On Cultivate Your French podcast, things go smoothly! First, you hear the text read at slow speed with clear articulation, then at normal speed.
The introduction in English gives you the context of each episode.
An episode is released every wednesday. The transcript, notes, photos are available here : www.cultivateyourfrench.com
C'est parti!
CYF 059 Felicia étudie la Révolution française
Listen to the episode :
My second daughter Felicia is in 4e; it’s the third year of collège. She is now thirteen years old. The 4e is not an easy grade. She works a lot so I have the impression that we never see her. Sometimes she appears to take a slice of kougelhopf for goûter. She seems to enjoy it then she looks at the clock and says that it’s time for her to go back to work. In today’s episode, you are going to hear more of Felicia’s appearances and disappearances and how we get clues of what she is studying.
CYF 060 À l’Extra Brut, cave à Champagne, avec Benoît Melendez
Listen to the episode : https://laetitia.podbean.com/e/cyf-060-%e2%80%94-mercredi-10-fevrier-2021-%e2%80%94-a-l-extra-brut-cave-a-champagne-avec-benoit-melendez/
In January, I had the chance to meet a wine professional in Paris, his name is Benoît Melendez. He has a shop, L’extra brut. Does it give you any clue about the kind of wine he sells? yes? He sells wines, but particular ones : he sells Champagne and only Champagne! In this shop, which is also a « Bar à Champagne » you can drink Champagne at the bar with some food or buy a bottle to bring home.
Of course, the « bar » is closed for the moment but the shop is opened. So on cold winter day, I walked from Saint-Lazare station to rue Condorcet, in South PIgalle, to meet Benoît Melendez. You have to imagine me in his shop, surrounded by nice bottles, seated on a bar stool made of wood, in front of a very smiling man who really loves his work.
So, in today’s episode, you are going to hear Benoît Melendez talking about Champagne!
CYF 061 — Mercredi 17 février 2021 — Chez le fromager
Listen to the episode : https://laetitia.podbean.com/e/cyf-061-%e2%80%94-mercredi-17-fevrier-2021-%e2%80%94-chez-le-fromager/
It’s a great thing to improve your understanding skills, this way you can be ready for the next step which is « talking in French ». Yes, talking! Never forget to talk, it’s important ! But, you have to be ready. To train yourself to your next visit to France, today’s episode and next week’s episode are about talking in French.
Today, you will come with me to the cheesemonger. Yes, don’t you remember what’s on your shopping list? Camembert, Beaufort and goat cheese. And you know that once inside the shop you might be tempted to buy something else too.
Are you ready?
You are in Paris, queuing outside the little shop. Some customers go out and it’s your turn to go inside. It smells good!
First you are going to hear the dialogue between my friend Pauline, who plays the cheesemonger, and myself, the customer.
Then, to make things more practical, you will also hear only the cheesemonger lines. With the other part of the dialogue left blank,you will be able to act as if you were the customer at the fromagerie!
CYF 062 — Mercredi 24 février 2021 — Pauline est allée au théâtre
Listen to the episode : https://laetitia.podbean.com/e/cyf-062-%e2%80%94-mercredi-24-fevrier-2021-%e2%80%94-pauline-est-allee-au-theatre/
Sometimes, we get very good at understanding a language. It’s the beginning of something new, something very pleasant and rewarding. The ear catches whole sentences, we get good at understanding videos on the Internet, movies in French etc.
But sometimes, we set aside how to improve our speaking of that language. And I don’t think this is a good plan.
So, as in last week episode, today the aim is that you train yourself to talk. I have recorded this dialogue between my friend Pauline and I. She tells me about the play her husband and her had seen the day before. First you are going to hear the dialogue.
Then, to make things more practical, you will also hear only my lines. With the other part of the dialogue left blank,you will be able to act as if you were Pauline telling me about your evening at the theater!