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137: Back to Europe after 10 years in the U.S. Mar 08, 2010

Show notes

In this lesson, lesson 137, Paul and Julie are talking about Julie's friend, Anne, who has moved back to Europe having lived for a decade in the U.S. We examine the verb "vivre" again and we practise using the expressions "s'adapter bien à", "s'habituer à", "faire défaut" and "avoir tôt fait de". Let's get started!...

136: "How did it come to happen that Haïti is 'the poorest country in the western hemisphere'?" Feb 05, 2010

Show notes

The subject of this lesson, lesson 136, is Haïti. Not, in fact, the dreadful tragedy which befell the country in the form of an earthquake, but the reasons why Haïti continues to be such an impoverished country. The dialogue is a rather long one this time, between Arnaud and Élodie. It is a lesson which makes extensive use of the passé simple. Let's get started.

135: "I'm going to be late" Dec 12, 2009

Show notes

The topic of this short lesson is how to explain that you're running late for an appointment. In our role-play, Mr. Morel is stuck in traffic. He has to pull over and make a quick call to say that he'll be a little late. Let's listen. We'll work with lots of useful expressions and vocabulary, including: "avoir rendez-vous", "avoir du retard", "Ça ira", "être sur le point de", "être à l'appareil", and more. C'est parti!

134: "Have you heard of Valentina Lisitsa?" Dec 04, 2009

Show notes

The subject of this lesson is a remarkable woman, born in the Ukraine but now a resident of the United States. Some say she has raised the bar of musical performance higher than anyone so far. Whether that is indeed true or not, let's hear a role-play between Énora and Paul as they talk about Valentina Lisitsa. We'll meet the following expressions, and more: couple le souffle, énerver, faire plaisir, mettre en valeur, jeter un coup d'oeil, être critique.

133: "What are your thoughts on the Polanski affair?" Oct 07, 2009

Show notes

In this lesson, lesson 133, we hear a discussion between Sonia and Frédéric about the Polanski affair. His recent arrest in Zurich was an outrage to some and long overdue to others. Discover useful words and expressions, including "clore", "extrader", "sidérer", "s'en ficher de", "faire chanter" and "écoeurer".

132: "I've picked up a virus!" Sep 24, 2009

Show notes

In recent weeks, just about every news bulletin has had a mention of swine flu. To pick up some relevant vocabulary, in this lesson, lesson 132, we’ll hear a role-play where Céline tells us how she picked up a virus. We'll discover some useful expressions, including: "Il me suffisait de…", "être assis", "envoyer des postillons", "un toubib", "tousser", and more.

131: "I went to a great concert last night!" Aug 16, 2009

Show notes

In this lesson, lesson 131, we’ll discover how to talk about a concert we’ve been to. In this case, it’s a rock concert. Let’s get started with a role-play between Lucie and Étienne. We'll practice using a range of expressions: 'mettre des boules Quiès', 'se moquer de', 'déchirer', 'arriver à [faire quelque chose]', 'tenir le coup', 'bourdonner', and more. C'est parti!

130: "'The King of Pop' has died, aged 50" Jun 26, 2009

Show notes

The world of pop music lost one of its most famous exponents in Michael Jackson. His passing was a shock, not least because he was only fifty. In this lesson, let’s talk about some of the things that made Jackson a larger-than-life figure... We’ll start with a role-play.

129: "I've never heard such absurdities!" Jun 12, 2009

Show notes

In this lesson, lesson 129, we hear a role-play between Sandrine and Yann. They are discussing an article by a journalist who has made some rather unflattering comments about the French on an English website. Though the comments may have been tongue-in-cheek, neither Sandrine nor Yann finds the comments amusing. Let’s hear their thoughts...

128: "I'd like to open a bank account, please..." May 30, 2009

Show notes

One of our listeners asked that we would do a lesson on opening a bank account. That’s the topic of conversation in this lesson, lesson 128. In fact, opening an account is not so straightforward and sometimes even necessitates an appointment. In any case, let’s study some of the vocabulary and expressions we’ll need. Let’s listen to a role-play between the customer and the bank teller.

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