French Your Way Podcast: Learn French with Jessica | French Grammar | French Vocabulary | French Expressions

Listener Nancy would like to clarify when “ne” can be dropped in French. When is it possible to deliberately forget this common 2-letter word? Is there any change in the meaning? Listen to find out!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Je n’aime pas quand tu fumes = j’aime pas quand tu fumes.
La famille n’a plus d’argent à la fin du mois. = La famille a plus d’argent à la fin du mois.
Je n’ai rien compris ! = J’ai rien compris !
Vous n’êtes jamais allé en France ? = Vous êtes jamais allé en France ?
La voisine est une mégère, elle n’aime personne = La voisine est une mégère, elle aime personne
Ceux-là ne sont facultatifs qu’à l’oral ! = Ceux-là sont facultatifs seulement à l’oral !
Je peux pas acheter le pain, j’ai que 20 centimes dans ma poche. = Je ne peux pas acheter le pain, je n’ai que 20 centimes dans ma poche.
“ne” explétif
Dites à vos proches que vous les aimez, avant qu’il (ne) soit trop tard.
Nous allons devoir annuler nos vacances à moins qu’on (ne) trouve une solution pour la garde du chien.
Je crains que tu (n’)aies raison…
Docteur aux urgences : J’ai peur que vous (n’)ayez le bras cassé, madame.
Docteur aux urgences : Je vais vous donner un antalgique pour éviter que vous (ne) souffriez.
Docteur aux urgences : Nous allons mettre un plâtre pour empêcher que vous (ne) bougiez votre bras.
Links and Resources

Grammar Clinic workshops are resuming! Visit my website and subscribe to my newsletter to know when the next ones are coming!


FYW 239: “pas” vs “non” in French
How to Pronounce Plus in French
FYW 20 : The 3 Ways to Pronounce Plus in French

When students write in French, I often see words spelled with an initial uppercase which shouldn’t be: the English language uses capital letters in more situations than the French language does - typically with days of the week or months of the year. Let’s go through a useful checklist of words that require a capital letter in French.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
les Français, les Européens, les Vikings
une Française, une femme française
la langue française, le français
la Joconde
La Nuit des temps (de Barjavel)
La Bête humaine (de Zola)
Le Petit Prince (De Saint Exupéry)
Fables de La Fontaine :
La Cigale et la Fourmi
Le Lièvre et la Tortue
Candide ou l'Optimisme (Voltaire)
Madame la Directrice, Monsieur l’Ambassadeur, Monsieur le Président / le Ministre
lundi, mardi, janvier, février
Links and Resources

Book your ticket to the French Dictation (live and in replay)

Get 15% off with the discount code (until Thursday 19th May, midnight Paris time): yes15

Live workshops are back!

More information and bookings open on my events page: https://frenchyourway.com.au/events

If you can’t attend, don’t worry: you will receive the replay video as well as the worksheet and answers.

Upcoming events:

Dictée en français / French dictation

Sunday May 22nd at 9pm Paris time.

Imparfait vs passé composé

Thursday May 26th at 10pm Paris time.

Check out my events page

Subscribe to my newsletter to receive special discount codes for the workshops.

Looking forward to working with you!

Jessica

As if it were not challenging enough to get to understand French spoken at normal speed, how to understand a French conversation when there is background noise/music, or a piece of French audio that’s not clearly audible? In this episode inspired by a question from Fiona, I will share some tips on how you can work on this and improve and I will also stress the importance to accept that you ARE always going to miss some words (and how to work on that, too).
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
“C’est une idée très schtroumpfante ! »

« Tu as bien dormi ? Tu as l’air bien schtroumpf aujourd’hui. »

« ça fait longtemps qu’on n’a pas schroumpfé ensemble ! Vendredi, ça te dirait ? »
Links and Resources

My Schtroumpf activity (with free downloadable worksheet):
French Voices podcast: on your favourite podcast app or at https://frenchyourway.com.au/category/frenchvoices

Fiona from Melbourne Australia asked me to explain the difference between the verbs “sentir” and “ressentir” in French. Let’s go through the differences in their use and in the structure of the sentences.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
L’odorat (nm)

sentir des fleurs / un parfum / l’odeur de l’herbe coupée.

Tu ne sens pas comme une odeur de fumée ?

Le toucher

Touche ! Sens comme c’est doux / rugueux.

Je sens le soleil / le vent / le froid sur ma peau.

Ça sent le printemps !

Je sens que je vais réussir cet examen.

Calmez-vous les enfants ! Je sens que ça va mal finir !

Sentir / ne pas sentir (une situation, une personne) = avoir une mauvaise impression sur…

Je ne sens pas trop cette fille, elle a l’air malhonnête. Ne fais pas confiance à ce garçon, je ne le sens pas.

Alors, ton entretien pour le poste de représentant ? Tu le sens comment ? Je le sens plutôt bien !

Se sentir (bien / mal / fatigué / en forme / triste / heureux / découragé, motivé…)

Je le/la sens triste. / Je sens qu’il/elle est triste.

Je sens qu’il commence à s’ouvrir / à comprendre.

Je sens la fatigue m’engourdir / la joie l’envahir.

Qu’est-ce que tu ressens ? Comment tu te sens ?

Je me sens triste (je ressens/j’éprouve de la tristesse)

Je me sens frustrée (je ressens/j’éprouve de la frustration)

Je me sens légère (je ressens/j’éprouve de la légèreté)

En entrant dans la maison à vendre, j’ai ressenti beaucoup d’oppression / je me suis sentie très oppressée.

Le ressenti = the perception, the sense (eg temperature)

La temperature réelle est 5 degrés mais la température ressentie est zéro

Quel est ton ressenti sur cette situation ?

le ressentiment = resentment, bitterness, dislike

Elle éprouve encore beaucoup de ressentiment envers sa voisine même après toutes ces années.

Here’s a selection of 5 mistakes commonly made by English students learning French. Some may be a “simple” refresher (but we really need to drill those in, don’t we!), some of them may be new to you depending on your level of French.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Je vais bien.

Je suis bien.

Comment allez-vous ?

Comment êtes-vous ?

Je compte aller en France (pour) 6 mois en 2023.
LINKS and RESOURCES

FYW 002 : "For" (+ duration): Avoid Saying “Pour” if Possible!
FYW 090 : How to say “I miss you” in French?

This episode was inspired by a question from listener Philip:

“Recently, a thunderstorm damaged my internet connection. The router displayed the error message "réseau non détecté".

I was surprised, because I would have said "pas détecté". When should we use "pas" or "non" to mean "not"?"

Let’s see examples and learn about the difference between spoken and written French, what the official rules are and how everyday French bends these rules.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
N’entre(z) pas.

(Merci de / prière de) Ne pas entrer.

Ne fume(z) pas dans le train

Ne pas fumer dans le train (interdition de fumer)

Accepter / ne pas accepter les cookies.

réseau non détecté

mise à jour non compatible / non disponible

acquis / non acquis / en voie d’acquisition (acquired / learned)

By popular demand, I have recorded a series of episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the street or in the movies can sometimes sound quite different!
Warning : in this episode, I've gathered some very familiar, common French expressions around pee, poo and fart. Not appropriate for children’s ears (or if you’re easily shocked).
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Emmerder
"Les non-vaccinés, j'ai très envie de les emmerder" (E. Macron)
« Arrêtez d'emmerder les Français » (Georges Pompidou)
Je t’emmerde
Faire chier
(ça) fait chier, j’ai perdu mes clés à la plage. / J’ai pas envie d’aller à ce dîner, ça me fait chier / madame Martin me fait chier avec ces questions débiles.
Chiant,e (adj)
Ma sœur est trop chiante. / C’est chiant de se lever le lundi matin.
Il pleut comme vache qui pisse.
se pisser dessus
n'en avoir rien à péter
péter plus haut que son cul
pété de tunes/thunes : rolling in it, loaded
péter les plombs / un câble : blow a fuse, lose it, go berserk (psycho. Breakdown)
péter la forme / le feu : to be in tip-top form, to be in great shape
se la péter : to show off, to brag
être pété/mort de rire (ptdr, mdr)
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also find my short eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills" useful! It includes a section featuring common differences between French as you know is and as it is actually spoken in real life 😉
Check out my eBook : https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills
LINKS and RESOURCES

French slang expressions (1) - French Your Way Podcast episode 233:
French slang expressions (2) - French Your Way Podcast episode 236:
my eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills": https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills

In my last newsletter and YouTube video, I asked for your input/feedback on what you struggle most with in French and I took note of your difficulties (some of which I still need to think about how to best address them.) One aspect of French grammar which came back several times was how to tell whether a noun is masculine or feminine. Listen for my best tips and use the link below for my detailed article AND free downloadable worksheet to test yourself!
LINKS and RESOURCES

Masculine or Feminine? Telling the Gender of French Nouns (includes free downloadable worksheet to test yourself)
FYW 032 : How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or Feminine (Part 1)
FYW 033 : How to Tell if a French Noun is Masculine or Feminine (Part 2)
French Animal Names : What to Call Your Dog if it’s a Female

This recording is in French, here’s the outline of what I talk about to help you follow:
A comeback video in a new environment: we’re in France! We’ve been settling down, enjoying family time after two years of separation, finally meeting my little (and very cute nephew), creating memories (e.g we took the kids to the snow!)
The children have started attending French school...on and off really, due to the absurd C*vid protocols in place here. Still, I’m hoping this will give me some time to resume working on French Your Way!
In 2021, I worked on a personal project (I’ll tell you about it when the right time comes) and spent quite a while in lockdown being my daughter’s private teacher. We also prepared our departure to France.
In order to help you with your French, I need YOU to give me your input, your feedback:

What is your biggest struggle about learning French? What do you need explanations/reinforcement with?
What type of content do you find most helpful to learn? (podcasts, online classes, eBooks?)

Please get in touch! Email me
/!\ Don’t forget: I explain French concepts in English. If you know me, you know that! 😉 For authentic conversations in French, check out my “French Voices” podcast.
Thanks for your patience while I wrap my head around things again and release new content! I am grateful for your support and your kindness.
Jessica
Subscribe to my newsletter.
Follow me on Facebook / Instagram

By popular demand, I'll record some episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the street or in the movies can sometimes sound quite different !

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also find my short eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills" useful! It includes a section featuring common differences between French as you know it and as it is actually spoken in real life 😉

Check out my eBook : https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
La mater
le ciné, cinoche
le restau
un boîte (de nuit)
Un keum (= mec)
Une meuf
(un) ouf
vénère
une teuf
chan-mé
un keuf, un flic, un poulet
LINKS and RESOURCES

French slang expressions (1) - French Your Way Podcast episode 233: http://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast233
my eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills": https://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-conversational-skills

A simple French grammar tip can help you go a long way to efficiently translate common expressions from English to French!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Rien/quelque chose / quelqu’un / personne + DE + adj SING MASC

rien de spécial / de grave / d'important / d'urgent

quelqu’un d’important / de généreux / d'honnête… BUT de BIEN vs BON

quelque chose de bizarre / d'étonnant / d'incroyable / secret

I received an email from Abhijit's, Tasmania, who is struggling to translate some sentences from English to French. He says he prefers to learn phrases as opposed to grammar and asks for my opinion and any potential book recommendation. This is a good opportunity for me to share MY thoughts about the best way to learn French language.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Take this conversation:

Hey! I haven't heard from you for a while. How are you? and how's everything going? I was on leave for about 7 days and now back to work. Hope to catch up soon.

Now to translate this I really struggle. I learn by phrases as opposed to by grammar. I personally think it's better. Do you have a basic book that you would recommend?

Regards
Abhijit (Hobart, Tasmania)

How to translate:

"Hey! I haven't heard from you for a while. How are you? and how's everything going? I was on leave for about 7 days and now back to work. Hope to catch up soon."

Avoir des Nouvelles (de quelqu'un)
I haven't heard from you
Did you hear from him? Etc
How are... you ? Everything ?
To be on leave = être en congé / en vacances
To catch up with someone : revoir ; faire le point avec
LINKS and RESOURCES

(Article) Challenge: Can I Make You Love French Grammar? https://frenchyourway.com.au/love-french-grammar
(Podcast) FYW 061: Challenge – Can I Make You Love French Grammar? : https://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast61
FYW 115 : Questions in French (Part 2): The different translations of “what…?”: https://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast115
FYW 147 : How to translate the English “DO” in French?: https://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast147
How to say "I miss you" in French? https://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast90
Practice Worksheets to Help You Build Correct Sentences in French: https://frenchyourway.com.au/practice-worksheets-build-correct-sentences-in-french

By popular demand, I'll record some episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the street or in the movies can sometimes sound quite different !

