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WEEKLY SESSIONS! Take your French conversational skills to new heights! The Alliance Française Reno is excited to offer in-person French Conversation Meetings. All skill levels welcome. NEW SPECIAL FORMAT for this session: 📖🎧 -"Pod & Parole" - Podcast Discussion Hour Following our session last Saturday, I’d like to invite you to listen to the fourth episode of Face à l’Histoire, dedicated to the story of Lady Liberty. Here is a brief summary of the episode: "En 1876, les États-Unis organisent leur première Exposition Universelle à Philadelphie, la ville qui a vu naître leur Indépendance cent ans plus tôt. La statue de la Liberté n'est pas terminée, mais Bartholdi s'y rend tout de même pour tenter de convaincre les Américains d'accepter son cadeau" 🎙️ You can listen to the episode here: On your iphone: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/face-%C3%A0-lhistoire/id1688993204?i=1000746766651 On a web page: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/face-a-l-histoire/la-vedette-de-philadelphie-2413868 Instruction to access to the transcript: first go to the webpage (not the app) thanks to this link: https://www.radiofrance.fr/franceinter/podcasts/face-a-l-histoire/la-vedette-de-philadelphie-2413868 Once on a webpage, launch the play button that says “ecouter”. A small window opens that shows the podcast on play. Open up fully that window and find the symbol Click on this symbol and the full transcript will show from the beginning. We will then discuss the episode together on Saturday, May 23rd, from 10:30 to 11:30 AM at the Sierra View Library. As a recall, here are the objectives of this exercise: 1/ To listen to the podcast or alternatively to read the transcript of the podcast. 2/ Take notes, preferably in French. 3/ Converse about what are your highlights and your thoughts on this story. Also I would like to share some useful information. 1/ During our conversation we discussed how challenging it can be in French to remember correctly the gender of words in French, to help on this matter, check this video: https://youtu.be/7y88ddFIhaY?si=7IWbbTSv3ZfVN8b7 2/ There's a new tool introduced by the Alliance Francaise. It's an app named "Enchante!". It will help you to connect with other French speakers worldwide. More details: https://www.intralliances.org/permalink/0800f5cb-9bde-47b8-a65a-5fe0b7f81896 Looking forward to seeing you all. Have a wonderful rest of your week,

yet boasts a workforce that is statistically more productive than almost any other country? Ooh la la, this is a masterclass in corporate irony! The Answer is: The Art of Doing Less, Better If you guessed France, bravo, you are correct! While the international business world loves to obsess over les 35 heures and the sacred cinq semaines of vacation, not discounting the mandatory 12 days off for national holidays, personal days for weddings, baptisms, funerals, and nearly unlimited sick days etc., the resulting reality drives traditional corporate gurus super mad! Why? Read on... Every summer, France willfully triggers a massive national gridlock as the entire country ruthlessly drops their work laptops to swap places on the beach between July and August. La vie est belle! But here is the real drama: according to official OECD productivity data, France routinely humiliates the "hustle culture" competition France: Foundations for Growth and Competitiveness 2026 - OECD. French workers generate a staggering $88 in GDP for every single hour worked, easily beating the global average and leaving many longer-working nations totally in the dust. "Et Paff!" (Take that!) How do they pull off this macroeconomic magic trick? Without wanting to simplify this, the French have weaponized the philosophy of travailler moins pour produire plus (work less to produce more) which Busts the myth of France’s 35-hour workweek : r/Economics - Reddit. By aggressively protecting their downtime, they completely banish burnout. When they are actually at their desks, they operate with an efficient, hyper-focused intensity...although some people do question that, this writer included :-) So, next time you are guilted into working overtime, just tell your boss you are practicing elite French efficiency. 😉 Bonnes Vacances ! 🥖 Le Vocabulaire du Jour! Chassé-croisé – The legendary highway traffic jam when July and August vacationers cross paths. Métro, boulot, dodo (Subway, work, sleep) French People Never Work - Comme une Française – The monotonous daily grind. Avoir du pain sur la planche (To have bread on the board) – To have a mountain of work to do. But remember to take a look at our upcoming events, classes, and other activities to upgrade your own skills and enjoy the summer season.

