Podcasts by French Your Way Podcast: Learn French with Jessica | French Grammar | French Vocabulary | French Expressions
Learn French: Discover the French Language with Jessica
Further podcasts by Jessica: Native French teacher, founder of French Your Way
Podcast on the topic Sprachen lernen
All episodes
FYW – I’m back ! News and what’s next from 2022-02-05T07:08:17
This recording is in French, here’s the outline of what I talk about to help you follow:
A comeback video in a new environment: we’re in France! We’ve been settling down, enjoying family ...
FYW 236: French slang expressions (2) from 2021-04-19T20:00
By popular demand, I'll record some episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the st...
Listen
FYW 235: How to translate “Nothing serious, something urgent” and more expressions in French from 2021-04-09T20:00
A simple French grammar tip can help you go a long way to efficiently translate common expressions from English to French!
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this ep...
FYW 234: Learning phrases vs learning grammar from 2021-03-29T20:00
I received an email from Abhijit's, Tasmania, who is struggling to translate some sentences from English to French. He says he prefers to learn phrases as opposed to grammar and asks for my opinion...
Listen
FYW 233: French slang expressions (1) from 2021-02-28T11:10
By popular demand, I'll record some episodes to help you learn or recognise common French slang expressions. As you may know, the French you learn in the classroom and the French you hear in the st...
Listen
FYW 232: Sur / dessus, sous / dessous, etc. from 2021-02-20T11:10
What's the difference between SUR and DESSUS, or SOUS and DESSOUS? Can they be used interchangeably? In this episode we'll see how to use these words in sentences, along with more examples and a vo...
Listen
FYW 231: “qui” vs “que”, a brush-up from 2021-02-15T12:45:13
This is yet another question from Artur, who was featured in the previous episode! ?
"I recently stumbled upon one hitch in one exercise in a course, namely:
FYW 103 : PART 2 – 10 common false friends (= faux amis) in French and English from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That’s lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two...
Listen
FYW 102 : Answers to Episode 100 and winner announcement! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Here are the answers to the 15 questions of the quiz I designed to celebrate episode 100 of French Your Way Podcast. How did you go with them?I'll also announce the winner of a French lesson with m...
Listen
FYW 101 : The different meanings of ON in French from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
On in French has several meanings, which can be somewhat confusing for French learners. In this episode, I’ll go through the different uses of this pronoun, with examples of course!
Vocabular...
FYW 100 : Celebrating Episode #100!! Take the quiz and win a French lesson with me!! from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
For this special episode, I offer to go back and refresh what you’ve learnt over all the time we’ve spent together! (if you’ve only started to listen to this podcast recently, don't worry!) I’ve pr...
Listen
FYW 099 : The French Pronoun “EN” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
How and when to use the French pronoun "en"? In this episode, I’ll cover aspects that you may not be aware of. Also, I’ll explain where to position this French pronoun in a sentence and of course w...
Listen
FYW 098 : The different forms of BEAU in French from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
What’s the feminine of beau in French? What’s the masculine of belle? From this seemingly simple question, you’ll get a chance to brush up your French grammar – or learn something new. My signature...
Listen
FYW 129 : Indirect speech (Part 3): changes you must make with time indicators from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In the third episode of this series about the indirect speech (or reported speech), we'll have a look at changes other than verb forms that happen when the introductory verb is in the past tense. I...
Listen
FYW 125 : Indirect speech (Part 2): The (simple) logic to changing the tenses of the verbs from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
In this second episode about the indirect speech, I'll explain what's called the "concordance des temps" (or "sequence of tenses"). The name may scare you but it's all actually logical and working ...
Listen
FYW 120 : Questions in French (Part 3): When the verb is made of several words from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This episode is the third part of a series about asking questions in French. If you ever travel to France and engage in any interaction with a native French speaker, you'll definitely need to ask t...
Listen
FYW 117 : Indirect speech (Part 1): put the right words…in the right order from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
Here's a great question from Robert, a Chinese-speaking listener of French Your Way Podcast about "sentences like " I don't know what he will say to me" or " He didn't tell me when he would arrive....
Listen
FYW 115 : Questions in French (Part 2): The different translations of “what…?” from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This episode is the second part of a series about asking questions in French. If you ever travel to France and engage in any interaction with a native French speaker, you'll definitely need to ask ...
Listen
FYW 111 : Questions in French (Part 1): The 3 Ways to Ask a Question from 2021-01-31T22:10:42.023393
This episode is the first part of a series about how to ask questions in French. If you ever travel to France and engage in any interaction with a native French speaker, you'll definitely need to a...
Listen
FYW 230: Liaison or not liaison? A rough guide to help you decide. from 2021-01-22T21:56:53
Here's a question from Artur:
"I wonder if the last letter "t" is pronounced in the phrase "Il part en chantant", because of the liaison? Same question for "c'est une bonne idée."
FYW 229: Brush-up of the past participle agreement rule – Why is there a feminine agreement in the sentence “Mon mari m’a demandée en mariage à Uluru”? from 2021-01-10T13:11
I received the following question from Jane:
Hi Jessica, I am new to your podcasts but hoping to work my way through them slowly as I study French. I am very much enjoying them...