If you enjoyed this episode, you may also find my short eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills" useful! It includes a section featuring common differences between French as you know is and as it is actually spoken in real life 😉

Check out my eBook
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Balles (argent):
Il a acheté une nouvelle voiture à 15.000 balles !
A deux balles (worthless, cheap, lousy ; cheap joke, Xmas craker humour, bubblegum humour)
Bobo (pain, scratch, boo boo ; boho, bobo)
Mec, gars, type
Pote, poto
Nickel (super, parfait, impeccable), nickel chrome
Faire cul sec, ¨cul sec!"
Saouler
Ma mère / vieille me saoule avec ses conseils à deux balles.
ça me saoule to make/get sb drunk
Mes vieux / mon vieux, ma vieille
Se prendre une cuite = to get drunk / intoxicated / hammered / pissed
Il est rentré du bar hier soir avec une bonne cuite. = He came home smashed from the bar last night. (source: Word Reference)
Être cuit,e (Baby is cooked)

LINKS and RESOURCES

my eBook "How to improve your French conversation skills"

What's the difference between SUR and DESSUS, or SOUS and DESSOUS? Can they be used interchangeably? In this episode we'll see how to use these words in sentences, along with more examples and a vocabulary booster!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Le livre est sur la table.
Il est dessus.
Sur, dessus
Sous, dessous (underneath, below, on the bottom / back side)
Dans, dedans.
J'ai oublié les clés dans la voiture. J'ai oublié les clés dedans !
Hors de, dehors.
Le kangourou saute hors de la poche de sa maman. Il joue dehors.
Sortir dehors, rentrer dedans = pléonasmes
En face de, en face
A droite / gauche de, à droite / gauche
Devant
Derrière
Le dessus, le dessous (un dessous de verre)
Les dessous: underwear; (of a case) secrets , what lies behind, underlying facts
Dessous de bras : armpit, under arm
Dessous de plat : trivet
Dessous de verre : coaster

This is yet another question from Artur, who was featured in the previous episode! 😉

"I recently stumbled upon one hitch in one exercise in a course, namely:

"Si quelque chose tente Robert, il l'achète" becomes "Il achète ce qui le tente."

According to you, it should be: "Il achète ce que le tente"? I am confused here. Could you clarify this?"

The difference between QUI and QUE is by far my most popular post and as such, is well worth a brush-up! See the links to my article, audio version and FREE printable worksheet with the answers below.
LINKS and RESOURCES

My article and free worksheet "How to Use Qui and Que in French"
Audio version: French Your Way Podcast, episode 19: "Easy Tips on when to use Qui and Que"

Here's a question from Artur:
"I wonder if the last letter "t" is pronounced in the phrase "Il part en chantant", because of the liaison? Same question for "c'est une bonne idée."
I've heard some folks pronounce "t" and some not."
What do you think? How would you pronounce the above sentences? Give it a try then listen to find out!
LINKS and RESOURCES

My online course "How to sound like a native French speaker - Everything you need to know about French pronunciation, intonation and rhythm"

I received the following question from Jane:

Hi Jessica, I am new to your podcasts but hoping to work my way through them slowly as I study French. I am very much enjoying them.

I have just listened to episode 6 (FYW 006 : "To demand” vs “Demander": ) and have a question about agreement in the following sentence :

"Mon mari m’a demandée en mariage à Uluru." Why do you use the -ée on "demandée"? Doesn't this verb agree with your husband ("mon mari")?

Here's a great opportunity for a brush-up if you're an intermediate or advanced learner of French!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Le professeur a demandé le silence aux élèves.
Il leur a demandé le silence.
Il le leur a demandé.
Il a demandé la réponse aux élèves. Il la leur a demandée.
Mon mari m'a demandé le sel. Il me l'a demandé.
Mon mari m'a demandé de l'épouser. Il me l'a demandé.
Il a demandé sa petite amie en mariage. Il l'a demandée en mariage.
Mon mari m’a demandée en mariage.
LINKS and RESOURCES

FYW 006 : "To demand" vs "Demander":
FYW 167 : French verbs – agreement of the past participle with ETRE (compound tenses, part 3):
FYW 171 : French verbs: agreement of the past participle with AVOIR (compound tenses, part 4):

An end-of-the year message for you in both English and French, with the French text below :-)
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Bonjour à tous,

J'espère que vous allez bien. Je voulais dire avec vous "au revoir" à cette année 2020 et vous adresser mes meilleurs vœux pour 2021 ! En français, on dit "Meilleurs vœux", ou "Bonne année, bonne santé". Et le "bonne santé" n'a jamais été aussi sincère que cette année, que le Covid-19 a rendu si spéciale. Donc, plus que jamais, prenez soin de vous, de votre santé et de celle de vos proches. Nous avons tous vécu l'année qui se finit de façon différente ; certains ont été très anxieux, préoccupés, éprouvés psychologiquement et/ou financièrement, tandis que d'autres ont apprécié de pouvoir continuer à travailler chez eux, de ralentir et se retrouver un peu. Le bout du tunnel est bientôt là, je le sens, alors courage ! Je voudrais vous inviter à prendre un moment pour réfléchir à toutes les choses positives qui sont arrivées cette année, car je suis certaine qu'il y en a. Même des petits bonheurs tout simples !! J'en profite par exemple pour souhaiter la bienvenue à mon petit neveu Marius, qui est venu agrandir la famille cette année, et aussi pour remercier Craig et Julie, un charmant couple de Melbourne (femme française et homme australien), que je ne connaissais pas. Il se trouve que Craig a participe à des sessions que j'ai organisées sur Zoom. J'ai eu la grande surprise de trouver dans ma boite mail un samedi matin de décembre un message dans lequel ils proposaient de me donner des livres pour enfants en français dont ils n'avaient plus besoin. Mes enfants ont donc reçu une trentaine de très beaux livres (ainsi que des CDs avec des comptines en français !), et c'était un cadeau tout à fait inattendu et qui nous a fait énormément plaisir !!
J'espère de tout mon cœur que mon travail vous a un peu divertis ; je sais que c'est le cas pour au moins certains d'entre vous qui m'avez écrit pour me le dire - je n'aurais jamais imaginé être une distraction indispensable à votre bien-être émotionnel et à votre isolement un jour, mais je suis très très heureuse si mes podcasts, ma lecture du Petit Prince sur YouTube et French Your Way Podcast, et mes sessions en live sur Zoom de jeux en français et de Grammar Clinic vous ont permis de vous occuper et d'avoir le plaisir d'apprendre. J'ai été très (très !) occupée ces derniers temps et je travaille sur mon nouveau site internet, qui a pris un peu de retard mais que vous pourrez découvrir bientôt. Quand tout sera en place, je reprendrai les ateliers et d'autres projets. Ma petite Lili va entrer à l'école en janvier (en Australie, l'année scolaire commence en janvier), elle grandit vite !! Je vais donc avoir un petit peu plus de temps pour travailler pour vous et avec vous.
En parlant de Lili, elle et moi avons décidé de vous chanter une petite chanson d'hiver intitulée "Neige Blanche" (même si ici c'est l'été !) pour vous divertir et vous souhaiter, encore une fois, le meilleur pour 2021 !

Paroles de la chanson / Lyrics:
Neige, neige blanche
Tombe sur mes manches
Et sur mon tout petit nez
Qui est tout gelé.
Neige, neige blanche
Tombe sur ma tête
Et sur mes gros souliers
Qui sont tout mouillés.
Neige, neige blanche
Viens que je te mange,
Pose-toi tout doucement
Comme un p'tit fondant…
Yum !

What's the difference between TROUVER and RETROUVER in French? Listen in! And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast ;-)
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
J'ai trouvé des clés dans la rue.
J'ai retrouvé mes clés dans la poche de mon pantalon.
Après des mois de confinement, nous retrouvons la liberté.
Mes anciens camarades de classe se sont retrouvés après 20 ans.
J'ai rencontré ma meilleure amie à l'université.
J'ai retrouvé ma meilleure amie à l'université.
Je trouve que c'est un bon papa.
Je trouve que cette nouvelle coupe de cheveux te va bien. = I think that new haircut really suits you.
La Tour Eiffel / La Joconde se trouve à Paris.
Il se trouve que je suis libre demain : on pourrait se rejoindre au parc. = It happens that I'm free tomorrow; we could meet in the park.
Elle ne se trouve pas jolie, elle se trouve trop grosse.
Avec toutes les offres de voyage à tous les prix, tout le monde s'y retrouve ! = With travel offers to suit all pockets, everyone can find something they like!
LINKS and RESOURCES

FYW 226: FALLOR vs DEVOIR:
FYW 106 : Je me lave, vous vous appelez, etc.: what are reflexive verbs

Lacking a sense of direction is the surest way to ending up nowhere, feeling all over the place, overwhelmed and eventually discouraged.

Find out how you can define your French learning goals and stay focused using the SMART goals tool.
Links and Resources

"How long does it take to learn French?" (article)
"How long does it take to learn French?" (episode 182 of French Your Way Podcast)
"How to stay motivated learning French?" (episode 24 of French Your Way Podcast)

Martha from Cape Cod in the USA is confused about when to use the verb FALLOIR and when to use DEVOIR in French. As a result, she says she exclusively uses DEVOIR. The two verbs actually have the same meaning but the structure of the sentence will be different. Let's see how they work, with concrete examples. I'll also give you additional meanings for DEVOIR 😉
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Devoir = je dois, tu dois, il/elle/on doit, nous devons, vous devez, ils doivent
Pour faire des crêpes, il faut de la farine, des œufs, etc. = on doit prendre/avoir…
Il faut manger pour vivre.
Il faut que vous me racontiez ça ! = vous devez me raconter ça !
Il faut que j'y aille / que je parte maintenant. = je dois partir / y aller.
Il faut que nous y allions / que nous partions. = nous devons partir / y aller.
Il faut que tu fasses tes devoirs. = tu dois faire tes devoirs
Il faut environ 3 heures pour faire Paris-Marseille en train. = It takes about three hours to get from Paris to Marseilles by train.
Les enfants se sont faits mal en se bagarrant : ça devait arriver ! = The kids hurt each other fighting. That was bound to happen!
Vous devez être heureux de cette belle nouvelle !
Il est en retard, il doit être dans les embouteillages.
Je dois mille euros à la banque.
Je vous dois des remerciements pour votre aide. = I owe you a big thank you for your help.
Un devoir = a duty ; assignment, homework
Links and Resources

FYW 080: Introduction to the Subjunctive (Part 1)
FYW 083: Introduction to the Subjunctive (Part 2)

Listener Rebecca is confused about the different forms of the French word "nouveau" and how it is different from the word "neuf". Let's clarify the difference and learn new expressions along the way!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Nouveau(x), nouvel(le)
un nouveau jour, une nouvelle nuit
un nouvel ordinateur
un nouvel iPhone
Avez-vous lu le nouveau Werber ? / vu le nouveau Besson ? / écouté le nouveau CD de Cabrel ?
Le nouvel élève est intimidé. / Le nouveau est intimidé.
Il y a du nouveau dans cette affaire.
A nouveau = once again, once more
Malgré sa promesse d'arrêter, il a à nouveau repris la cigarette.
Je lui ai dit de ne pas m'interrompre, mais elle m'a à nouveau coupé 10 secondes plus tard.
Voir les choses sous un nouveau jour / sous un jour nouveau = in a new way, in a new light
Neuf(s), neuve(s)
Son nouvel ordinateur n'est pas neuf.
Notre nouvelle maison n'est pas neuve.
flambant neuf = brand new; spanking new
Il est arrivé dans sa voiture flambant neuve
Vous préférez le neuf ou l'ancien?
Quoi de neuf? (What's up/new?)

This episode complements episode 222: "What are these strange " LE " and "NE" words with no actual meaning in French ??". We'll see examples of letters being added with the only purpose of making French pronunciation easier. There will also be examples of common spelling alterations to achieve that same purpose. So, if you want to get more clarity on why you may find a mysterious "NE"/"LE"/"S"/"T" or accent in a French sentence or word which doesn't usually has it, this episode is for you!

PS: Don't forget to check the links / articles I refer to below!

