Cultivate Your French

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 alon

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

Last week, I dropped by the station in the early evening to drop off a book at the book box. I noticed that a florist had set up a stall there. The station is the focal point of the neighbourhood. It's on the border between Courbevoie, Asnières and Bois-Colombes. The railway line divides the Bécon district into two areas, the one on the Courbevoie side being the most commercial. But with the arrival of a new bakery and a new pastry chef, the area on the Asnières side is coming back to life. The florist was also on the Asnières side.  In the notes that come with the transcript, we'll focus on practical phrases for talking about prices in shops and three typical expressions of natural French and also three expressions that are interesting to notice.  So if you want to cultivate your French 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

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 e

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

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 Y

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 transcri

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

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,

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

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 a

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

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

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 subsc

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 receiv

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.