From the teacher
French Learning Articles
Practical guides on exams, immigration French tests, and how to level up — written from five years of teaching experience.
TCF Canada Tâche 3: The Structure That Works on Any Sujet
One seven-part plan and six connectors cover every TCF Canada Tâche 3 topic. A full 4:30 simulation on « Changer de métier est possible à tout âge », then the skeleton behind it.
Learn French with La Reine des Neiges (Frozen)
Kristoff introduces Anna to his family of rocks. In forty seconds the scene hands you je vous présente, avoir un grain, en pleine forme, faire votre connaissance and the French way to say I'm off.
TCF Canada Compréhension Orale: How the 39 Questions Work
The TCF Canada listening test ramps from A1 to C2 across 39 questions, played once. What each block tests, why you must never look back, and how to practise it.
TCF Canada Compréhension Écrite: 39 Questions, 60 Minutes
The TCF Canada reading test gives you 60 minutes for 39 questions that climb from A1 to C2. How to budget the time, why you read the question first, and where candidates lose marks.
TCF Canada Tâche 3: When You Completely Agree
Some Tâche 3 topics have an obviously right answer. Agreeing for four and a half minutes is the trap — how to build a C1 answer on gender and education without arguing against yourself.
TCF Canada Tâche 3: the « Peut-on… ? » Trap
Tâche 3 sujets phrased « Peut-on… ? » look like yes/no questions and are not. How to reframe them into a full C1 answer, using a real simulation on living without a mobile phone.
TCF Canada Tâche 3: Experience vs Diplomas (Model Answer)
A full TCF Canada Tâche 3 answer on whether experience beats diplomas — the 4:30 monologue, the plan behind it, the connectors used, and what the examiner rewarded.
TCF Canada Tâche 3: The Immigration Topic (Model Answer)
A full TCF Canada Tâche 3 answer on what immigrants bring to a society — the three-axis plan, the hedging vocabulary, and how to handle a sensitive sujet in the exam.
Learn French with Inside Out 2 (Vice-Versa 2)
Anxiety spirals in French. Inside Out 2 — Vice-Versa 2 — hands you n'avoir plus qu'à, se taper la honte, finir par, ne… que and tu dramatises in ninety seconds.
Learn French with Les 101 Dalmatiens
Cruella d'Enfer speaks the most quotable French in Disney. Toujours aussi, ne… que, malgré, the pronoun en and a vallée de larmes — from one 50-second scene.
Learn French with Kirikou
A stolen hat, an introduction and eleven lines of the clearest French in any film. Quel beau chapeau, Ah bon ?, paraît-il, minuscule and the comparative plus haut que toi.
French Politeness: What French Kids Said About It in 1993
An INA archive clip: French schoolchildren explain être bien élevé, les bonnes manières and plaire aux autres — plus the tu/vous and bonjour rules that still decide how France treats you.
Learn French with Music
French songs fix your vowels, your rhythm and your liaison — and quietly teach you rien de, tout d'un coup and the causative faire. How to use them properly.
Prendre, Apprendre, Comprendre: One Verb, Six for the Price of One
Prendre and its family — apprendre, comprendre, reprendre, surprendre — all conjugate identically. Learn the pattern once, plus the trap verb that isn't related.
French Shadowing Practice: Demain tout commence (Omar Sy)
Improve your spoken French flow and pronunciation with an interactive shadowing exercise from 'Demain tout commence' with Omar Sy. Full transcript, translations, and the slang 'se barrer'.
Qui or Que in French? The 3-Second Test
Qui or que? The one difference that decides it — qui replaces the subject, que replaces the object — with a simple test, the traps, and a video quiz.
Telling Time in French: Quelle Heure Est-Il ?
How to tell the time in French: et quart, et demie, moins le quart, the 24-hour clock used for every appointment, and the midi et demi agreement trap.
Formal vs Informal French: Familier, Courant, Soutenu
The three registers of French with side-by-side word pairs, the grammar signals that give your register away, and why DELF and TCF score it.
Learn French with the News: A Method That Actually Works
Which French news sources suit your level, the 15-minute daily routine, the headline grammar nobody explains, and the mistakes that kill the habit.
Kitchen Vocabulary in French: La Cuisine
Essential French kitchen vocabulary with gender and pronunciation: appliances, utensils, cookware and the cooking verbs you need to read a French recipe.
Airplane Vocabulary in French: L'Avion
French airport and airplane vocabulary in the order you actually need it: check-in, security, boarding, on board and arrival — with the announcements decoded.
How to Finally Be Understood in French
Six pronunciation changes that make French speakers understand you: silent endings, equal syllables, the u/ou split, liaison, nasal vowels and the silent h.