PPS: Please share the word about this podcast if you love it! 😉 Merci!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Comment elle va ? Comment va-t-elle ?
Il y a un pilote dans l'avion = Y a-t-il un pilote dans l'avion ? (Airplaine !)
"Aussi souhaité-je vraiment vous rencontrer"
"Aussi souhaitais-je vraiment vous rencontrer."
Je peux ? Puis-je ?
Va ! Vas-y !
Mange du fromage! Manges-en !
LINKS and RESOURCES

French Your Way Podcast, episode 222: "What are these strange " LE " and "NE" words with no actual meaning in French ??"
French Your Way Podcast, episode 220: "Pronunciation rules around the verb "acheter" (and more!)"
French Your Way Podcast, episode 111: "Questions in French (Part 1): the 3 ways to ask a question"
Replay of Grammar Clinic #4

Joanna asked me : Why is the " l' " neccesary in "Tu verras ce que l'on gagne à vouloir vivre libre"? What is it a pronoun referring to? it is direct or indirect? Merci!
Good question! It may be very surprising but this "l' " doesn't mean anything and is not compulsory! Ok, I think you need to listen to this episode so I can explain! 😉
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Cet homme est plus intelligent que tu (ne) crois / qu'il (ne) parait.
J'ai bien peur qu'elle (ne) soit fâchée.
Fuyez avant qu'il (ne) vous voie !
Labeaume, c'est le village où  (l') on allait en vacances chaque été.
Si (l')on a du mal à respirer, il vaut mieux appeler le SAMU.
Si tu as du mal à respirer, il vaut mieux que l'on appelle le SAMU. / qu'on appelle.
Dans ce jeu, on peut lancer la balle à qui (l')on veut.
Il faut rester qui (l')on est en toutes circonstances.
LINKS and RESOURCES


"French Verbs Made Easy" (eBook + Workbook):

Thanks to Tina for suggesting to talk about French expressions on the podcast. Idiomatic expressions can be so difficult for language learners because they often don't make sense when they are translated literally. However, they're rather fun and also commonly used, therefore it is always useful to know them. Of course, I also find it very interesting to research the ORIGIN of the expressions!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Donner sa langue au chat
LINKS and RESOURCES

Upcoming events (Games in French, French Grammar Clinic workshops)
FYW 043 : French Expressions With Colours
FYW 048 : French Expressions with Animals (Part 1)
FYW 051 : French expressions with animals (Part 2)
FYW 060 : French Food Expressions
FYW 064 : French Expressions with Body Parts (Part 1)
FYW 068 : French expressions with body parts (Part 2)

Pronunciation rules around the verb "acheter" (and more!)

Listener Nuvia is in doubt on how to pronounce the verb "acheter" in the present tense. There are indeed a few opportunities for you to learn or brush up various aspects of the French language in this seemingly short and simple question. Let's dive in!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
ACHETER
J'achète
Tu achètes
Il / elle / on achète
Nous achetons
Vous achetez
Ils / elles achètent
épousseter, épeler, crocheter, déceler (to detect / discover / spot), congeler, acheter, se racheter, peler, (se) projeter, décacheter, voleter, etc.
LINKS and RESOURCES

Replay of Grammar Clinic #4
Check my Upcoming Events page to find out about the next live sessions! (Grammar Clinic workshops, Games in French)
My online course "How to sound like a native French speaker " Everything you need to know about French pronunciation, intonation and rhythm"
My eBook "How to Improve Your French Conversation Skills":

If you haven"t taken the challenge yet, grab your pen and paper and test yourself with the free French dictation I ran live in August! This is a great opportunity for you to brush-up your French listening, grammar and phonetic skills. As always, I"ll also comment on and explain a few tricky points ;-)

The text used for the dictation is below, no cheating! Do it by yourself first!

You can also find the video recording (and downloadable notes) on my YouTube channel.

Check out my Upcoming Events page so you don"t miss the next live sessions! (Games in French, Grammar Clinics and dictations)

Text for the dictation was:

Ma grand-mère se rappelait :

« Petits, nous jouions dehors tous les jours et tout le jour avec les autres enfants du quartier. Nous grimpions aux arbres. Je me rappelle qu"on volait les belles cerises du voisin. Si quelqu"un nous voyait, nous partions en courant.

En grandissant, la vie est bien sûr devenue plus sérieuse. Nous étudiions avec un maître strict parce que nos parents rêvaient d"une vie meilleure pour nous."
LINKS and RESOURCES

Video replay of Grammar Clinic #4 + downloadable notes
Upcoming Events

This episode complements episode 217 ("How to convert a verb into a noun or adjective in French?") and sheds light on some special spelling rules that may happen inside a same family of words. You'll get a grammar brush-up and become a French spelling Jedi if you can remember these rules!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
pratiquerIl se donne toutes les chances de réussir son concours en pratiquant le piano tous les jours.Nous avons grandi dans une famille très pratiquante.Les pratiquants se retrouvent à l'église du village le dimanche matin.Un pratiquant du tennis de table s'appelle un pongiste. (source : Word Reference)NaviguerIl a navigué autour du monde.Il a fait le tour du monde en naviguant.Le personnel navigant = cabine crewFatiguerelle est fatiguée parce que sa journée a été fatiganteFabriquerUn jouet fabriqué en bois.Il gagnait sa vie en fabriquant des jouets en bois.Un fabricant de jouets
LINKS and RESOURCES


Episode 217: How to convert a verb into a noun or adjective in French?

This weekend, challenge your mind and join me on the live sessions that I’ll be running for you! I’m always delighted to see you, the familiar faces, as well as the new ones!

There will be:

A free Games in French session
and
A French Grammar Clinic with a dictation and practice around tricky verb forms (the imperative, the agreements of the past participle).

As always, the Grammar Clinic replay will be available to those who register, even if they can’t attend on the day!

I’ve also just scheduled another 2 upcoming workshops for you:

Back to Basics! Direct Object (COD) vs Indirect Object (COI)
and
The passive in French (brush-up and practice)

Check out my Upcoming Events page to register!

A très bientôt? Passez une excellente journée…ou nuit 😉

I have to thank Abdulelah from Saudi Arabia for inspiring me to make this episode because what follows is just what I l LOVE to explain: you’re both going to work on your grammar AND increase your vocabulary in a blink of the eye (or so I hope!)

In English, you may convert a verb into a noun by adding _ing to it (sail à sailing, read/reading, etc)
The -ING added to a verb being generally translated by the present participle in French, Abdulelah wanted to know whether in French we can apply the same rule and therefore convert a verb into a noun by using its present participle.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Dîner / le dîner

le goûter

le déjeuner

le coucher

le lever

le paraitre = appearances

le savoir

le parler = the way of speaking, the manner of speaking

Finir à fini (pp) à un travail fini (pp used as adj)

Blanchir à blanchi à des dents blanchies

AIMER ➔ nous aimons (present indicative) ➔ AIM_ (stem) ➔ AIMANT (present participle)

BOIRE ➔ nous buvons (present indicative) ➔ BUV_ (stem) ➔ BUVANT (present participle)

Blanchir à nous blanchissons à blanchissant

Fatiguer à elle est fatiguée parce que sa journee a été fatigante

Motiver à Il est motivé parce que son coach est motivant

Blanchir à il a les dents blanchies grâce à ce dentifrice blanchissant

Intéresser à Vous êtes intéressés parce que je suis intéressante !

Mourir à La voiture est morte. Ce patient est mourant.
LINKS and RESOURCES

Upcoming French Grammar Clinic workshops: frenchyourway.com.au/events
How to choose the right mood and tense in French - French verbs made easy (eBook + Workbook) : https://gumroad.com/l/fyw_tenses
“How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR Without Losing Your Mind” (French Your Way Podcast, episode 58): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast58
“How to Conjugate French Verbs in –IR Without Losing Your Mind” (my article): http://frenchyourway.com.au/how-to-conjugate-french-verbs-in-ir-without-losing-your-mind
Episode 164: French verbs: past participles (compound tenses, part 1): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast164

While the topic of the previous episode was light and rather fun (How to talk to your pet in French), today’s episode is more serious and I hope will be very useful to you.

Listener Kate emailed me the following question:

“I am a relatively new French learner and there is something important that I need to get right.  I have a severe nut allergy (the type that will put me in the hospital or even kill me if I accidentally eat nuts!).  It's important that I'm able to communicate this when I'm out to eat, but I'm a bit confused about the terminology.  I've been told that 'nut' in French is 'la noix', but others have said this actually is just one type of nut, the walnut.  Which is it?  What is the best way to tell people about my allergy?   “

This is an excellent question, and all the more so that in French there isn’t a generic word to refer to nuts! So, how then to talk about your allergies (and any other medical issue)?

Disclaimer: I can't take the responsibility of missing out on any nut or product you may be allergic to. This episode does give you a few vocabulary words, but also my tips on how to prepare your trip when you are suffering from an allergy or a medical condition.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Nut = hard fruit, generic term for walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, etc
Un fruit à coque
huile d'arachide = peanut oil
Peanut = une cacahuète
Walnut = une noix
Cashew = une noix de cajou
Une noix du Brésil
Une noix de macadamia
pine nut = un pignon
"je suis totalement allergique aux noix de toutes sortes" (= to nuts of all kinds) / aux fruits à coque ET aux arachides"
"j’ai une allergie mortelle à… »
une allergie mortelle = a lethal allergy
Etre allergique à / Avoir une allergie à (qch)
Vs
Faire une allergie à (qch) (= happening, having an allergic reaction)
LINKS and RESOURCES

Episode 215: How to talk to your pet in French
https://allergyaction.org/translations/
https://allergyaction.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Translation-French.pdf
http://www.selectwisely.com/

This episode inspired by a question from Philip was a particularly fun one to prepare. Philip lives in Saint-Tropez, a beautiful and town on the Mediterranean coast in the South of France which attracts many visitors and celebrities in the summer. He did pet sitting for French friends and had many questions around how to talk to your pet in French.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Un poisson rouge = a goldfish

Marine :

« Haha je peux te parler de ce que je dis à mon chien seulement ;) mais bon je suis un peu débile/gaga avec lui.

Je ne vouvoie aucun animal.
Il aime les 'gratouilles', je ne lui dis pas chatouille ou guili
good boy = 'gentil chienchien'
come here = 'viens ici / aux pieds'
assis / couché
pour 'to walk', il reconnait 'promener!'
pour une friandise, il reconnaît 'nonoss'

et pour finir je l'appelle aussi 'amour de ma vie.
Et pour ce qui est de ne pas toucher les chiens dans la rue, c'est une question de prudence, si jamais ils ne sont pas gentils. Mais le mien est parfait et adorable tout le monde peut le caresser. »

Chonchon

« Pour Smokie, on parle de "caresses", il connaît plein de mots comme " pipi d'chien", promenade, assis, couché, roule, viens, va jouer. On ne vouvoie pas les animaux chez [nous]... Quand il est gentil on l'appelle "p'tit wawa", quand il a fait une bêtise on l'appelle vilaine bête. On m'a toujours appris quand j'étais petite à ne pas toucher les chiens dans la rue, sauf si la personne me donne l'autorisation ou si je le connais déjà... Ça me paraît aussi une question de bon sens pour des questions de sécurité, surtout avec des enfants (chien peureux, malade, pas éduqué.. Etc) enfin voilà ! Smokie vous embrasse.

PS: pour les produits vétérinaires, il y en a quelques-uns en pharmacie, mais c'est surtout du dépannage (vermifuge et anti bestioles..) »

Margot :

"Jessica coucou, oui on parle de leur faire des caresses ou des gratouilles. Oui on tutoie les animaux même si on ne les connaît pas « salut toi ! T’es beau toi ! » Quand tu croises quelqu’un avec un chien que tu ne connais pas, soit le maitre/maîtresse te dit « allez-y, il est gentil vous pouvez le caresser » ou toi tu dis « Est ce que je peux le caresser? » mais pour ça en Australie c’était pareil car certains chiens n’ont pas envie d’être caressé par un inconnu ou il peut être un peu agressif... après le comportement ça dépend aussi si tu es dans une ville ou à la campagne. Pour les médicaments, le vétérinaire te les fournit en général surtout pour les antibiotiques... tout ce qui est plus commun comme le vermifuge, anti puces, collyres... c’est pharmacie et véto."

Le veto = le vétérinaire

Un vermifuge = wormer, anti worm tablet, deworming pill…

Une puce = a flea

Un os = a bone

Nourrir = to feed

Une gamelle = dish, bowl

La litière = (cat) litter

Une crotte = a dog/cat/sheep, etc. poop

Une/de la pâtée = mash, feed ; (nourriture grossiere) slop, swill

Une croquette = dog/cat biscuit

Une friandise = a treat

Promener son chien = to walk one’s dog

Brosser un animal = to groom, brush

Many episodes ago, I recorded a series of lessons about the use of the various French pronouns. I think it’s time for a quick brush-up! Here’s the question I received from a Joanna, a listener of French Your Way podcast:
"Why would the pronoun for the Louvre not be "y" in the following example:
Tu visiteras le Louvre - Tu le visiteras (you’ll visit it) " ?
In this episode, I’ll clarify a few points to help you better understand the use of the place and direct pronouns in French. I’ll also clarify the position of the French pronouns in the sentence!
Also (re)listen to:

Episode 88 : Direct and Indirect Objects and Pronouns in French
Episode 96: FYW 096 : The French Pronoun "Y"

To participate in my French Grammar Clinic workshops, check out:

frenchyourway.com.au/grammarclinic

Find the dates to my upcoming events:

frenchyourway.com.au/events

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Tu visiteras le Louvre ? Tu le visiteras (you’ll visit it)Le Louvre est à Paris ? "Il est à Paris.Je vais au Louvre ? J’y vais.Je visite le Louvre. ? Je le visite.Je lui ai écrit.J'aime aller au Louvre ? J'aime y aller.
LINKS and RESOURCES

frenchyourway.com.au/grammarclinic
frenchyourway.com.au/events
Episode 88 : Direct and Indirect Objects and Pronouns in French 
Episode 96: FYW 096 : The French Pronoun "Y"

Listen to a real French lesson that I recorded with John, a student from the USA! John wanted to focus on a general conversation. I interrupted him here and there to correct or point out a few grammatical or pronunciation points and give him relevant vocabulary.

