In this episode, Gaelle presents to you one of the most beloved and popular charity associations in France: “les Restos du coeur”. She tells you how it started back in 1985 with the comic Coluche, what their missions are and how they fund it all.
In this episode, Gaelle explains the difference between 3 similar verbs: rentrer, revenir and retourner. If you think they all mean “to come back” and you never know which one to choose, this is the episode for you.
In this episode, Gaelle introduces you to the new French revolution that has taken place in the dictionary ‘Le Robert’: the introduction of the new subject pronoun, “iel”. She explains in which contexts you can use it and why it has created such a heated debate in French society.
In this episode, Gaelle presents to you the wonderful Josephine Baker, an American-French black woman, born in 1906, dead in 1976 and recently admitted to the Pantheon in France. You will understand why the French president decided to give her a posthumous honour, and discover the different aspects of her colorful personality.
In this episode, you’ll hear an interview with Yoann, a young French dancer and choreographer. He talks about his incredible journey from his local dance school to the Opéra de Paris, and what it takes to create an hour-long dance show from scratch.
In this episode, Gaelle explains the 3 different styles of speech that exist in French and that people use depending on their cultural background and their audience. You will even have a little game at the end to see if you can recognise which style is used. If you want to learn slang words to say “chaussure” and “voiture”, this is the episode for you!
In this 2nd episode on ‘la banlieue’, Gaelle explains the origins of the French banlieue from the 20s, and the reasons behind its slow and predictable decay. She also talks about a few solutions that the government is currently trying out and gives somes film suggestions to complete the picture in your heads.
In this episode (part one of two), Gaelle explains what “banlieue” means. It’s commonly translated as “suburb” but in reality it’s more complicated than that. You’ll understand the two opposite realities hidden behind the word and why “banlieue” is so strongly linked to violence in people’s minds.
In this episode, Gaelle will tell you everything you need to know about a festive dessert, available in France only in January: la galette des rois. You will understand where it takes its origins from, what a “fève” is, and how serious this tradition is for businesses like bakeries. But more importantly, you will finally understand why grown-ups go under the table as if they were 4 years old, playing hide-and-seek.
In this episode, Gaelle will introduce you to a French movie: la tour Montparnasse infernale. You will also get to learn about a famous comic duo: Eric et Ramzy.
In this episode, Gaelle introduces you to a key French female figure of the 20th century: Simone Veil. Born in 1927, she was caught in the horror of the Second World War and survived a concentration camp. When she came back to France, she set herself to work in politics. Still to this day, her name is famous. Discover why in this episode.
In this episode, Gaelle gives you real life examples of how to talk about your weekend or your day at work. Because when you want to have a friendly chat with colleagues or friends, talking about your past day/week/holiday is common. Gaelle will also highlight the differences between “passé composé” and “imparfait” to try to help you use them accurately.
In this episode, Gaelle interviews Laure, a French woman currently unemployed and who decided to use her free time to do some good and volunteer. Laure talks about the association she volunteers for, what she does there, and explains why she loves it.
In this episode, Gaelle gives you some handy tips that’ll help you understand French people and sound more French. Oral French is quite different from written French and you need to be able to spot the contractions and missing letters.
In this episode, Gaëlle takes you down a musical path to meet a famous Belgian singer: Stromae. You will learn where his stage name comes from, what he’s been up to for the past 6 years since he left the musical world, and you’ll finally understand the lyrics of his famous “Alors on danse” song.
In this episode, Gaelle talks about the nuclear strategy chosen by France as its main source of energy and electricity. She explains why the country has made this unique choice and what problems result from it.
In this episode, Gaelle takes you on an adventure between France and Italy, Renaissance and modern time. She explains why the most famous painting in the world - La Joconde (or Mona Lisa) - is in le Louvre museum in Paris. And she talks about the fascinating relationship between a French king and an Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci.
In this episode Gaelle introduces you to 5 new words that are quite unique to the French language, words that can’t be translated into English without using long paraphrases. You will understand the meaning of: dépaysement, gourmand, la rentrée, flâner et bêtise.
In this episode, Gaëlle will try to understand why French society seems so opposed to vaccines. In the land of Louis Pasteur, the distrust toward jabs, and even more so against the Covid vaccines, can seem incomprehensible. Gaëlle will go through the facts and explain the different factors leading to such distrust.
In this episode, Gaëlle interviews a special guest - Elisabeth, a “médiathécaire” (librarian). You will learn what she loves about her job, how the library works in terms of its budget, employees and goals. She will even give you her special recommendations if you want to challenge yourself and start reading a novel in French!
In this episode, Gaëlle will “vous mettre l’eau à la bouche” (make your mouth water) by talking about two all time favourite French foods: cheese and bread. You will discover that good bread is all about the flour you use; and if you don’t want to give a heart attack to your French host, you had better learn how to properly cut a piece of cheese.😉
In this episode, Gaëlle explores a literary style, typical of France and Belgium, the “bande dessinée” or “BD”. You will discover the drawn world of Astérix and Tintin and finally understand why a “BD” isn’t the same thing as a comic. Gaelle will even make some personal recommendations in case you want to give it a go and buy your first bande dessinée.
In this episode, Gaëlle focuses on phonetics and explains two phenomena commonly used in French and vital to be understood: “la liaison” and “l’élision”. You will understand when to use them and more importantly, how to pronounce them! With easy and repetitive examples, you'll be able to copy her and practice your beautiful French accent.
In this episode, Gaëlle tells you the story of one of the great French women - Coco Chanel, creator of the world-famous brand. In this short biography, her life will be revealed to you. Both the glorious and the shameful. Because no one is perfect...
In this episode, Gaëlle discusses the specificities of a French meal and the French habits around the table. It’s common knowledge to say that French people have amazing food and a true passion for the subject and here you will understand what makes it so special and why French people still have a 2-hour lunch break.
The Eiffel Tower...everyone knows its shape and instantly thinks of Paris when seeing it. But did you ever wonder why this big metal structure exists? In this episode, Gaëlle goes back in time and starts at the origins of this monument, unfolding the story all the way to the current period, where it’s now the perfect symbol of France.
In this episode, Gaëlle tackles stereotypes about French women. Are they really all slim and elegant ? Do they smoke 20 cigarettes a day whilst letting their hairy armpits get some fresh air on Parisian terraces? The truth will finally be revealed!
In this episode, Gaëlle helps you with two tricky words: “finalement” and “actuellement”. Through examples and translations in English, you will understand why they are “false friends” and how you should really use them.
In this episode, Gaëlle talks about the French series “Lupin”, produced by Netflix and “must see” of 2021. If you haven’t watched the series yet, don’t worry, no spoilers will take place :) Instead, you will discover the books which inspired the series and the reasons behind this huge success.
Welcome to LanguaTalk Slow French. This short trailer explains what the podcast will cover and how it can help you learn French.
