Today's episode is a live recording. I recorded it on Monday morning on my way to do an errand. The recording starts outside my building. It's a chance for you to hear some totally natural French, as well as a real dialogue at the bakery.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll look at all the expressions that are typical in this dialogue and how you can use them.  So, to cultivate and improve your French at the boulangerie, the slow way, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Saturday nights, we eat a slice of homemade pizza in front of the TV. But not on Sunday evenings. this Sunday, Lisa suggested we watch something. By the time we'd agreed, Pietro's soup was ready. We watched a live political debate on France 5. The subject of the debate was the importance of ecology in the new government. There were a few sighs at the beginning of the programme, but by the end we were all hooked.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll make a list of practical phrases for debating or expressing your opinion. It's always useful in a discussion.  So if you want to improve your French, the slow way, and debate in French, I invite you to subscribe.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

When Micaela was a baby, one of my favourite walks was to the Pont de Levallois. If I saw a barge, I thought I'd won the barge game. If I didn't see one, I'd lost. Sometimes I'd see two or even three barges. It was a real party.  Since then, playing the game of barges has become a sort of reflex whenever a member of the family passes over the bridge or on a train over the Seine. In this episode, I tell you about a new version of the game that my father and I are developing.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll look at three natural French expressions that come from the text and we'll focus on the phrase in the text that contains the locution ‘en train de’, which means « in the process of », and we'll see how it's very important when we're talking about something.  So, if you're ‘in the process of’ cultivating your French, the slow way, at the right pace, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

Today we're not going to talk about choux, but about sous (money).  Cultural differences are sometimes also differences in financial culture, as my friend Pierre explained to me about mortgages.  It's his job, and he knows the French banking industry very well. He's going to compare a few aspects of mortgages in France and the United States. The first difference is that there is no credit score in France. In this episode, Pierre will tell us about a second difference, and then a third.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll look at three useful expressions and then you'll find a list of simple phrases for talking about rates that go up, down and up.  If you'd like to improve your French, the slow way, also about finance culture, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Saturday morning, I had tea near the station with Anne-Laure. We were sitting on the café terrace, slightly in the sun. It was lovely!  - So what are you doing this weekend?’ asked Anne-Laure.  I explained that I had to go to Paris, to a luthier in the 11th arrondissement, to get Felicia's viola da gamba fixed. The luthier's workshop was located in a typical passageway in this district. Perhaps you remember a flânerie with Anne-Laure in that area two years ago? It reminded me that the luthier was not far from a patisserie whose speciality we had discovered, le chou à la flouve, a plant that gives a taste of vanilla and caramel when infused in a crème pâtissière. I offered to bring Anne-Laure some choux.  Did I find any? You'll find out when you listen to this episode in French.  In the notes that accompany the transcript of the episode, I'll focus on three typical French expressions and we'll play with questions, questions to awaken our curiosity and take the time to wander with the language.  So to cultivate your French, the Slow way, but also your curiosity, I invite you to subscribe. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last Thursday, Géraldine and I headed off to Normandy to spend the day. We arrived early in Trouville, by the sea, to see an exhibition dedicated to the painter Augustin Rouart. On the train home, I asked Géraldine how she liked the exhibition. You'll hear our conversation in this episode.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll take a look at three natural French expressions used in this episode, as well as suggestions for grammar lessons to brush up on and a link to the whole interview with Géraldine and its transcript, of course!  So to make the most of this escapade in Normandy, Slow style, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

You've probably seen it on TV, or perhaps in Paris, the atmosphere at the Olympic Games was extraordinary! Last week we went to a para-swimming event at La Défense and the girls, Pietro and I loved the atmosphere, watching the athletes and seeing their performances. Over at the kung fu club, Alistair got the chance to work for the Olympics thanks to a partnership between his school and OBS (Olympic Broadcast Service). He is a student sound engineer. He accompanied a team of Indian journalists who were feeding the Olympickehl Instagram page. It was a fantastic experience for him. Today, in Cultivate Your French, I'm showing you an extract from the interview we had last week.  In the transcript with notes, we'll take a close look at what makes this speech typical of spoken French, we'll also notice the tense changes and of course we'll have three expressions to note down because they're very natural in French. You'll also have the link to the whole episode of the interview with Alistair, with the transcript, of course!  So, to cultivate the Olympics atmosphere with the podcast, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last Thursday, Micaela and Anna (Micaela's best friend) returned from their Interrail trip. The trip was part of their plans for this summer. They were away for ten days, visiting Vienna and Munich.  We had planned for them to tell us about their trip over dinner on Saturday with Anna's parents, Hélène and Olivier.  It's this dinner that we're talking about in today's episode.  In the notes that go with the transcript, you'll find the sentence to repeat, of course, but also three expressions that are very natural in French. I'll also give you three suggestions of little things you can do for your French, depending on the time you have. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Wednesday 24 July, we loaded up the car and left Paris with a twinge of regret.  - I'm a bit sad we won't be here for the Olympics,’ said Micaela. I have a feeling that the atmosphere is going to be really great.  Two days later, we arrived in the Marche region of Italy, after a stopover in Aix-les-Bains and another in Pavia.   Our hosts, Kirsten and Massimo, were waiting for us at their house in Barchi, from which we had rented the first-floor flat. We were very excited to be spending more than two weeks in this eco-friendly house in the middle of a hilly landscape.  In this episode, I'm going to tell you all about it. In the notes that go with the transcript, we're going to focus on three sentences in the text that contain the conjunction ‘mais’.   So, to Cultivate Your French, ‘’mais aussi‘’ your turns of phrase, I invite you to subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Micaela and I are at Gare Saint-Lazare for a summer stroll. Since the last renovation, the station has become a real shopping centre. There are numerous stores selling clothes, shoes and beauty products, as well as fast-food outlets and fine restaurants such as chef Eric Frechon's Lazare. I'm dying to try his Paris-Deauville dessert. But our program was more geared towards sweets. There's plenty to choose from at Saint-Lazare! We bought macarons at Ladurée, we also bought some at Dalloyau and finally, we stopped off at Les Merveilleux de Fred. Do you know this meringue and cream dessert? They're a big hit in Paris.  So to cultivate your French, your palate, but also to discover this area of Paris and benefit from all the positive effects of the exact text and cultural notes, I invite you to subscribe.  One last thing: the podcast will be on hiatus next week, the week of August 15. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday August 21. So if you'd like to improve your French, discover this part of Paris and benefit from all the positive effects of the exact text, as well as the cultural notes, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Micaela and I are at Gare Saint-Lazare for a summer stroll. Gare Saint-Lazare is the oldest station in Paris, having been renovated for the 1889 Universal Exhibition, the same year the Eiffel Tower was built. After going up rue de Rome to the Pont de l'Europe, the site of two famous paintings: Edouard Manet's Le chemin de fer and Gustave Caillebotte's Pont de l'Europe, we'll head back down to the station via rue d'Amsterdam. Can you follow us?  So if you'd like to improve your French comprehension, discover this part of Paris and benefit from all the positive effects of the exact text, as well as the cultural notes, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

We're at Gare Saint-Lazare, in the Europe district, whose streets bear the names of capital cities. This summer, I'd like to invite you on a four-part historical, cultural and gourmet summer stroll!  Where were we?  Ah yes, Micaela and I were walking up Rue de Rome, the street that runs alongside the train station from the Cour de Rome up towards the Batignolles district. We're going to talk about painting today.  So if you'd like to improve your French comprehension, discover this part of Paris and benefit from all the positive effects of the exact text, as well as the cultural notes, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Gare Saint-Lazare is a star! What is it? A station that doesn't even have a TGV? A star? But why?  Well, there are several reasons. First of all, in terms of passenger traffic, it's the second busiest station in France (after the Gare du Nord). The station serves the western suburbs of Paris, as well as Normandy. It's also the oldest station in Paris. It opened in 1837. It has been painted by some very famous artists. Would you like some names? Gustave Caillebotte, Édouard Manet, Claude Monet, Camille Pissaro, among others.  These are all 19th-century artists. The Saint-Lazare station was fascinating because it embodied modernity and technical progress. These were themes dear to the artists who settled in the new Europe district.  Micaela swiped her Navigo, I swiped my ticket, and you could hear the automatic gate open. We're at Gare Saint-Lazare, in the Europe district, whose streets bear the names of capitals. I'd like to invite you on a four-part summer stroll through history, culture and food!  So if you'd like to improve your French, discover this part of Paris and benefit from all the positive effects of the exact text, as well as the cultural notes, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

This episode is a re-run of an episode from 2020, at the end of the lockdown when we started to be able to move around. But it's also a very summery episode!  This week, I'm on a kung fu course in Reims, the Champagne region!  In the notes that come with the transcript,I give you a list of words from this episode that I find interesting to know. We'll also take a look at three turns of phrase and you'll see how to use them with examples.  So if you want tobenefit from all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

We have some major political news in France with the legislative elections since the President, Emmanuel Macron, dissolved the National Assembly. We therefore have to elect new deputies. There is a rise in the far right in France, certainly because people feel misunderstood more than out of racism. Still, it makes everyone a bit nervous. This rise is mainly affecting rural areas. The second round of legislative elections takes place on Sunday 7 July.  My daughter Micaela is eighteen, so she voted in this year's European elections, the results of which prompted the head of state to dissolve the assembly.  She took part in the counting of the ballot papers, as the municipality had too many problems with the electronic machines used instead of paper ballots.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we'll take a look at a few expressions. You’ll also find the election vocabulary and some sample sentences. This is very useful for following what's happening in France on TV, radio or in the press.  So if you want to get your French right up to the ballot box and benefit from all the positive effects of having the exact text of the transcript, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