French Shadowing: The Method That Fixes Your Accent
Shadowing means repeating French audio in real time, copying rhythm and intonation rather than words. The method step by step, and the mistakes that make it useless.
Learn French with Disney Movies: Why They Work
Animated films are the best listening material for A2–B1 French: clear diction, visual context and a story you already know. Why, how, and eight scenes to start with.
Learn French with Amélie
Why Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain works for learners — the narrator's precise diction, an entire film in the imparfait, and the phrases worth stealing.
Learn French with Emily in Paris: What's Real and What Isn't
The real bakery and café phrases from the show, the politeness rules Emily breaks, the tu/vous question it fudges, and the clichés to ignore.
Angry French Expressions: How to Complain Like a Local
The French expressions people actually use when annoyed — ça m'énerve, j'en ai marre, n'importe quoi — ranked by intensity, plus how to complain politely.
5 French Slang Expressions You'll Hear Every Day
Un truc, ouf, chelou, bosser, la galère — five pieces of French slang that fill real conversations, with meaning, register and the verlan trick behind them.
Laisse Tomber: "Forget It" in French
Laisse tomber means 'forget it' — literally 'let it fall'. The three situations it covers, the tone that decides whether it's kind or dismissive, and the vous form.
Describing People in French: Qui Est-Ce ?
How to describe someone in French — appearance, personality, avoir versus être, which adjectives go before the noun, and how agreement changes the sound.
French Vocabulary Quiz: 5 Words at a Time
Why five-word quizzes beat long vocabulary lists: the recall effect, the review schedule that makes words stick, and a 30-second daily habit. With three quizzes.
French Noun Gender: How to Choose Le or La
Learn how French noun gender works, which endings often signal masculine or feminine, and why the safest habit is learning every noun with le or la. Includes a quick video quiz.
À vs De in French: Which Preposition Comes After the Verb?
Learn when a French verb takes à, when it takes de, and when it takes no preposition. Memorise useful verb patterns and test yourself with a short video quiz.
Family Vocabulary in French: La Famille with Pronunciation
Learn essential family vocabulary in French: parents, siblings, grandparents, children and extended family, with gender, pronunciation, examples and a video quiz.
School Vocabulary in French: 12 Essential Classroom Words
Learn essential school vocabulary in French, from le professeur and l'élève to le cahier, la trousse and la récréation, with pronunciation, examples and a video.
Numbers in French 1–10: Pronunciation and Simple Rules
Learn the numbers 1 to 10 in French — un, deux, trois, quatre, cinq, six, sept, huit, neuf, dix — with a certified teacher's video, pronunciation help, liaison rules and useful examples.
Colors in French: Les Couleurs in 10 Words
Learn the 10 basic colors in French — rouge, bleu, jaune, vert, orange, violet, rose, marron, gris, blanc — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, where the color goes in the sentence, and why orange and marron never change.
French Morning Routine Verbs: La routine du matin in 10 Verbs
Learn the 10 French morning routine verbs — se réveiller, se lever, se doucher, se brosser les dents, s'habiller… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, why they all take se, and how to conjugate them.
Paris Parks Vocabulary in French: 10 Words for a Day in the Park
Learn Paris parks vocabulary in French — l'arbre, le banc public, la pelouse, l'allée de gravier, la grille d'entrée… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and the culture behind each one.
French Pharmacy Phrases: What to Say at the Pharmacie
Essential French pharmacy phrases for travellers: j'ai mal à la gorge, j'ai le nez bouché, vous avez du sirop pour la toux ?, j'ai une ordonnance, je peux payer par carte ? — with pronunciation and what the pharmacist says back.
Pas du tout: How to Say "Not at All" in French
What does 'pas du tout' mean? A certified French teacher explains the expression ('not at all'), how it strengthens a negative, how to use it on its own as a polite denial, and how it can even mean 'you're welcome'.
5 Sassy French Phrases: Who Asked?, Dream On, As If
Learn five sassy French phrases real people use: qui t'a demandé ?, tu rêves, genre, commence pas and the famous flirt line t'as de beaux yeux — with pronunciation, tone and when to use each, by a certified teacher.
5 Sarcastic French Phrases: Yeah Right, Nice Try, So What?
How do you say 'yeah right', 'nice try', 'if you say so', 'good luck with that' and 'so what?' in French? Five sarcastic French comebacks — ouais bien sûr, bien essayé, si tu le dis, ah bah bonne chance, et alors — with pronunciation and tone, by a certified teacher.
J'en peux plus: The French Way to Say "I Can't Take It Anymore"
What does 'j'en peux plus' mean? A certified French teacher explains the expression ('I can't take it anymore'), the silent -s that changes everything, the 'j'en peux plus de…' pattern, and how it differs from 'j'en ai marre'.