FYW 228: Meilleurs voeux from 2020-12-30T08:00
An end-of-the year message for you in both English and French, with the French text below :-)
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Bonjour à tou...
FYW 227: Trouver, retrouver (and more vocabulary) from 2020-12-21T11:40:56
What's the difference between TROUVER and RETROUVER in French? Listen in! And don't forget to subscribe to the podcast ;-)
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this ep...
FYW 226: DEVOIR vs FALLOIR from 2020-12-10T08:00
Martha from Cape Cod in the USA is confused about when to use the verb FALLOIR and when to use DEVOIR in French. As a result, she says she exclusively uses DEVOIR. The two verbs actually have the s...
Listen
FYW 225: How to define your French goals and learning plan from 2020-12-01T13:35:19
Lacking a sense of direction is the surest way to ending up nowhere, feeling all over the place, overwhelmed and eventually discouraged.
Find out how you can define your French...
FYW 224: Nouveau vs Neuf from 2020-11-10T11:49:18
Listener Rebecca is confused about the different forms of the French word "nouveau" and how it is different from the word "neuf". Let's clarify the difference and learn new expressions along the wa...
Listen
FYW 223: When letters are added to help with French pronunciation from 2020-10-30T07:21
This episode complements episode 222: "What are these strange " LE " and "NE" words with no actual meaning in French ??". We'll see examples of letters being added with the only purpose of making F...
Listen
FYW 222: What are these strange “LE” and “NE” words with no actual meaning in French ?? from 2020-10-20T07:21
Joanna asked me : Why is the " l' " neccesary in "Tu verras ce que l'on gagne à vouloir vivre libre"? What is it a pronoun referring to? it is direct or indirect? Merci!
Good question! It...
FYW 221: Idiomatic French expressions: “Donner sa langue au chat” (and more !) from 2020-10-10T07:21
Thanks to Tina for suggesting to talk about French expressions on the podcast. Idiomatic expressions can be so difficult for language learners because they often don't make sense when they are tran...
Listen
FYW 220: Pronunciation rules around the verb “acheter” (and more!) from 2020-09-30T07:21
Pronunciation rules around the verb "acheter" (and more!)
Listener Nuvia is in doubt on how to pronounce the verb "acheter" in the present tense. There are indeed a few opportu...
FYW 219: French dictation (replay from 22/08/2020 live session) from 2020-09-20T07:21
If you haven"t taken the challenge yet, grab your pen and paper and test yourself with the free French dictation I ran live in August! This is a great opportunity for you to brush-up your French li...
Listen
FYW 218: Special spelling rules: words ending in “_guer”, “_quer” from 2020-09-10T07:21
This episode complements episode 217 ("How to convert a verb into a noun or adjective in French?") and sheds light on some special spelling rules that may happen inside a same family of words. You'...
Listen
Join the French Games and French dictation this weekend! from 2020-09-03T02:51:05
This weekend, challenge your mind and join me on the live sessions that I’ll be running for you! I’m always delighted to see you, the familiar faces, as well as the new ones!
T...
FYW 217: How to convert a verb into a noun or adjective in French? from 2020-08-30T08:00
I have to thank Abdulelah from Saudi Arabia for inspiring me to make this episode because what follows is just what I l LOVE to explain: you’re both going to work on your grammar AND increase your ...
Listen
FYW 216: Allergies and medical issues: saying them in French from 2020-08-20T08:00
While the topic of the previous episode was light and rather fun (How to talk to your pet in French), today’s episode is more serious and I hope will be very useful to you.
Lis...
FYW 215: How to talk to your pet in French! from 2020-08-10T08:00
This episode inspired by a question from Philip was a particularly fun one to prepare. Philip lives in Saint-Tropez, a beautiful and town on the Mediterranean coast in the South of France which att...
Listen
FYW 214: Brushing up pronouns in French: which pronoun would you use to replace “Le Louvre” in “Tu visiteras Le Louvre”? (listener’s question) from 2020-07-30T08:00
Many episodes ago, I recorded a series of lessons about the use of the various French pronouns. I think it’s time for a quick brush-up! Here’s the question I received from a Joanna, a listener of F...
Listen
FYW 213: Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #4) from 2020-07-20T13:38:52
Listen to a real French lesson that I recorded with John, a student from the USA! John wanted to focus on a general conversation. I interrupted him here and there to correct or point out a few gram...
Listen
FYW 212: “Bonne chance” vs “Bon courage” (and a few more expressions) from 2020-07-10T12:30:54
What is the difference between "Bonne chance" and "Bon courage" in French? Can they be used interchangeably? Find out in this episode and learn a few more common French expressions to wish someone ...
Listen
Launching French Grammar Clinic Workshops Live with Jessica from 2020-07-08T11:55:50
Live French Grammar Clinic workshops : Launching on July 18th and 19th 2020!!
You know how curious I am about how the language works. In my French Your Way Podcast, I not only ...
Games in French (Replay from 27 June 2020) from 2020-07-01T13:47:28
Join other students from around the world and let’s play in French together! This recording is an excerpt from the latest Games in French session I ran on Zoom last weekend.
Yo...