For the Olympic Games, which start in Paris in a few weeks' time, we have a beautiful poster. It was designed by the artist Ugo Gattoni, who studied art after a spell in the sports and swimming studies section. The poster took two thousand hours of work, and was produced on a graphics tablet, but entirely by hand. Anne-Laure and I got together to talk to you about this poster. In the notes that come with the transcript, I invite you to try your hand at collecting adjectives based on the last blog post on the podcast. You can share your harvest with me, either orally or in writing.  So if you want to cultivate your French and harvest a good crop and benefit from all the positive effects of having the exact text of the transcript, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week, on Thursday to be precise, our friends Isabelle and Thierry, Pietro and I, got on our bikes for a trip to Paris. Our destination? The Centre Pompidou, also known as Beaubourg. Until 1 July, the museum is showing an exceptional retrospective of the sculptor Brancusi. It's an extraordinary museum, with one of the best views of Paris. On the way back, we took the rue de Rivoli, which is now reserved for bicycles (but still has a lane for buses and taxis) and runs alongside the Louvre and the Tuileries gardens. We turned off towards the Madeleine, then the Gare Saint-Lazare, the 17th arrondissement, Neuilly, the Levallois bridge and we were back home. We left at 1.30pm. So it was a nice ride, which of course also included a gourmet break, as you'll discover in this episode recorded on the spot!  In the notes accompanying the transcript, I'm going to suggest three sentences for you to repeat! Yes, three because I find them interesting. I'll explain my choice for each one, pointing out a few things along the way, but I can already tell you that the idea behind these choices is to practise speaking French as you would in everyday life.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

There was a change in the weather at the start of the week, with the sun that had finally returned giving way once again to rain. It's in keeping with the gloomy mood I've been in since the elections. I don't feel like listening to the news or the radio any more, so to take my mind off things I listened again to the concert by Lea Dessandre, Thomas Dunford and the Jupiter Ensemble, who played pieces by John Dowland and Henry Purcell last Tuesday at the Maison de la Radio. Felicia and I attended the concert, the theme of which was melancholy in love. I'd had the tickets for a long time, hoping that she would be able to come. Everything becomes uncertain as the end of the year approaches.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we'll look at three very natural expressions in French that I want to tell you about. I'll also share with you some practical phrases relating to culture: going to the theatre, a concert, etc.  So to cultivate your French without melancholy and benefit from all the positive effects of having the exact text of the transcript, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

A few days ago, my friend Caroline asked me to go with her to see a play at the Comédie Française: Les Démons, adapted from a novel by Dostoyevsky. The Comédie Française is our national theatre. It's a very prestigious place. Being part of the Comédie Française company is a great honour for actors. I accepted straight away, because I'd never been there before. Caroline had got the tickets from neighbours who couldn't make it to the show. I'm going to tell you about that evening at the theatre.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we'll look at three expressions that are typical of everyday French and I'll show you how to use them with examples.  You'll also have a sentence to repeat. A single sentence that I've chosen for you and I'll explain why I chose this particular sentence. Getting into the habit of repeating sentences is an excellent way of improving your pronunciation, but also of naturally constructing sentences in spoken French.  So, to benefit from all the positive effects of having the exact text of the transcript and and to enjoy the notes, I invite you to subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

When I need to get from one place to another in Paris, I have an itinerary in my head by metro or on foot. I can find my way around the city quite well. I could walk from one place to another without taking too many detours. Well, it depends on the area, of course. But on Thursday morning, my phone suggested a fairly simple route that I decided to follow. I was in Place Saint-Michel and had to go to Rue Yves Toudic to pick up an order. If I had decided to follow my route, I would have got off at République.  In the notes that come with the transcript of this episode, we're going to imagine that we enter each of the shops mentioned in this episode and say a sentence or two. Simple phrases, but very useful if you decide to go to du Cha^teau d'eau or elsewhere.  Of course, I'll also point out a particularly interesting phrase for you to repeat in a loud voice, explaining why I chose it.   So, if you want to improve your French, learn the right phrase, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, I invite you to subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week, American star Taylor Swift performed at La Défense Arena, Europe's largest indoor concert venue. She had four concert dates, the last of which was this Sunday. La Défense is a four-minute train journey from our house. Lisa and I made the trip to meet some of the singer's fans.  We met two very nice young women who agreed to share their impressions on the podcast. Lucie who had been to the concert the day before and Céleste who was going to attend the concert.  You'll hear them in today's episode. And in the notes that come with the transcript, we'll focus on certain details of these conversations that are typical of natural French as it is spoken today.  Of course, there will also be a sentence to repeat. The power of this exercise is the subject of my last article on the podcast blog. Have you read it yet?  So, if you want to add a natural touch to your conversations in French, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, I invite you to subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

I had a dream that came back often at night, a recurring dream: I was driving a car and I was afraid of being caught by the police because I didn't have a licence. ‘I've got to stop driving without a licence’, I said to myself every time in this dream. But I couldn't stop myself and I regularly found myself driving illegally.  Now the recurring dream has disappeared and I think I've understood why, thanks to Ami.  In this episode, you'll find out who Ami is.  And in the transcript that comes with the notes, we're going to look at two verbs that come up several times in this episode, two verbs that we use a thousand times a day. What strategy should we adopt to learn how to conjugate them? That's what we're going to look at together.  We'll also look at a sentence to repeat out loud, and I'll explain why I chose it.  So if you want to improve your French a thousand times over,  and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  

Little by little, I began to hate our sofa. I used to dream of a Habitat sofa, which I tried out in the Avenue de Wagram shop in Paris. But at the end of 2023, the Habitat shops closed, taking my dream of a white sofa with curl fabric with them.  I recently had the idea of looking for a Habitat sofa on Le Bon Coin. You can find anything on Le bon coin: furniture, tools, clothes, a job or even a home. Well, I found a Habitat sofa that might suit me, only the seller wasn't at home in Saint-Ouen on the date. I still had the old Saint-Ouen in mind, but I discovered something completely different, but did I get my sofa? You'll soon find out.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we're going to dwell on the elements of the text that speak of time and duration, because we always need to situate in time what we're talking about. Of course, we'll also take a look at three expressions or turns of phrase that may go unnoticed, but which are actually worth noticing.  So, to take the time to cultivate your French at your own pace and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week we were on holiday. We needed the perfect destination for this school holiday: to be in the countryside for a change of scenery, but not too far from a big city and other tourist attractions. I didn't know whether the girls would have a lot of work or not. So I thought about the Strasbourg area. I really liked the city last year when I went there for the kung fu competition. So I found a gîte in a village half an hour from Strasbourg.  We were warmly welcomed by the owners. The lady had prepared an Easter speciality for us: a kind of sponge cake with a slight lemon flavour in the shape of a lamb.  In this episode, I tell you about our holiday in Alsace.    In the notes that come with the transcript, we'll take a look at three very natural expressions in French. These are words or turns of phrase that you don't necessarily notice, but which are typical in French.  I'll also share with you my collection of photos of blue houses and we'll talk about colours: what are the most common colours in French, what are their shades, how do we talk about colours, how do adjectives agree.  So if you want to colour up your French and improve it at the same time, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

A few weeks ago, during the summer, my friend Lorena and I went to Versailles. We were given the permission to record for the podcast in the gardens. Maybe one day, we will get it to record in the castle itself.  We went to Versailles by train, it’s 30 minutes away from Gare Saint-Lazare.  Did Louis XIV make the most of the gardens? This is the question I asked Lorena.  You are listening to Cultivate Your French podcast One Slow French episode every week.  My name is Laetitia, I’m French, I live just outside Paris and I share with you a small slice of my daily life here in France.  All the information about the transcript,notes and photos is available at www.cultivateyourfrench.com

The episode that you are going to hear today was written in September 2013. I read a few days ago, as I was searching for conjugation examples for the advanced French podcast One Thing In A French Day. I didn’t remember that little adventure and found it funny. That day, I was searching for a big one litter bottle at Le vieux campeur. This is a famous shop for camping equipment. In Paris. It’s also famous because, it’s not one shop but a maybe 5 or 6 different shops in the same neighbor hood. Each shop has its speciality, backpack, tents, ustensils, etc.  Unfortunately, we lost the bottle last year.  You are listening to Cultivate Your French podcast One Slow French episode every week.  My name is Laetitia, I’m French, I live just outside Paris and I share with you a small slice of my daily life here in France.  All the information about the transcript,notes and photos is available at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

It was in 2019 that we first attended a concert featuring Julia, the niece of Isabelle, my Nordic walking friend. Her niece is a violinist. It's a small world, because there was also a violist in the group: Stanley. He plays the viola da gamba.  Isabelle suggested that this time we attend a duo concert by Julia and Stanley at a private home. And we're big fans, so Lisa and I booked our tickets. It's different from going to a concert hall: you go to someone's home. We were staying with real patrons, in a Haussmanian flat in the 16th arrondissement. We were seated in a beautifully decorated living room with fine furniture and paintings, as well as two musical instruments: a grand piano and an organ. Finally, after the concert, you can chat with the musicians or the other audience members over a drink and some refreshments. There's often so much you want to tell them. And on Saturday, we were very lucky, because you're going to hear Julia talk to us about this concert. In the notes that come with the transcript, we'll be taking a closer look at how Julia structures her speech and what linking words she uses. We'll also notice the difference in the use of " nous " and " on " and we'll ask ourselves whether it's possible to say " on " instead of " nous ". On connaît la réponse, you mightt say. No?  Finally, we'll look at how this collection of collections is also a good idea for your French studies.  So, if you'd like to collect with us and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

