Alliance Française de Melbourne
Culture
L'Alliance Française
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Alliance Française de Melbourne |
Learning Resources
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Expressio: les expressions françaises décourtiquées Très Bien French for iPad, iPhone and Android |
Laura Lawless provides free weekly emails from About.com to introduce idioms, explain grammar in practical French, and introduce places of interest. French Linguistics also provides structural explanations. The BBC series "Ma France" is easy to navigate. Expressio gives explanations in French of idiomatic phrases with obscure origins in French history and literature. Dave at Learn French provides extensive audio resources and a comprehensive website. Très Bien has smart phone and tablet apps. |
Churches and Mission
France and Southeast Asia
I am interested in locating French scholarship on Southeast Asia especially in anthropology of religion and the Christian history in the region.
Please contact me on john@roxborogh.com if you have information or other websites.
France and New Zealand
French explorers visited New Zealand at the same time as Cook. The first bishop was from France. A race to make the South Island a French colony was only narrowly lost to the British when they got the Treaty of Waitangi signed.
Despite the anti-Catholic prejudices among Presbyterians Scottish settlers recalled the "Auld Alliance" of Scotland and France against the English. New Zealand's first Saint is likely to be Mother Aubert from Lyon, foundress of the Sisters of Compassion. New Zealanders fought and died on and for French soil in the World Wars. For many years French was the major second language taught in New Zealand secondary schools. The Alliance Française has been present for over a century.
French nuclear testing in the Pacific and the sinking of the Rainbow Warrior both strained and strengthened relationships. Rugby has united France and Les All Blacks in competition and a steady stream of kiwis play for French clubs. Understanding is strengthened by links in literature, appreciation of French cuisine, and the development of the New Zealand wine industry against the historic benchmarks of France. French style cheeses are cheerfully replicated by boutique and major New Zealand producers.
John Dunmore, New Zealand and the French, Heritage Press, 1997. Glynnis M Cropp, Noel R Watts, Roger DJ Collins and KR Howe, Pacific Journeys. Essays in Honour of John Dunmore, Victoria University Press, Wellington, 2005.