10 French Podcasts for French learners - no matter your level!

With so many podcasts available to learn a second language, how do you know which ones to choose? Save some time and test out my favourite French podcasts for French learners - no matter your level!

Why use podcasts to learn French?

Podcasts are a great supplementary tool to learning a language. Studying independently will help to bolster your learning, whether you are attending a class, practising spoken French with a native speaker or live in a French-speaking country.

You can also listen to podcasts 'on the go'! Who cares if other drivers can see you practising French lines aloud. You're practising another language! Take note: pulling out a pen and paper to note down some new language once you're home will allows you to hone your skills.

How can I listen to podcasts?

Access your French learner podcasts through the podcast apps on your phone, Spotify or through your web browser.

Here are my top ten French podcasts for French learners:

Beginner (A1-A2)

Are you wanting to launch your French learning or brush up on the basics? Here are the beginner podcasts best suited for you:

Coffee Break French

Produced by the Radio Lingua Network, follow student Ana as she learns the basics of French from Mark, a highly engaging French teacher. Each lesson lasts for 10-15 minutes at a beginner level, where the listener learns new phrases and grammar along with Ana. To get the most out of this podcast, you can also download the accompanying lesson notes.

French Made Easy with Mathilde Kein

Want to learn some beginners French with free exercises? Mathilde Kein offers short, bite-sized podcast episodes for beginners, covering topics related to French grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. Once you've listening to an episode, jump online to complete an activity based on the lesson. A great way to reinforce what you have just learned! The format of each episode is elegant and easy to follow. There are practical episodes as well as interesting topics, such as the '50 most beautiful French words'. Mathilde is also a cheese lover, so you can trust her, right?

Learn French with Alexa Podcast

Learn just one new word every week with Alexa. The hosts present a French word and they discuss, in English, the language and cultural elements that surround it. You will also learn handy phrases, such as 'à la tienne' when you go for an 'apéritif'! For each episode, you can download a free lesson guide with all the cultural information and phrases written out. Alexa also uploads the episodes to YouTube. A perfect linguistic bonus for your week!

Intermediate (A2-B1)

Are you able to engage in some conversational French or need to challenge your listening skills? Here are the intermediate podcasts for you to try:

SBS Easy French

If you already follow the news, then this SBS podcast will appeal to you. It's easier to acquire new language when you already understand the content! Each episode is 2-6 minutes long and provides snippets from the SBS French daily new bulletin. Presented in partnership with the Alliance Française de Melbourne, the bulletin is presented all in French, at a slower pace but still in an informative and journalistic manner. A summary of each episode is available online, to help target your learning of new language.

Français Authentique with Johan Tekfak

This is my favourite French podcast. Johan presents the many facets of the French language in a comprehensible manner - all in French! It is a pleasure to listen to. Each week, you will find episodes on language learning advice, current affairs with explanations on grammar and vocabulary, and an idiomatic expression. All to help you sound more 'authentic' in French! A must listen for any intermediate learner. Head to Johan's website to find a whole lot more resources at your disposition.

Learn French by Podcast

Learn through listening to a conversation between two people and then learning from the subsequent explanation. It's a really engaging way to acquire new language! There are so many topics and levels to pick from, such as the environment, food, travel and even gardening! If you are a VCE student, this podcast is a must listen as the listening section of the VCAA exam is commonly a conversation between a man and a woman. If you enjoy this podcast, you are able to purchase the lessons and transcripts through the website.

Louis French Lessons (Learn French with Daily Podcast)

Louis, the host, has one of the clearest and best articulated French accents on the internet! Recorded from Paris, he reads out a very short text every day - only a few sentences long. The subsequent explanation is very detailed, mainly in French, with synonymous words and grammatical explanations. Each episode is around 4 minutes long.

Advanced (B2-C1)

Listening to podcasts as an advanced learners is a great way to indulge in new vocabulary and cultural affairs. Here are my three 'go to' podcasts:

SBS French

You may have started with SBS Easy French, well now it's time to continue with the news in fluent French. Listening to this podcast is a great opportunity to catch up on current affairs, but SBS French also keeps you in touch with French cultural events and topics happening around Australia. A short synopsis of each segment is available on their website.