The gâteau de crêpes, or crêpe cake, came into my life thanks to pastry chef Claire Heitzler, it’s one of her specialities. A few times a year, she makes a soufflé crêpe cake: with strawberries or mandarin marmalade, depending on the season, but also with a chocolate spread. But I also came across the crêpe cake when I was in Nice for the kung fu competition, at breakfast time in the hotel on Sunday morning. I came across it during a conversation between two travelling grannies.  This is what this episode is about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we're going to focus on three typical turns of phrase in natural French. These are turns of phrase that we understand, but don't necessarily pay attention to, and therefore forget to use when we speak. This way, you'll notice them and be able to use them in your next conversations in French.  We're also going to look together at some practical phrases for talking about an Internet search, as I do at the end of the episode.  So, to cultivate your French and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

When we visited the Cité internationale de la langue française in Villers-Cotterêts last month, I came across an edition of Émile Zola's Carnets d'enquêtes. The famous novelist took copious notes before writing his novels. His notes were sometimes bits of sentences, words or even complete and precise descriptions. The book was only there for consultation, but I was lucky enough to find a second-hand copy at the Gibert bookshop. This is a unique bookshop in Paris that sells new and second-hand books on the same shelves. I placed my order and went to pick it up this morning. I took the metro at Saint-Lazare. The bookshop is on boulevard Saint-Michel, not far from Odéon station. On the way, I noticed a lady reading. That's what I'm going to tell you about today.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I'll focus on three sentence structures that are very natural in French. Often, these are expressions that we understand, that we don't pay attention to, and that we forget to use when we speak. This way, you'll notice them and be able to use them in future conversations in French.  You'll also find useful phrases for picking up an order in a shop, as I did myself today.  So, to keep your own investigation diaries and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last weekend, I was in Nice for the French traditional kung fu championships. Nice is one of the sunniest towns in France, but not last weekend. It rained a lot. My friend Anthony and I travelled by train. Lomine came by plane. The three of us had put a lot of work into preparing for this competition with our teacher Xie Han. The competitions are also an opportunity to meet other participants. I met Célia who was competing in the same taolu (sequence) as me, but in a different age category.  Lomine, Anthony and I returned to Paris on Sunday with medals, some of them gold.     In the notes that come with the transcripts, you'll find a phrase to repeat aloud, a phrase that I've chosen for you in the text and I'll explain why I chose this particular phrase. The repeating phase is a very interesting exercise because it works on several levels. First of all, you're speaking French because you're repeating the sentence out loud. Secondly, the phrase I've chosen often requires rhythm, so you're practising speaking with the right rhythm. Finally, I've also chosen this sentence for its syntax. By repeating the sentence, you train your brain to feel the construction of the sentence.  Of course, I'll also pick out a few expressions or turns of phrase that are very natural in French.  So, to get a feel for French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

There are new objects in my life at the moment. Their presence and the changes in habits they imply make my life slightly different, and that 'slightly' feels good.  There's the chest of drawers in our bedroom, a large oak chest of drawers. There's also the handbag I recently bought from Nat&Nin on boulevard Beaumarchais. A choice that Micaela and Lisa, who were with me that day, the day we went to the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, 'validated', as they say.  In the notes that come with the transcript, you'll find the sentence to repeat aloud. It's a sentence I've chosen and I'll explain why.  There will also be a series of practical phrases for talking about what's new and old in French.  So, to give your French a new lease of life,receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the Cultivate Your French transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week, Micaela, Lisa and I spent a day in Paris. We started by shopping at the Forum des Halles, before heading to the Bastille district for lunch and a visit to an exhibition. The exhibition was at the Pavillon de l'Arsenal, a beautiful nineteenth-century building now dedicated to urban design in Paris.  It's this exhibition that I'm going to tell you about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, there will be a sentence to repeat aloud, a sentence that I've chosen for you and I'll explain why. There will also be all the turns of phrase used in the text to describe and explain. Be careful, once you start to notice them, you'll see them more and more, and you might be tempted to improve your French! So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

My daughter Lisa, fourteen years old, dreamt of having her ears pierced. Around here, there's one name that comes up all the time for ear piercing, and that's Nico. It's not the same atmosphere as at the jeweller's, but the technique is much gentler and very professional. In fact, Nico is a star - people come from far and wide to have them pierced by him. Today, I'm going to tell you what it was like for Lisa.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we're going to focus on three little phrases in the text that are very natural in French and whose construction is very useful for conversation in French.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

The other day, when Lisa left for school after lunch, I heard a dog barking. I thought this was strange because there are no dogs on our floor. On the first floor, there's a quiet little dog called Lana. And there are also two dogs living with a family.  But there are other dogs in our building. I'm going to introduce them to you in this episode.  And we're going to find out who the dog on our floor was, thanks to Lisa.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we’ll notice together at the place of adjectives in sentences, and I'll tell you about my theory of the adjective carriage.  So if you'd like to ride with us, please subscribe. So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

A few days ago, my friend Alice proposed a sort of challenge: to go and buy a lipstick at the Chanel store on rue Cambon, the brand's historic store, where Gabrielle Chanel had her apartments and haute couture workshops.  I knew the store very well, always had, but only from the outside. What happens once you open the door?  This is the mystery I propose to unravel today.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we're going to focus on three expressions that sound simple, but are typical of the French language. You'll also see the typical forms of spoken French in the text.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week, Micaela had a week's holiday after her exams. She asked me if we could go away somewhere. I suggested we visit my friend Sylvie who lives in Bordeaux. Neither of us knew the city.  The city changed a lot in the 90s thanks to its mayor at the time, Alain Juppé. Under his mandate, the city acquired four tram lines, many areas were made pedestrian-friendly, the city was literally cleaned up (the city was known for its pollution-black walls), and the water mirror became the city's emblem.  In today's episode, I tell you about part of our guided tour with Bruno Beurrier, the guide from the Tourist Office with whom we took our tour. What a character! You'll also hear me buying cannelés. Cannelés are small cakes typical of Bordeaux.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, you'll find all the photos from our trip. We'll also take a look at a complex sentence to understand how it was composed.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

My daughter Micaela has a friend, Sanam, who can make macarons as good as in a pâtisserie. Macarons are so good, and at the same time they seem so fragile, so complicated to make, so mysterious. So I was thrilled when Sanam invited me to make some macarons in her kitchen.  Sanam was right, it’s not that complicated, in fact it’s quite simple, but there is a tricky moment. This is when you incorporate the dry ingredients into the beaten egg whites. You have to be slow, but not too much and make a large movement with the spoon.  So today, you are going to hear Sanam talking about the end of the recipe.  In the notes that come with the transcript, you will get all the photos taken during the recipe and I will highlight for you in the text all the typical oral sentences that you can hear today. You know spoken French and written French can be very différent.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Last week, I went to Paris to do some errands. I had to collect orders I had made at the Pharmacie du four and at Gibert, the bookshop. I love to place orders at these shops because  I know that it means going to my favorite places in Paris : Saint-Michel, Saint-Germain, etc.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will give you the reason why I love each place that I mention in this episode. Maybe you already  love them too, maybe you would love them too. But also, you will get a template of sentences that you could you use to tell your friends about the places that you love.   So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.

Très bonne et heureuse année à vous, chers auditeurs du podcast ! On new year’s eve we were at home. We had invited our friends Isabelle and Thierry to have dinner  with us. Isabelle had offered to bring some cheese because she had been staying in Savoie and she also offered to bring the dessert. Lisa asked if she could make her delicious tarte au citron.  How many and what were the cheese that Isabelle had brought? What was the wine that we drunk?  All these mysteries will be revealed in today’s episode. In the notes that come with the transcript, we will stop on these sentences that start with « c’est » to see how they work and how they are built. C’est le programme !  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.    

Christmas is coming ! It’s time to wrap presents. Don’t tell anyone, the Christmas presents that I bought are in a big box under my bed.  To wrap my presents, I use some wrapping paper, but I also use some papers that are recycled.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will stop on these verbs that are conjugated at other tenses than present. Each time, there is a specific reason that is nice to be aware of.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  I mentioned the December Calendar about Montparnasse. To receive it, please enter your email address on the home page of my website www.onethinginafrenchday.com It’s free and it’s in French !   

As you may have noticed, the December calendar is about Montparnasse, the famous neighbourhood of Montparnasse where so many artists gathered at the beginning of the 20th century : Apollinaire, Modigliani, Soutine, Picasso, Brancusi, Blaise Cendrars, so many famous names.  Do you remember, two weeks ago when Anne-Laure and I recorded ourselves under the rain, again? And that we thought that Rachilde or André Breton could have been responsible for this? Well today, you are going to hear this specific recording. We were at the Villa Vassilief, a nice passage near Montparnasse station. This lovely Parisian passage used to have many artists’studio that are now used differently. This is where Marie Vassilief, a painter who came from Russia in 1910 had her studio and her famous cantine for artists during World War One. She made a small painting about a specific meal to celabrate George Braque’s return from war. The painting can be seen in Paris until April 14th, at the very nice exhibition at Le Petit Palais, Le Paris de la modernité.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you some tipical French expressions that are present in the text. There will be also a little devinette !   So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is released, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  I mentioned the December Calendar about Montparnasse. To receive it, please enter your email address on the home page of my website www.onethinginafrenchday.com . It’s free and it’s in French !  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last week, Anne-Laure and I had spent our day out in the rain. We also met this week to record some episodes in the same neighbourhood, the weather forecast were clear : no rain !  Well, it was only a forecast, unfortunately. But we may have found the reason why we kept on being under the rain. Maybe someone was unhappy about what we had said about her or him?  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you some expressions that express the fact that you are unhappy with a situation.  And I’m afraid, you will also learn your first « gros mot », your first swear word if you had not learnt any before this episode.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is release, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  Oh, before I forget, on Friday starts the new December Calendar : a short email is sent everyday. This new calendar will be about a Parisian Quartier and its artistic life. To receive it, please enter your email address on the home page of my website onethinginafrenchday.com . It’s free and it’s in French ! 

