Cultivate your French - Slow French

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Last week, when Anne-Laure and I were recording ourselves under the rain, we were in Montparnasse. Do you know this famous Parisian neighbourghood were lived Picasso, Modigliani, Soutine, Brancuse, Hemingway, Marie Vassilief, Man Ray and many others?  I’m sure you have already heard about La Coupole, the famous café that opened in the 1920ies ? Well, the place Anne-Laure and I are going to tell you about opened in 1912, rue Campagne Première. It’s less known than La Coupole and it a smaller place, but Modigliani enjoyed to go there.  I found a picture showing Rosalie in her restaurant. In the notes that come with the transcript, I will give you short and easy sentences that describe this picture. Describing the picture in French is an interesting exercice, but it also has the magic effect of almost transporting you into the picture.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is release, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  I mentioned the December Calendar last week, it’s about Montparnasse. To receive it, please enter your email address on the home page of my website onethinginafrenchday.com . It’s free and it’s in French !

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

Last Thursday was a very rainy day in Paris. My friend Anne-Laure and I spent the day under the rain to record some episodes to come on the podcast. Our feet were wet, we were tired and cold when we started the queue at the museum. I won’t tell you which one not to reveal the subject of the coming episodes. The exhibit that we had planned to visit was supposed to be the best moment of our day, but an incident happened in the queue. This is what this episode is about.  In the notes that come with the transcript, I will highlight for you some little expressions that come naturally in French, we will also stop on a specific sentence to repeat aloud, I will tell you why this one, and you will have to guess the infinitive of a verb.  So to Cultivate Your French, receive the text by email each time an episode is release, and enjoy all the positive effects of having the exact text of the episode, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyoufrench.com. The subscription costs 4 euros a month and each new subscriber receives the 10 latest episodes.  www.cultivateyourfrench.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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