La Vérité Éclate Toujours

Coffee Break Languages delivers, yet again, a seamless and engaging podcast production. Each episode covers a chapter in an engrossing crime drama story. James has been summoned to Paris by his friend Max. Only, he discovers his friend dead on his arrival. Follow the story over 40 episodes with an explanation in English at the end of each chapter. Supporting materials are available to purchase on the website.

Grand Reportage by RFI

Why not listen to podcasts created for native French speakers? Listen to five episodes per week of Grand Reportage - intriguing, on-the-ground documentaries covering world issues. A great way to test your advanced listening skills, as well as hear non-Anglo perspectives on global affairs.

Do you listen to podcasts in French? Share with us!

How to integrate French music in the classroom

When I was learning French in high school, I would print off song lyrics and hang them next to my bed where I would try to sing through and memorise lyrics before sleeping. Yep - I've always been a linguaphile! Not only was listening to music fun, but it also helped with my listening skills, in creating full sentences and increased my confidence to speak with natives. Not many students would have this same practice today, so here are a few ways to encourage the use of French music in the classroom to aid the linguistic development of your students. Even the cultural appreciation of music is enriching! 

How do you use music to learn or teach French? Comment below!

1. Choose a day to enjoy popular music together

Whether you sing along to the latest pop songs or try to keep in rhythm with Jacques Brel, why not choose one day per week or fortnight to engage your students in music - a musique mardi. With my more advanced students, I give them the lyrics to translate certain chunks of text or to research the artist, for example. With the lower levels, you can get them to memorise the chorus or to simply listen or dance to the music. You can get your students more involved through students choice. Give them a few options on the day by voting on a song.

Most importantly, get your students to sing! Most of my classes may be timid or embarrassed to sing when we begin the year, but after a few lessons, it becomes the norm. Why is singing music in front of others important? It's another way to reduce anxiety and fear in speaking a second language. It also helps you all bond as a class.

Need some music inspiration?

- My YouTube channel has many music playlists to choose from and are updated regularly. 

- If you are connected to Facebook, join the group 'Musique Mercredi' to explore new and old music with a forum of people.

- Listen to the French radio (or other Francophone stations). NRJ is a great station to hear the latest pop hits.

- Join an international music competition! Manie Musicale is an annual tournament where students vote on their favourite songs.

2. Test out your listening and writing skills

Ever played Lyrics Training online? If not, you're missing out! We play this as a whole class, at times, or you can put students in small groups. They listen to a song and fill in the lyrics as they go in real time. This game can be particularly engaging when students already know some French songs.

3. Choose songs that connect to an area of grammar or a current theme

We all know that songs can help strengthen our memory, so when you learn a song that uses a particular grammatical feature or specific vocabulary, it can make it easier to reuse in your own speech. Remember though, the song lyric has to be deeply ingrained to be reused and recycled! Here are a few song suggestions based on grammar and theme:

La grammaire

Le passé-composé: Jo Dassin - Les Champs-Elysées

L'imparfait: Louane - On était beau

Le futur simple: France Gall - Laisse tomber les filles

Le conditionnel passé: Babylon Circus - J'aurais bien voulu

Les pronoms: Mika - Elle me dit

Changing between word class: Christophe Mae - Les gens

Les thèmes

La Francophonie: Kids United - Mama Africa

L'immigration: Corneille - Parce qu'on vient de loin

La France: Charles Trenet - Douce France

La téchnologie: Stromae - Carmen

L'environnement: Yannick Noah - Aux arbres citoyens

Pour les plus petits

Alain le Lait playlist

5 a day workout 

Je suis une pizza

Just Dance - Papaoutai

4. Supplement LOTE skills with music worksheets

Working with French music can tackle all LOTE skills: listening, reading, writing and speaking. Here are some teachers who have already done the hard work for you.

- Kristen Phillips has created a plethora of materials based on Maître GIMS' music, 'Maîtrisez le français avec GIMS'. 

- Perfecting Pedagogy has reading materials on Francophone music. All see her Instagram page for inspiration.