Summer in the Reno-Tahoe region is a spectacular time. We pack our weekends with hiking, camping, boating, outdoor concerts or so many other activities! But for most of us here, these adventures are squeezed into a precious few days off, often while sneakily checking work emails from the beach. Across the Atlantic, things look very different. In France, summer isn't just a season… it is “un sacré rituel national” simply known as les vacances d’été. How Americans and the French approach summer vacation highlights a deeper difference in how they think about work, time, and life. The French Month vs. The American Week In the United States, the average worker gets about two weeks of paid time off per year, and many don't even use all of it. A typical American summer vacation is a hyper-efficient, action-packed five to seven days. In France, workers enjoy a minimum of five weeks of paid vacation annually, and summer is when they cash in. The French don't just take a week off; they take a month! Mainly in July or August. This creates a fascinating phenomenon, especially in August. Cities like Paris quiet down, local bakeries temporarily close, and the entire country divides into two groups: the Juilletistes (those who vacation in July) and the Aoûtiens (those who take August off). They pack up their cars and head south to the beach or the mountains for weeks of uninterrupted relaxation. And all of the news broadcasts only talk about it firing off statistics regarding “les emboutaillages” (traffic jams) and calculating “les kilomètres de bouchon” (stalled traffic jams). "Always On" vs. The Right to Disconnect If you’ve ever responded to a work email while sitting on a beach towel at “the Lake”, you are practicing a very American habit. The pressure to remain available to our jobs makes it hard to truly unwind. In France, the separation between work and life is protected by law. The country’s famous "Right to Disconnect" (le droit de déconnexion) gives workers the legal right to ignore work emails outside of business hours. During les vacances, a French professional is expected to completely disappear from the inbox. Checking emails on vacation isn't seen as resolute; it's seen as a failure to understand the art of living. Recharging the Battery While Americans often return from vacation feeling like they "need a vacation from their vacation," the French approach is all about le farniente, the art of doing nothing – ne rien faire. Days are filled with long, slow lunches, reading by the water, and spending quality time with family and friends, without a strict itinerary. This isn't about being unproductive. In fact, France consistently ranks high in global labor productivity per hour. The French understand that to work well, you must rest well. Les vacances are a necessary reset button for the mind and body. Bring a Touch of Les Vacances to Reno-Tahoe We might not all have four weeks of paid leave this summer, but we can still adopt a bit of the French mindset right here in our own back yard. Turn off notifications: Next time you head to Tahoe or the Truckee River, leave your work notifications muted. Slow down the itinerary: Try planning a weekend afternoon with absolutely zero plans or schedules. Just sit, sip, and watch the world go by. Practice your French: Use your downtime to read a French book, listen to a podcast or watch a French movie.

Note: KIln photos shown here are for illustration purposes only. For years, the heart of Alliance Française Reno (AFRNT) has lived in our shared passion, vibrant and strong even as we carried it from place to place. We gathered around dining tables, met in public libraries, and borrowed after-hours spaces from local organizations. Before we look forward, we want to express our deepest gratitude to everyone who helped us get started. To the members who opened their private homes, the public libraries that hosted us, and the local organizations that shared their facilities. Thank you. Your generosity provided the foundation that allowed our community to grow. We are glad to say that our growth has inspired us to look toward the future! To truly flourish, our community deserves a vibrant, stable anchor. That is why we are thrilled to announce that Alliance Française RenoTahoe now has a new home base at Kiln Reno! We will begin transitioning our activities to this new space starting end of June. Why Kiln? READ THE ARTICLE Lifestyle focused coworking community expands into Reno. Kiln purchases Virginia Street building An Investment in Stability and Community Kiln’s modern environment provides the concrete infrastructure our non-profit needs to secure its future: Seamless Security: Safe, consistent access for evening and weekend classes, book clubs, and events. A Hub for Growth: Tech-enabled rooms to expand our Ciné-Club, workshops, and cultural events without logistical headaches. A Space for Connection: A dedicated sanctuary where members can comfortably gather and fully experience la joie de vivre. Save the Date: Grand Launch Party This Fall! Because many members travel during the summer, we will host a Grand Launch Party this coming Fall so our whole community can celebrate together. Keep an eye on your inbox for the official invitation!