If you've enjoyed learning from a real French lesson situation, I encourage you to participate. This is a great opportunity to get my personal feedback on your French and ask me anything that you need help with.

Book you session

The session may become a podcast episode...like today! This way, my feedback is both personal and still helping as many of you as possible.

Also listen to:

Episode 196: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #3)
Episode 181: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #2)
Episode 172: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #1)
Check out my online course "How to sound like a native French speaker: everything you need to know about French pronunciation, intonation and rhythm"

What is the difference between "Bonne chance" and "Bon courage" in French? Can they be used interchangeably? Find out in this episode and learn a few more common French expressions to wish someone well! This episode was inspired by a question from Joan. If you also have a question about the French language or French culture, email me
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
La chance = luck, good fortune
Le courage = courage, bravery, fearlessness, gut, heart, strength
un entretien d’embauche
Bonne chance pour ton entretien !
Bonne chance pour ton concours
Un concours = a competitive exam ; a competition
Bonne chance pour ton permis !
Bonne chance pour ton épreuve de philo !
Une épreuve = a paper (part of an exam)
Je croise les doigts pour ton examen de conduite / pour ton entretien / pour ton concours.
Merde pour… = break a leg
Bon courage pour la rédaction de ta thèse
Bon courage pour ton opération / accouchement.
Bonne chance pour ton accouchement.
Bon courage pour ta chimio.
Bon courage pour la suite.
Bonne chance pour la suite.
Bonne continuation = all the best / take care
Bon vent = farewell ; safe trip
LINKS and RESOURCES

FV 048 : Part 3 – Pol Corvez, photographer-teacher-sailor-writer all in one!
FV 050 : Part 1 – Pierre-Marie Dupré : Writing French Comedies for Theatre
FV 051 : Part 2 – Pierre-Marie Dupré : Writing French Comedies for Theatre

Live French Grammar Clinic workshops : Launching on July 18th and 19th 2020!!

You know how curious I am about how the language works. In my French Your Way Podcast, I not only investigate about the origin of French words and expressions; I also always strive to explain grammar in the simplest, most memorable way possible to help you.
Breaking down a language into its simplest elements and understanding how it work, how the "pieces" fit together is so fascinating! This is part of the way I teach and definitely something I want to share this passion with you!
What are French Grammar Clinic workshops?

An opportunity to increase your confidence with French by brushing up and strengthening your French grammar foundations with me.
We’ll take a close look at how the French language works so you truly understand the rules behind the order of the words, the choice of pronouns, the agreements, the use of the different tenses, etc…
Live, interactive sessions on Zoom.
This means you can ask me your questions (relevant to the workshop’s topic). This is a safe, friendly-people-only event 😉
Work on formal grammar through examples and exercises

Such as:
Dictée and Analyse Grammaticale: these are two typical French exercises I used to do weekly in primary and secondary school. While some pupils hated it, I believe they were tremendously helpful to get strong grammar and spelling skills and to understand more easily how sentence structures work. I’ve used to understand French and the other foreign languages I studied: English, Italian, Latin, German, Russian and Mandarin Chinese.

I’ll send you a worksheet with the answers after the workshop (so you can practice again and see whether you’ve improved!)
I’ll send you a link with the replay of the session. (This is also a good option if you can’t attend.)

Note:
You may - or may not - find the exercise easy… at first. Every new skill takes practice!
I want you to ENJOY this new exercise. Notice how you may start thinking differently and more logically about how words go together. Again, this is an opportunity for you to reflect on the structure of a language and more confident with your French!

Eventually, you may find that you’ll stop making grammar mistakes you used to make all the time because you’ll finally understand WHY you made them!
How it works
The French Grammar Clinic is a paid workshop.
When you register, you get the link and password to attend the live session.

To find out more details, head to www.frenchyourway.com.au/events (you’ll find all the upcoming events on this page, including the next Grammar Clinic workshops, Games in French sessions, and the link to attend a special Bastille Day online celebration!).

I have put a lot of love, time and care putting this all together for you and am really looking forward to seeing you there! As always, feel free to contact me if you have any question 😉

A bientôt, prenez soin de vous !! (Take care of yourself !)

Jessica

Join other students from around the world and let’s play in French together! This recording is an excerpt from the latest Games in French session I ran on Zoom last weekend.

You’ll hear us play "Le Petit Bac" (I explain the rules and point system) in the recording.
For these two rounds, we played with the following categories:

Nourriture (= food)
Vêtement / accessoire de mode (= piece of clothing / accessory)
Personnalité (= celebrity)
Couleur (= colour)
Animal
Corps (= body)

Take a pen and paper and play in real time. No cheating! 😉

Email me your grand total (= "score final"), I assure you that you can easily beat me! 😉

***

Subscribe to be notified of the upcoming live French events and much more!

***

Find out about the upcoming events

While trying my hand at new baking techniques, I have come to learn a few valuable lessons which can also apply to learning a language... French for instance! ;-)

In this episode I’m sharing a personal baking experience and talking about fear, analysis-paralysis, trial and error and even failure! All of them are part of any learning experience, and part of life too.

Listen for a dose of inspiration and a shift of perspective which, I hope, you will find useful!

Watch this video on YouTube
Philippe Conticini
Introduction to the subjunctive (Part 1) – French Your Way Podcast episode 80
Introduction to the subjunctive (Part 2) – French Your Way Podcast episode 83
Introduction to the subjunctive (Part 3) – French Your Way Podcast episode 86
How to choose the right mood and tense in French - French verbs made easy (my eBook + Workbook)

This is the last episode about my reading of "Le Petit Prince" to you!
Contact me if you think you can help me grow my collection of Petit Prince books in a foreign language :-)

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I’m reading: "Le Petit Prince", Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about "Le Petit Prince" (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

REPONSE A LA QUESTION:
501 622 731 étoiles!
(cinq cent un millions six cent vingt-deux mille sept cent trente et un)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.

I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work on your French comprehension while you’re stuck in quarantine! 🏠😉Subscribe to my YouTube channel and don’t miss an episode!

Full text available online: "E-books libres et gratuits"
I'm reading: “Le Petit Prince », Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Le grand livre pop-up, Gallimard Jeunesse
My article about « Le Petit Prince » (binlingual article)

To celebrate summer I’ve prepared for you a series of 3 episodes with my best travel tips for your stay in France! In this episode I’ll cover: how to plan your itinerary and avoid being stuck in traffic, how many "bises" (kisses) you should smack on French people’s cheeks, and much more. Learn false friend words that may cause confusion to English speakers visiting France. Also, are you aware of the most popular scams where people may try to fool you and get a hand on your money? Do you know which types of flowers you should NOT bring to your French host? It’s all in this episode!

Stay tuned: Episode 74 will give you precious advice on how to take the train in France and episode 75 will run you through major road rules to drive safely throughout the Hexagon (the nickname for France).
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
La monnaie = the spare change
L’argent = money
Accueil = reception desk/office
La location = rental
Je voudrais du pain, s’il vous plait. = I’d like some bread please.
Je voudrais une carafe d’eau, s’il vous plait. = I’d like a jug of water please
B&Bs / chambres d’hôtes
Un office de tourisme = a tourist office
Où sont les toilettes ? = Where are the toilets
La salle de bains = the bathroom
LINKS and RESOURCES

Info Trafic (Information motorway France) : 107.7 FM
Bison Futé: http://www.bison-fute.gouv.fr/
Prepaid SIM card: http://www.simcorner.com/
Combien de bises: http://combiendebises.free.fr
Emergencies : 112
Article "Tips for driving in France": http://frenchyourway.com.au/tips-for-driving-in-france
French Your Way Podcast, Episode 75 – Driving in France: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast75

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

How to tell the date in French: a bit of French grammar and a poetic bonus as I’ll be reading a famous poem by Verlaine for you: "Chanson d’Automne"...
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Le 30 mars, le 4 avril, le 7 mai, le 1er (premier) septembre
le (+ date) = le 1er janvier, le 2 avril, le 9 septembre
le 1er janvier, le 2 janvier, le 3 janvier, etc

en (+ month) = en mars, en novembre
SEPTembre, OCTobre, NOVembre, DECembre = sept (7), huit (8), neuf (9), dix (10)
en (+ year) = en 1920, en 2015
une saison = a season
le printemps, l’été (nm), l’automne (nm), l’hiver (nm)
en été, en automne, en hiver (= in summer, in fall, in winter)
au printemps (= in spring)
LINKS and RESOURCES
“Chanson d’Automne” (Paul Verlaine, Poèmes saturniens)
Les sanglots longs - The long sobs
Des violons - Of the violins
De l’automne - Of Autumn
Blessent mon cœur - Wound my heart
D’une langueur - With a monotonous
Monotone. - Languor.

Tout suffocant - All choked
Et blême, quand - And pale, when
Sonne l'heure, - The hour chimes,
Je me souviens - I remember
Des jours anciens - Days of old
Et je pleure - And I cry

Et je m'en vais - And I'm going
Au vent mauvais - On an ill wind
Qui m'emporte - That carries me
Deçà, delà, - Here and there,
Pareil à la - As if a
Feuille morte. - Dead leaf.

Read more French poems about the seasons:
http://www.poesie-francaise.fr/poemes-saisons/
http://www.historel.net/poesies/poesie10.htm

French Your Way website - www.frenchyourway.com.au - Sign up to receive my monthly updates with an audio version in French, recorded by me!

Contact me / Submit your question.

Subscribe to French Your Way podcast on iTunes
If you like French Your Way Podcast, you can show your support by leaving a review on iTunes and telling your friends about the podcast!

French Voices Podcast (my other podcast) : www.frenchvoicespodcast.com
French Voices Podcast on iTunes

Learn about the different names given to the French accent circonflexe. I will run you through its different uses and functions. Listen to see if you knew them all…you may well also learn a heap of French vocabulary on the way!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
accent circonflexe / “petit chapeau” / “chapeau chinois »
être
une forêt -un chemin/sentier forestier, un garde forestier
une fête - un festin, un festival
un hôpital - hospitalier, l’hospitalité
une île - l’Islande
un maître - un Master, une maîtrise
une bête - un bestiaire
une pâte, une pâtisserie
arrêter - une arrestation
une conquête - un conquistador
la croûte – croustiller, croustillant
une crêpe (listen to French Voices podcast, episode 10 !)

un intérêt - intéresser, intéressant
un vêtement - une veste (= a jacket !!)
une guêpe
le goût – gustative, les papilles gustatives
honnête
un rôti
connaître - la connaissance
croître - la croissance

du (= de + le)
dû (= past participle of “devoir”)
une tache (= a stain)
une tâche (= a task)
sur (on)
sûr (sure, certain)

Can you think of other words you know in French that have an accent circonflexe? And can you think of derivated words that show the existence of a former “S” letter? Share in the comment section!
LINKS and RESOURCES
French Voices 010 : Pop-Up Crepes : www.frenchvoicespodcast.com/episode10

French Your Way website - www.frenchyourway.com.au - Sign up to receive my monthly updates with an audio version in French, recorded by me!
Contact me / Submit your question.

Subscribe to French Your Way podcast on iTunes
If you like French Your Way Podcast, you can show your support by leaving a review on iTunes and telling your friends about the podcast!

French Voices Podcast (my other podcast) : www.frenchvoicespodcast.com
French Voices Podcast on iTunes

This is a totally different episode where I reply to John, a student and listener who struggles to keep up the motivation to keep learning. John asks for my input and raises many interesting questions which I’m sure many of you have been experiencing too, so I thought this could help you! The two keywords to remember from this episode are: patience and confidence!

Use the comment section of this page to say whether you agree or disagree with me, share your language learning experience or give your tips to John!
LINKS and RESOURCES
Read my article: “How long does it take to learn French?”