- Lauren Monique from Parfaitement Bilingue (@parfaitementbilingue) posts clips on her instagram account to get you listening to the latest Francophone music, all awesomely choreographed!

French Teacher Resource: How to set-up an immersive French canteen incursion

Think back to your high school days, what are some of your best memories? Is it the French class on the passé composé or the one where your teacher created a space of French immersion and food? Sometimes the hard efforts of a teacher doe pay off when we create teachable moments that our students never forget.

For a few years, I have been teaching using the Canadian AIM program and have needed to think more broadly to cover the Australian Curriculum content area on the 'role of language and culture' for Years 7-8. Yes - I teach them address terms and they see a French Canadian perspective, but it's such an enticing descriptor to go further.

This is where the French canteen experience comes in! The idea was inspired by the AIM play, 'Veux-tu danser?' where one scene is set in a Canadian school cafeteria. Australian students quickly notice that students aren't just eating from their lunch boxes. French and Canadian students get to eat in a dining hall on tables with their friends, and have their lunch provided. This scene creates the perfect launching point for a culturally and linguistically immersive experience.

Here are some ideas on how to set up your own immersion canteen experience for your students:

1. Establish student accountability

- Each student in the group (table) brings one item to the lunch: table cloth, cups, cutlery, plates, serviettes. Bring some spare sets just in case!

- Use class time to establish the language for ordering food. It is best to use 5 minutes from each lesson 2-3 weeks prior, first as repeating language, then as a listening task gradually making it an oral task. Therefore, by the time the canteen incursion is run, your students will feel confident ordering food in French. Also, ordering food in French contains fixed expressions so needs to be memorised - one cannot be creative here!

- You may wish to enforce some clear rules early such as, cancelling the incursion if students do not cooperate to a certain standard or not letting them leave until the room in clean. Perhaps you invite key staff to observe or attend the event (ideally to keep behaviour in check!).

Use this document as a template.

2. Enrich their taste buds

- Choose foods that seems familiar to your students but also enable them to try new foods. For example, I chose a three course menu of:

Plat principal - saucissons, quiche, salade verte

Dessert - yoghurt, fruit

Fromage - fromage d'affinois, Roquefort, chèvre, baguette

- Of course, you will need to alter the menu to suit dietary requirements. Also, make sure you have your first aid packs handy and the school nurse on call. 

3. Create the linguistically immersive environment

- Place students in small groups of 3-4 to ensure that they can manage small conversation. Create conversation cards and instruct them to take it in turns to ask each other questions in French.

- Invite students to come to the comptoir to order their food from you, as the teacher. Ensure they speak in clear, full sentences and help them along the way.

- Ask your older French students to join in and sit at different tables to engage in conversation with your younger students. If you have language assistants, also ask them to wander between tables and engage in simple French conversation. As the teacher, you can also walk around to each table and greet them as the 'waiter' - your students will find this amusing!

Use there conversation cards as a template.

4. Enfin, amusez-vous bien!

Use this document as a template.Use there conversation cards as a template.

French Teacher Resource: Introducing a new unit with Google Sites

Remote learning entices the digital spirit, but just how do we modify our current pedagogy to suit this new context without 'reinventing the wheel'?

One of my favourite types of activity is setting up explorative rotating tables. Often to launch a new unit, I will place activities on different tables and students rotate between the activities to explore different elements of the unit. It's always a big hit! However, how can this be adapted to an online context?

Example of how 'explorative table rotations' might be setup

The other night, I decided to whip up a Google Site to begin my Year 12 unit on 'La vie culturelle'. To tantalise their learning, I created four topics which they explored and discussed in small groups. If you are also a fan of group work and topic exploration, then you may be interested in the following resource.  I am not selling this resource as the language is stolen from Wikepedia and other websites! 

Google Sites enables you to build websites quickly and with ease. You can embed YouTube clips, images and easy build in your resources from other Google platforms. It also looks beautiful!

Send me an email if you wish to have a copy to adapt for your own needs.

French obsessions: European Crime Dramas

Watching films and series in my second language has always been my non-guilt formula to watching T.V. I'm happy to say, therefore, that my recent T.V. productiveness has been at an all time high.

