Gift for French learner - 32 year old woman

[Christmastree43]

Hello,

Looking for ideas for a classy gift for my friend who's learning French as a hobby. I found some lovely French design
themed notebooks at Papier but they don't quite hit the spot.

I had also considered making up a small hamper - wine, macarons etc - or maybe a little beauty hamper, some lavender soap, a little perfume?!

But would also consider one lovely item. Budget is around £25-30.

I know you ladies will have some wonderful ideas that I'd never come across! Thank you so much

Hamper of French cheese.
A coffee table type book of something like pictures by French artists, or photos of Provence.
The book, A Year In Provence.

DVD collection of Three Colours (unless she's not like me and has gone all Netlfix and online stuff...!). La Femme Nikita, Betty Blue, Cyranno de Bergerac, anything with Jean Reno.

French cookbook? With dishes from different parts of France. Sponsor a French rescue donkey.

Ooh some amazing ideas! She is also a keen cook and loves a DVD so loving those ideas thank you elQuinto

Does she have a house? A French enamel house number. Lots on Ebay.

Cotton totes are very popular in Paris. You can order online from typical places such as le Bon Marché, Louvre or Musée d'Orsay (even during confinement) or from an independent designer such as @ ParisianPostcards (that's her Instagram handle...I am not her).

A book of short stories to help with her French (found this on eBay)

What about a favourite novel or book in french.

The CD Quelqu'un m'a dit (Carla Bruni) is rather lovely. She also had a best of CD from 2018.

Or Christine and the queens.
Or the Amelie soundtrack.

This is my favourite book in English about French life; it's called Paris On Air but he does write about some of the other towns too, and as it was published recently it's unlikely your friend will have read it. Much less clichéd and more up to date, and quirky, than the year in Provence / Merde / Sacré books.
theearfultower.com/memoir/
You can also buy it on Amazon.

How good is your friend's French ? I wouldn't recommend buying her a novel until she is at least B2. Podcasts are best for learners, then series, and finally films. (Vlan podcast by Greg Pouy is very interesting but not a gift!)

A French TV series on DVD? There are some great ones.

Let's eat France! By François-Régis Gaudry. It's a coffee table book about French food with recipes and info graphics. Very interesting and beautiful. There are both English and French editions you could choose from depending on her level

Fragonard perfume (established in Grasse in 1926) Marks & Spencer sell this now , with some lovely fragrances available.
To go with it, a DVD of Jean de Florette, set in Provence.

Or perhaps a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, the best revenge tale ever!

Ooh some excellent ideas here thank you so much.

Jeanne, her French is beginners as far as I know, she learned it at school but started adult classes just before lockdown.

Ah, ok, personally then I'd say don't get her a novel or DVD in French.

There's a great film of the famous French children's book Le Petit Nicolas. Get her the book and the DVD.

Don’t know whether it’s possible to get a subscription to a French magazine, but I remember picking up a lot of (mostly) colloquial French from those years ago, even from the ads.

If she also is into food, maybe One more croissant for the road by Felicity Cloake? Could work as part of a food hamper.