Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Victoria manages Millymenthe, one of the last remaining herbalist's shops in France. If you're ever in the Essonne area, stop by the shop and enjoy the specialty of the region, a delicious peppermint tea.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Laurent Leclercq is a specialist in the restoration of antique furniture. He's so passionate about his craft that he finds excuses to go into the studio when he's on vacation!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the evolution of the word "handicap," from its origins as a horce racing term to its current usage in French. Rather than les handicapés (the handicapped), the French now say les personnes en situation de handicap (persons with disabilities).
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice is feeling down because he lost his job under difficult and unfair circumstances. He discusses his options with Sophie, who tries her best to cheer him up.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Elisa and Mashal discuss getting ready for a job interview at an upcoming car show. They talk about being well prepared, finding the right resume format, and dressing appropriately for the interview.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the meaning of expressions involving colors, such as vert de rage and une peur bleue. They have their own theories about their origins.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
We live in tumultuous times, but Patrice and Sophie are optimistic, excited even, about the changes that are happening around the world. They're referring specifically to the yellow vests movement (les gilets jaunes), a populist movement that began in France in 2018.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Elisa and her mom have a quiet conversation about the passing of time and life in general. Elisa also reveals a secret about her scar, which her mom always thought was caused by an escalator.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Paris is experiencing a population decline, partly due to short-term rentals and extreme commuting. Executives are able to live far out in the provinces while still working in Paris.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Bicloune is a unique bicycle shop in Paris with a wide variety of models, from antique bikes from 1905 to contemporary foldable ones. Audrey Hepburn supposedly used to ride a bicycle like one found in this store.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Claire has a sore throat, and Philippe is concerned about her health. They exchange a few health tips and home remedy ideas. Claire loves aromatherapy, while Philippe recommends pans of water for humidifying the air to make it more breathable.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice and Sophie have a conversation about the French language. They agree that French people speak too fast for the average learner, and abbreviations and contractions make it even more difficult to understand. Patrice has a few theories as to why Parisians in particular speak so fast.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice are trying to recover from the Christmas festivities and can't stand the sight of foie gras, turkey, or Yule logs... They consider doing away with the Christmas tradition of big feasts altogether and escaping to the tropics instead.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
While looking at old photos, Elisa and Mashal reminisce about fun times and embarrassing moments, like the time when Mashal's pants split open at a party!
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Christmas is a time of celebrations and a showing of goodwill. This young man followed his heart and started giving out small gifts to the homeless. Find out what prompted him to do so at the end of this video.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice Zana's Dada-inspired artwork relies heavily on wordplay. In this video he discusses his pieces Caisse à dire ("Talking Box," a pun on qu'est-ce à dire [what does it mean]), Boîte à choses sûres ("Box of Sure Things," a pun on boîte à chaussures [shoe box]), and more.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Patrice Zana is a poet-artist inspired by the Dada movement and the concept of détournement (literally, "diversion," "hijacking"). He invented the term bris colisme to describe his practice, which employs fragmentation, collage, and wordplay in a variety of media.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Amal just learned that she can't have children and is afraid to tell her boyfriend because she thinks he might leave her. Her friend Caroline gives her advice and support.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
In this video, people on the street are asked about the best compliments they ever received... and the worst.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
"Upcycling" centers are popping up all over the world, including in the 20th arrondissement of Paris. The neighborhood celebrated the opening of a new upcycling and repurposing center, the Ressource de Belleville, where residents can bring goods to be repurposed and resold.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
A group of people gathered in front of the SNCF (French National Railway Company) headquarters to claim the use of empty buildings owned by the latter. Many people who are homeless or live in unsanitary conditions could greatly benefit from those vacant buildings.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Following the recent passing of French singer France Gall, people share their reactions and thoughts about her songs and her life. She belonged to an older generation, but young people also enjoyed her songs.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
After one year in power, President Macron has lost some of his popularity. Opinions are divided as to his performance, but most agree that he is a very shrewd ruler, for better or worse.
Difficulty: Adv-Intermediate
France
Elisa speaks with her mom about the good old days when technology was not so invasive. Her mom reminisces about the times when you had to write a letter instead of sending an email or text. Still, she admits that modern life has its advantages, now that you can video chat with faraway relatives.
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