Goals
What you'll be able to doBy the end of this lesson, you can:
- Recognize key French artists (actors, painters, writers, musicians)
- Describe the position of people in a photo or image (left, right, next to…)
- Read a short French poem
- Discover the major French luxury brands
✏️ This lesson is mainly a culture lesson that recycles all the vocabulary you've seen so far (être, avoir, c'est, il/elle est, prepositions, possessives).
La Môme & Édith Piaf
The film & the singerLa Môme (English title: La Vie en rose) is a French film by Olivier Dahan, released in 2007. It tells the life of Édith Piaf (1915–1963), a legendary French singer nicknamed "la Môme" ("the kid").
Marion Cotillard (1975-) plays Édith Piaf and won the Oscar for Best Actress in 2008 — the first French woman to win that prize for a non-English-language role.
Gérard Depardieu (1948-) plays Louis Leplée, the man who discovered Piaf.
Vocabulary
Words to remember🎭 Artists
| French | Type | English |
|---|---|---|
| un artiste | n.m. | artist |
| un acteur / une actrice | n. | actor / actress |
| un écrivain | n.m. | writer |
| un musicien / une musicienne | n. | musician |
| un peintre | n.m. | painter |
| un poète | n.m. | poet |
| un sculpteur / une sculptrice | n. | sculptor |
| un chanteur / une chanteuse | n. | singer |
🎨 Works
| French | Type | English |
|---|---|---|
| un coin | n.m. | corner |
| un film | n.m. | film, movie |
| la môme | n.f. | "the kid" (slang for a young girl) |
| un poème | n.m. | poem |
| un tableau | n.m. | painting |
| un tapis | n.m. | rug, carpet |
| orange | n.f. / adj. | orange (the fruit and the colour) |
| entre | prep. | between |
Gallery of French artists
A few names to knowA small gallery of important French cultural figures, from the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. You'll likely recognize some of them.
Édith Piaf (1915-1963)
Nicknamed "la Môme Piaf" ("Little Sparrow Piaf"), she's one of the world's most famous French singers. Her songs include La Vie en rose, Non, je ne regrette rien, L'Hymne à l'amour.
Marion Cotillard (1975-)
An international French actress; won the 2008 Oscar for La Môme / La Vie en rose. Has acted in American films like Christopher Nolan's Inception.
Gérard Depardieu (1948-)
One of the most prolific French actors (200+ films). Known for Cyrano de Bergerac (1990), Le Dernier Métro, Les Misérables.
Henri Matisse (1869-1954)
Leader of the Fauvism movement, famous for vivid colours. Iconic works: La Danse, La Joie de vivre.
Camille Claudel (1864-1943)
A brilliant sculptor, student and lover of Auguste Rodin (1840-1917). Sister of the poet Paul Claudel (1868-1955).
Claude Debussy (1862-1918)
Pioneer of musical Impressionism. Famous works: Clair de Lune, La Mer, Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune.
Colette (1873-1954)
A celebrated novelist, known for Claudine à l'école, Gigi, Le Blé en herbe.
Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918)
A major modernist poet of the early 20th century. Collections: Alcools, Calligrammes.
Practice
Try it outExercise 1 — What's their job? Quelle est leur profession ?
For each artist, pick the right job.
- Édith Piaf est .
- Henri Matisse est .
- Camille Claudel est .
- Claude Debussy est .
- Guillaume Apollinaire est .
- Colette est .
- Marion Cotillard est .
Exercise 2 — True or false? Vrai ou faux ?
1. Olivier Dahan is a French painter.
2. Marion Cotillard won an Oscar for her role as Édith Piaf.
3. Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin are both painters.
4. Édith Piaf was born in the 20th century.
5. Henri Matisse is a Fauvist painter.
Exercise 3 — And you? Et vous ?
Which French artists do you know? Introduce one of them to the class in French — or any artist you love (French or not).
Example: J'aime beaucoup ____. Il / Elle est ____ (job). Il / Elle est ____ (nationality). Son film / tableau / livre préféré est ____.
Cultural snapshot — French luxury brands
Made in FranceFrance is world-famous for its luxury goods: haute couture, perfumes, leather, wines and spirits. The tradition goes back to Louis XIV (the Sun King, 17th century), who set out to make France the world capital of elegance.
👗 Fashion & haute couture
🍷 Wines & spirits
💡 Most of these brands were founded in the 19th century. They now belong to global groups like LVMH (Louis Vuitton Möet Hennessy) or Kering, which together make France the world's #1 luxury market.