We were in the Jura during the Toussaint holidays, during one week. We love that region that is on the road to the Alps. Its foothills and woods are very nice when you like walking. And there are also lakes and waterfalls.  There is a crêperie in Pont-de-Poitte where we love to have an early dinner or lunch : it’s a warm place and the owner Laurence has a wonderful voice. There is something special about that place. We were having lunch there when we met another family : the grands-parents, their daughter, her husband and their little boy. They were from the region and suggested that we go to La Frasnée where there is a wonderful waterfall.  This episode is about us going there.  Do you know that the transcript is a very powerful tool to improve your comprehension?  And also to see things that are not obvious when you only listen to the text. Things like :  — how the verbs are conjugated : it’s easier then to identify a tense, notice an agreement, etc, — you can see how the words are written and get used to the French spelling, — you can take the time to understand how the sentences are built, — you can take notes, — you can make the link between the text of the episode and a grammar lesson from your textbook. In the notes that come with the transcript, we will focus on how we talk about the rain in French, also I will highlight for you a specific sentence to repeat aloud and tell you why I have chosen this one in particular.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript and receive it by email each time an episode is released . The subscription costs 4 euros a month. Each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Since September, Micaela, my eldest daughter, takes the train every day to go to Paris. She has classes either near Cité Universitaire or near Luxembourg. Both stations are on the  line of the RER B.  One morning, I took the train with her and ask her about her journey and what was going to be her day.  In the notes that come with the transcript, you will find some info about the text, but also 2 very natural French expressions that are very interesting to focus on. I will also give you a list of useful sentences to use when you take the train.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript. The transcript is a very useful tool to enjoy many ways of working with the text and this way improve your listening skills.  The subscription is available at cultivateyourfrench.com, it costs 4 euros a moth. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released. Last but not least, each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

This episode comes from the past : it was written  and recorded  in April 2012 for One Thing In A French Day poscast, Cultivate Your French’s big brother.  My grils were little girls at that time. That day, we had invited a friend  of ours to have lunch  with us at a crêperie. She was a nice woman, always keen on joking with the grils as you will see.  In the notes that come with the transcript of this episode, I will give you the crêpes recipe and also show you a very commun word that we don’t write the same way nowadays than when I was a teenager.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript and receive the transcript  by email each time an episode  is released. The subscription  costs 4 euros a month and when you subscribe, you receive  the 10 latest transcript.  To discover why the transcript is as good as a French lesson, please  have a look at the website www.cultivateyoufrench.com  

After spending the afternoon at the hammam, my friend Geraldine and I did not feel like taking the metro back to Saint-Lazare. The weather was nice so we decided to walk instead. It was a nice walk because Paris is a city that changes a lot, and as you walk, you can really feel the change from one neighborhood to another.  We stopped to eat a little something in a boulangerie.  In the notes that come with  the transcript, we will study how to talk about a place, un endroit in French.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript, enjoy the written text, read it in your mind or aloud and discover what I wished to higltit for you. . The subscription costs four euros a month. When you subscribe, you receive the transcript of the 10 latest  episodes.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Friday evenings, after the kung fu class, we often stay longer together just talking, the kung fu team.  Of course, we talk about kung fu, but not always. There are different ages in our group, sometimes it leads to funny conversations. For example, we had a talk about famous movie soundtracks.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will take a close look at specific verbs, how they are used and conjugated, though they are very frequently used verbs.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to  the transcript. The subscription is available at cultivateyourfrench.com, it costs 4 euros a moth. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released. Last but not least, each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes. www.cultivateyourfrench.com

Every week-end, on Sunday morning, I join a group of nordic walkers.  The walk takes place in Rueil Malmaison’s wood : le bois de Saint-Cucufa, supervised by our coach Philippe.  Last Sunday, at the end of our walk, Philippe decided to challenge  us a little bit. He wanted us to climb a slope in different stages. It means going down each time you reach a stage. After this intense effort, we stayed a moment down the slope. And we met someone. You are going to discover who in this episode.  In the notes that come with the transcript, this week I will highlight for you 3 sentences that you could add to your  collection of fRench sentences. I will aslo give you some examples of how you can play with them.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to  the transcript. The subscription is available at cultivateyourfrench.com, it costs 4 euros a moth. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released. Last but not least, each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Micaela is going to have a penfriend from an American University. It’s part of her English course at University.  To present herself she had to publish a short text, on an online board, startiting with this sentence : Si j’étais une œuvre d’art, je serais.  The answer is in today’s episode, of course. But, have you noticed in this sentence the use of the conditionnel?   In the notes that come with the transcript, I share with you a short study of how we use the conditionnel in everyday life. Because, we don’t only use it in sentences starting with « Si ». There are different uses that can be very helpful to sound French.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript. The transcript is a very useful tool to enjoy many ways of working with the text and this way improve your listening skills.  The subscription is available at cultivateyourfrench.com, it costs 4 euros a moth. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released. Last but not least, each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes. 

Do you know that London is only two hours from Paris by train? My friend Sylvie and I went to London for a day, two weeks ago. The temperatures were very high that day. But it was nice to enjoy London under the sun. We had planned our day : a lunch at Pophams, a bakery that is also a restaurant (I was very curious about it), then a visit to the Bank of England museum’s and then, the inevitable Foyles.  But we were a little bit early for lunch, so we decided to enter the little church of Saint James  that was very close to the bakery.  And we had an adventure there as would say Eleanor Lavish in A room with a view. This is what this episode is about.  In the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are vey natural in French. Those expressions might not seem noticeable, but there are part of the way we speak French. It’s those expressions that make a sentence sounds French.  The transcript is also a very useful tool to work on French, with the text you can do so many things : you can read what I say, obviously, you can see how the sentences are built, how the verbs are conjugated and you can also use it to repeat the text on your own.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released and each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes. 

The big question these days that young people ask each other is : when do you go back to school?  Going back to school after summer holidays is what we call in French  la rentrée !  La rentrée is when you discover your new classmates, new teachers, or new school. This is what this episode is about regarding my daughters Micaela and Felicia.  As usual, in the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are natural in French with some examples, so you too could use them in your own French conversations,  The transcript is a very useful tool to work on your French. Here are a few examples of what you can do : you can read what I say, obviously, you can see how the sentences are built, how the verbs are conjugated and you can also use it to repeat the text on your own.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month. The transcript is sent by email each time an episode is released and each new subscriber receives the transcript of the 10 latest episodes. 

Summer holidays are over for us and I’m happy to be back with you dear listeners. I hope those of you who are subscribers have enjoyed the special episodes during the holidays about being at a French café. Now, before going back to France, let me share with you a few words about our Summer trip to Italy. We were staying in Puglia, in the deep South of Italy were my husband Pietro has family.  During the Ferragosto period, around the 15th of August, beaches were crouded with people a 8 in the morning, so we stopped going to the sea and decided to visit Bari, Puglia’s capital. This is what this episode is about.  As usual, in the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are natural in French with some examples, so you too could use them in your own French conversations, and, of course, I will share some photos.  The transcript is a very useful tool to work on your French. Here are a few examples of what you can do : you can read what I say, obviously, you can see how the sentences are built, and you can also use it to repeat the text on your own.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month. 

To cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com The transcript is a very powerful tool because you can read what is said, you can see how the sentences are built, you can see how verbs are conjugated, how words are written. You can also use it to repeat aloud some parts of the texts and improve your spoken French. You can also read the text before to hear it, so you’ll understand it better.  The subscription costs 4 euros a month.  For the third year, Felicia took part in a course of baroque music. During 10 days, she trained with orthers to play in an orchestra for a concert. The theme this year was the German musician Haendel. The course took place in Brittany in Ploërmel a small town between Rennes and Vannes.  The four of us went to see her, so we drove to Brittany on Friday the 21st of July. We spent the night in a lovely guesthouse, a former flour mill by the river. Our hosts were lovely and the breakfast was incredible.  Saturday was the concert day. We had to get to the place in early afternon, to attend the groups concerts : little pieces each group had studied. Then at 5 p.m. was the big concert.  But Felicia sent me an SMS the Saturday morning. This SMS led to a little adventure. This is what this episode is about.  Before to hear it, I have to tell you about the podcast summer pause.  The podcast will be on pause for the next 3 weeks because my family and I are on holidays abroad. But, if you subscrided to the transcript, you will receive 3 episodes to keep on working your French comprehension. There is a theme for those 3 episodes. Should I tell you? It’s au café ! www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last week, we listened to Bryce Bianconi talking about His job as an artisan. Have you guessed his does for a living? He works with glass, he makes stained glass, vitraux in French. France has the largest surface of stained glass in the world, mainly because of our cathedrals, but stained glass was also à la mode in the 19 th century, in nice houses, building or hotels.  Bryce restores stained glass but also creates some for home interiors.  Today we are going to hear him talking about the part of his job that he likes the most. My friend Pauline, who was with me when we met with Bryce, asked him the question.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will stop on 3 expressions that are very natural in French that Bryce uses when he speaks, and that you too could use in your own French conversations.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  The subscription costs 4 euros a month. 

