French Langugage

Blue Is the Warmest Color, a coming-of-age movie about the love affair between two young women, has been criticized as pornographic and exploitive. But critic David Edelstein says the film artfully captures the intensity of sexual discovery — and dependency. (Recommended)

Linguist Geoff Nunberg considers the words we use to describe "unsanctioned amorous relations" and the difficulty of using more straight forward language.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on efforts to preserve the French Language.

Linguist Geoffrey Nunberg comments on the importance of the integrity of language to the French.

Commentator Maureen Corrigan reviews "French Lessons," by Alice Kaplan.

Linguist Geoff Nunberg recently returned from a trip to France. He was initially confident in his French proficiency, but that feeling soon faded; in fact, he noticed his limited vocabulary affected how he thought, not just spoke.

While vacationing in France, linguist Geoff Nunberg visited a museum exhibit showcasing an early edition of the Grand Larousse dictionary. He considers the cultural significance of this text, and what it says about how the French view language.