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Do you want to improve your listening skills and comprehension of the French as it is spoken in France? With Cultivate Your French podcast, things go smoothly. This is slow French podcast. But it’s also a podcast in which you hear about everyday life in France, in which you hear stories and meet French people.
Episodes
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
CYF 178 — Le luthier japonais — mercedi 2 août 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
Wednesday Aug 02, 2023
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 !
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
Wednesday Jul 26, 2023
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.
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
CYF 176 — Quel est le travail de Bryce? Devinette— mercredi 18 juillet 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
Wednesday Jul 19, 2023
This episode is a little bit different than the others, I won’t tell you something. In this episode, you will try to guess what is my guest’s job. He is an artisan, his name is Bryce, but what does he do exactly?
You will get some clues in this small interview.
Then if you wish to tell me what you think Bryce’s job is, then send me an email at frenchday @ gmail.com
Next week, you will listen to Bryce talking about his job, a very interesing one.
In the notes that come with the transcript, we will stop on 3 subjects that appear in the text : telling about your job, talking about a period of history and telling where is located a specific builing. I will share with you some natural sentences that you could use or ear in your own French conversations.
So to cultivate your French, you could subscribe to the transcript at www.cultivateyourfrench.com
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
CYF 175 — Le jeudi à Poitiers — mercredi 12 juillet 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
Wednesday Jul 12, 2023
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
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
Wednesday Jul 05, 2023
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!
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
Wednesday Jun 28, 2023
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
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
CYF 173 — Sennelier, Paris : acheter du matériel de beaux-arts — mercredi 21 juin 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
Wednesday Jun 21, 2023
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.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
CYF 172 — Compétition à Strasbourg — mercredi 14 juin 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
Wednesday Jun 14, 2023
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 !
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
CYF 171 —Le sourire d’Albert Camus — mercredi 7 juin 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
Wednesday Jun 07, 2023
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.
Wednesday May 31, 2023
CYF 170 — La fin de l’année scolaire — mercredi 31 mai 2023
Wednesday May 31, 2023
Wednesday May 31, 2023
The end of the year is close now for my 3 daughters. In France, students have long days at school, a lot of holidays during the year (2 weeks every 7 weeks) and long summer holidays. My daughters wished they had less holidays and shorter days at school. They often start at 8 in the morning and finish at 5 in the afternoon. On Thurdays, Micaela starts at 8 and finishes school at 6 in the evening. This represents 9 hours of class during the day. Then, at home, they have to do their homework and learn their lessons.
But as I said, the end is close for this year. This is what the episode is about.