This episode is a little bit different than the others, I won’t tell you something. In this episode, you will try to guess what is my guest’s job. He is an artisan, his name is Bryce, but what does he do exactly?  You will get some clues in this small interview.  Then if you wish to tell me what you think Bryce’s job is, then send me an email at frenchday @ gmail.com Next week, you will listen to Bryce talking about his job, a very interesing one. In the notes that come with the transcript, we will stop on 3 subjects that appear in the text : telling about your job, talking about a period of history and telling where is located a specific builing. I will share with you some natural sentences that you could use or ear in your own French conversations.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last week, Micaela and I were attending a kung-fu week with our team and our teacher in Poitiers. We were staying in a regional sport resort; The place was lovely and had a nice Renaissance castle.  Xie Han our teacher was also taking care of a Taiji group and had a particular eye on Josepha’s training as she is going to participate to the Kung-fu Word Championships in China this summer.  On Thursday, Xie Han asked us to be cautious with ourselves, to not get hurt because we were getting tired. That day we had a running session in the woods at 6 in the morning and a first training at 9h45. I took three naps that day. This episode starts after lunch on Thursday.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very useful in French. Also, we are going to notice the use of imparfait and passé composé in this text.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com    

A few weeks ago, my friend Pauline showed me a book that she got for Christmas, a book about nice table settings, Chez eux. this book gave us the idea to build a podcast episode about setting a table. If we were to set a table, we might as well have a lunch or a brunch on it! We took our agenda and decided about a date. Then we imagined our menu : something simple but nice, with flowers on the table. That day, we first did some shopping. We bought some gariguetes (early strawberries), we bought some renoncules (buttercups in English says the dictionary) and a cherry tree branch. At the bakery, we bought a few croissants because you can’t imagine a brunch without any.  For this episode, Pauline and I are in her kitchen. Everything is almost ready, it’s time to choose what plates to put on the table. Follow me in her cupboard!  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

So there we are : the baccalauréat is over for Micaela. She doesn’t have the result yet, but she took the latest exam last Tuesday. It was « le grand oral » : you must speak for 5 minutes on a subject that you have prepared.  And since the beginning of June, she also knows what she’s going to do next year. But before that she had to choose between the different universities where she was accepted. Suddenly, choosing seems so difficult and you only have 3 days to make your choice. This is what the episode is about.  In the notes that comes with the transcript, I will highlight for you those typical expressions that Micaela uses when she speaks. It’s very interesting because it’s very natural for us, though it may seems wrong when you learn to speak French. Noticing those expressions is also very useful to understand modern French.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

My friend Pauline is taking drawing classes and she is starting a new technique : watercolour, aquarelle in French ! Her teacher suggested that she could buy her own watercolour set. She gave her the name of a famous shop in Paris where you can buy art supplies  : Sennelier.  Sennelier is located Quai Voltaire, just in front of le Louvre, on the over side of La Seine. The shop was created in 1887 by French colour passionnate and chimist Gustave Sennelier who devoted his life to creating paintings for artists. Cezanne or Gauguin were among his customers.  Guillaume works at Sennelier and greeted us in the shop. He gave some advices to Pauline regarding watercolours, the choice of a sketchbook and finally the choice of paintbrushes.  In today’s episode you will hear Guillaume’s advices regarding a watercolour set.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

Last Friday, I travelled to Strasbourg with my kung-fu team. Sixteen of us were participating to the National Kung-fu open of Schiltigheim. I arrived a little bit earlier than the others to visit the beautiful city of Strasbourg.  The competion was on Saturday the 10th. It was a great moment for all of us and we were so happy to spend this day together. It’s different when you meet for breakfast with your sleepy eyes ! In this episode I will tell you about both my performances and about Micaela’s first competition.  In the notes that come with the transcript, you will get some photos taken in Strasbourg (it was a hot and very sunny day). Of course, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French and that you could use in your own French conversations.  Oh, and I will tell you if we had or not some flammekueche, one of the good Alsacian specialities. Suspens !  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

Yesterday evening, I went for a walk in my neighbourhood, There is a one hour walk that I particularly enjoy, but last night I took a different direction. I passed Micaela and Felicia’s highschool, the building is under construction. But there was something to notice on the new building that is about to be finished. This what this episode is about.  In the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French and that you could use in your own French conversations. I will also give you a list of useful sentences to talk about a book that you have read.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

The end of the year is close now for my 3 daughters. In France, students have long days at school, a lot of holidays during the year (2 weeks every 7 weeks) and long summer holidays. My daughters wished they had less holidays and shorter days at school. They often start at 8 in the morning and finish at 5 in the afternoon. On Thurdays, Micaela starts at 8 and finishes school at 6 in the evening. This represents 9 hours of class during the day. Then, at home, they have to do their homework and learn their lessons. But as I said, the end is close for this year. This is what the episode is about.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

It was a rainy day, two weeks ago, my friend Pauline and I were having a walk in the center of Paris, near Les halles, la bourse du commerce (now the Parisian exhibition site of François Pinault’s modern art collection) and l’église Saint-Eustache.  Place Margurite de Navarre, there is a modern building : the Novotel Les Halles. In the center of the hotel, there is an unexpected hidden garden : a patio full of plants. There you can have a very nice experience : the Tea time of the cheffe pâtissière Emilie Gerardi.  She created a modern and plant and flower-based version of the tea time. I was very lucky to meet her for the podcast. Pauline and I were so happy to discover such a personal and cheering pâtisserie.  In today’s episode you are going to hear Emilie Gerardi talking about the compositon her tea-time.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that Emilie Gerardi uses to describe her cakes. You will also have the photos of the tea-time, this way you will be able to imagine yourself in the patio, tasting wonderful pâtisseries. As Emilie Gerardi says, in such a place you don’t come only to eat a cake, you come to live a precious moment.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last week, my friend Caroline invited me to go with her to see a marvelous show at the Opéra Bastille : three chorégraphies by Maurice Béjart. It was a such a moment. The Opera Bastille is the modern opéra of Paris. It was inaugurated in 1989 for the bicentenary of the French Revolution. It’s a very nice place and going to the Opera is really a special moment. I guess that it’s not as charming as in the 19th Century at the Opera Garnier, but something happens when you are there.  The last of the ballets that we saw was Le boléro de Ravel. This is what I share with you in this episode.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French and show you how to use them in your own French conversations with examples.  I will also give you a list of basic mouvements that we do with our body.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month.

My friend Claire works as a librarian, archivist at the Institut National de Jeunes Sourds in Paris. This institute is a school for deaf people created by l’Abbé de l’Epée en the 18th century.  On the podcast, we have known Claire for a few years now. We first met her as an history student at La Sorbonne, then at l’Ecole des Chartes a prestigious Parisian school specialising in historical sciences. She shared with us a promenade in the Quartier Latin in 2020, then last year she told us about the discovery of an incunable (a book printed in Europe before 1501). In today’s episode, she shares with us the strange request of a researcher that contacted the institute and was looking for a rather big painting of the 19th century specially created for the choir of the Institute’s chapelle by a famous painter.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will stop together on the different expressions that Claire uses that give so much life to what she tells us. This is also a way to understand and to see that French is largely made of fixed expressions. A better way to speak French is to learn how to use all those expressions. This is what we’ll see today with examples.  To cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month.

On Saturdays, we usually make pizzas and watch a movie, the 5 of us.  Last Saturday, we chose to watch a film by Eric Rohmer a famous French director part of the French New Wave. T his movie is Conte de Printemps. It was timed in 1990, a time where there was no mobile phone, though the phone is often used in this movie.  This episode tells you about the story of the movie and what was Micaela and Lisa’s reaction to this type of movie.  It will also be the occasion to imagine what could have said some of the characters, based on what I tell you in the text using the indirect speech.  Of course, I will also highlight for you 3 expressions that you could use in your own French conversations and show you how to use them.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com.  The subscription cost 4 euros a month.  Ah, before we start, for the next 2 weeks, the podcast will be on pause, but if you are a subscriber you will receive episodes as usual.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Have you ever heard of K-Pop bands like The Boyz, the Stray Kids or Mamamoo?  Felicia is a K-pop fan, so last Saturday, I went with her to Music Bank Paris, a festival of K-Pop bands in the largest concert stadium in Europe : La Défense Arena, very close to where we live.  This stadium is so big, it can held a rugby field in its center.  This event was expected with great impatience by the thousands of fans all over Europe and the atmosphere was absolutely crazy : people were shouting their joy so loud !  But it was a great experience. This is what this episode is about!  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French. We will also focus on all the verbs conjugated with « ils » as the subject. This will be the occasion to ask ourselves if we know the conjugation of the most commun French verbs with ils or elles.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript to receive the texts and notes by email each time an episode is released. The subscription costs 4 euros a month.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

We had a guest this week at home : an Italian exchange student. She arrived last Thursday in Paris with her classmates and left yesterday. All of them were staying in French families of Felicia’s class.  This five days with us has been the occasion to visit Paris as tourist for Felicia and I. But it has also been the occasion to make or buy some French specialities for the Italien student. So what have we cooked or bought for her? This is what you are going to discover in this episode.  As usual, in the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French. I will also make a list of sentences to say that you like to eat something and what you had for a particular meal.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last saturday, I went to Paris. Well, I tried because the tickets I was using were not working. Something was wrong with the whole pack. Of course, I went to buy some new tickets. But I wasn’t the only one involved in what became a little adventure.  We are still using the paper tickets because we get a 50% discount on tickets with La carte famille nombreuse. You can get this card when you get at least 3 children. When Micaela is going to turn 18, the card won’t work anymore.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highly for you 3 expression that are typical in French.  You will also find some « transport" related sentences that listeners and I gathered up 2 years ago for Le guide de survie.  You will also find some photos of our station Bécon-les-bruyères !  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month. 

Last week, we heard Alexandre Juvin talking about la crème de champignons. Miam. This week, it’s another experience that expects us. I had the chance to meet Marc Chinchole. He’s a young man passionate about chocolate that makes is own cocoa, in Paris. Have you heard the expression « bean-to-bar »? This is what he does : he selects beans from different places in the world and loves to reveals the best of each origin in making nice chocolates or bars. Yes, he toasts the beans himself and does conching in his own premises. This is quite unusual in Paris, but very interesting. Marc has 16 different single origin bars in his shop and nice little chocolats. You can also buy a homemade hot chocolate or chocolate mousses made of single origin cocoa, the origin changes every week. The one I tasted was from Indonesia and it was really perfumed.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are typical when you speak French. You will also find some sentences to help you choose the best chocolate from L’instant cacao. But, this will work in any other boutique, of course.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. 