Lessons about language learning which I learnt… in my kitchen!! from 2020-06-10T08:00
While trying my hand at new baking techniques, I have come to learn a few valuable lessons which can also apply to learning a language... French for instance! ;-)
In this episo...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 26-27) from 2020-04-18T08:00
This is the last episode about my reading of "Le Petit Prince" to you!
Contact me if you think you can help me grow my collection of Petit Prince books in a foreign language :-)
Listen
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 23-25) from 2020-04-17T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work ...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 21-22) from 2020-04-16T04:15:53
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 19-20) from 2020-04-15T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 17-18) from 2020-04-14T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 15-16) from 2020-04-13T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 13-14) from 2020-04-12T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 11-12) from 2020-04-11T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertained and work ...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 9-10) from 2020-04-10T03:45:05
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 7-8) from 2020-04-07T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 5-6) from 2020-04-06T08:00
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 3-4) from 2020-04-05T12:16:35
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
Le Petit Prince read by Jessica (chapters 1-2) from 2020-04-01T07:50:36
Don’t miss this special rendez-vous with Le Petit Prince for a daily dose of French literature and poetry.
I’ll read you two chapters on YouTube each day to keep you entertaine...
[Replay] FYW 073 : France Travel Tips (PART 1): General Tips from 2019-08-07T08:00:44
To celebrate summer I’ve prepared for you a series of 3 episodes with my best travel tips for your stay in France! In this episode I’ll cover: how to plan your itinerary and avoid being stuck in tr...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 007 : Date, Month, Year, Seasons…and French Poetry from 2019-07-31T08:00:29
How to tell the date in French: a bit of French grammar and a poetic bonus as I’ll be reading a famous poem by Verlaine for you: "Chanson d’Automne"...
Vocabulary and Spelling of the Fren...
[Replay] FYW 001 : Accent circonflexe -That Little Hat on some Letters! from 2019-07-10T08:00:52
Learn about the different names given to the French accent circonflexe. I will run you through its different uses and functions. Listen to see if you knew them all…you may well also learn a heap of...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 024 : How to stay motivated learning French? from 2019-07-03T08:00:57
This is a totally different episode where I reply to John, a student and listener who struggles to keep up the motivation to keep learning. John asks for my input and raises many interesting questi...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 067 : Why you shouldn’t say “very delicious” in French from 2019-06-26T08:00:45
What’s wrong with saying "Yum, this is very delicious!" or "Wow, this is very beautiful!" Nothing...in English. However, a literal translation of these expressions -along with a few others- doesn't...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 107 : How to Add French to Your Daily Life from 2019-06-19T08:00:27
It is generally agreed that if you want to practice a foreign language, the best thing you can do is to travel to a country where this language is spoken. But, what about the rest of the time? How ...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 037 : How to Pronounce the French R from 2019-06-12T08:00:12
Many students struggle with the pronunciation of the French R, so in this episode I will give you some practice exercises and phonetic tips on how to pronounce the French R so that you can sound mo...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 066 : Reading French Books: Where to Start? from 2019-06-05T08:01:03
Have you ever read a book in French? Why (or why not)? Once you’ve got some bases in French, I recommend you start trying reading French books and magazines. Why read French books? What basic requi...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 147 : How to translate the English “DO” in French? from 2019-05-22T08:00:14
If you're confused about how to translate "DO" in "Don’t you want to do that?" or "I don’t know", this episode is for you! I'll give you helpful tips on how to choose the right verb for your senten...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 035 : How to Improve your French Listening skills? My best tips! from 2019-05-15T08:00:17
I’ve compiled my best tips about how to improve your French listening skills after receiving this question from many of you. If you find it a struggle to hold a conversation in French because you c...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 019 : Easy Tips on when to use Qui and Que from 2019-05-08T08:00:20
Today’s question is from Endre (Norway) who told me he struggled to understand the use of "qui", "que", "ce qui" and "ce que". In this episode, I will focus on giving you an easy tip to choose quic...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 090 : How to say “I miss you” in French? from 2019-05-01T08:00:25
Do you know to use the expression "I miss you" in French? Students often find it quite tricky – the construction of the sentence is very different from English. After my explanation, you should be ...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 014 : Oops I ate all the lollies – how to pronounce “Tous” from 2019-04-03T08:00:27
How to know when to pronounce the “s” at the end of “tous” in French ? This question was submitted by one of my listeners.
You can also send me your question from the Contact p...
[Replay] FYW 078 : How to Use Your French Dictionary Efficiently from 2019-03-27T10:00:50
A dictionary is an indispensable tool that everyone should have on a shelf...on in their pockets. But you need to use it well: you wouldn't believe how many times I've seen students say (or write) ...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 045 : 70, 80 and 90 in French – Why are these numbers so weird? from 2019-03-20T10:00:47
As if French language didn't have enough grammar rules with exceptions, French conjugation tenses and irregular verbs, when it comes to numbers it also seem to go all wrong between 70 and 99. Why i...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 063 : How to improve your French pronunciation: Ask Siri! from 2019-03-13T10:00:44
Here’s a great idea to help you work on your French pronunciation! This activity will also make you work on how to ask questions in French and on the pace of your speech: if you pause for too long...
Listen
[Replay] FYW 002 : “For” (+ duration): Avoid Saying “Pour” if Possible! from 2019-03-06T10:00:39
This common mistake comes from an incorrect translation from English and drives many French teachers to the verge of sanity! (including myself). I hope these explanations and examples will help!
