1.8M
Downloads
333
Episodes
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 Slow French doesn’t just mean speaking slowly and it’s not about quick progress. It’s a nice learning approach.
Episodes
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
205 — Le gâteau de crêpes des deux mamies — mercredi 27 mars 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
Wednesday Mar 27, 2024
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.
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
204 — Mes vies secrètes — mercredi 20 mars 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
Wednesday Mar 20, 2024
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.
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
203 — Nice : rencontres et médailles — mercredi 13 mars 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
Wednesday Mar 13, 2024
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.
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
202 — Légers changements — mercredi 5 mars 2023
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
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.
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
201 — Le pavillon de l’Arsenal — mercredi 28 février 2024
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
Wednesday Feb 28, 2024
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.
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
200 — Lisa s’est fait percer les oreilles chez Nico — mercredi 21 février 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
Wednesday Feb 21, 2024
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.
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
CYF 199 — Quel est ce chien qui aboie? —mercredi 14 février 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
Wednesday Feb 14, 2024
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.
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
198 — Chez Chanel avec Alice Chance — mercredi 7 février 2024
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
Wednesday Feb 07, 2024
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.
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
197 — Bordeaux, le Grand Théâtre et les cannelés — mercredi 1er février 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
Wednesday Jan 31, 2024
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.
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
CYF 196 — Les macarons avec Sanam — mercredi 24 janvier 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
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.