There is something you must absolutely try next time you come to Paris. It’s Les sauces Papillon ! They are Parisian sauces made by 2 young men who had the idea to create vegetable based sauces. Their sauces are made from vegetables in accordance with the seasons. They are tasty and fresh. They can be used to eat with pastas or rice, but at home we prefer to eat them with bread in nice sandwiches.  When I recorded the interview, it was in the middle of winter. One of the sauce was la crème de champignons. What are going to be the spring sauces? We don’t know yet, but today you are going to hear Alexandre Juvin talking about they created the recipe of la crème de champignons.  In the notes that come with the transcript, this episode is the occasion to notice the use of the subjonctive and to understand when to automatically use it.  We will also focus on the part of vocabulary that describes the different ways  that ingredients can be cooked.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.comThe subscription costs 4 euros a month. 

The holidays ended last sunday. How were those holidays for us? You have a clue if you are a subscriber and if you listened to the episodes posted during the last 2 weeks.  It’s also during the holidays that we got the weblinks to order our seats for the J.O. , les Jeux Olympiques.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are very natural in French and that you could use or hear in your own conversations in French.  You will also find a vocabulary section on how to say that something is cheap to really expensive.  To cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com (4 €/ month)

On Sundays, in the morning, I join a group of walkers. We do nordic walking with Philippe a coach from the Club d’athlétisme de Courbevoie. I usually meet with Philippe at the stadium, and there Isabelle and Thierry give me a ride.  This Sunday, Philippe told me about an experience and Isabelle too. Both of them linked to pâtisserie. This is what this episode is about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are natural in French and that you could use in your own conversations. We will also focus on a particular sentence that requires the use of the subjonctive.  So to cultivate your French and read what is said, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The transcript has an immediate effect on your listening comprehension of the spoken French.  The subscription costs 4 euros a month and the transcript is sent by email. 

Yesterday evening, Micaela, Felicia and I had dinner with some friends of the kung-fu club. We wanted to try an asian restaurant in our neighbourhood. The place was nice and quiet. We had a nice conversation. We came to speak about the Arte TV channel. Julien thought it was mainly historical documentaries on this channel. But I said that we were enjoying the great TV series too, as The newsreader that takes place in 1986, in Australia. In this series, the Halley’s comet is mentioned because it was visible in 1986. I said that I had seen it. As I had also seen the solar eclipse that occurred in 1999. This is what this episode is about and about some strange coincidence too.  In the notes that come with the transcript I will highlight for you 3 expressions that are typical in French. We will also focus on a particular sentence that is typical of spoken French.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Saturday evening ten days ago, my friend Caroline and I met at Saint-Lazare. We had dinner in a nice pizzeria near the trendy and lively rue Oberkampf, in the eleventh arrondissement, in the east of Paris. But, did we really go that far to have pizza? Not really. We had a plan ! This is what you are going to hear in this episode.  Caroline and I have known each other since our daughters Micaela and Juliette were only a few months old. We were leaving in the same Résidence.  Do you think we started by saying « tu » or « vous » to each other the first time we met? We are almost the same age. Is it difficult to guess? Well, the answer is also in this episode.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you 3 expressions that you could use in your own French conversations, they are simple but efficient expressions. I will also tell you how we use vous or tu in different everyday life circumstances.  So, to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

It was December the 30th 2022, I had an appointment with Nathalie Iris from the bookshop Mots en marge, in La Garenne-Colombes.  Nathalie is a famous bookseller in France, you can see her on the TV show Télématin. We met during the confinement, during which Nathalie chose some books for my three daughters, Micaela, Felicia and Lisa. She also became a regular guest to talk about books on the podcast One Thing In A French Day that I run beside Cultivate Your French.   That day, in December, Nathalie presented a book that I totally fell in love with : On va déguster Paris. It’s a book written by François-Régy Gaudry a journalist that runs a radio show about food and good products on France Inter. He’s very famous in France. I love his voice and his way of saying things.  With his friends from the radio show, François-Régis Gaudry has already written different books about France, Italy, etc. But this particular book about Paris is really good. It’s full of addresses, recipes, historical stories, pictures and drawings.  In this episode, you are going to hear Nathalie Iris talking about it. You can order this beautiful book from the website Decritre.fr at a fair price. I don’t have any commercial link with them, but I know their service is very good.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will have an eye on those questions asked at the negative form, on the expression « il y a » that teachers often ask us to avoid and we will see all the different vocabulary about a book page.  So, to cultivate your French, and enjoy the transcript by reading what is said and enjoy the notes that come with the text, you could subscribe at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The subscription costs 4 euros a month ! 

The weather is very bad these days in Paris, but it doesn’t stop me when I have the possibility to have a walk in Paris.  Justement, I had an order to collect rue du Four. This led me to a strange encounter.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for your those expressions or words that are typical in French and that you could use in your own conversation.  We will also focus on the vocabulary that I use in this text to talk about my itinerary .  And I will select a particular sentence that you could repeat again and again to improve your pronunciation and your spoken French.  So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript and receive it by email. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. Rendez-vous at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

During the holidays, we had the visit of an unexpected visitor : the flue ! Micaela and Felicia and me where its victims, so it ruined the joy of being on holidays. But we had some nice moments and we were the 3 of us well enough to enjoy the traditional Christmas meal with my parents. Pintade aux marrons, plateau de fromages, bûche au chocolat and Clairette de Die are what we enjoyed the most.  But, there where also some nice and positive moments, this is what this episode is about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will give you all the information on who is who and what is what in this list. We will also notice the tenses used in this list of moments. Eventually, we will focus on this sentence that starts with « Saviez-vous que… » and see how you could use it in your own French conversations.  So to cultivate your French and improve your listening comprehension, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript, so you can get the text of the podcast by email with the notes and photos. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. You can subscribe at cultivateyourfrench.com

It was cold on that day, when my friend Pauline and I went to Paris for a day. We went to Saint-Germain-des-prés to walk in the nice streets, enjoy the Christmas shop windows like the ones of Alix D.Reynis, Ladurée or Officine Bully. We also visited the very nice Eglise Saint-Germain-des-prés whose ceilings are as nice as the ones of La Sainte-Chapelle. We had tea at Le café des deux magots. And, we went to la Place Furstemberg, one of the most beautiful places in Paris. This episode takes you to this nice little place. This is a double episode, it’s twice longer than usual because next week and the week after the podcast will on holidays.  In the notes that come with the transcripts, you will find photos with comments of the different places Pauline and I went to.  So, to cultivate your French, and improve your listening comprehension, you could subscribe to the transcript and receive the text, notes and photos by email. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. You can subscribe at www.cultivateyourfrench.com

There were a lot of anniversaries in 2022 : the 4th centenary of Molière’s birth, the 2nd centenary of the deciphering of the hieroglyphes by Jean-Francois Champollion, the centenary of Marcel Proust’s death and the centenary of the publication of Ulysses by James Joyce, in Paris.  Yes, in Paris ! It was the American owner of the bookshop Shakespeare and Company, Sylvia Beach, that published the famous book in 1922.  With my friend Françoise, a reader of Ulysses in English,  we went to different places related to James Joyce in Paris. A little odissey of our own. The bookshop Shakespeare and Company owned by Sylvia Beach doesn’t exist anymore, though I’m sure you have heard about a famous bookshop, named Shakespeare and Company, near Notre-Dame. Haven’t you? What is the story of this bookshop? This is what this episode is about. You can imagine Françoise and I in Paris on a cloudy day.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will focus on all the numbers and dates that this episodes contains.  So, are you ready to cultivate your French? Then, you could subscribe to the transcripts and notes of this podcast at www.cultivateyourfrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month to receive by email the transcript, the notes and photos. 

Last Saturday, there was a Kung-fu completion near Paris. La coupe de France de Kung-fu. It’s opened to anyone belonging to a club. There was 4 of us from my club : Alistair, Julien, Paul (12) and me.  Preparing a competition requires a lot of energy and in my case I have to deal with stress. I presented a routine without weapon (mains nues) and one with a sabre.  What is the aim of going to a competition? This question might occur at some point. This is what this episode is about. In a way, I think we can make a link between this question and learning French. Learning French has the reputation of being difficult. Yes, it is. But step by step you can make progress and be proud of yourself ! I’m proud of you, my dear listeners.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will focus on natural French sentences and expression. Of course, there will be a special focus on a sentence I have chosen for you «  j’aurais pu sans doute faire mieux ».  So to cultivate your French and improve your listening comprehension by reading the text, you can subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Many famous paintings became famous because they were scandalous. This is the case of Le Radeau de la Méduse by Théodore Géricault. The young painter, aged 27 years old, painted about the wreck of the Medusa near the cost of today’s Mauritania. 147 persons were left on a big raft on which most of them died. Only 15 people survived the 13 days before their rescue.  The wreck happened in 1816 and it was scandalous because the French captain was incompetent.  Géricault gets passionate about the subject; He meets two survivors, study dead bodies in the hospital, study how to paint to sea, etc.  The painting was first shown at the Salon in 1819, only 3 years after the wreck of the Medusa. The Salon is the official art exhibition at that time.  My friend Anne-Laure will tell you how the painting had been received at that time.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will focus on the vocabulary and expressions that Anne-Laure uses to describe what people felt about the painting.  So to cultivate your French and boost your listening comprehension, subscribe to the transcript at cultivateyourfrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month. When you subscribe you get the 10 latest transcripts for free.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