FYW 211 : Connotations in words from 2019-02-27T12:20:09
How does one know if one has been insulting people without knowing? This is an excellent question I received from Tom, a listener who raised the issue with the French words "paysan" vs "fermier". L...
Listen
FYW 210 : “Si” clauses in French: structures and examples from 2019-02-13T08:30:22
Many students of French worry about not getting the tenses of their verbs right when they use "si" clauses in French. As a result, I decided to make the structures of the sentences very explicit in...
Listen
FYW 209 : The origin of words: boosting your French vocabulary from 2019-02-06T08:30:25
If you've been following me for some time, you know that I'm always curious and passionate about where the words come from. This is also extremely helpful to find out as words then make more sense ...
Listen
FYW 208 : How to say “What happened?” and more: “arriver” vs “se passer” in French from 2019-01-30T08:30:26
Listener and student Yaniv asked me to clarify the meaning and use of the French verbs "arriver" and "se passer". In this episode, you'll see that, although both verbs have a similar meaning, the s...
Listen
FYW 207 : Saying you’re doing something again: the prefixes “re” and “ré” from 2019-01-23T08:00:33
The prefixes "re" and "ré" are very useful to build up new vocabulary very quickly and say that you're doing something again. Let's see practical examples. I'll also explain when to use "re" and wh...
Listen
FYW 206 : French dictation: Comments on the previous episode from 2019-01-16T08:00:35
In episode 205 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I’ll come back on the few grammar and ...
Listen
FYW 205 : A French exercise: dictation! (3) from 2019-01-09T08:00:05
The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of generations of students. (I did like them, though!). Put yourself to the test!
...
FYW 204 : Answers to quiz…and winner announcement! from 2019-01-02T12:20:40
It's finally here! The episode where you finally get the answers to the 15 questions I asked you in episode 200 of the podcast! I'm so glad you loved the challenge and the opportunity to brush-up t...
Listen
FYW 203 : Bonnes fêtes! from 2018-12-26T11:36:20
"Bonne fêtes!" or " Joyeuses fêtes!" is what we traditionally say in French at this time of the year to encompass both Christmas and New Year festivities. And do you know what we say (or write on c...
Listen
FYW 202 : My thoughts, comments and experiences about language learning (and how our daughter speaks three languages) from 2018-12-19T11:30:17
Note: this episode was supposed to have the answers to the quiz from episode 200 but due to technical issues, the deadline to submit your answers has been postponed to 23rd December and the answers...
Listen
FYW 201 : PART 6 – Common false friends (= faux amis) in French and English from 2018-12-12T08:00:43
Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That's lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two...
Listen
FYW 200 : Celebrating Episode #200!! Take the quiz and win a French lesson with me!! from 2018-12-05T08:00:30
For this special episode, I offer to go back and refresh what you’ve learnt over all the time we’ve spent together, for the last 100 weeks! (if you’ve only started to this podcast recently or if it...
Listen
FYW 199 : French words and expression related to cooking from 2018-11-28T08:00:26
Marie would like help to understand some French words and expressions related to cooking:
"I like cooking and as such talk about it quite a lot. I seem to get confused about t...
FYW 198 : “J’ai été” or “j’étais”? Passé composé or imparfait? from 2018-11-21T08:00:22
In today's episode I'm answering a question from Donovan: "Can you please give some examples of when to use j'étais versus j'ai été and when to use j'avais versus j'ai eu? In English, we translate...
Listen
FYW 197 : When and why to use the verb AGIR in French? from 2018-11-14T08:00:19
Gillian’s question, When and why to use the verb AGIR in French, is a great opportunity to boost your French vocabulary and reflect on grammar, as this verb is used in different sentence structures...
Listen
FYW 196 : Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #3) from 2018-11-07T08:00:16
In this somewhat different episode you'll get to hear a real French lesson that I recorded with Lothar, a student from Germany! As you will hear, Lothar has very good comprehension and speaking ski...
Listen
FYW 195 : How to say “to make someone…” in French? from 2018-10-31T08:00:24
Do you know how to translate expressions such as "to make someone happy / proud / apologise / jump" etc. in French? Can you tell that there are actually two different types of structures in the exa...
Listen
FYW 193 : French dictation: Comments on the previous episode from 2018-10-17T08:00:18
In episode 192 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I'll come back on the few grammar and ...
Listen
FYW 192 : A French exercise: dictation! (2) from 2018-10-10T08:00:15
The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of generations of students. (I did like them, though!). Put yourself to the test!
...
FYW 191 : French adverbs in “-ment” from 2018-10-03T08:00:13
A few episodes ago (episode 188) I talked about the position of adverbs in French sentences. Well, this inspired me to tell you more about French adverbs and in this episode, I'll cover how to adve...
Listen
FYW 190 : About “puis-je” in French from 2018-09-26T08:00:09
Podcast listener Megan wanted to know more about the origin of "puis-je", a French form related to the verb "pouvoir". I always love it when students are curious about what they learn, question, in...
