“What’s in a name?” asks Shakespeare’s Juliet. Apparently quite a lot for the French, who consistently pass over job candidates whose names aren’t “ethnically French” – particularly those of African origin.

Randy enjoys swimming in the bay of French coastal town La Rochelle. He enjoys accompanying boats and making friends with other swimmers. Experts, fearing he may get hurt by a propeller or harm someone accidentally, are trying to persuade him to act a little less like Flipper and little more like the wild dolphin that he is.

It’s been suggested by some that global warming is a myth, but a large scientific study suggests otherwise. The first to suffer will be the animals that call the northern icecap home, such as polar bears and seals.

Julio Iglesias tours France for the first time in 27 years and is very warmly received, especially by the ladies. Julio not only sings a few songs in French, but can speak it as well, and proves as much during an on-camera interview.

Sixty years after the disappearance of literary great Saint-Exupéry, a commemoration is held on the Mediterranean Sea at the spot where his airplane fell.

Homelessness is difficult for anyone, but for women the dangers can be more acute and the experience even more alienating than for men.

Youssou N’Dour, one of the world’s most beloved French-speaking musicians, hails not from France, but from Africa.

Matthieu Chedid, better known as M, comes from a long line of talented artists. Mathieu is the eldest son of famous French singer Louis Chedid and the grandson of the writer Andrée Chedid.

DJ Mike, from the electronica band NoJazz, tells us about one of his teachers, who suffered from two rather unfortunate problems…

Nelly is here to help you enrich your vocabulary. Did you know there are many alternatives to the overused word mais (but)? Find out how to use them in this video!

Sara's hands are a bit dirty. That's because she's been doing some painting around her place. She enjoys decorating her apartment when she finds the time.

Lionel and Sara have a conversation about suntanning, the contrast between a golden summer hue and the pale look of winter. In the process, we learn some interesting facts about their origins.

Lionel explains a special prononciation feature of French called a liaison. Listen carefully to his many examples and you will get the idea!

Lionel explains the concept of homonyms and homophones in French, using the examples of leur, leurs, leurre, l'heure and l'heur.

Leïa talks about the port, the boats, and the feral cats that lurk about the shore. She also explains a trick for remembering the words for "port" and "starboard" in French.