What We’ve Accomplished in Two Years: The Francofile’s Birthday
In August 2019, Jalen and I published our first blog post as The Francofile. Two years down the road, we are thrilled to be posting weekly blog articles, making biweekly YouTube videos, producing nearly-daily Instagram content, regularly sharing relevant Twitter posts, and even crafting TikTok videos. From revealing what teaching English with the Teaching Assistant Program in France (TAPIF) is really like, to giving guidance about learning French as a foreign language, to detailing our experience as master’s degree students in France, to explaining French cultural phenomena, we’ve curated a space on the internet for Francophiles of all interests. Through our free and abundant content, we have sought to inform, educate, entertain, and engage our followers – and what a rewarding experience it has been!
The Francofile Blog
Creating useful blog posts every single week is a challenge, but the results are so satisfying. Jalen and I know that we have provided vital and transparent information about topics like learning French, teaching English in France, and studying in France that we couldn’t find when we needed guidance ourselves. We have published a total of 106 articles on The Francofile, and our site has helped over 20,000 visitors from 153 countries! Check out some of our most successful posts.
The Francofile YouTube Channel
Preparing, filming, and editing YouTube videos can be time-consuming and difficult. However, the fun moments we have shared and the useful information we have communicated through our videos have made it more than worth the hassle! Our videos have racked up over 72,000 views and we have gained a community of more than 1,200 subscribers. From Netflix recommendations, to travel vlogs, to heart-to-heart chats, making YouTube content has been a gratifying part of our online presence as The Francofile. Watch some of our favorite videos.
The Francofile Instagram
Our Instagram account is where we get to interact most with our followers and other creators. Besides using Instagram to let our followers know we’ve posted a new article or YouTube video, we’ve held a giveaway, made Reels, gone live, shared our daily life and travels on our stories, created high-quality phone wallpapers to screenshot, made a series featuring our favorite small Instagrammers, assembled and organized three Guides, and more! Our Instagram community of over 920 people communicate with us via comments and direct messages often. Check out some of our Instagram content.
The Francofile TikTok
Our most recent online venture has been into the world of TikTok. While the majority of The Francofile’s content is serious, intellectual, and thoughtful, TikTok is where we let loose and have fun. Through silly videos, we share our personalities and our love for France. We have received over 1.2 million views, more than 133,000 likes, and have gained over 4,045 followers. Check out some of our favorite TikToks.
@the_francofile Follow your dreams! 🌟 ##americaninfrance ##frenchlife ##expat ##expatlife ##lifeinfrance ##france ##moveabroad ##liveabroad
♬ Rango the chain – mr_gameclips
@the_francofile What’s your fave budget beer? 🤠##americaninfrance ##frenchlife ##expat ##expatlife ##lifeinfrance ##france ##student ##studentlife ##cheap
♬ son original – So*****🤍
@the_francofile ##collage avec @stellaclrm The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but we like the French side a whole lot. 🇫🇷✨ ##americaninfrance
♬ son original – The Francofile | Jalen & Maria
The Francofile’s Followers
Though keeping up with The Francofile has led to a lot of personal growth in the realms of motivation, organization, and social media knowledge, our favorite part has undoubtedly been helping our followers. All of our content is made to give people an honest understanding of our journey. We feel so fortunate to be in a position to give transparent advice and real insight that other people find valuable. Read just a selection of the feedback we have received from our community.
You have been LIFESAVERS when it comes to TAPIF and master’s applications.
Thank you for documenting your TAPIF journey and I’m so excited to see where y’all end up next. Your budget breakdown was everything. You guys give me hope and inspiration!
Merci beaucoup pour les articles et vidéos informatifs. Votre parcours nous motive comme rien d’autre !
Thank you guys so much for your time and guidance, it’s super appreciated! I hope you guys continue to have a successful postgrad journey and keep making authentic videos!
Just wanted to say I applied to TAPIF and your blog was incredibly helpful in understanding everything at play in the process. Whether or not I get the job, I’m super thankful for the time and care you put into spelling out your experience as expats in France!
Really appreciate the candid thoughts on your experience in France and with TAPIF – really insightful.
One of the few YouTubers that I can watch all of the videos without skipping! I loved every second of this video.
So glad I found your channel!! So helpful!
Thanks for keeping it real and providing such honest opinions and chats.
Y’all are such a beacon of hope for me! Always appreciate hearing your experiences and commentary.
Loved the video!! I’m planning on studying in France and this really encourages me to go!
Thank you for the useful info! I’ve been binge watching your channel and reading your blog, and I just wanted to say that you guys are making some great content.
I used your guys’ blog posts on applying for a master’s degree to apply to one myself and you were both super helpful, so thank you! I’ve been accepted, with lots of thanks to your guidance.
We are so proud of what we have created together in just two years, and we thank you for being a part of it. We are excited to continue making content as The Francofile and welcoming you into the world of a French-loving, American couple.