Listen
FYW 189 : French pronunciation: What’s the difference between a “mute H” and an “aspirate H”? from 2018-09-19T09:00:07
This episode is an exclusive peep into one of the lessons from my online French pronunciation and intonation course “How to sound like a native French speaker”. If you yet need to find out the infl...
Listen
FYW 188 : The position of adverbs in French from 2018-09-12T08:00:07
Where are adverbs positioned in a French sentence? Before or after the verb? What about in compound tenses? In negative sentences? Listen to this episode to find out!
Vocabulary and Spell...
FYW 187 : PART 5 – 5 common false friends (= faux amis) in French and English from 2018-09-05T08:00:55
Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That’s lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two...
Listen
FYW 186 : “savoir” or “pouvoir”? How to translate “can” into French from 2018-08-29T08:00:47
The English modal "can" has a couple of different translations in French depending on its meaning. Let's clarify how to translate "can" into French. You’ll see, it's easy!
Vocabulary and ...
FYW 185 : French dictation: Comments on the previous episode from 2018-08-22T08:00:01
In episode 184 you had the opportunity to challenge yourself with a very French and very academic type of exercise: la dictée! (= dictation). In this episode, I’ll come back on the few grammar and ...
Listen
FYW 184 : A French exercise: dictation! from 2018-08-15T08:00:04
I've been wanting to offer you this type of exercise for a while...today is the day! The "dictée" (dictation) is the French exercise by excellence. It is very academic and has been the nightmare of...
Listen
FYW 183 : Ceci, cela, ça, celui, etc: a guide about using the demonstrative pronouns and adjectives. from 2018-08-08T08:00:11
In this episode I'll explain the difference between the demonstrative adjectives and demonstrative pronouns and will help you choose wisely among all these little words!
Vocabulary and Sp...
FYW 182 : How long does it take to learn French? from 2018-08-01T08:00:57
I'm sometimes asked the million dollar question: "How long does it take to learn French ?" (or any other language, for that matter.) Another variation to this question is: "How long does it take to...
Listen
FYW 181 : Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #2) from 2018-07-25T08:00:20
Listen to a real French lesson that I recorded
This is a new concept to give you the opportunity to have a casual French session on Skype with me, since I can’t commit to recur...
FYW 180 : Understanding the preposition DE (3/3): verbs using a preposition from 2018-07-18T08:00:25
Is there a logic to know whether a French verb works with the preposition DE, the preposition A, another preposition…or no preposition at all? This is a major struggle from students of French. Here...
Listen
FYW 179 : French regions: new names, purpose, debates (and grammar!) from 2018-07-11T11:08:54
In 2016, the map of France changed and now has 13 administrative regions instead of the former 22. What are they now called (and how do you say the name of your region/state/province/county in Fren...
Listen
FYW 178 : Understanding the preposition DE (2/3): “une tarte AUX pommes” vs “une salade DE carottes” from 2018-07-04T11:49:17
In the second part of this series to help you understand and use the French preposition DE correctly, we'll see how it is used when talking about food. I'll also explain why the preposition A is al...
Listen
FYW 177 : French homonyms (4): air, aire (and more!) from 2018-06-27T09:14:28
When two words have a different meaning even though they sound alike or have the same spelling, they are called homonyms. In today's episode, find out the different meanings of the words pronounced...
Listen
FYW 176 : Understanding the preposition DE (1/3): back to the basics with brushing up the articles! from 2018-06-20T08:00:30
Understanding the preposition DE (1/3): back to the basics with brushing up the articles!
Lately I've received a lot of questions from listeners about the use of the prepositio...
FYW 175 : Au fait, en fait, en effet (and other expressions) explained from 2018-06-13T08:00:10
Au fait, en fait, en effet (and other expressions) explained
Do you know the difference between "au fait", "en fait", and "en effet" in French? Do you know how to use them in a...
FYW 174 : French verbs: agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs (compound tenses, part 5) from 2018-06-06T08:00:35
In the last episode of this series, I'll clarify the rules of agreement of the past participle with reflexive verbs in French. This rule is a little bit more advanced and requires some notions of g...
Listen
FYW 173 : French bank holidays, cultural facts… and strikes! from 2018-05-30T09:00:22
How many of the 11 French bank holidays do you know? Which one is the only holiday when it is actually not allowed to work? (except of course, if you work at a hospital for instance). This episode ...
Listen
FYW 172 : Listen to a real French lesson! (French session #1) from 2018-05-23T09:00:20
In this somewhat different episode you’ll get to hear a real French lesson that I recorded with Stephen, a student from Sydney!
A few months ago, I introduced a new concept to ...
FYW 171 : French verbs: agreement of the past participle with AVOIR (compound tenses, part 4) from 2018-05-16T08:00:12
In this episode, I’ll clarify the rules of agreement of the past participle with AVOIR. This rule is a little bit more advanced and requires basic notions of grammar: you need to know what subjects...
Listen
FYW 170 : French pronunciation (3) – How to sound like a native French speaker? Everything you need to know about French pronunciation, intonation and rhythm. from 2018-05-09T09:00:49
If you're putting in a lot of time, effort and money to learn French, chances are that you also want to be able to SOUND it properly. If your pronunciation is poor, French people will struggle to u...