Read my article: “How to add French to your daily life”

What’s wrong with saying "Yum, this is very delicious!" or "Wow, this is very beautiful!" Nothing...in English. However, a literal translation of these expressions -along with a few others- doesn't work in French. Here’s why.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Délicieux
Super / génial / formidable / merveilleux / grandiose / fabuleux
Magnifique / superbe
Meilleur / mieux
Pire
Essentiel, indispensable
vraiment= really
absolument = absolutely
"Miam! C'est très délicieux!" ? "Miam ! C'est vraiment / absolument délicieux !"
(= Yum ! It’s really / absolutely delicious !)
" Wahou ! C’est très magnifique ! "? " Wahou ! C'est vraiment / absolument magnifique ! "
(= Wow ! That’s really / absolutely beautiful!)
LINKS and RESOURCES

My article (+ free worksheet) "Meilleur and Mieux in French": http://frenchyourway.com.au/meilleur-and-mieux-in-french

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

It is generally agreed that if you want to practice a foreign language, the best thing you can do is to travel to a country where this language is spoken. But, what about the rest of the time? How do you stay motivated and how to practice when you’re not travelling? Here are simple tips on how you can add a bit of French language and culture outside formal lessons, tips to add French to your daily life! This episode is the audio version of an article I published some time ago on my website (www.frenchyourway.com.au ) and which has been helpful to many students of French – which is why I’ve decided to share it and touch even more people! Feel free to join the conversation and add your own ideas in the comment thread of the article!
LINKS and RESOURCES

Check my article: http://frenchyourway.com.au/french-daily-life

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Many students struggle with the pronunciation of the French R, so in this episode I will give you some practice exercises and phonetic tips on how to pronounce the French R so that you can sound more French. Unleash the tigeRRR in you!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Practice exercise :





Middle of wordEnd of WordBeginning of wordMultiple Rs




problèmehierréponserare


troisjourricherire


êtrebonjourratrural


boulangerieamourrêverreporter


boucheriecultureroberencontrer


poissonnerienaturerougeretrouver


pâtisseriequatrerelationrestaurant


premiervenirradiorevenir


conversationseptembreregarder


serpentoctobrehorreur


promenerboulangèreitinéraire


pharmaciepâtissièrepartir


futurrépondre


finirregret


prendre




LINKS and RESOURCES
Tarrawarra Estate: http://www.tarrawarra.com.au/

Did you like this podcast? You can support my work by leaving a review on iTunes. Your kind words warm my heart and also help me be found by more passionate learners of French. Merci beaucoup!

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and never miss a new episode!

Have you ever read a book in French? Why (or why not)? Once you’ve got some bases in French, I recommend you start trying reading French books and magazines. Why read French books? What basic requirements should you meet before starting to read in French? Where to start with reading in French? I’m sharing my best tips for you to approach reading in French!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
None for this episode - Check out “Reading French books: where to start?”: http://frenchyourway.com.au/reading-french-books-start
LINKS and RESOURCES

Article version of this episode – "Reading French books: where to start?": http://frenchyourway.com.au/reading-french-books-start
My recommended French reading list for you: http://frenchyourway.com.au/recommended-french-reading-list

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

If you're confused about how to translate "DO" in "Don’t you want to do that?" or "I don’t know", this episode is for you! I'll give you helpful tips on how to choose the right verb for your sentence and will even expand on your new skill...then you’ll be able to test yourself with a short exercise!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Faire = to do, to make

Il n'aime pas le chocolat.

Il aime le chocolat?

I do my homework = Je fais mes devoirs.

I don’t do my homework = Je ne fais pas mes devoirs

Tu ne veux pas (Vous ne voulez pas) faire ça ? = Don't you want to do that ?

I will call you tomorrow = Je t'appellerai demain

Exercise :

Can you translate the following sentences? (or at least identify the verb/tense)

I do what I want.
Don’t do just what you want!
The student doesn’t understand the lesson.
Did the student learn the lesson?

Answers:

Je fais ce que je veux.
Ne fais pas juste ce que tu veux !
L’étudiant ne comprend pas la leçon.
Est-ce que l’étudiant a appris la leçon ?

LINKS and RESOURCES

Episode 111: “"Questions in French (Part 1):  the 3 ways to ask a question": www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast111
Episode 115 : Questions in French (Part 2): The different translations of "what...?" : frenchyourway.com.au/podcast115

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

I’ve compiled my best tips about how to improve your French listening skills after receiving this question from many of you. If you find it a struggle to hold a conversation in French because you can’t understand the replies, if you think French people speak too fast or if you find that your ear hasn't tuned in to French language yet, I hope my recommended exercises and resources will help you!

A written version of this podcast episode is available on my website for easier reference. Check out www.frenchyourway.com.au/improve-your-french-listening-skills

LINKS and RESOURCES

Check my article “How to Improve your French Listening Skills?”
Read my article “How to Add French to Your Daily Life”
About French Voices Podcast: http://frenchyourway.com.au/about-french-voices-podcast
French Voices Podcast and French Voices Podcast on iTunes
News in Slow French (website and podcast):
Rhino Spike: https://rhinospike.com
leforum.com.au
French Voices Episode 13: Hitting the Road with French Books on Wheels
Conversation Exchange: https://www.conversationexchange.com/
Le point du Fle: lepointdufle.net
Sign up to my newsletter to receive monthly updates and an exclusive audio file that I record for you: frenchyourway.com.au/newsletter

Today’s question is from Endre (Norway) who told me he struggled to understand the use of "qui", "que", "ce qui" and "ce que". In this episode, I will focus on giving you an easy tip to choose quickly between "qui" and "que". I wil also explain why some sentences start with "ce qui" / "ce que".
For full explanations about the relative pronouns "qui" and "que", check out www.frenchyourway.com.au/quique .I’ve also included a worksheet that you can download for free and test yourself!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Je prends le train qui va à Marseille. = I take the train which is going to Marseilles.
Je regarde la jeune fille qui marche sur la plage. = I’m looking at the young girl who is walking on the beach.
Le train que je prends va à Marseille. = The train that I’m taking goes to Marseilles.
La jeune fille que je regarde marche sur la plage.= The young girl I’m looking at is walking on the beach.
La langue m’intéresse. = The language interests me.
Ce qui m'intéresse, c'est la langue. = What interests me is the language.
Je veux être heureux. = I want to be happy.
Ce que je veux, c'est être heureux. = What I want is to be happy.
LINKS and RESOURCES
My article about the relative pronouns "qui" and "que" (+ free worksheet) : http://www.frenchyourway.com.au/quique

Do you know to use the expression "I miss you" in French? Students often find it quite tricky – the construction of the sentence is very different from English. After my explanation, you should be able to even say much more: "He misses me", "They miss her", etc!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
La France manque aux expatriés = The expats miss France
La France leur manque = They miss France
Elle leur manque = They miss it/her
Tu me manques / Vous me manquez = I miss you
Il me manque = I miss him
Elle me manque = I miss her
Je lui manque = He/she misses me
Ses enfants manquent à la maman = The mum misses her children
Vous m’avez manqué! = I’ve missed you!
Tu nous as manqué aussi = We’ve missed you too
Mes amis me manquent, ma famille, mes biscuits et desserts préférés, l’odeur de l’été et l’air frais et sec de l’hiver me manquent. Noël sous la neige me manque !
LINKS and RESOURCES

"Direct and indirect objects and pronouns in French" (French Your Way Podcast, episode 88)

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

How to know when to pronounce the “s” at the end of “tous” in French ? This question was submitted by one of my listeners.

You can also send me your question from the Contact page and it may be featured in a future episode!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Tous mes amis = all my friends
Tous les jours = everyday (literally : « all the days »)
Tous ces devoirs = all that homework
Tous nos engagements = all our commitments
Bonjour à tous les auditeurs ! = Hi to all the listeners !
Bonjour tout le monde ! = Hi everyone ( literally: “Hi all the world !”)
Bonjour à tous ! = Hi everyone ! (all of you)
Nous irons en vacances tous ensemble = We’ll go on holidays all together (all of us)
Où sont tous les bonbons qui étaient sur la table de la cuisine ? = Where are all the lollies that were on the kitchen table ?
Les bonbons ? Oups, je les ai tous mangés ! Désolée ! = The lollies ? Oops, I ate them all ! Sorry !
LINKS and RESOURCES
My article (and free downloadable worksheet) "The definitive guide about "tous"."

Subscribe to French Your Way podcast on iTunes
If you like French Your Way Podcast, you can show your support by leaving a review on iTunes and telling your friends about the podcast!

French Voices Podcast (my other podcast) : www.frenchvoicespodcast.com
French Voices Podcast on iTunes

A dictionary is an indispensable tool that everyone should have on a shelf...on in their pockets. But you need to use it well: you wouldn't believe how many times I've seen students say (or write) things that were not understandable - or worse: very, very embarrassing !- because of an improper choice of word! Understand when and how to use you French dictionary to help you with French language!
This episode is an adaptation of my article "How to use your French dictionary efficiently", which comes with a free practice worksheet.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Refer to my article  “How to use your French dictionary efficiently”: http://frenchyourway.com.au/use-french-dictionary-efficiently
LINKS and RESOURCES

My article  “How to use your French dictionary efficiently”: http://frenchyourway.com.au/use-french-dictionary-efficiently
Word Reference: http://www.wordreference.com/
Lexilogos: http://www.lexilogos.com/

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

As if French language didn't have enough grammar rules with exceptions, French conjugation tenses and irregular verbs, when it comes to numbers it also seem to go all wrong between 70 and 99. Why is that? How can you remember once and for all how to say 70, 80 and 90 in French and count easily? I’ll share with you my best tips to overcome this challenge, and a bit of history for you to understand why some French numbers seem so different!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
30 = trente

40 = quarante

50 = cinquante

60 = soixante

70 = soixante-dix

80 = quatre-vingts

90 = quatre-vingt-dix

73 = soixante-treize

87= quatre-vingt-sept

97= quatre-vingt-dix-sept

76 = soixante-seize

Let you rest – smoky brain from all the math !

If you found this podcast helpful, please share it with your friends when you next see them of send them an email! ;-)
LINKS and RESOURCES
Did you like this podcast? You can support my work by leaving a review on iTunes. Your kind words warm my heart and also help me be found by more passionate learners of French. Merci beaucoup!

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and never miss a new episode!

Here’s a great idea to help you work on your French pronunciation! This activity will also make you work on how to ask questions in French and on the pace of your speech: if you pause for  too long, Siri will think that you were done asking your question and you will have to start again!

Follow my instructions on how to make the most of this French oral activity and download the free worksheet I’ve designed for you! http://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-pronunciation-ask-siri

Use the comment section to submit other ideas of questions to other learners of French…or just to let me know how you've been doing!
LINKS and RESOURCES

http://frenchyourway.com.au/improve-french-pronunciation-ask-siri

Did you like this podcast? You can support my work by leaving a review on iTunes. Your kind words warm my heart and also help me be found by more passionate learners of French. Merci beaucoup!

Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and never miss a new episode!

This common mistake comes from an incorrect translation from English and drives many French teachers to the verge of sanity! (including myself). I hope these explanations and examples will help!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
J’ai étudié à l’université (pendant) sept ans = I studied at university for seven years.
Je suis allé(e) en vacances (pendant) dix jours = I went on holiday for ten days.
La semaine prochaine, je vais (aller) en vacances (pour/pendant) dix jours. = Next week, I’m going on holiday for ten days.
J’ai besoin de cette information pour la semaine prochaine. = I need this information for next week.
Quelles sont tes bonnes résolutions pour 2015 ? / pour cette année ? = What are your good resolutions for 2015 ? / for this year ?
J’ai visité Paris (pendant) deux semaines. = I visited Paris for two weeks.
LINKS and RESOURCES
French Your Way website - www.frenchyourway.com.au - Sign up to receive my monthly updates with an audio version in French, recorded by me!
Contact me / Submit your question.

Subscribe to French Your Way podcast on iTunes
If you like French Your Way Podcast, you can show your support by leaving a review on iTunes and telling your friends about the podcast!

