Difficulty: Intermediate
France
After the devastating earthquake, three French volunteer aid workers—a doctor, a nurse, and a rescue crew worker—spent two weeks in Haiti helping the country’s effort to begin to sort through the chaos. We hear the impressions of one of the workers upon his return to France.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Global warming is threatening the ski industry in the French Alps. Many operators have to resort to snow guns to keep the slopes open as snowfall has halved in the last fifty years.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Laurent literally takes sand castles to new heights with his giant sand sculptures, and he's sharing his love of beach art with the next generation. In this video, Laurent teaches a group of kids how to build a giant turtle out of sand.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
La Roche-sur-Yon, a friendly town near Brittany, is abuzz with Christmas activities. Local children are busy decorating the town Christmas tree with their own personalized ornaments. Santa is there, of course, taking toy orders. The mayor is also involved and has the town hall organizing ten days of festivities.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
At the Micheletty Circus Village, you can discover the joys of the circus by joining in! Both children and adults are invited to learn the circus arts alongside the artists themselves and have a fun family time.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
In the town of Tours, the annual International Decorated Egg Exhibition takes place just before Easter and features some exquisite creations. Artists from all over Europe gather to show and sell their beautifully decorated eggs. Some include traditional designs taught by masters from Ukraine while incorporating their own ideas at the same time.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
The Bishop of Blois organized an interfaith initiative in the cathedral. Christians and Muslims were invited to share their faith and exchange thoughts in hopes of uniting and promoting peace.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
A beekeeper in La Roche-sur-Yon has found the perfect place for his apiary: the rooftop of a supermarket. It's a win-win situation: the store manager helps the beekeeper with his production in return for a steady supply of local honey.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
This nursery offers various species of Christmas trees to suit every taste and every budget. The traditional spruce tree of many French people's childhoods is still going strong, but the Nordmann fir has gained popularity. Species of trees with a bluish tinge or a nice pine tree fragrance are also available.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Sakado (a play on sac à dos, “backpack”) is an organization that helps the homeless of France by collecting backpacks filled with all of life’s essentials, from hygienic products to books. As this article reports, homelessness is one of France’s biggest domestic problems.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
If you're a comic book lover, you might want to hop on a plane to Lyon, which has held a huge comic book festival for the past ten years. This year, they're even launching a monthly comics magazine called "The Streets of Lyon."
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Patrice and Sophie discuss the recent coup that took place in Mali. As always, people suffer in the hands of the army and the oppressors.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the legislative elections in June 2022. The left-wing parties have reunited for the first time since the Popular Front in 1936. How long will they be able to set aside their differences to form a solid and lasting coalition?
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Sophie and Patrice discuss the retirement reforms in France and the mass protests opposing them. They also explain the role of President Macron in this controversial situation.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Patrice and Sophie discuss Anne Hidalgo's contribution to the city of Paris. As mayor, she is a controversial figure best known for banning cars from the banks of the Seine. Many Parisians either love her or hate her.
Difficulty: Intermediate
Côte d'Ivoire
In Ivory Coast, Noël Hala and his family have two occasions to celebrate on December 25: Christmas Day and his birthday!
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
After the closing of the Calais Jungle, the Massé Trévidy Foundation has stepped in to take care of refugees in the Finistère region. The foundation works with a group of volunteers to provide administrative, social, and medical assistance to the refugees.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
According to Lionel, we hear far too much about Charlie Hebdo and not enough about Le Canard Enchaîné, which is about to celebrate its centenary in 2016. This quality satirical newspaper is in a similar vein to Charlie Hebdo. Both papers even shared the same cartoonist, Cabu, who sadly did not survive the January attack on Charlie Hebdo. Le Canard Enchaîné was no stranger to extremist threats either.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel L introduces a new social phenomenon called "Nuit Debout" ("Up All Night" or "Rise Up Night"). It's a protest movement born from a general discontent regarding politics, labor laws, and other issues. At 6 p.m. every day, people take to the streets of Paris to discuss ideas and air their grievances. The movement is gathering momentum in other cities and countries as well.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel discusses the French government's recent decision to invoke Article 49-3 of the Constitution in order to push through a controversial labor bill without a parliamentary vote. He also gives a brief description of the differences between the two houses of the French Parliament, the Senate and the National Assembly.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel shares his opinions on French President François Hollande's first term and on the upcoming presidential elections in 2017. He predicts a "new triangle" of presidential candidates: Hollande, Marine Le Pen, and Nicolas Sarkozy.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel tells us about the Seine's recent flooding, caused by severe weather conditions in Paris and surrounding areas. A statue of a French soldier below the Pont de l'Alma acts as an indicator of the river's water level.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
Lionel gives us the latest updates on France's Nuit Debout protest movement. Though the movement is no longer centered around Paris's Place de la République, it's still gaining traction online.
Difficulty: Intermediate
France
While the Rio Olympic Games were taking place, the Paris Mayor's Office installed a beach volleyball court complete with real sand in front of the city hall building. Parisians relished the opportunity to practice a sport that is not readily available in the heart of the city.
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