This Monday, I had the chance to visit with a class the Assemblée nationale. The visit was absolutely thrilling. The official seat of the Assemblée nationale is the Palais Bourbon. This palais was build in front of the place de la Concorde, on the left bank of the Seine. It was built in the 18th century for one of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan’ daughter.  There are a lot of nice rooms and nice paintings to see but what we all enjoyed the most was the opportunity to watch the debates going on for 5 minutes. This was really an experience and this is what this episode is about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you the expressions and sentences that you might use when you talk about a speech.  We will also study a specific sentence, the last one because it contains all the elements to understand the used of the passé composé and the imparfait.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

A few weeks ago, my friend Anne-Laure and I spent a day in the 11th arrondissement, le quartier du faubourg Saint-Antoine. This neighbourhood in the East part of Paris has a special identity that comes from the Middle Ages. There was a major trading center related to wood and a lot of cabinet-makers had their worshop there. This is the reason why it is organised with courtyard sand passages : when you make furnitures you need space and air. Then, in the 19th century there were a lot of factories. The Seine was not far away, so it was easy to have that type of business there.  Before visiting two different passages, Anne-Laure and I had to find a place to have lunch. Let’s start with this !  In the notes that come with the transcript, we will focus on a specific sentence that uses the gérondif, a form that comes from Latin ! Yes, thrilling ! As usual, I will also highlight for you Voilà, to cultivate your French and work on your listening comprehension you can subscribe to receive the transcript by email at www.cultivateyourfrench.com The subscription cost 4 euros per month. 

Last week, we had a good week, we spent a week in Jura. The girls were eager to go to the Jura sud equestrian centre, for them it’s the best place in the world. They would usually spend the whole week there, but as November the 1st was a bank holiday, it was planned that they would start going on Wednesday. We have a ritual to end those beautiful days, we go to the Crêperie in Pont-de-Poitte.  In this episode, I will tell you about the equestrian centre and the crêperie. And, in the transcript, I will highlight for you the sentences or expressions that are very natural in French and the you could use in your own conversations. We will also focus on a short sentence of the text because it contains a verb at tense that could be surprising !  To cultivate your French and receive the transcript by email, please subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com the subscription costs 4 euros a month ! 

On a Saturday afternoon, last September, I took my bike and met with Emilie Renard. We had ten kilometres to ride together to go to Issy-les-Moulineaux where Emily runs something tipically French : un théâtre de marionnettes, a puppet show, in the parc behind the mairie. On weekends, there are two performances. One at 4.30 pm and, the other one, one hour later. For the first one, I stood in the public to watch the show. It was a very funny story. Emilie has written all of the 12 stories that she performs (one each week). The main character of her stories is the famous Polichinelle, but in this story Polichinelle was only presenting the show. Then, I had the chance to watch the story from behind the scenes. It’s really a permformance to manipulate the puppies with the hands, to have them move in the small scene and to have to speak in the voice of the different characters : there were 6 different characters in this story.  In this episode, you will hear Emilie Renard talking about her work, about the story that I saw and where to go to watch her show. In the transcript, I will highlight for your some very natural French sentences or expressions that you could use in your own conversations. Because, this podcast is about improving your French comprehension, but also cultivating your French !  All the information about the transcript is available at www.cultivateyourfrench.com Next week, the podcast will be on holidays, but if you are a subscriber, you will receive a link to keep working on your French.  Le théâtre de Polichinelle, Issy-les-Moulineaux : https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054410202970  

Last Saturday morning, I received a phone call from Claire, Lisa’s viola da gamba teacher. Se was offering to take Lisa and her son to the Comédie Française. The Comédie Française, France’s famous national theater, the house of Molière? Lisa was excited ! The play was La vie de Galilée (Galileo’s Life) by Bertold Brecht. She didn’t understand much, but really enjoyed the moment, and the macaron Claire offered her when they got out.  That same day, Micaela had an appointment with her best friend, Anna. Does it have a link with what I have just said? Yes, you are going to discover it in this episode.  In this episode, you may notice that there are many questions. For example : Quelle pièce allez-vous voir? This gave me the idea to write a list of questions, in the transcript that goes with this episode, that you could be asked about a play.  I have also recorded those questions in an audio file, so you can play with me and answer my questions as if we were having a conversation.  Cultivate Your French at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

My daughter Lisa had to read a book for school. The French teacher gave her students the choice between different books; There was some rather modern books, classics and easy to read or more difficult ones. The test was due yesterday.  Lisa had chosen a book, but she forgot to take it at the library, then she was supposed to borrow one from a friend. Finally, one week before the test she hadn’t read any book. So, I took the list and we chose to buy Une Amazone from Alexandre Dumas. Yes, Alexandre Dumas who wrote Les trois mousquetaires !  In this short story, the story takes place in Paris, in the years 1850. Edouard fells in love with a young woman at a ball a the Opera. This young woman dictates to Edouard some rules : not to mention that he knows her to anyone (or she will kill him, she’s very talented at using an épée), to break up with is friend Marie and to use a board to meet each other. When Lisa told me about the board, I couldn’t understand. But, the courtyard where Edouard lives is just in frond of the young woman’s home. She asks him to put a board between the two windows and to cross from one place to another on this board below the emptiness.  In this episode, Lisa tells me about the outcome of this story.  In the notes that go with the transcript, we will have a close look at what tenses are used by Lisa and I to tell the story.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

This is the last year of lycée for Micaela. Last June she took the French baccalaureate, which is the 1st part of the bac. This year, she is taking the bac for good. Two of the subjects are coefficient 16. For her, it’s mathematics and physics. But she also has to choose what she is going to study next year and where. This is what this episode is about.  In the notes, I will also talk about how to express a choice in French ! As usual, I will also highlight for you expressions that are natural in French and some words to remember.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

200 years ago, in Septembre 1822, Jean-François Champollion writes a letter to his friend of L’Académie des Inscriptions et Belles, Monsieur Dacier. In his letter, he reveals that he has deciphered the Egyptian writing, the hieroglyphs.  200 years later, the Collège de France, in which Jean-François Champollion gave a few lessons in 1831, organises a special event : the reading of his first lesson.  In the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you the sentences or expressions that are interesting to understand and to remember. I will also show you a few words to learn because they are useful.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Flâner is typically a Parisian activity. You just let yourself drift from a place to another. You can wander while you visit the Grands magasins, for example. This is what we did my friend Marilyne and I at the Printemps and at the Galeries Lafayette. These two Grands magasins are close to the Opéra Garnier and to the Gare Saint-Lazare. They were both created in the XIXth century, the Printemps first, then a few years later the Galeries Lafayette. What is the difference between these two department shops? This what you are going to hear in today’s episode.  In the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you some typical expressions and tell you in a few words how those stores were created.   www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

How to bring a little bit of Paris in your suitcase? It’s not easy to find those little souvenirs that will make someone happy. For me it’s becoming a game to see them for you. Maybe because I met Lila this summer to whom I offered a key ring from Brittany years ago when she was around ten years old. More than ten years later, she was still using it and loved it.  Donc, in this episode here is a first harvest of a few objects that you might bring back with you.   As you listen to French you work on your listening comprehension. When you read and listen at the same time you boost your comprehension and you see the language, you see how it works. Soon, you will soon listen for what is being said rather than for the language !  In the notes that go with the trasncript, I highlight for you those expressions that are natural in French and that you could use in your own conversations.  You can subscribe to the transcript at cultivateyourfrench.com

After, the detour to Italy last week, this week we are going to end our Promenade de l’été. Do you remember? We were in the quartier de l’Europe. We had met the painters from Le groupe des Batignolles, Manet, Monet, Caillebote to quote a few names. At Saint-Lazare, or right above the station, at Europe, you can take the metro line 3 to Pont de Levallois, Bécon. There you can have a walk to the Seine and to the Ile de la Jatte, where Seurat painted Dimanche après-midi à l’Ile de la Grande Jatte. Maybe a peniche will pass by. La Défense is visbile from there. It’s another world there. Well, now, it’s time to go to the rue du Parc and look for a small green shop. This is where Claire Heitzler has established her pâtisserie. No cakes in the window. No. This place is different. You can order on her Internet website cr discover the cakes at her boutique. They will be showed to you. Claire Heitzler is so famous among pâtissiers, she has an examplary career, won so many prizes. She has chosen to open a shop that is in harmony with what she values most : authenticity.  Let’s listen to her now.  In the notes, that go with the transcript Claire Heitzler will describe to you one of her cakes in a bonus audio file. I will also highlight for you some very natural expressions in French.  www.cutlivateyourfrench.com  

We are back from holidays ! We were in Italy, near Bari in the Puglia region where Pietro still has a lot of family.  We really enjoyed our stay, the region is beautiful and so different from France. Micaela arrived twelve days before us and stayed with Pietro’s aunt, Ada. So when we went to the beach, she had fun understunding what people where talking about on the beach. This is how this episode starts, but it will quickly takes you to another place, the town of Altamura and the town of Monopoli.  In the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you those typical expressions that we use in everyday French. And, of course, with the notes, there are photos of the places that I go to. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

This is the third episode of our summer serie, La promenade de l’été. It’s a walk in Paris that takes us, episode by episode, to the heart of the 17th arrondissement. Last week, my friend Anne-Laure and I were in the Quartier de l’Europe. This is where a group of young painters, including Monet, Pissaro, Bazille, Renoir, Degas and the writer Emile Zola, in the years 1875, gathered around Manet, the scandalous Manet painter of Le déjeuner sur l’herbe and  L’Olympia. Today, Anne-Laure and I located where some famous paintings were painted. It’s an adventure that gave me so much happiness !  The podcast will be on pause for the next 3 weeks because my family and I are on holidays abroad. But, if you subscrided to the transcript, you will receive 3 episodes to keep on working your French comprehension. There is a theme for those 3 episodes. Should I tell you? It’s ice-cream !  But, for now, this is Summer French ! in the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you those typical expressions that we use in conversations. It’s a bit different that what I usually do in the notes. The idea behing Summer French is to notice how French is spoken in everyday conversations. And, of course, with the notes, there are photos of the places that I go to.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