French Voices Podcast (my other podcast) : www.frenchvoicespodcast.com
French Voices Podcast on iTunes

How does one know if one has been insulting people without knowing? This is an excellent question I received from Tom, a listener who raised the issue with the French words "paysan" vs "fermier". Listen to my input and definition of these terms as well as more examples!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Paysan
Fermier
Agriculteur
The farmer wants a wife
Un métier ingrat = a thankless job
Femme de ménage = technicienne de surface
Caissière = hôtesse de caisse
Parisien
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Wikipedia: "Discussion:Paysan" : https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discussion:Paysan
StackExchange: "Why does the word 'peasant' have such a negative meaning in English?": https://english.stackexchange.com/questions/152074/why-does-the-word-peasant-have-such-a-negative-meaning-in-english
YouTube video: French movie review (2): Petit Paysan (Hubert Charuel, 2017): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnXGrnLWCEY

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Many students of French worry about not getting the tenses of their verbs right when they use "si" clauses in French. As a result, I decided to make the structures of the sentences very explicit in this episode, with lots of examples in order to alleviate these worries. If you speak English fluently, you’ll notice that French "si" clauses are actually no different from English!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
S'il fait chaud, tu dois boire beaucoup d'eau.
Si je ne peux pas travailler, je suis frustrée !
S’il fait chaud, buvez beaucoup d'eau.
Si tu as une question, demande-moi !
Si tu n'as pas faim, ne te force pas !
Si tu continues à sauter sur le lit, tu vas tomber !
Si les sondages ont raison, il sera élu président.
S’il est élu président, les choses vont enfin changer !
Si je gagnais au loto, j'achèterais une voiture de sport.
Si j'étais un animal, je serais un oiseau pour pouvoir voler.
Si j'étais une couleur, je serais le rouge.
Qu’est-ce que vous feriez si tu étais à ma place ?
Si j'étais toi, je lui présenterais mes excuses.
Si j'avais su, j’aurais pas venu (je ne serais pas venu).
Si tu m'avais dit que tu étais à l'hôpital, je t'aurais envoyé des fleurs.
S’il m'avait prévenu qu'il y avait grève, je ne me serais pas levé pour rien.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

"How to choose the right mood and tense in French" (eBook + workbook)

Thank You for Tuning In!
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If you've been following me for some time, you know that I'm always curious and passionate about where the words come from. This is also extremely helpful to find out as words then make more sense and become more memorable. In my everyday life, I do ponder or suddenly find connections between English and French words, or between French words themselves and in this episode, I'd like to share some of them with you!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Pho --> un pot au feu (pot au fau, beef stew)
Un four = an oven
la fournaise = inferno, blazing fire ; furnace
une cave = a cellar
a cave = une grotte
une caverne (grande grotte) = cave, cavern
caverneux = cavernous (landscape) ; hollow (sound)
Un balayage = highlightning, balayage (US)
un parachute
un parasol / un parapluie
un paratonnerre = a lightning rod
une chute = a fall, a drop
LINKS and RESOURCES!

French Voices, episode 38 : Marie Treps, Linguist and Author of "Oh là là, ces Français!" (PART 1): frenchvoicespodcast.com/episode38
French Voices, episode 39 : Marie Treps, Linguist and Author of "Oh là là, ces Français!" (PART 2): frenchvoicespodcast.com/episode39

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Listener and student Yaniv asked me to clarify the meaning and use of the French verbs "arriver" and "se passer". In this episode, you'll see that, although both verbs have a similar meaning, the structure of the sentence is quite different!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
ARRIVER = (sth) happens (to sb)

"that happened to me" = Ca m'est arrivé

Something incredible will happen to you if you believe in it = Quelque chose d'incroyable t'arrivera/vous arrivera si tu y crois / si vous y croyez.

Accidents happen = Les accidents arrivent (à tout le monde).

Something happens = quelque chose se passe

quelque chose se passe bien/mal = Something goes well/badly

Les vacances se passent bien.

I hope your interview will go well = j'espère que ton entretien se passera bien / va bien se passer.

Everything went well = Tout s'est bien passé

"Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ?" = what happened?

"How did it go?" ="Comment ça s'est passé?"
LINKS and RESOURCES!

FYW 014 : Oops I ate all the lollies – how to pronounce "Tous": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast14
FYW 165: French verbs: how to choose between ETRE and AVOIR (compound tenses, part 2): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast165

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

The prefixes "re" and "ré" are very useful to build up new vocabulary very quickly and say that you're doing something again. Let's see practical examples. I'll also explain when to use "re" and when to use "ré".
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Faire, refaire

Dire, redire

Monter, descendre, remonter, redescendre

Editer = ré-éditer

Eduquer, ré-éduquer (rééducation = rehab.)

Trouver, retrouver

Ecrire, ré-écrire

Inventer, ré-inventer

Prendre, reprendre (to take back)
Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In episode 205 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I’ll come back on the few grammar and spelling rules that you needed to pay attention to in order to spell the words properly.

Listen to episode 205 to do the dictation: www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast205
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Texte extrait de : "Lettres de mon moulin" (Alphonse Daudet, 1869)

" écoute un peu l'histoire de la chèvre de M. Séguin. Tu verras ce que l'on gagne à vouloir vivre libre.

Séguin n'avait jamais eu de bonheur avec ses chèvres. Il les perdait toutes de la même façon : un beau matin, elles cassaient leur corde, s'en allaient dans la montagne, et là-haut le loup les mangeait. Ni les caresses de leur maître, ni la peur du loup, rien ne les retenait. C'était, paraît-il, des chèvres indépendantes, voulant à tout prix le grand air et la liberté."

LINKS and RESOURCES!

Texte extrait de : "Lettres de mon moulin" (Alphonse Daudet, 1869)
My online course "How to sound like a native French speaker": https://frenchyourway.teachable.com/p/how-to-sound-like-a-native-french-speaker
Dictation (3), Episode 205: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast205
Dictation (2), Episode 192: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast192
Dictation (1), Episode 184: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of generations of students. (I did like them, though!). Put yourself to the test!

The text of the dictation is in the show notes - don't cheat and read it before you've tried to do it! ?

Why this is an interesting exercise:

Check that you hear sounds properly
Check that you're trying to make sense of what you're hearing (homonyms, cutting the words/the flow, type of words, etc.)
Check that you implement the spelling and grammatical rules you know (agreements in plural/feminine, agreement of past participles, etc.)

It is essential to proofread your text several times after you've written it!
Check out free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Punctuation signs you need to know for the dictée:

Une virgule = a comma

Un point = a full stop

Deux points = a colon

Texte extrait de : "Lettres de mon moulin" (Alphonse Daudet, 1869)

" écoute un peu l'histoire de la chèvre de M. Séguin. Tu verras ce que l'on gagne à vouloir vivre libre.

Séguin n'avait jamais eu de bonheur avec ses chèvres. Il les perdait toutes de la même façon : un beau matin, elles cassaient leur corde, s'en allaient dans la montagne, et là-haut le loup les mangeait. Ni les caresses de leur maître, ni la peur du loup, rien ne les retenait. C'était, paraît-il, des chèvres indépendantes, voulant à tout prix le grand air et la liberté."

Note: in the next episode, I’ll comment on some aspects of the dictation. Stay tuned!
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Texte extrait de : "Lettres de mon moulin" (Alphonse Daudet, 1869)
Dictation (1), Episode 184: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184
Dictation (2), Episode 192: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast192
My free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

It's finally here! The episode where you finally get the answers to the 15 questions I asked you in episode 200 of the podcast! I'm so glad you loved the challenge and the opportunity to brush-up the older episodes. Well done to the participants who sent me their answers ; there were actually few mistakes! If you had at least 10/15 answers correct, I entered you in the draw to win a 30-minute French session with me and be featured on an upcoming podcast episode. So, let's find out what the answers where (check out the shownotes of the episode) and let me announce the winner!

Note: this episode (along with the draw) was recorded live on Facebook and Instagram (hence the occasional side comments with watchers!). Check out my French Your Way Facebook page to watch the video!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Which reflexive pronoun will you use after the subject "on"? (ep. 106) = se
Which season of the French Republican calendar is associated to grape harvesting? (ep. 109) = Vendémiaire
Fill the blank with the correct French translation for "what": "Est-ce que vous comprenez bien _______ je vous dis?" (ep. 115) = ce que
What does the French noun "une prune" mean? (ep. 118) = a plum
Ask the following question in French, using all 3 ways/ 3 structures: "When is it going to rain?" (ep. 120) = Il va pleuvoir quand ? (Quand il va pleuvoir ?) / Quand est-ce qu'il va pleuvoir ? / Quand va-t-il pleuvoir?
True or fasle? (justify). Over sixty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French. (ep. 122) = false: fifty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French
"Thomas dit: Je n'ai pas faim!". Complete the sentence in the indirect speech: Thomas a dit ________________________ . (ep. 125) = qu'il n'avait pas faim
How do you say "Happy Bastille Day" in French? (ep. 128) = you don't!
Is the following sentence correct in French: "Bordeaux est une grande ville de 250.000 inhabitants." (ep. 135) = Habitants.
What is the difference between "Je voudrais un gâteau" and "Je voudrais du gâteau"? (ep.137) = un = a /one (i.e a whole); du = a portion of, some (partitive article)
Which of the following is incorrect in French: "Je vis en Belgique", "J'habite au Madagascar", "Je voyage au Pérou." (ep. 157) = à Madagascar
Which of these accents makes the pronunciation different form the others when placed above the letter E? Accent aigu, accent grave, accent circonflexe, tréma. (ep. 169) = accent aigu
Does "en effet" mean: "in effect", "indeed" or "in fact"> (ep. 175) = indeed
Fill the blanks with the correct demonstrative adjective: ____ adresse, ____ appartement (ep. 183) = cette adresse, cet appartement
Translate into French: This cape (= "Cette cape") will make you invisible. (ep.195) = Cette cape te/vous rendra invisible.

LINKS and RESOURCES!

Take the quiz! (Episode 200) frenchyourway.com.au/podcast200
Watch the live recording session on Facebook

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

"Bonne fêtes!" or " Joyeuses fêtes!" is what we traditionally say in French at this time of the year to encompass both Christmas and New Year festivities. And do you know what we say (or write on cards) for each of these two occasions? Talking about resolutions for 2018 and 2019, achievements and plans for the new year.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Joyeux Noël = Merry Christmas

Bonne année, bonne santé / Meilleurs vœux = Happy New Year / Best wishes

Bonnes fêtes de fin d'année! Beaucoup de bonheur, une bonne santé, et plus de progrès en français!
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 150: "Joyeux Noël from France!" : http://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast150
Episode 152: "Meilleurs voeux pour 2018!": http://frenchyourway.com.au/podcast152
eBook "How to choose the right mood and tense in French - French verbs made easy": http:// http://frenchyourway.com.au/frenchtenses

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Note: this episode was supposed to have the answers to the quiz from episode 200 but due to technical issues, the deadline to submit your answers has been postponed to 23rd December and the answers will be featured in episode 204.

In episode 100 of French Voices (my other podcast), I promised to make an episode to share my observations and thoughts about language learning, based on questions submitted my listeners: in which language do I dream? How is our 2 1/2 year old daughter doing with learning French (and two other languages)? Do I think it's a good idea for a couple to communicate in two different languages? Do I think one can become quite fluent in language French as an adult without actually going and living for a period of time in a French speaking country? Listen to find out!
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Take the quiz: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast200
French Voices podcast, episode 100: frenchvoicespodcast.com/episode100
YouTube video of the recording of French Voices podcast, episode 100: https://youtu.be/8cQvYivapho
"How long does it take to learn French?" (article): http://frenchyourway.com.au/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-french
"How long does it take to learn French?" (French Your Way Podcast, episode 182): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast182
Episode 124: "French songs for babies and toddlers": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast124
Episode 112: " French books for babies/toddlers": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast112
Video version of " French books for babies/toddlers": frenchyourway.com.au/frenchbooksforbabies

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That's lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two languages! In this case, they are called "faux amis", false friends, or false cognates. Here’s a list of 5 common false friends so you don't make the mistake!

False friends, part 1: Episode 85- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast85
False friends, part 2: Episode 103- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast103
False friends, part 3: Episode 118 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast118
False friends, part 4: Episode 133 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast133
False friends, part 5: Episode 187 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast187

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Dramatique = tragic, terrible ; dramatic (effect)

Dramatic = théâtral; spectaculaire (noticeable change)

Une cave = a cellar
une cave à vin = a wine cellar

A cave = une grotte

Chips (nf) = crisps

Chips / (French) fries = frites (nf)

Le courage = bravery, courage; guts
courage = energy, strength, heart

Je n'ai plus le courage de finir ce travail. = I no longer have the energy to finish this job.

Bon courage = Good luck

Figure = un chiffre (number); un montant (amount of money)
une silhouette = a person seen as a shape
la ligne = a body shape
un dessin (drawing), une sculpture
The figure of a dog he made in art class was very impressive.= Le dessin de chien qu'il avait fait en cours d'arts plastiques était très impressionnant.
a public figure = une personnalité

La figure = the face (of body); face/look

Tu aurais vu sa figure/ sa tête à l'annonce de la nouvelle ! = You should have seen his face when he heard the news!

A figure = (gram.) a turn of phrase, a figure of speech

Figuré,e = figurative

Figure = figure (geometry, movement)
eg in ice skating or gymnastics
LINKS and RESOURCES!

False friends, part 1: Episode 85- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast85
False friends, part 2: Episode 103- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast103
False friends, part 3: Episode 118 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast118
False friends, part 4: Episode 133 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast133
False friends, part 5: Episode 187 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast187

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

For this special episode, I offer to go back and refresh what you’ve learnt over all the time we’ve spent together, for the last 100 weeks! (if you’ve only started to this podcast recently or if it’s your first time today, don’t worry! Welcome!!) I’ve prepared a quiz of 15 questions for you (you can find them in the shownotes along with the number of the episode I refer to for each question and I’ve even included the link to each podcast episode in the shownotes – they follow the same pattern: www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast(number). I hope you’ll enjoy testing yourself. Most of all, I hope that you’ll realise how much you’ve learnt and – hopefully- improved too!

