Julie Barlow & Jean-Benoit Nadeau
The Story of French
Partners in life and writing, Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow live, work, and are raising their children in Canada’s two official languages and founding cultures. Champions of French culture, history, and tradition, Nadeau and Barlow have spoken about France and the French language at countless conferences across the world. Their focus surrounds how the French language developed, spread, and acquired its peculiar culture and influence. Nadeau and Barlow are the authors of the popular books The Story of French and Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong, and they are also frequent contributors to magazines and newspapers around the globe.
Partners in life and writing, Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow live, work and are raising their children in Canada’s two official languages and two founding cultures.
Together and separately, they have published six books in French and in English in Canada, the US, the UK and France. They have published more than 1,000 magazine and newspaper articles and have won 40 journalism and literary awards, including National Magazine Awards and a Fulbright Scholarship.
Nadeau and Barlow’ first book, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can’t Be Wrong explains how the French think and organize themselves – from their penchant for centralization to their love of street protests and five-course meals. The book has sold 200,000 copies to date in five languages. It is popular among Francophiles in North America, Europe and Asia and used in university courses on French culture in the U.S.
Nadeau and Barlow’s second book, The Story of French (St. Martin’s Press, 2006), is a popular history of the French language that explains how French speakers across the planet think about their language. The New York Times praised The Story of French as “a highly accessible history of the French language.” The Montreal Gazette called it “a mind-altering experience.” Translated into French and Japanese, The Story of French won the 2007 Mavis Gallant Award for Nonfiction.
Nadeau and Barlow have spoken about France and the French language at 80 conferences and events in Canada, the U.S., Europe and Japan. They have written about France and French for newspapers and magazines in Canada, the U.S. and Europe, including The New York Times, L’Express and the Courier international, The International Herald Tribune and the Toronto Star. They are contributors to the Quebec public affairs magazine L’actualité.
The couple lived in France from 1999-2001 when Nadeau was a fellow of the Institute for Current World Affairs. In 2010, they lived in Phoenix, Arizona while Barlow was a Fulbright Scholar at Arizona State University. They also lived in Toronto and have travelled widely in North and South America, Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and New Zealand.
Trilingual in English, French and Spanish, Nadeau and Barlow are now based in Montreal where they live with their twin daughters. They are working on new books about Spanish and Arabic.
More on them: http://nadeaubarlow.com/en/
-
3. French, the Other Global Language
Starting with some stunning facts and figures, the authors explain how French became a global language and why it remains influential in the world to this day. By drawing comparisons with other great international languages, they demonstrate how French has remained a dynamic creative force and a language of culture, ideas, business, diplomacy and science. They also explain how French speakers view themselves, their language and the world.
-
4. Is That French?
This presentation shows how French evolved into its present form, or rather, forms, since most of the presentation explains the stunning variations of French over time and distance, and demonstrate that there has never been such a thing as "pure French."
-
5. Francophones, Anglophones and Cellularphones: Do You Speak Francophone?
The authors begin their presentation by explaining how a simple word that did not exist fifty years ago "francophone" has created a sea of change in the worldview of French speakers, and has changed their view of Canada. From this point, they explain the values all French-speakers share.
-
6. The Riddles of France
From the veil to labour riots and globalization, France has its own way of dealing with issues. The authors explain how France deals with the modern world while remaining faithful to its personality and values. This provides a unique reflection on how France continues to matter.
-
7. What makes the French so French?
This presentation provides the key to many unanswered questions about the French, like their fascination with great ideas, their so-called arrogance, their fondness for food and their supposed hedonism. The authors connect the dots between French customs and French society, and explain how the French created a society that is, in many ways, a model.
-
2. Bilingualism
Canadians live in an officially bilingual country, but three quarters of those who say they are bilingual speak French as a mother tongue. Why are so few English Canadians bilingual? By examining the language policies of other countries, and the problems that unilingual people will encounter in an increasingly globalized world, the authors explain why our policy of official languages has been an unexpected gift to Canadians – and one they should take advantage of.
-
1. Another Mind
Starting from their personal experience, the authors give tips on learning another language. They answer questions like: What do we gain when we learn another language? Why is it such a precious gift for yourself or to your children? Why are you never too young or too old to learn another language?
-
...a clearly written, well-organized approach to the lingua franca of millions of people. Francophiles will be well-served by the care and detail with which the authors handle their subject, while English speakers will find an illuminating portrait of Gallic sensibility.
-
Exceptionally told, a celebration of the lasting influence of la langue francaise.
-
Fascinating.. a fresh approach to both the language and the history.
-
...a well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world.
-
...fascinating reading for French immersion school teachers and students, and actually for everyone with a personal interest in culture and linguistics.
-
A wonderful story...
-
...a riveting look at the history, culture and politics of the language, both its European birthplace and around the world, including Canada.
-
January 2013
The Story of Spanish (new for 2013)
Why is Spanish such a popular second language choice in Canada? How did it become the unofficial second language of the United States? Nadeau and Barlow show how an obscure dialect from northern Spain grew and spread throughout the Iberian Peninsula, then across two continents to become the world's third language, spoken by more than 400 million people in 22 countries. Due out in 2013. St. Martin's Press, New York.
-
October 2006The Story of French
If you think French is on the decline, think again. The authors tell the wonderful story of a global language that began to spread outside of its cradle around Paris a thousand years ago, then went on to become a tongue spoken by almost 300 million people in four dozen countries. Through this engaging history, the authors explain the shared spirit and worldview of French speakers, from their attachment to language standards, to the multiple varieties of French spoke in the world today.
-
May 2003Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong: Why We Love France but Not the French
What makes the French so French? Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong is a journey into the French heart, mind and soul. Decrypting French ideas about land, food, privacy and language, Nadeau and Barlow unravel the riddles of French society – from centralization and the Napoleonic code to élite education and even street protests – giving us for the first time a complete picture of France and the French.
-
March 2002Les Francais aussi ont un accent
This humorous travelogue starts with Nadeau and Barlow arriving in Paris. Their assignment? To figure out why the French were resisting globalization. After only two days they discover that the French aren't resisting globalization. They spend the next 758 days figuring out what makes the French tick, and why outsiders have so many fixed ideas about them. Hilarious and surprising, Les Français aussi ont un accent never shrinks before a topic – whether it’s subway strikes or dog poop – in the quest to explain why we can't love France without the French.