This is the second episode of our summer serie, La promenade de l’été. It’s a walk in Paris that will take us, episode by episode, to the heart of the 17th arrondissement. Last week, we went to the Square des Epinettes where you can find the statue of a very interesting woman of the 19th century, Maria Deraismes. Today, my friend Anne-Laure and I are in the Quartier de l’Europe. This is where a group of young painters, including Monet, Pissaro, Renoir, Degas and the writer Emile Zola, in the years 1875, gathered around Manet, the scandalous Manet painter of Le déjeuner sur l’herbe and  L’Olympia. They where gathering at the Café Guerbois, avenue de Clichy. In this episode, Anne-Laure and I imagine what could be the subject of their meeting. Art, of course.  This is Summer French ! in the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you those typical expressions that we use in conversations. It’s a bit different that what I usually do in the notes. The idea behing Summer French is to notice how French is spoken in everyday conversations. And, of course, with the notes, there are photos of the places that I go to.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

This week, on the podcast, starts La promenade de l’été, a walk in Paris that will take us, episode by episode, to the heart of the 17th arrondissement. It all started with a statue when my friend Anne-Laure and I visited the Petit Palais, last October. I noticed this statue of an impressive woman, Maria Deraismes. The sculptor was Ernest Barrias, and the statue was just behind another one : La Defense statue, also by Barrias. La Defense statue gave its name to the district of La Défense in the west of Paris. They were both reproductions. You can see the statue of La Défense in La Défense and the statue of Marias Deraismes in the square des Epinettes in the 17th arrondissement. This is where we were, Anne-Laure and I, to record this episode and to discover who was this woman of the 19th century, Maria Deraismes.  This is Summer French ! in the notes that go with the transcript, I will highlight for you those typical expressions that we use in conversations. It’s a bit different that what I usually do in the notes. The idea behing Summer French is to notice how French is spoken in everyday conversations. And, of course, with the notes, there are photos of the places that I go to.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

My friend Sylvie and I went to London last week, on Wednesday the 6th, the day before Boris Johnson announced his resignation. We had to wait one hour in Gare du Nord before being able to show our passports. The train was delayed because all passengers could not get on board at the departure time. I think this was due to the lack of staff in the station, and I must admit, poor organization.  But we did it and it’s still something very special to arrive in London. This episode almost starts in Euston road !  In the transcript that goes with this episode I will highlight for you all the expressions and sentences that are very natural in French. I will also give you a selection of sentences that say that you had a wonderful time in … let’s say… France !  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

It’s a great thing to improve your understanding skills, you feel more confident and it’s almost the basic of a language. You understand what people tell you in French. Sometimes, we are so focused on understanding that we almost forget to improve our speaking. When you understand enough, you have to prepare yourself for the next step which is « talking in French ». Yes, talking! Never forget to talk, it’s important ! But, you have to be ready. To train yourself to your next visit to France, today’s episode and next week’s episode are about talking in French.  Today, you will buy some macarons. Yes, don’t you remember that you have to offer a box for your friend’s birthday? There is so much choice in the shop, which flavours are you going to choose?   Are you ready? You are in Paris, the pâtisserie is lovely, the window is full of colourful macarons.   First you are going to hear the dialogue between my friend Marilyne, who plays the seller, and myself, the customer.  Then, to make things more practical, you will also hear only the seller lines. With the other part of the dialogue left blank,you will be able to act as if you were the customer at the macaron shop! In the transcript, we study some sentences particularities and I challenge you to leave me an audio message, you ordering by phone in French some lovely macarons.    This is a repeat broadcast !   All the information about the transcripts, notes and photos is available at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

In France, beer, craft beer, is becoming more and more popular. There is a thing about beer in Paris also. I was very curious about the subject so I met a very nice guy: Alexis. He runs a beer shop in Pigalle, in rue de Douai, not very far from the Moulin Rouge. In his shop you can find beers from around the world, but also from the best French breweries. He only sells craft beers, so you have to be ready for the experience !  In this episode, you will hear Alexis talking about how beer is made and what are his favourite adjectives to talk about beer. I’m sure there is one that you will remember for ever !    In the transcript that goes with this episode, I will highlight for you some sentences or expressions that are very natural in French and that you could use in your own conversations !   www.cultivateyourfrench.com https://www.laptitemousse.eu/  

Last week-end, there was the Elections législative, we elected our deputies. And maybe that you have heard that president Emmanuel Macron has lost the majority.  But last week-end, there was also the European Archaeology Days ! Lisa, Micaela, a friend and I headed to the Institut de paleontology humaine for a short conference about palaeontology and a visit of the institute’s collections. Yes, there was a lot of bones and skulls!   In the notes that go with the transcript, I will show you the different tenses that I use to tell you this story. This way you can almost feel the difference between imparfait and passé composé. Of course, as usual, I will highlight for you sentences or expressions that are very natural in French and that you can use in your own conversations.  All the information about the transcript is available at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

In today’s episode, my friend Pauline and I take you to the 16th arrondissement of Paris.  This arrondissement is located between the Bois de Boulogne and the Tour Eiffel.   There you can visit the Maison de Balzac, as we did, where the famous writer worked on La comédie humaine, a series of 90 novels representing all the aspects of life in the 19th century. Balzac lived there between 1840 and 1847, hiding from his creditors. Visiting the house is very moving, first because the place is unexpected in Paris : an ancient house with a lovely garden. Then because it’s strange to imagine that he lived and worked there.  Then Pauline and I did some shopping in the neighboorhoud and will tell you about it.  Talking about shopping, in the notes that go with this episode, you will find the mini survival French guide written last year. It contains the basic sentences that you might need when you are staying in France.  Of course, as usual, I will highlight for you the expressions or sentences that are very natural in French.  And, as this episode is recorded on the spot, it contains a lot of typical expressions.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Summer is coming, of course that we need new shoes. Especially Lisa who as a bigger feet than last year and who needs new shoes to go to Versailles with her class. Micaela needs white sneakers to wear with her skirts or dresses. Felicia doesn’t feel the need to change her shoes for now. And I? Yes, I would like to find as good shoes as my old Clarks sandals.  By chance, we found the street for us in Asnières. Lisa and I stopped into a shop with shoes for children. In the shop, there was a little girl otherwhelmed by choice and a mother who couldn’t help her. Chosing something can be so difficult sometimes. Things were going to be different for Lisa.  This is how starts the story that you are going to hear today. We are in the shop with Lisa.  With the notes that go with the transcript, you will find a typical dialogue for buying shoes in French. Yes, this may happen for you in France ! I will also highlight for you the sentences or expressions that are very natural in French.  The title of this episode says that there are 3 stories. The 3rd one will be released on Friday on One Thing In A French Day podcast. There is no slow version, but sometimes it’s nice to dare listening to something more difficult. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Last week, I spent an afternoon in Paris. The weather was very nice, it was almost summer. It’s much cooler this week. I had to buy 2 copies of the book Lisière (Border in English) written by the Bulgarian writer Kapka Kassakova. This book is the story of the writer’s trip to the borders of her country where she meets people who share with her their stories. Cold War is not that far. This book si very well written.  I had seen on the website librairiesindependantes.com that the book was available at Galignani. This bookshop is one of the oldest bookshops in Paris and it’s located under the arcades of the rue de Rivoli, next to Angelina salon de thé in front of the jardin des Tuileries. I recorded myself in the garden right after I bought the book. This is what you are going to hear today.  In the notes that go with the transcript, I share with you some photos of this afternoon in Paris and I highlight for you some expressions and sentences that are very natural in French.  And remember that reading the transcript is an accelerator to your comprehension.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Today, you are going to hear an interview that I had with Alice Chance. This very nice young woman is a music composer, she’s in France for her studies and she has a YouTube Channel. This is how I’ve discovered her. She uses her channel to talk about her French studies. She started it in 2019 as she was at home, in Australia. I like it because it’s real life studies, because she has nice solutions (I love the one about creating your own French family) and because she has a poetic mind.  And we met in real life by chance, because Alice and I leave in the same neighbourhood. I saw her once on the Pont de Levallois. I couldn’t believe my eyes, so I decided to contact her. Yes, she was the one I saw ! And she agreed to meet and talk about her YouTube channel for the podcast !  In this episode you are going to hear Alice talking in French, I think her pace is rather good for you so there won’t be 2 versions as usual.   In the notes that go with the transcript, you will find 3 tips that were useful for Alice. And I will also give you a conjugation routine. Because, les conjugaisons, c’est la liberté !  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

When you have been living in the same neighborhood for a long time, there are people that you know. You might say hello  to some of them. But some you are just familiar with their face.  I have been living in Bécon-les-bruyères for more than 20 years. There is a couple that I see from time to time. There are quite intriguing.  In today’s notes, I highlight for you some sentences or expressions that are very natural in French. I also provide a special section with useful sentences when you are going to the checkout. À la caisse.  And there are photos of my neighborhood. Bécon-les-bruyères.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

We spent last week week in Brittany, near Paimpol. We had a lovely week. We didn’t move too much as the girls had a lot of homework to do, but we had a long walks by the sea every afternoon. The house we rented was a the end of the big garden of the owner, a sweet old lady.  On Sunday the 1st of May, we headed to Paimpol to buy some Lily of the valley as it is the tradition in France.  In the notes with the transcript of this episode, I highlight for you some sentences or expressions that are very natural in French.  There are also some photos taken during our stay in Brittany.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com