In order to reward you for your efforts, I invite you to email me your answers to the quiz.   I'll randomly draw the winner of a free 30-minute French session with me on Skype among those of you who will have replied correctly to at least 10 questions.

I will give you the answers to the quiz in episode 202 of this podcast and I’ll also announce the winner! I'll record episode 202 live on Facebook and I’ll draw the lucky winner then. Follow me on Facebook to be notified about the exact time for the live recording.

Participants to the quiz agree for the free French session to be recorded if they win as it may become a French Your Way Podcast episode.
The deadline to submit your answers is Sunday 16th 23rd December at midnight Greenwich time (London time).

Let’s brush up your French together!! Bonne chance! Good luck!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode

Which reflexive pronoun will you use after the subject "on"? (ep. 106)
Which season of the French Republican calendar is associated to grape harvesting? (ep. 109)
Fill the blank with the correct French translation for "what": "Est-ce que vous comprenez bien _______ je vous dis?" (ep. 115)
What does the French noun "une prune" mean? (ep. 118)
Ask the following question in French, using all 3 ways/ 3 structures: "When is it going to rain?" (ep. 120)
True or fasle? (justify). Over sixty per cent of current English vocabulary is derived from French. (ep. 122)
"Thomas dit: Je n'ai pas faim!". Complete the sentence in the indirect speech: Thomas a dit ________________________ . (ep. 125)
How do you say "Happy Bastille Day" in French? (ep. 128)
Is the following sentence correct in French: "Bordeaux est une grande ville de 250.000 inhabitants." (ep. 135)
What is the difference between "Je voudrais un gâteau" and "Je voudrais du gâteau"? (ep.137)
Which of the following is incorrect in French: "Je vis en Belgique", "J'habite au Madagascar", "Je voyage au Pérou." (ep. 157)
Which of these accents makes the pronunciation different form the others when placed above the letter E? Accent aigu, accent grave, accent circonflexe, tré (ep. 169)
Does "en effet" mean: "in effect", "indeed" or "in fact" ? (ep. 175)
Fill the blanks with the correct demonstrative adjective: ____ adresse, ____ appartement (ep. 183)
Translate into French: This cape (= "Cette cape") will make you invisible. (ep.195)

LINKS and RESOURCES!

FYW 106: Je me lave, vous vous appelez, etc.: what are reflexive verbs ?: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast106
FYW 109: All about the old French Republican Calendar! : frenchyourway.com.au/podcast109
FYW 115: Questions in French (Part 2): The different translations of "what...?" : frenchyourway.com.au/podcast115
FYW 118: PART 3 – 10 common false friends (= faux amis) in French and English: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast118
FYW 120: Questions in French (Part 3): Getting the order of the sentence right when the verb is made of several words (compound tenses, near future, recent past) : frenchyourway.com.au/podcast120

Marie would like help to understand some French words and expressions related to cooking:

"I like cooking and as such talk about it quite a lot.  I seem to get confused about the different verbs eg faire cuisiner, cuisiner, faire la cuisine, cuire, faire cuire and often do not know quite which expression is commonly used.  When I study their meanings, it seems straightforward, but when I go to speak, it is another thing..."

Ok, let's do a bit of vocabulary and, as usual, brush-up some grammar notions!
Disclaimer: It may not be a good idea to listen to this episode if you're hungry!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Faire la cuisine

Faire la cuisine = cuisiner

Qu'est-ce que tu fais ? --> Je fais la cuisine.

Cuisiner = transitif= to bake (sth) = pour le diner, je cuisine un soufflé de courgette (= je prépare, je fais)

Le gâteau cuit dans le four. Le chef fait cuire le gâteau.

A cook = un cuisinier, une cuisinière
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 153: Part 1: French expressions using the verb FAIRE: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast153
Episode 195: How to say "to make someone..." in French? frenchyourway.com.au/podcast195

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In today's episode I'm answering a question from Donovan: "Can you please give some examples of when to use j'étais versus j'ai été and when to use j'avais versus j'ai eu?  In English, we translate so many things as "was" or "had", that it's hard to understand the difference! I've tried to find material on this, but most of what I have found is not specific to avoir and être."

We'll brush up the difference between the passé composé and imparfait tenses in French and I'll illustrate with examples how sometimes the choice is only a difference of perspective.

This episode also celebrates the launch of my new eBook: "How to choose the right mood and tense in French" (French Verbs Made Easy): www.frenchyourway.com.au/frenchtenses
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Quand j'étais petite, j'avais peur des loups.
Quand j'étais petite, j'ai eu peur des loups (pendant de nombreuses années. Puis j'ai eu peur des ogres.)

Son oncle a eu un accident de voiture. Heureusement, il avait sa ceinture de sécurité et n'a eu que quelques bleus.

J'ai été étudiante à l'université d'Angers.
J'étais étudiante à l'université d'Angers.

Il est fatigué ce matin car il a été malade toute la nuit.
Il n'est pas venu travailler hier car il était malade.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 47: Perfect or Imperfect ? (French verbs): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast47
my eBook: "How to choose the right mood and tense in French" (French Verbs Made Easy): frenchyourway.com.au/frenchtenses

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Gillian’s question, When and why to use the verb AGIR in French, is a great opportunity to boost your French vocabulary and reflect on grammar, as this verb is used in different sentence structures.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Agir = to act, to take action

We need to act! Il faut / on doit agir!

Une action = an act

Des agissements (mplur) = schemes, doings, machinations.

Agir = to act, to behave

Tu as bien/mal agi en lui disant cela

agir sur [qch] = to have an effect on [sth]

Les effets de la morphine n'agissent plus sur elle.

s'agir de [qch] = to be a question of [sth] , be a matter of [sth], concerning... (+ topic)

Il s'agit d'un film sur la seconde guerre mondiale.

Il s'agit d'une question de vie ou de mort.

s'agir de faire [qch] = to come to doing [sth] , as far as [sth] is concerned

Mon fils est très fort lorsqu'il s'agit de faire des bêtises. = My son's an expert when it comes to doing stupid things.

s'agir =  must, be necessary

Il s’agit de bien se tenir = We must behave.

Il ne s'agit pas que tu rates l'avion. = You mustn't miss your flight. / There is no question of you missing your flight.
Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In this somewhat different episode you'll get to hear a real French lesson that I recorded with Lothar, a student from Germany! As you will hear, Lothar has very good comprehension and speaking skills, so listening to our conversation will be a great exercise for you! Lothar wanted to tell me about his trips to French island Corsica (la Corse, where Napoléon was from); the session was a spontaneous conversation. I interrupted Lothar here and there to correct or point out a few grammatical points and give him relevant vocabulary. The notes I took down for him during the session are available in the shownotes of the episode for you to see.

A few months ago, I introduced a new concept to give you the opportunity to have a casual French session on Skype with me, since I can't commit to recurring lessons anymore. This is a great opportunity to get my personal feedback on your French and ask me anything that you need help with.

Students taking the lesson agree to be recorded (I make sure any personal detail is then edited out) and the result may become a podcast episode...like today! This way, my feedback is both personal and still helping as many of you as possible.

When you participate, you get your own copy of the notes AND the mp3 recording of the lesson.

In the shownotes you'll find the notes I took for Lothar. You may like to use it to follow our conversation.

If you've enjoyed learning from a real French lesson situation, I encourage you to participate because there cannot be any more episodes without students!

Book you session: www.frenchyourway.com.au/frenchsession

Also listen to:

Episode 181: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #2): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast181
Episode 172: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #1): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast172

Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Une anse, une crique, une baie

Un galet = a pebble

Faire une experience = to conduct an experiment

Vivre = to experience

Je vais vous raconter une histoire que nous avons vécue.

Une excursion

[s] next to a consonant (and [z] between 2 vowels, eg. rose, cousin)

Le col = pass ; col, saddle

Nous sommes arrivés à 20h55 / à neuf heures moins cinq.

épuisé(e) = exhausted
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Book a Skype session with me: frenchyourway.com.au/frenchsession
Episode 181: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #2): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast181
Episode 172: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #1): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast172
Episode 179: French regions: new names, purpose, debates (and grammar!): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast179
Episode 171: French verbs: agreement of the past participle with AVOIR (compound tenses, part 4): frenchyourway.com.au/podcast171
my online course "How to sound like a native French speaker: everything you need to know about French pronunciation, intonation and rhythm": https://frenchyourway.teachable.com/p/how-to-sound-like-a-native-french-speaker

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes,

Do you know how to translate expressions such as "to make someone happy / proud / apologise / jump" etc. in French? Can you tell that there are actually two different types of structures in the examples just given? Beware of literal translation, as it may well not work! This episode will help you get this very common structure right!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
RENDRE quelqu'un (+adj) = to make someone (adj)

She flirts to make him jealous = Elle flirte pour le rendre jaloux

Your card made me very happy = Ta carte m'a rendu.e très heureux.se

My daughter is making me proud every day = Ma fille me rend fière chaque jour

This behaviour would make his friend sad = Ce comportement rendrait son ami.e triste

The end of the movie made me sad = La fin du film m'a rendu.e triste

 

To make somone do sth = faire + infinitive + quelqu'un

To make sb react = faire réagir quelqu'un

The end of the movie made me cry = La fin du film m'a fait pleurer

The PE teacher makes the children jump = Le prof de sport fait sauter les enfants

You're making me laugh! Tu me fais rire! / Vous me faites rire !

His mother made him apologise = Sa mère l'a fait s'excuser.
LINKS and RESOURCES!
Episode 152: (Part 1) “French expressions using the verb FAIRE”: www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast152
Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In episode 192 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I'll come back on the few grammar and spelling rules that you needed to pay attention to in order to spell the words properly.

Listen to episode 192 to do the dictation: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast192
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Texte extrait de : Réparer les vivants (Maylis de Kerangal, 2014), Editions Gallimard, page 37

« On a quelqu’un pour vous. Un appel à dix heures douze. Neutres, informatifs, les mots s'abattent. Homme, un mètre quatre-vingt-trois, soixante-dix kilos, environ vingt ans, accident de la route, trauma crânien - nous savons qui est celui que l'on résume de la sorte : Simon Limbres. L'appel est à peine fini que l'équipe du SAMU débarque en réa, les portes coupe-feu s'ouvrent, le brancard roule, remonte l’axe central du service, on s’écarte sur son passage. »
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Texte extrait de : Réparer les vivants (Maylis de Kerangal, 2014), Editions Gallimard, page 37
Dictation (2), Episode 192: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast192
Dictation (1), Episode 184: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184
My free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing
Episode 101: "The different meanings of ON in French": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast101
Episode 45: "70, 80 and 90 in French – Why are these numbers so weird?": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast45
Episode 19: "Easy Tips on when to use Qui and Que": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast19
How to use "qui" and "que" in French: http://frenchyourway.com.au/how-to-use-qui-and-que-in-french
Episode 156 : "When our daughter got sick in France": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast156
Episode 166: "How to write the plurals of French compound nouns?": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast166

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of generations of students. (I did like them, though!). Put yourself to the test!

The text of the dictation is in the show notes - don't cheat and read it before you've tried to do it! ?

Why this is an interesting exercise:

Check that you hear sounds properly
Check that you're trying to make sense of what you're hearing (homonyms, cutting the words/the flow, type of words, etc.)
Check that you implement the spelling and grammatical rules you know (agreements in plural/feminine, agreement of past participles, etc.)

It is essential to proofread your text several times after you've written it!
Check out free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Punctuation signs you need to know for the dictée:

Une virgule = a comma

Un point = a full stop

Un tiret = a dash, a hyphen

Deux points = colon

Texte extrait de : Réparer les vivants (Maylis de Kerangal, 2014), Editions Gallimard, page 37

« On a quelqu’un pour vous. Un appel à dix heures douze. Neutres, informatifs, les mots s’abattent. Homme, un mètre quatre-vingt-trois, soixante-dix kilos, environ vingt ans, accident de la route, trauma crânien – nous savons qui est celui que l’on résume de la sorte : Simon Limbres. L’appel est à peine fini que l’équipe du SAMU débarque en réa, les portes coupe-feu s’ouvrent, le brancard roule, remonte l’axe central du service, on s’écarte sur son passage. »

Note: in the next episode, I’ll comment on some aspects of the dictation. Stay tuned!
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Texte extrait de : Réparer les vivants (Maylis de Kerangal, 2014), Editions Gallimard, page 37
Dictation (1), Episode 184: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184
My free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

A few episodes ago (episode 188) I talked about the position of adverbs in French sentences. Well, this inspired me to tell you more about French adverbs and in this episode, I'll cover how to adverbs ending in -MENT (a very common type of French adverbs) are formed, spelled and pronounced!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Vrai -> vraiment

Poli -> poliment

Rare -> rarement

Dur -> dure -> durement

Nerveux -> nerveuse -> nerveusement

Frais -> fraiche -> fraichement

A few irregularities : brièvement, énormément, précisément, gentiment

Méchant -> méchamment

Intelligent -> intelligemment

Violent -> violemment

Patient -> patiemment

Prudent -> prudemment

Elégant -> élégamment

Evident -> évidemment
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 188: "The position of adverbs in French": frenchyourway.com.au/podcast188
French Voices (my other podcast): frenchvoicespodcast.com

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Podcast listener Megan wanted to know more about the origin of "puis-je", a French form related to the verb "pouvoir". I always love it when students are curious about what they learn, question, investigate the meaning and origin of words. So I'm more than happy to share these random facts about "puis-je" and hope that it will help you see the French language with a fresh perspective!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Je peux m'asseoir ici ?