Listen
FYW 169 : French pronunciation (2) – How to pronounce the letter “E” when it has an accent over it? from 2018-05-02T10:00:46
This is the second episode to help you with your French reading and French pronunciation and celebrate the upcoming launch of my online course, "How to sound like a native French speaker", coming o...
Listen
FYW 168 : French pronunciation (1) – How to know when the letter “S” is pronounced [s] or [z] from 2018-04-25T11:20:59
I'm really excited to start a short series of episodes dedicated to French pronunciation to mark the achievement of over 2 years of creating, testing and refining the online course that I’ve been w...
Listen
FYW 167 : French verbs – agreement of the past participle with ETRE (compound tenses, part 3) from 2018-04-18T11:55:22
Did you know that the past participles may need to take an extra "E" and/or "S" in some cases? That is when they are being used as adjectives, but also in some specific situations in compound tense...
Listen
FYW 166 : How to write the plurals of French compound nouns? from 2018-04-11T08:00:04
Spelling the plurals of French compound nouns is the perfect blend of logic and grammar notions. It can seem tricky or daunting at first but actually isn’t that hard! And, again: it’s logical. So, ...
Listen
FYW 165 : French Verbs – How to choose between ETRE and AVOIR (compound tenses, part 2) from 2018-04-04T08:00:02
how to choose between ETRE and AVOIR auxiliaries when you want to conjugate a French verb in the passé composé…or any other compound tense! There’s an easy way to know and get it right every time y...
Listen
FYW 164 : French verbs: past participles (compound tenses, part 1) from 2018-03-28T08:00
Find out why it is important to know the past participles of your French verbs. I’ll also, of course, give you tips to help remember past participles form more easily. In the next part dedicated to...
Listen
FYW 163 : What’s on the French euro coins and bank notes? from 2018-03-21T08:00:59
This episode is a great opportunity for you to learn some French vocabulary and facts about French euro coins and bank notes, whether you live in the Euro zone yourself or not. Have you ever held F...
Listen
FYW 162 : “Jouer à” vs “jouer de” from 2018-03-14T08:00:58
Do you know for sure when to use the preposition "à" and when to use the preposition "de" in French, after the verb JOUER? If not, you won’t hesitate anymore after listening to this episode !
...
FYW 161 : French Homonyms (3) – lait, laid, laie (and more) from 2018-03-07T08:00:51
When two words have a different meaning even though they sound alike or have the same spelling, they are called homonyms. In today's episode, find out the different meanings of the words pronounced...
Listen
FYW 160 : French Conversation – How to Improve Your Confidence from 2018-02-28T08:00:56
I’m ranting a bit in this episode! I’ve lost count of how many times I heard students say that they don’t dare speaking French by fear of sounding ridicule or making mistakes. They make excuses wit...
Listen
FYW 159 : The difference between tout, toute, toutes, tous, toux from 2018-02-21T11:46:13
Larissa from Brasil would like me to clarify the difference between tout, toute, toutes, tous, toux. I’ve already tackled some of these aspects as well as how to pronounce "tous" in episode 14 of F...
Listen
FYW 158 : 10 French grammatical mistakes even native speakers make from 2018-02-14T09:09:17
Here are the top 10 French grammatical mistakes French people make too…and which make me cringe the most! In this episode, you’ll learn to avoid these common traps as I’ll make sure to explain the ...
Listen
FYW 157 : Rules around French country names: why do you say EN France, AU Japon, AU Mexique? from 2018-02-07T08:00:13
Did you know that French country names have a gender too? How can you tell whether they are masculine or feminine? Find out the rules behind saying where you’re at or where you’re from. After liste...
Listen
FYW 156 : When our daughter got sick in France from 2018-01-31T10:07:45
Our daughter got sick in France twice on our recent trip. This gave me a most interesting insight of issues I had never really thought of before – but being a parent makes you see new perspectives!...
Listen
FYW 155 : French expressions using the verb FAIRE (Part 3) from 2018-01-24T08:00:03
The French verb FAIRE is extremely common and used in a wide range of expressions – not only idiomatic expressions. Boost your French vocabulary by learning or brushing up French expressions using ...
Listen
FYW 154 : French expressions using the verb FAIRE (Part 2) from 2018-01-17T08:00:02
The French verb FAIRE is extremely common and used in a wide range of expressions – not only idiomatic expressions. Boost your French vocabulary by learning or brushing up French expressions using ...
Listen
FYW 153 : French expressions using the verb FAIRE (Part 1) from 2018-01-10T08:00:01
The French verb FAIRE is extremely common and used in a wide range of expressions – not only idiomatic expressions. Boost your French vocabulary by learning or brushing up French expressions using ...
Listen
FYW 152 : Meilleurs voeux pour 2018! from 2018-01-03T08:00:38
In this special episode to kick off the new year 2018, my brother Tony and I tell you about our surprise holiday, our good resolutions of the year ahead and how we spent New Year’s Eve. Wishing you...
Listen
FYW 151 : French homonyms part 2 – mère et père from 2017-12-27T08:00:58
When two words have a different meaning even though they sound alike or have the same spelling, they are called homonyms. In today's episode, find out the different meanings of the words pronounced...
Listen
FYW 150 : Joyeux Noël from France! from 2017-12-20T08:00:51
Listen to this special episode recorded from France with my mum! We decided to sing 2 cute and easy to learn Christmas songs for you! The lyrics and links to videos are included in the show notes s...
