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Do you want to improve your French listening skills and understand French as it's really spoken in France? Cultivate Your French is more than a Slow French podcast. Thanks to the double listen method — once slowly, once at natural speed — your ears get to experience the magic of real French. A unique approach for lasting progress.
Episodes

May 21, 2025
May 21, 2025
8 min
Cette semaine, nous allons à nouveau au restaurant, mais cette fois avec mon amie Pauline. Après le bouillon, c’est le bistrot qui nous attend. Le bistrot parisien a beaucoup évolué depuis les années 2000, du restaurant de quartier un peu désuet aux nappes à carreaux rouges, on est passé à un restaurant de quartier, toutjours, mais tenu par des jeunes chefs avides de créativité, d’amitié, de vins naturels et de produits locaux. C’est ce qu’on appelle « la bistronomie » qui est un mot valise composé de « bistrot » et « gastronomie ». Dans cet épisode, Pauline va nous raconter son déjeuner : ce qu’elle a mangé, mais aussi ce qui lui a plu dans ce restaurant.
Dans les notes qui accompagnent le transcript, vous trouverez des notes culturelles sur ce type de restaurant, des photos de nos plats, et nous allons nous pencher sur les mots et les trournures de prhases que Pauline emploie pour partager avec nous son expérience.
This week we're going to the restaurant again, but this time with my friend Pauline. After the bouillon, it's the bistrot that awaits us. The Parisian bistrot has come a long way since the 2000s, going from being a slightly old-fashioned neighbourhood restaurant with red-checked tablecloths to being a neighbourhood restaurant, run by young chefs eager for creativity, friendship, natural wines and local produce. This is what's known as ‘ bistronomie ’, a word made up of ‘ bistrot ’ and ‘ gastronomie ’. In this episode, Pauline tells us about her lunch: what she ate, but also what she liked about the restaurant.
In the notes accompanying the transcript, you'll find cultural notes on this type of restaurant, photos, and we'll be looking at the words and phrases Pauline uses to share her experience with us.
#FrenchPodcast #FrenchCuisine #BistronomyParis #LearnFrenchVocabulary #FrenchFoodCulture #ParisRestaurants #FrenchListeningPractice #AuthenticFrench #FrenchGastronomy #FrenchConversation

May 14, 2025
May 14, 2025
5 min
Last week, I saw my friend Caroline. We'd booked tickets to see a play at the Théâtre des Abbesses in Montmartre. We'd arranged to meet at the Place de Clichy. As we had time for a little dinner, Caroline suggested the Bouillon Pigalle, a typically Parisian and inexpensive restaurant. That's the dinner I'm telling you about in this episode.
In the accompanying notes, we'll take a look at the history of bouillons, as well as the typical restaurant vocabulary developed in this episode. Then you'll be ready to order!
So if you want to cultivate your French “bouillonnant”, the Slow Way, I invite you to subscribe.

May 7, 2025
May 7, 2025
7 min
Join me in today's episode as I share how my daughter Felicia's school presentation on nuclear energy unexpectedly connected with the morning news! Discover how this mirrors information from Felicia's research on nuclear energy production costs compared to other energy sources. I'll also share some thoughts on France's historical dependency on nuclear energy
Perfect for learners looking to improve their listening skills with authentic French content!
www.cultivateyourfrench.com
#FrenchPodcast #LearnFrenchOnline #DailyFrenchListener #FrenchComprehension #NuclearEnergy #EnvironmentalFrench #FrenchListening #EasyFrenchPractice #ParisianLife #FrenchWithTranscript #SlowFrench

Apr 30, 2025
Apr 30, 2025
7 min
In this episode of "Cultivate Your French," I share a family anecdote about the famous "Le Jeu des Mille Euros" radio game and our discovery of France's tallest skyscraper.
This episode follows the "right pace" method with both slow and normal versions of the same content in sequence - designed to build your listening comprehension progressively.
First, you'll hear the story at a gentle pace to understand vocabulary and structure, then at natural speed to develop real-world listening skills.
Subscribers receive the complete transcript, vocabulary notes, and cultural insights to fully support your French learning journey!
#SlowFrench #FrenchComprehension #LearnFrenchMethodically #FrenchListeningPractice #TwoSpeedFrench #FrenchProgressionMethod #FrenchPodcastWithTranscript #RightPaceFrench #FrenchRadioShow #AuthenticFrenchLearning

