Cultivate Your French

Dear listeners, I wish you all une très belle et heureuse année 2025. I wish you a wonderful year filled with the joy of learning another language, opening up to another culture and meeting new people thanks to French! And, of course, good health.  In today's episode, we take a look back at our New Year's Eve party. We were invited to dinner at the house of our friends Isabelle and Thierry, who live in a house in Colombes.In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll be trying to make resolutions to find our way around French in 2025, we'll also be getting curious by taking a closer look at the wine mentioned in this episode and finally, there'll be a phrase to repeat out loud! On ne perd pas les bonnes habitudes ! So, to cultivate you French in 2025, I invite you to subcribe to the transcript and get all the positive effects all the full experience. www.cultivateyourfrench.com

There's a giveaway with the podcast at the moment to win books, you'll find all the details in the latest podcast blog post.  I invite you to take part!  By the way, I'd like to thank you for all the messages I've already received, it's so exciting to read you and find out what you like about the podcast.    This year, as usual, we celebrated Christmas: Christmas Eve on the 24th, opening presents on the 25th in the morning and lunch with a beautiful poultry, a lovely cheese platter and a bûche!  We like to prepare a home-made bûche. It's always a bit stressful because from one year to the next I can never remember which recipe I used for the biscuit.  This time, I used the Savoie biscuit recipe and everything seemed to go well.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, I'll suggest a routine to improve your listening comprehension based on the podcast. I'll also be inviting you to share yours!  Of course, there will be a few Christmas photos and we'll take a look at three very natural French expressions.  To

Today we're back with French cheesemonger Augustin Denous. He's the author of a fascinating little book about cheese, which I recommend you get if you want to understand all the different aspects of cheese. Last week, Augustin gave us his definition of a good cheese. In his book, he explains that cheeses have seasons, so I asked him what his favourites were for late autumn. That's the subject of this episode.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we'll see how Ausgustin talks about Comté in particular. I'll also suggest a sentence for you to repeat, as it's a very powerful exercise for improving your spoken French. You can send me your phrase on the podcast answering machine.  So to cultivate your French for cheese, the slow way, I invite you to subscribe.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On my way back from the Jura, in a shop in Beaune, I came across a little yellow book that caught my eye: Le bon fromage. I looked through it and was immediately won over. Above all, I thought of you, dear listeners. At last, a simple, interesting book that opens up new perspectives and explains a whole host of things: from the importance of the meadow, to the composition of a cheese platter, not forgetting how it's made, the different regions of France, and so on. All in very accessible, yet enriching, French.  The author of this book runs two shops in Boulogne-Billancourt, near Paris. His name is Augustin Denous, and he's a very nice man who likes to share his knowledge and experience, so he agreed to talk to us about good cheese.  Today's episode is an extract from that interview, in which Augustin gives us his definition of ‘good cheese’, after specifying that a good cheese is one that brings us emotion, whether it's an industrial or artisan cheese.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we'll look a

— We should go and meet our MP. I think your listeners would be interested!  Pierre had an excellent idea.  After contacting our MP, his parliamentary assistant, Shéri Diop, suggested that we meet at the Assemblée Nationale for an interview.  It was very impressive to have an appointment in such a beautiful building and to be welcomed so warmly.  Mr Juvin was mayor of La Garenne-Colombes for many years before being elected as a Member of Parliament. He has been an MP since 2022. His electoral district covers Bois-Colombes, La Garenne-Colombes and Courbevoie. In civilian life, he is a professor of medicine and is currently head of the emergency department at Georges Pompidou Hospital in Paris.  He welcomed us to his office. In this episode, I invite you to listen to the part of the interview in which Philippe Juvin explains his role as an MP.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we will look at how Mr Juvin constructs a very clear speech and how he goes about it.  You will also find a link to the audio a