Est-ce que je peux m'asseoir ici ?

Peux-je -> puis-je m'asseoir ici ?

Pouvoir -> power

Devoir -> due, duty

Vouloir -> will
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 111 : Questions in French (Part 1): the 3 ways to ask a question: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast111
Episode 115 : Questions in French (Part 2):  The different translations of "what...?" : www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast115

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

This episode is an exclusive peep into one of the lessons from my online French pronunciation and intonation course “How to sound like a native French speaker”. If you yet need to find out the influence of the latter “H” in the French liaison, or simply if you need a French phonetics brush-up, this episode is for you!

I’ll also read and comment on a testimonial for my French pronunciation course...and have a bit of a rant against some language “teaching” methods!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Testimonial for my online course “How to sound like a native French speaker”:

I have just completed your e-pronunciation course. It was truly amazing!! I just loved every minute of it.

I can’t begin to tell you how helpful it was.  I would not even be able to tell what I found the most helpful since there are so many aspects of the course that were brilliant!  I reviewed each section in turn several times – and will continue to do so. Each time I review it, I pick up some new nugget of information.

This course was so expertly crafted!!  Not only did I realize with horror how wrong my pronunciation was – but your course gave me the knowledge to figure out how to correct it!  Learning the international phonetic alphabet is a life-saver.

You are truly a ‘killer’ teacher!  I took French in high school where it emphasized that we would learn to read and write and not to speak or have any kind of oral comprehension.  Not to say that we did not have to read out loud in the class every so often.  Whenever I read out loud my teacher would say, ‘good try but good thing you are so good with reading and writing French’.  She never corrected me!!!   A ‘killing’ teacher....

Last Fall I decided to follow a lifelong dream and started to take French classes at a French community centre.  The teacher is a native speaker.  At every class we were given photocopied sheets of exercises to do during the class (I laughed when you mentioned that in your podcast about ‘killing teachers’!)  Then he would read a dialogue ONCE and we were then to turn to the person next to us to practice the dialogue with.  The person next to me of course was as clueless as I was as to how to pronounce anything.  He would go around the class to listen to us.  With so many students, you were lucky if he got to you.  He would correct certain words – but not tell you why they had to be pronounced that way.

One day midway through the course, my partner and I were doing a particularly terrible job of the dialogue.  When he got to us, I told him that I wasn’t going to ‘butcher’ the language anymore and I declined to read it.  I quit the class that very day.   I was just devastated and thought I would never reach my dream of speaking French.

During this time I was checking out various courses on the internet and came across yours.  I listened to a number of your podcasts and knew that I had found a very special teacher.  I could not wait to buy your course and begin learning the ‘correct’ way to pronounce this beautiful language.

I thank you from the bottom of my heart Jessica.   I was so despondent during my classes.  But now I know that with practice, I may eventually be able to speak this truly musical language without ‘butchering’ it! It is really hard to ‘unlearn’ pronunciation and replace it with the correct pronunciation but your course is helping me to do so.

Thank-you again so very, very much, you have no idea how truly wonderful it is to have this course.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

“How to sound like a native French speaker” (my online pronunciation course): https://frenchyourway.teachable.com/p/how-to-sound-like-a-native-french-speaker
"What type of teacher do you have?": http://frenchyourway.com.au/type-of-teacher

Where are adverbs positioned in a French sentence? Before or after the verb? What about in compound tenses? In negative sentences? Listen to this episode to find out!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Le bébé dort bien / dort paisiblement
Vous étudiez régulièrement, vous travaillez beaucoup

Le bébé a bien dormi
Le bébé a dormi paisiblement
Vous avez étudié régulièrement (vous avez régulièrement étudié)

Le bébé dort bien -> le bébé dort très bien / vraiment bien.
Vous avez étudié régulièrement -> Vous avez étudié très/assez régulièrement
C’est cher ! -> C’est trop cher !
Demain, j’arrête de fumer !
Vous pouvez sortir, maintenant.
Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That’s lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two languages! In this case, they are called “faux amis”, false friends, or false cognates. Here’s a list of 5 common false friends so you don’t make the mistake!

False friends, part 1: Episode 85- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast85

False friends, part 2: Episode 103- www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast103

False friends, part 3: Episode 118 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast118

False friends, part 4: Episode 133 - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast133
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Une injure = an insult; an offense
Injurier (qn) = to insult (sb)
Une blessure = an injury
Il a une blessure au genou.
Balancer = to sway
Une balançoire = a swing
Equilibrer = to balance
Un régime équilibré = a balanced diet
Joindre = to get hold of (sb) ; to attach / enclose (a doc.)
Une pièce jointe = an attached file/document
To join (socially) = retrouver
To join (to connect) = assembler, attacher
I’ll join you later = Je vous retrouve plus tard
Se joindre (à qn) = to join (sb)
Je peux me joindre à vous ? Can I join you ?
Adherer a, s’inscrire a, devenir membre de (un club, une association, etc.)
Un,e adhérent,e = un,e membre
Local, locaux (nm) = premises
Un bâtiment, les lieux (masc plur.)
George a été congédié et on lui a demandé de quitter immédiatement les locaux (or: les lieux). = George was fired and asked to leave the premises immediately.
prémisse (nf) = reason, underlying cause
Les mauvaises conditions climatiques sont les prémisses de ces accidents.
Phrase (nf) = a sentence
Expression (nf), locution (nf) = a phrase
LINKS and RESOURCES!

False friends, part 1: Episode 85- frenchyourway.com.au/podcast85
False friends, part 2: Episode 103- frenchyourway.com.au/podcast103
False friends, part 3: Episode 118 - frenchyourway.com.au/podcast118
False friends, part 4: Episode 133 - frenchyourway.com.au/podcast133

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

The English modal "can" has a couple of different translations in French depending on its meaning. Let's clarify how to translate "can" into French. You’ll see, it's easy!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
"I don't have time to do it" = "Je n'ai pas le temps de le faire"

Can I open the window? = (Est-ce que) je peux ouvrir la fenêtre ?

Can you take a photo of me please? = Est-ce que vous pouvez (tu peux) me prendre en photo ?

I can swim: I learnt when I was 6. = Je sais nager

I can swim 2km in one hour. = Je peux nager 2km en une heure.

Je sais parler un peu français

Je peux avoir une conversation basique, mais pas participer à un grand débat

Je sais lire
Je peux lire un livre en français moderne, mais je ne peux pas lire le vieux français
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 92 : “The difference between SAVOIR and CONNAITRE”: www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast92

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In episode 184 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I’ll come back on the few grammar and spelling rules that you needed to pay attention to in order to spell the words properly.

Listen to episode 184 to do the dictation: www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
“Il vous cherche, il a fouillé, posé des questions, on n'a rien dit, bien sûr. Un homme seul. Oui, en taxi. Edouard avait caressé la joue de Louise et suivi de l'index le contour de ses lèvres, allez, c'est gentil, tu as bien fait, sauve-toi maintenant, il est tard. Il aurait voulu l'embrasser sur le front. Elle aussi. Elle avait levé les épaules, hésité, puis s'était décidée à partir. »
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 184 : "A French exercise: dictation!” : frenchyourway.com.au/podcast184
Au revoir là-haut (Pierre Lemaitre, 2013), Editions Albin Michel, Collection Livre de Poche, page 592
My online course "How to sound like a native French speaker": https://frenchyourway.teachable.com/p/how-to-sound-like-a-native-french-speaker
My free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing
Episode 174 : “French verbs: agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs (compound tenses, part 5)”: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast174
free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

I've been wanting to offer you this type of exercise for a while...today is the day! The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of generations of students. (I did like them, though!). Put yourself to the test!

The text of the dictation is in the show notes - don't cheat and read it before you've tried to do it! ?

Why this is an interesting exercise:

Check that you hear sounds properly
Check that you're trying to make sense of what you're hearing (homonyms, cutting the words/the flow, type of words, etc.)
Check that you implement the spelling and grammatical rules you know (agreements in plural/feminine, agreement of past participles, etc.)

It is essential to proofread your text several times after you've written it!
Check out free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing

Would you like to have more dictations in upcoming episodes? Please send me your feedback
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Punctuation signs you need to know for the dictée:
Une virgule = a comma
Un point = a full stop

Texte: Au revoir là-haut (Pierre Lemaitre, 2013), Editions Albin Michel, Collection Livre de Poche, page 592
Il vous cherche, il a fouillé, posé des questions, on n'a rien dit, bien sûr. Un homme seul. Oui, en taxi. Edouard avait caressé la joue de Louise et suivi de l'index le contour de ses lèvres, allez, c'est gentil, tu as bien fait, sauve-toi maintenant, il est tard. Il aurait voulu l'embrasser sur le front. Elle aussi. Elle avait levé les épaules, hésité, puis s'était décidée à partir.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

My free Proofreading Checklist (French Essay Writing): http://frenchyourway.com.au/proofreading-checklist-french-essay-writing

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

In this episode I'll explain the difference between the demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns and will help you choose wisely among all these little words!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Ce soir, cet homme
Cette fille
Ces enfants
C'est un chien.
C'est qui? Qui est-ce?
Ce (Ça, ceci, cela) doit être difficile!
Ça va bien?
Ça (ceci / cela) me fait plaisir.
Je ne veux pas entendre ça (cela)
J'ai vu l'homme; celui que la police recherche depuis 3 mois!
Ma femme, c'est celle avec la robe bleue.
Le contrôleur sanctionne tous ceux qui n'ont pas de billets.
Tu as vu mes boucles d'oreilles ? Celles que je portais hier…
Tu préfères quel livre? Celui-ci ou celui-là ?
Je prendrais plutôt celle-ci. (= cette robe)
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Episode 79: Pronouns (Part 1): how to choose between “je” and “moi” - www.frenchyourway.com.au/podcast79

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

I'm sometimes asked the million dollar question: "How long does it take to learn French ?" (or any other language, for that matter.) Another variation to this question is: "How long does it take to become fluent in French?"

Before I go any further, what would YOU answer?

In this episode, I'll talk about the 6 levels of proficiency defined by the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). I'll try to define the notion of fluency and what comes into play regarding how fast you can learn a foreign language. I'll also give you my opinion about quick-learning methods which you can find on the market today.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

My article; "How long does it take to learn French?" - http://frenchyourway.com.au/how-long-does-it-take-to-learn-french

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!

Listen to a real French lesson that I recorded

This is a new concept to give you the opportunity to have a casual French session on Skype with me, since I can’t commit to recurring lessons anymore. For you, it is a great opportunity to get my personal feedback on your French and ask me anything that you need help with.

Students taking the lesson agree to be recorded (I make sure any personal detail is then edited out) and the result may become a podcast episode…like today! This way, my feedback is both personal and still helping as many of you as possible ?

When you participate, you get your own copy of the notes AND the mp3 recording of the lesson.

The first session (Stephen, episode 172) was informal conversation.

Today's session is with Susan, a student from the USA. Susan wanted to ask me specific questions she was having while reading Martin Page’s French novel "La disparition de Paris et sa renaissance en Afrique". As you will hear, her questions are often about prepositions, particularly the use of the preposition "DE" (I talked about “de” in episodes 176, 178 and 180 of the podcast). So it’s very specific and grammar-based and allowed us to explain or brush-up some rules to better understand the sentence structures.

In the shownotes you’ll find the PDF file with the notes I took for Susan. You may like to use it to follow our conversation!

You implore me to keep going  - you’ve enjoyed learning from a real French lesson situation, I encourage you to participate because there cannot be any more episodes without students!

Book you session: www.frenchyourway.com.au/frenchsession
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Download the PDF of the notes I took during the session.
LINKS and RESOURCES!

Book a Skype session with me: frenchyourway.com.au/frenchsession
Listen to French session #1: frenchyourway.com.au/podcast172
My recommended French reading list: http://frenchyourway.com.au/recommended-french-reading-list
"Reading books in French: where to start?" (article) http://frenchyourway.com.au/reading-french-books-start
"Reading books in French: where to start?" (podcast) frenchyourway.com.au/podcast66
Download the PDF of the notes I took during the session.

Thank You for Tuning In!
There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose mine, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the side or bottom of this page.

Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they’re extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally!

Lastly, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live!