Experience Language: Experience Life!
Newsletter - January 2006

Bonjour and welcome to our January newsletter. Bonne lecture!

In this issue:

• Les Cartes de Voeux
• Win tickets to Vive La France
• French Bank Holidays in 2006
• Les Soldes ou les Promotions

Les Cartes de Voeux

When French people first move to Britain, they usually get a bit of shock around Christmas time. In France, they are not used to giving or sending each other Christmas cards. They do, however, send 'Cartes de Voeux' in the New Year wishing the recipient good health and fortune for the coming year. They would tend to send their 'Cartes de Voeux' to friends and family, who they don't often see, mostly people who live in different regions or countries.

Click here for more information on the origins of the French 'Cartes de Voeux'.



Win tickets to Vive La France

We are pleased to announce that we have two free tickets to the Vive la France exhibition at London Olympia on Friday 20th January. We are going to be giving these away to one lucky newsletter subscriber. To enter the competition, simply send your answer to the question below to along with your full name and telephone number.

Question: In how many different destinations do Experience Language offer French language courses?

The closing date for entries is 10th January 2006. The winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries and notified by email or telephone on or before 12th January.

Vive la France is an annual travel and lifestyle show dedicated to France. For further information on the show or to book tickets, visit the Vive la France website. If you come, make sure to drop by and see us at Stand G34!

French Bank Holidays in 2006

When booking a language course, it is worth having a look at the Bank Holiday dates. While some schools do refund or reschedule missed lessons, most schools don't. To check which of our partner schools refund or reschedule missed lessons due to Bank Holidays, please contact us at info@experiencelanguage.co.uk

Trouvez ci-dessous les jours fériés 2006:

• Sunday 1st January - Le Jour de l'An (New Year's Day).
• Monday 17th April - Le Lundi de Pâques (Easter Monday).
• Monday 1st May - La Fête du Travail (Labour Day).
• Monday 8th May - L'Armistice 1945 (Victory Day).
• Thursday 25th May - L'Ascension (Ascension Day).
• Friday 14th July - La Fête Nationale (Bastille Day).
• Tuesday 15th August - L'Assomption (Assumption Day).
• Wednesday 1st November - La Toussaint (All Saints Day).
• Saturday 11th November - L'Armistice 1918 (Armistice).
• Monday 25th December - Noël (Christmas).

Click here to see or print a French calendar

Les Soldes ou les Promotions

There are two words for sales in French: 'les soldes' and 'les promotions'. Is there a difference? Yes, there is, but in typical French style it's a difficult one to understand why. Shops in France can only have 'soldes' twice a year for six weeks on fixed dates decided by the State. There are the 'soldes d'hiver' in January and the 'soldes d'été' usually in July. At any other times, the shops are still allowed to have sales, but they can't call them 'soldes', so they use the word 'promotions'. Are the French difficult?

This year the 'soldes d'hiver' are starting on 11th January throughout France!

Click here for further information about the sales in France.

Click here to read the views of an American living in France on the French sales.


Nous vous souhaitons nos meilleurs voeux pour l'année 2006.

The Experience Language Team

Experience Language is not responsible for the content of any external Internet links from this newsletter.

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