The house was silent and I wondered what Lisa was doing that Sunday afternoon. I could already see her laughing at a Squizzie video on YouTube. Now that I know what she was doing, I think she was sighing, but it wouldn't be long before she was laughing. Lisa was reading for her French class.  In the notes that go with the transcript, I'll give you a quick introduction to the author of the text she was reading and some very famous lines. We'll also look at Lisa's sentence construction when she tells me the story of the play and we'll see how to use this construction to talk about a character by explaining its intentions. This will be applicable in everyday life, of course!  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

Are you familiar with the Vendée Globe race? It's a solo round-the-world yacht race on a small boat, a monohull. A race without assistance! It's what we call a ‘sick race’. Every four years, the participants set off from Les Sables d'Olonne, in Vendée, and arrive in Le Sable d'Olonne after sailing around the world from west to east.  Pietro is very fond of this race, and has been taking part virtually for several years. What exactly do I mean by ‘virtually’, that's what you're going to find out in this episode, among other slightly wacky things. In the notes accompanying the transcript, you'll find three useful and natural expressions in French, with examples. We'll also take a closer look at what the little word ‘bien’ can change in a sentence. Especially when you're investigating, my dear Watson.  So, if you want to cultivate your French, not virtually, but the Slow and at the right pace way, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

On Friday, I met up with my friend Anne-Laure for lunch at a cute little restaurant in La Garenne-Colombes. To warm us up, we ordered tea. ‘Let it steep for two minutes’, said the lady in the restaurant. Everything changed when I removed the tea bag. Fortunately, as they say in French, ‘le ridicule ne tue pas’.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we're going to play around with switching certain sentences from indirect speech to direct speech, because it's very useful to know how to do that when you're telling someone something, a little adventure that's happened to you, for example. We're also going to identify some pronouns to see how they're used in the sentences in the episode. It's a good opportunity to pick up some automatic patterns, both when you're listening and when you need to express yourself.  So if you want to cultivate your French, the Slow Way, I invite you to subscribe. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

As I prepare this episode, we still don't know the result of the US elections. I hope this episode will give you a break from the stress of the election campaign.  Last week, we were in the Jura mountains. We went for a walk with Eric Wolff, a naturalist guide, around the village of Etival. After climbing ‘Le Mont Paradis’, where we were able to observe a number of different plant species, we went back down a wooded path to look for animal tracks - there were traces of wild boar.  In the notes that accompany the transcript, there will be photos of the walk, but we're also going to look at a word that occurs three times in the text, but in different contexts. If you have time, I'll suggest that you send me a mini-story about the wolf or a phrase to repeat on the podcast answering machine.  So, to cultivate your French, the slow way, I invite you to follow in the footsteps of the wolf, er, of the other subscribers. www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

After going to the bakery, in last week episode,  two days later, I went back to Bécon, this time to withdraw money from the ATM. Lisa was with me. Perhaps she'll tell us about her cinnamon roll?  In the notes that accompany the transcript, you'll find an assortment of super-practical phrases about withdrawing money from an ATM. Yes, yes, you also need to know how to speak ATM French!  So if you want to cultivate your French and have a nice assortment of words about withdrawing money, I invite you to subscribe.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com  

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 culti

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  

Just before the start of the new school year, I received a text message from my friend Géraldine. She asked me to come with her for a day to Normandy, to see two exhibitions, one of which was on the painter Augustin Rouart, as part of the Normandie Impressioniste festival, which takes place every four years. The name Rouart sounded familiar, but I wasn't really sure why. I said ‘yes’ to her proposal and we decided on a date.  In this episode, you'll find out why the name Rouart rang a bell and also what day we leave for Normandy.  In the notes accompanying the transcript, we'll look at three expressions that are natural in French. There will also be some interesting links on the painter Augustin Rouart, suggestions of grammar points to review (these are only suggestions) and also an episode of the One Thing In A French Day archives to listen to!  So if you want to learn French the ‘slow’ way, I invite you to subscribe.  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, o

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 episode