Apr 23, 2025
Apr 23, 2025
5 min
In today's episode of "Cultivate Your French," Lisa and I take you on a delicious French pastry tasting adventure! We compare strawberry tarts and other desserts from several renowned pastry shops in our neighborhood, including the famous Lola tart from Arnaud Larher and creations from award-winning pastry chef Stéphane Glacier. Join us for this unscripted conversation as we discuss textures, flavours, and what makes the perfect French pastry.
Perfect for French learners who want to improve their listening skills with authentic conversation about French culinary culture.
Subscribe for the full transcript and cultural notes!
#FrenchTasteTest #FrenchPastryTour #LearnFrenchWithFood #FrenchStrawberryTart #ParisianPastries #DailyFrenchPractice #AuthenticFrenchConversation #FrenchListeningPractice #FrenchCulturalImmersion #FrenchFoodVocabulary

Apr 16, 2025
Apr 16, 2025
5 min
Join me and my daughter Lisa on our search for the perfect strawberry tart! We explore Asnières, a town near Paris, visiting a comic book store and a famous pastry shop.
Discover the town hall where I got married years ago, and follow our quest for seasonal treats as spring begins.
This mother-daughter conversation provides natural French vocabulary about books, pastries, and seasonal specialties - perfect for improving your listening skills!
#LearnFrenchBaking #FrenchPastry #FrenchListeningPractice #ParisianBakeries #StrawberryTart #FrenchDesserts #EverydayFrench #AuthenticFrench #FrenchFoodVocabulary #FrenchCulture

Apr 9, 2025
Apr 9, 2025
6 min
Last Saturday, on a warm and sunny afternoon, I met Emilie from the Instagram account @shotdecafeine. It was Micaela who introduced me to her account, because Emilie has a rather creative way of running in Paris. You'll find out how in this episode. We've reached the point in the conversation where Emilie tells me that she had the idea of running along the metro lines after running with a colleague from La Défense, where they work, to his home near the Château de Vincennes for an aperitif and cheese.
In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll be looking at the patisseries that Emilie has mentioned thanks to her journeys. I'll tell you what's special about these pastries and whether they've already been mentioned in the podcast. You're in for a real treat.
So if you'd like to cultivate your French in the Slow way and in a creative way, I invite you to subscribe to the transcript.
#FrenchRunning #ParisRunning #FrenchPastries #LearnFrench #FrenchPodcast #RunningInParis #MarathonDeParis #FrenchVocabulary #FrenchListening #PracticalFrench

Apr 2, 2025
Apr 2, 2025
6 min
In this episode, I take you on a journey to Argenteuil, a suburb of Paris made famous by Impressionist painters like Claude Monet.
Join me as I travel on bus 164 to a kung-fu competition, while discovering the charming neighborhoods where Monet lived and painted for five years. I share my observations of the Seine river, the historic Argenteuil bridge that appears in many famous paintings, and my plans to visit Monet's house with its recreated boat-studio.
This episode also offers practical French vocabulary about transportation and movement with a focus on the versatile verb "passer" and the pronoun "y". Perfect for intermediate French learners who want to improve their comprehension while discovering French art history and daily life outside Paris.
#LearnFrenchWithPodcast #ImpressionistArtists #ClaudeMonet #Argenteuil #FrenchCulture #FrenchListening #ParisSuburbs #FrenchJourney #PracticalFrench #DailyFrenchLife

Mar 26, 2025
Mar 26, 2025
8 min
Do two and two make five? Yes, sometimes on certain artificial intelligence platforms. So can we say that AIs are stupid? I had a conversation with Olivier, a computer scientist friend who has been passionately following developments in AI for his work for many years. He's going to give us his answer from a professional's point of view. This will be an opportunity to discover the vocabulary of AI in French.
In the notes that accompany the transcript, we'll focus on Olivier's way of speaking. Olivier is a professional who is used to explaining complicated things, adding nuance or asserting facts. How does he do this in French? We're going to take a look at the subtleties of his speech. And then, perhaps you'll share with us your uses of artificial intelligence?
So, to cultivate your French, subtly and the Slow Way, with or without AI, I invite you to subscribe.
#ArtificialIntelligence #FrenchTech #LearnFrench #FrenchPodcast #AIExplained #FrenchConversation #ChatGPT #TechVocabulary #FrenchListening #FrenchTechnology

Mar 19, 2025
Mar 19, 2025
6 min
In the notes that accompany the transcript, you'll find the 2020 notes: a list of vocabulary to read before listening to the episode, so that you understand it better the first time, cultural references and three useful expressions to remember, with examples of how to apply them.
So if you want to cultivate your French, the slow way version 2020, I invite you to subscribe to cultivateyourfrench.com