5 Comments
Maurice
Coucou,
CONGRATS!!!!
This is wonderful! Two years and going strong!!!
I so look forward to following your journey this upcoming year.
Bonne rentrée!
Maurice
Jalen & Maria
Thanks for the support, Maurice!
Maurice
Hi Jalen and Maria,
Love this breakdown on the DALF exam. It’s been a dream of mine. Mais avec ton soutien, je pourrai exaucer mon rêve.
I’ll be in Paris in just a few weeks, auditing classes for an entire semester. I’m really hoping the constant interaction with professors, students and just people in general will give my French the boost I’m looking for to propel me into C2 territory. I won’t be taking language classes, per say. This is just a time for me to enjoy the exposure to native speakers.
But returning to the DALF, I have two main questions here: A) Can grammar mistakes cause you to fail the C2 DALF; and B) is it necessary to do verb drills and preposition drills if you hope to improve your French?
I ask question “B” in particular because I never do any of those things, and I’m wondering if my “non-traditional” approach well hold me in good stead, or is this a red flag for you two?
Basically this is my routing: I have private Skype classes twice a week (2-hour sessions). The sessions are not really structured in that: this week we will work on the subjunctive; next week, the “future antérieure.” Nothing like that. I just have conversations with my native-speaking tutor; errors are corrected on the spot; then I re-watch the recorded Zoom session; write all corrections into a Word doc; and I make sure to use at least 10 of those corrections or new phrases in the next lesson.
As you can see, no traditional verb or preposition drills, no fill-in-the-blank worksheets, etc. Basically none of the things one associates with a traditional learning environment.
What about you, Jalen and Maria, did you have to do verb drills, proposition drills or grammar exercises?
Thanks again for taking us on this wonderful journey and look forward to your insight as I move toward the DALF C2 hopefully.
Maurice!
Jalen & Maria
Hello, we’re happy to answer your questions, it seems you asked a similar one on this blog post, so we’ll paste our response here.
In short, it is definitely possible to fail the DALF C2 due to grammatical errors. Grammar is considered in both the oral and written portions, and because the DALF C2 is the highest possible diploma, an advanced level of grammar is necessary for success.
Pasted: Jalen, for a year, studied French on his own with Maria as his “tutor.” Using Duolingo, reading and listening to French children’s books, talking with native speakers on the Tandem app, writing passages on Lang8, doing writing exercises, watching francophone YouTube and movies, and using Maria’s old French textbooks and worksheets, Jalen went from speaking no French to testing out of three semesters of French at university.
Mastering grammar concepts, like verb conjugations, preposition usage, word order, gender agreement, pronoun use, tenses, and more, is extremely important for those wanting to reach an advanced level of French proficiency.
What you’re doing with your tutor sounds beneficial for speaking skills and confidence “à l’oral.” However, completing a graduate degree in France involves very advanced reading, writing, and listening skills that depend on a solid understanding of the technicalities of the French language.
In the beginning of our French-language education, we were both evaluated on nearly every grammar concept in the book. Later on, at university, we completed research papers, literary analyses, mock interviews, oral presentations, listening comprehension exercises, vocabulary memorization modules, phonetics work, translation, and even wrote senior theses in French. Immediately after graduation, we both passed the DALF C2.
In our personal experience as Logistics and Law students in France, we know that if we did not have an advanced level of French, we would have struggled, or possibly failed, the first year of our master’s degrees. However, our program choices were particularly rigorous as they were not intended for anglophone students to complete.
We suggest you incorporate more grammar into your routine as soon as possible. Good luck!
Maurice
Post this response – it has fewer typos. Ha! Thanks.
Thank you for such a thoughtful, and honest, response. And for those who might think the response was harsh, please don’t. This is no time to sugar coat. A master’s degree demands the very best of us, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Maria and Jalen, after this full semester in Paris, I will reassess and chart my course accordingly.
And thank you for encouraging more grammar excercises. The books from the great French publisher CLE Internationale never disappoint. I also have other translators and linguists monitoring my progress and suggesting more demaning material for me as well.
I did post a similar question on this page, but your response never appeared. Here’s the link: https://thefrancofile.net/popular-misconceptions-about-learning-french/ Mabye you can check to make sure nothing is wrong. Hopefull, all is well with that part of the website.
Furthemore, I look forward to more posts about the new school year, and any new developments, particularly when it comes to communicating in French. Maybe there are new phrases or vocabulary you are experimenting with to create different shades of meaning, express deeper nuances, maybe there are certain gramatical constructions you are trying out that are allowing you to say more than you could before. Anything!
With this blog, we are truly navigating uncharted waters. Very few blogs, if any, truly take elite-level language learning this seriously. There is tons of information for beginners, but truly advanced learners are left to fend for themselves. I suppose that’s the point. We all must leave the nest someday. But it’s good know there are others out there who are trying, and more importantly, achieving the dream of truly reaching the top echelons of French language proficiency.
Warmest regards,
Maurice!