Listen
FYW 149 : All the meanings of “bien” in French from 2017-12-13T08:00:55
In Episode 42 of this podcast, I had explained how to know when to use bon vs bien in French.
In this episode, I’ll share with you additional meanings of the word BIEN in French so that y...
FYW 148 : “Inclusive writing”: what is it and how does it work? from 2017-12-06T08:00:33
Have you ever heard of inclusive writing? I hadn't, until I recently listened to a debate about it from a French radio program and I immediately wanted to share the concept with you - it is most in...
Listen
FYW 147 : How to translate the English “DO” in French? from 2017-11-29T08:30:42
If you're confused about how to translate "DO" in "Don’t you want to do that?" or "I don’t know", this episode is for you! I'll give you helpful tips on how to choose the right verb for your senten...
Listen
FYW 146 : False friends (faux amis) – supporter from 2017-11-22T10:02:20
In today's episode I wanted to go over both the English and French words "supporter" and their meanings.
Vocabulary and Spelling of the French Words mentioned in this episode
Un...
FYW 145 : The French school system from 2017-11-15T08:00:43
What is the traditional pathway followed by French children? How does the French school system work? Is it enforcing inequalities or addressing them? Do French pupils wear a uniform? Learn about th...
Listen
FYW 144 : (Part 2) The relative pronouns: lequel, laquelle, lesquels, duquel, etc. from 2017-11-08T08:00:33
How and when to use the relative pronouns LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, LESQUELS, etc.? Let's see together the answers to the exercise I gave you in the previous episode and add one more rule!
...
FYW 143 : (Part 1) The relative pronouns: lequel, laquelle, lesquels, duquel, etc. from 2017-11-01T08:00:23
How and when to use the relative pronouns LEQUEL, LAQUELLE, LESQUELS, etc. I'll explain it all, with many examples and will even give you some homework for the next episode!
Vocabulary an...
FYW 142 : French homonyms (1): vert, ver, vers, vair from 2017-10-25T08:00:02
When two words have a different meaning even though they sound alike or have the same spelling, they are called homonyms. In today's episode, find out the different meanings of the word pronounced ...
Listen
FYW 141 : Tips to watch French movies from 2017-10-18T08:00:04
Alexandre from Moscow would like some tips to watch French movies. Although his level of French is rather advanced, he struggles with understanding French movies. Why is that? And how to slowly get...
Listen
FYW 140 : Past historic tense in French: why I don’t (and won’t) teach it from 2017-10-11T08:00:12
For intermediate and advanced students. I'll be reading a text in French - this text is included in the shownotes for you to follow!
What’s the past historic tense? Also called...
FYW 139 : (PART 2) Back to school: childhood memories from 2017-10-04T08:00:03
This is the second episode about celebrating teachers and pupils alike as they are going back to school in France. I'll also some personal childhood memories with you, in both French and English so...
Listen
FYW 138 : (PART 1) Back to school: French vocabulary and culture from 2017-09-27T08:00:39
In this episode, I'm celebrating teachers and pupils alike as they are going back to school in France. I'll give you some back to school related vocabulary and you will learn French facts about the...
Listen
FYW 137 : “De la pizza” vs “la pizza”? from 2017-09-20T08:00:20
When a two-letter word can make a difference between you getting a slice of pizza or a whole pizza... Do you need a brush-up to make sure you are using the correct French articles / structures? I j...
Listen
FYW 136 : How to increase your French vocabulary? My best tips from 2017-09-13T08:00:54
What is the best way to improve and increase your French vocabulary? If you've tried to read in French with the intent of diligently writing down all the new words you see, if you felt slowed down ...
Listen
FYW 135 : False friends (faux amis): inhabitant from 2017-09-06T08:00:05
In today's episode I wanted to go over words derived from "habiter"; I have been confused myself because some are actually false friends in English and in French! Increase your French vocabulary, l...
Listen
FYW 134 : The pronoun “dont” in French from 2017-08-30T08:00:33
How and when to use the relative pronoun DONT in French? In this episode, I’ll explain it all, and of course I will give you many examples!
Also listen to my explanation about ...
FYW 133 : PART 4 – 10 common false friends (= faux amis) in French and English from 2017-08-23T08:00:39
Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That’s lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two...
Listen
FYW 132 : Need help to choose between “c’est” and “est”? from 2017-08-16T08:00:54
Listener Kate emailed me with the following question: "There is something thing I've never really had explained to me and which I still get confused about. When in French you use "c'est" instead of...
Listen
FYW 131 : Baby equipment : over 30 handy French words for travelling parents! from 2017-08-09T08:00:52
If you're travelling to a French-speaking country with your baby or toddler, you may need to find baby equipment on arrival. Do you know the French words for " pram", "high chair", "bib", etc? List...
Listen
FYW 130 : Do you often confuse ” depuis, pendant, il y a”? from 2017-08-02T08:00:48
The difference between "depuis, pendant" and "il y a" is often confusing for students of French. In this episode, I'll clarify how to use these words properly and will give you examples J
Listen
FYW 128 : Bastille Day in France: French vocabulary, culture, history… from 2017-07-19T08:00:52
What do French people do on Bastille Day? What do you wish French people on Bastille Day? As France celebrated its national holiday just a few days ago, learn what historical events are behind it a...
