Cultivate your French : Slow French, at the right pace.

La salle Ovale est une salle de lecture de la Bibliohtuque nationale de France Richelieu. Elel est située dans el centre de Paris, dans un ancien palais du XVIIe siècle.

Dans ce neuvième épisode de la série de l’été, je vous embarque dans le bus 21 un samedi après-midi, où trois jeunes femmes discutent shopping juste derrière moi. Débardeurs blancs, marques, prix… et le 90 se cache dans un détail que vous ne verrez peut-être pas venir ! A slice of real, overheard French – three young women chatting on a Paris bus about clothes, brands, and where to find the perfect white tank top. This episode is pure eavesdropping gold: casual, fast, opinionated French exactly as it’s spoken between friends, packed with brand names, slang, and the kind of price-and-quality debate every shopper recognizes.There’s also an unexpected literary echo tucked into the story – a classic short story that suddenly comes to mind while listening in.This summer, no pen, no notebook – just listening and speaking. Subscribers receive a podcast letter with every episode: a question to think about before pressing play, cultural markers to go deeper into the episode, casual expressions worth noticing on a close relisten, and a comprehension question to answer once you’ve heard the whole story. A different way to make progress in French.

Dans ce cinquième épisode de la série de l’été, je vous emmène à la librairie Mots en marge pour une interview avec l’écrivain David Foenkinos, à propos de son roman Numéro deux (Editions Gallimard). Le 90 se cache dans notre échange — tendez bien l’oreille ! A real conversation with David Foenkinos, one of France’s most popular contemporary novelists, recorded at a Paris bookshop. We talk about his novel Numéro deux, tthe strange true story that inspired it, and a trip back to a very different Paris.Because Foenkinos is a writer, he expresses himself with unusual clarity – this is spontaneous, unscripted French, but easier to follow than most everyday conversation, making it a great entry point into real interviews.This summer, no pen, no notebook – just listening and speaking. Subscribers receive a podcast letter with this episode: a question to think about before pressing play, cultural markers to go deeper into the episode, a line from the interview worth repeating out loud for its rhythm alone, and a comprehension question to answer once you’ve listened all the way through. A different way to make progress in French.