the material ideal for students working partly or entirely on their own. A self-study pack (Student's Book with answers and Audio CD) is also available.
The Little Book of Icelandic: On the idiosyncrasies, delights and sheer tyranny of the Icelandic language
Alda Sigmundsdóttir - 2016
In this book, Alda Sigmundsdóttir looks at the Icelandic language with wit and humour, and how it reflects the heart and soul of the Icelandic people and their culture. Many of the Icelanders' idioms and proverbs, their meaning and origins, are discussed, as is the Icelanders' love for their language and their attempts to keep it pure through the ongoing construction of new words and terminology. There is a section on Icelandic curse words as well as Icelandic slang, which is mostly derived from English. Throughout, this book deconstructs Icelandic vocabulary, and the often-hilarious, almost naive, ways in which words are made. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in the Icelandic people, their culture - and of course their language.
The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language
Steven Pinker - 1994
With deft use of examples of humor and wordplay, Steven Pinker weaves our vast knowledge of language into a compelling story: language is a human instinct, wired into our brains by evolution. The Language Instinct received the William James Book Prize from the American Psychological Association and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America. This edition includes an update on advances in the science of language since The Language Instinct was first published.
German Quickly: A Grammar for Reading German
April Wilson - 1993
It teaches the fundamentals for reading German literary and scholarly texts of all levels of difficulty. It can be used as an introductory text for scholars with no background in German, or it can serve as a reference text for students wishing to review German. The grammar explanations are detailed and clear, addressing common problems students encounter while learning to read German. The book includes thought-provoking and entertaining reading selections, consisting mainly of aphorisms and proverbs. There are also 12 appendices, including a summary of German grammar, a partial answer key, strategies for learning German, and an extensive humanities vocabulary. April Wilson has been offering German reading courses to graduate students in the University of Chicago community since 1972. Her courses have an excellent reputation for providing students with the essentials of German grammar, quickly.
Reading the OED: One Man, One Year, 21,730 Pages
Ammon Shea - 2008
aIam reading the OED so you donat have to. If you are interested in vocabulary that is both spectacularly useful and beautifully useless, read on...a So reports Ammon Shea, the tireless, word-obsessed, and more than slightly masochistic author of Reading the OED, The word loveras Mount Everest, the OED has enthralled logophiles since its initial publication 80 years ago. Weighing in at 137 pounds, it is the dictionary to end all dictionaries. In 26 chapters filled with sharp wit, sheer delight, and a documentarianas keen eye, Shea shares his year inside the OED, delivering a hair-pulling, eye-crossing account of reading every word, and revealing the most obscure, hilarious, and wonderful gems he discovers along the way.
Stuff Parisians Like: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi
Olivier Magny - 2010
To be mistaken for a Parisian, readers must buy the newspaper Le Monde, fold it, and walk. Then sit at a café and make phone calls. Be sure to order San Pellegrino, not any other kind of fizzy water. They shouldn't be surprised when a waiter brings out two spoons after they order le moelleux au chocolat- it is understood that the dessert is too sinfully delicious not to share. Go to l'île Saint-Louis-all Parisians are irredeemably in love with that island. Feel free to boldly cross the street whenever the impulse strikes-pedestrian crosswalks are too dangerous. If they take a cruise on the Seine, they will want to stand outside, preferably with their collar popped up. If they want to decorate, may we suggest the photographs of Robert Doisneau? To truly be cool in Paris, own an iPhone, wear Converse sneakers, and order sushi. And as they stroll through the Luxembourg Gardens, remember-they can't go wrong wearing black.
France (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
Nicola Williams - 1999
This book features information on gourmet self-catering, and a food chapter that serves up the cuisine culture, food history and recipes.