Listen
FYW 127 : Vocabulary booster: words derived from “recevoir” from 2017-07-12T08:00:27
In this episode, brush-up or increase your French vocabulary with these words derived from the verb "recevoir". By the way, do you know how to conjugate the verb "recevoir" in French? Test yourself...
Listen
FYW 126 : Questions in French (Part 4) – rising or falling intonation? from 2017-07-05T09:30:17
This episode is the fourth and last part of a series about asking questions in French. If you ever travel to France and engage in any interaction with a native French speaker, you'll definitely nee...
Listen
FYW 124 : French songs for babies/toddlers from 2017-06-21T08:00:10
In this episode I'll give you a few French words in baby talk and suggestions on how to find cute French songs for babies and toddlers! You'll also hear my delightful daughter making animal sounds....
Listen
FYW 123 : Knock knock! Toc-Toc! French words derived from sounds (onomatopoeia) from 2017-06-14T08:00:25
In this episode, you'll discover or re-discover words as you never saw them before. Pay attention and you'll notice that these are all French words derived from sounds! The result? It's fun, it's m...
Listen
FYW 122 : Why Learn French? from 2017-06-07T08:00:10
This episode is to help boost your motivation and give yourself a sense of purpose about learning French! Some time ago, I received an email from Max who is learning French because he dreams of liv...
Listen
FYW 121 : Tout droit vs à droite: what’s the connection between these two expressions? from 2017-05-31T08:00:22
David from Sydney asked me :"If gauche is left, and droite is right, what is the connection between droite and tout droit for straight ahead ?" These can be confusing indeed because the two express...
Listen
FYW 119 : “Là-dessus”, “juste dessus” from 2017-05-17T08:00:37
Ann would like me to explain how to use adverbs such as "là-dessus", "là-devant", etc. She also asked me about expressions like "juste devant". This is a great opportunity for me to clarify the dif...
Listen
FYW 118 : PART 3 – 10 Common False Friends (= Faux Amis) in French and English from 2017-05-10T08:00:59
Many words in French and English are similar or look similar. That’s lucky because it helps with learning vocabulary faster. However, these words sometimes means something very different in the two...
Listen
FYW 116 : French words that look like English…but are not (pseudo anglicisms) from 2017-04-26T08:00:56
A pseudo anglicism is a real English word meaning something completely different from its original meaning. Pseudo-anglicisms are related to false friends so if you want to avoid misunderstandings...
Listen
FYW 114 : Learning French while sleeping? from 2017-04-12T08:00:46
One of my listeners was curious to get my opinion about the methods claiming to teach you French while sleeping. I will therefore share my point of view in this short episode! And you, have you tri...
Listen
FYW 113 : Some Spelling Rules for French Feminine Words Ending With the /e/ Sound from 2017-04-05T08:00:41
Here are a few tips on how to write French feminine words ending with the /e/ sound: some French feminine words are spelled with "_ée" while others simply end with "é". Learn the spelling rules to ...
Listen
FYW 112 : French books for babies / toddlers from 2017-03-29T07:30:34
You may want to speak to your little one in French, either because you're are in a mixed relationship with a French-speaking partner, or simply because you love French language and you want your ch...
Listen
FYW 110 : Animal Names in French from 2017-03-15T07:30:51
Here's an interesting question I got from a student of French: “I understand that animal names in French are generally masculine and feminine (eg. une girafe) but if I am talking about a male giraf...
Listen
FYW 109 : All about the old French Republican Calendar! from 2017-03-08T09:42:02
Did you know that France used a different calendar for a few years, after the French Revolution? This was called the French Republican Calendar and time had a whole different way of being divided (...
Listen
FYW 108 : The difference between “emmener”, “amener”, “emporter” and “apporter” from 2017-03-01T08:00:49
What’s the difference between "emmener", "amener", "emporter" and "apporter" in French? I find students are often confused with these four verbs so I’ll explain them in this episode. Actually, many...
Listen
FYW 107 : How to Add French to Your Daily Life from 2017-02-22T09:00:46
It is generally agreed that if you want to practice a foreign language, the best thing you can do is to travel to a country where this language is spoken. But, what about the rest of the time? How ...
Listen
FYW 106 : Je me lave, vous vous appelez, etc.: what are reflexive verbs ? from 2017-02-15T08:00:46
Why are there two "vous" in "Comment vous vous appelez"? What does "se promener" mean exactly and how to conjugate it properly ? This episode is a good introduction or brush up about reflexive verb...
Listen
FYW 105 : A must-see in Paris: le Panthéon from 2017-02-08T09:00:43
If you haven’t already done so, I strongly suggest you go check out the Panthéon on your next visit in Paris! Listen to why I loved it...and learn a few words and facts along the way!
Voc...
FYW 104 : Why do you say “à l’est de l’Australie” but “l’Ambassade d’Australie”? from 2017-02-01T08:00:42
It can be hard to tell when to use the preposition DE by itself (as in: "l'Ambassade d’Australie") and when to use it with an article (à l'est de l’Australie). I’m will help you with it in this epi...
Listen