My current addiction lies in European Crime Drama. Not only are the stories captivating, but they are also linguistically interesting with a mixture of European languages.

To get you in the 'spirit', here is a list of some engaging shows currently available through SBS On Demand:

The Missing 

Crime Drama - English, French, German
2 seasons

Each series follows a separate case. Season 1 follows the story of a 5-year old English boy who goes missing in a small French town. It showcases the torment of the parents and the community as they desperately try to unravel the mystery over 8 years.

Noxe

Crime Drama - French
1 season

A cop goes missing in the sewers of Paris, which uncovers some dark and troubling secrets. With the amazing Nathalie Baye.

The Bureau

Drama - French
3 seasons

I found this series a little dry, however the cases are still fascinating and great on a language-level as there is a lot of dialogue. The stories are based on accounts from former French spies.

The Returned

Thriller - French
2 seasons

A small French town is haunted by the return of people killed in bloody murders seven years prior.

Beyond the Walls

Thriller - French
1 season

A series that keeps you on edge as the protagonist explores the spooky history of the uninhabited house at the end of the street. Strange things happen...

Just One Look

Crime Drama - French
1 season

Next one of the list to watch... A woman goes on the hunt for her missing husband.

Also, look out for two extra series that have recently expired through SBS On Demand:

The Disappearance

Crime Drama - French
1 season

The story unravels the days following the disappearance of a teenage girl in Lyon. Beautifully produced.

The Tunnel

Crime Drama - English, French
3 seasons

Adapted from the Nordic series, The Bridge, a body is found in the tunnel under La Manche (The Channel) split between the border of England and France. Police on both sides must work together to solve the crimes.

Don't have an SBS On Demand account? Sign-up and get watching, now!

French Teacher Resource: French in Melbourne City

Earlier this year, we took our Year 9 students on a city excursion to immerse them in the French culture that exists in our beautiful Melbourne city.

First we took them to La Petite Crêperie where they each devoured a crêpe and a galette, washing their food down with a cold Orangina to share. The staff at the crêperie were extremely accomodating as we squashed our classes in to the small space.

The students then attended a guided visit at the NGV on Impressionism. They were shown the masterpieces that we have here at our doorstep, and used their knowledge on Impressionist art learned in class.

To finish the day, I created a Frenchy Melbourne treasure hunt. Although most of my students had hardy navigated the city by themselves, I sent them off with a map and clues and waited at Federation Square with the phone. The chasse au trésor was a big hit. They were directed to work out their first clue and then continue to track their way through the city, taking photos when they reached each site. Given time restrictions, they were given an hour and half to complete as much of the puzzle as they could. They were then excused from the day once they returned to Federation Square and had their photos sited.

A PDF version of the Frenchy Melbourne Treasure hunt is downloadable here. I hope that it can be as much of a hit with your French students!

Quelle journée - c'était tellement amusante.

French Teacher Resource: Create your own French Advent Wreath

The start of December entices me to share the Christmas spirit with all. Today in class, there has been carol singing, talk of French Christmas traditions, and crafting!

The final weeks of school can be a bit hectic, and depending on your class, I know that many Year 7 and 8 students love a bit of crafting. As they all said to me today, it reminds them of being back in Primary School. Even the disruptive boys pitched in.

Naturally, I would never leave an opportunity to send the kids home with a French tradition to practice with their families. So this year, I have helped them create their own couronnes de l'avent,  French Advent wreaths. For those new to the tradition, you place 4 candles on a horizontal Christmas wreath, and light each candle each Sunday leading up to Christmas.

Here are some of their creations:

The activity takes approximately 2 x 50 minute periods for students to complete. I pre-printed coloured sheets with holly leaves, stars, and snowflakes for them to easily cut out. I also provided the paper plates, glue, scissors, fluffy baubles etc. as most students don't have these items in high school. They can be bought cheaply at the Reject Shop.

Download the activity sheet here. As I work at a Catholic school, I have highlighted the significance of the four candles for Advent.

This activity was a huge hit, with little preparation time. And most importantly, so relaxing and enjoyable for myself as a teacher.

Let me know if you give it a try! Amusez-vous bien!