Supermarket Vocabulary in French: 10 Words for Your Next Shop
Learn supermarket vocabulary in French — le chariot, le rayon boucherie, la caisse, l'eau minérale… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and the phrases you'll actually use to shop in France.
Paris Metro Vocabulary in French: 10 Words to Ride the Métro
Learn Paris metro vocabulary in French — le ticket, la carte Navigo, le tourniquet, le quai, la rame… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and the phrases you'll need to ride the métro.
Paris Street Vocabulary in French: 10 Words You'll See Everywhere
Learn Paris street vocabulary in French — le réverbère, le pavé, la terrasse, le bouquiniste, le pont… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and the culture behind each one.
5 Casual French Reactions: Whatever, Calm Down, Leave It
Learn five casual French reactions everyone uses: sérieusement ?, peu importe, calme-toi, laisse tomber and ça suffit — with pronunciation, tone, and when to use each. A quick video quiz to test yourself.
J'ai la Flemme: The French Way to Say 'I Can't Be Bothered'
What does 'j'ai la flemme' mean in French? A certified teacher explains the expression ('I can't be bothered'), the pronunciation, how to say 'avoir la flemme de + verb', and the whole flemme / flemmard family.
2 French Slang Words for 'Awesome': Lourd & Stylé
Two French slang words for 'it's awesome': lourd and stylé. A certified teacher explains what they mean, how to use them, the pronunciation — and the one trap with 'lourd' that can mean the opposite.
What's Your Name in French: 3 Ways to Ask (and How to Answer)
How to ask someone's name in French — c'est quoi ton nom, comment tu t'appelles, comment vous appelez-vous — plus how to answer and ask for their number, with pronunciation and the tu vs vous rule.
French Shadowing Practice: 'Dix pour cent' (Call My Agent!)
Improve your spoken French flow and pronunciation with an interactive shadowing exercise based on the French Netflix series 'Dix pour cent' (Call My Agent!). Full transcript, translations, and the slang 'ça bug'.
How to Say Go Away in French: 5 Natural Phrases
Learn five natural French phrases for annoyed moments: va-t'en, sors, laisse-moi, arrête, and je m'en fiche — with pronunciation, tone, and when to use each one.
Faire n'importe quoi: What It Really Means
What does 'faire n'importe quoi' mean in French? A certified teacher explains the meaning ('to do anything' or 'to do nonsense'), pronunciation, and how to use it naturally.
Animals in French: 10 Essential Words with Pronunciation
Learn the animals in French — le lion, le chien, le chat, l'oiseau, le cheval… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, why every word on this list is 'le', the poisson/poison trap, and the animal idioms French people really use.
Weather in French: The Vocabulary + the Sentence Patterns That Actually Work
Learn the weather in French — le soleil, la pluie, la neige, l'orage… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, the 'il fait / il y a / il pleut' rule that trips up every learner, and orage vs tempête.
C'est Dommage: What It Really Means (and When Never to Say It)
What does 'c'est dommage' mean in French? A certified teacher explains the meaning ('that's a shame'), the pronunciation (seh do-MAHJ), the subjunctive trap in 'dommage que', and the one situation where you must never say it.
Tu Me Prends la Tête: The French Way to Say “You're Doing My Head In”
What does 'tu me prends la tête' mean? A certified French teacher explains the expression ('you're doing my head in'), how to pronounce it, the whole 'prise de tête' family — and who you must never say it to.
French Vocabulary for Beginners: Every Word List, with Pronunciation
A certified French teacher's vocabulary hub: the 9 first words, 3,000 words you already know, travel essentials, body parts and the days of the week — every list with pronunciation, le/la, and a video to repeat after.
Basic French Words for Beginners: The 9 You Need First
Bonjour, merci, s'il vous plaît, oui, non, peut-être… the 9 basic French words every beginner needs, said out loud by a certified teacher — with pronunciation, when to use each one, and the politeness rules that come with them.
French Shadowing Practice: 'Je vais arrêter la boucherie' (Family Business)
Improve your French speaking flow and pronunciation with an interactive shadowing exercise based on Netflix's comedy 'Family Business'. Complete transcript, translations, and spoken rules.
Talking to Your Crush in French: Phrases That Don't Sound Cheesy
How to talk to someone you like in French without sounding cheesy — real phrases a certified teacher would use, the tu vs vous question, and why 'tu me plais' beats 'je t'aime'.
Travel Vocabulary in French: 10 Essential Words for Your Next Trip
Learn the essential travel vocabulary in French — le passeport, la valise, le billet, le sac à dos… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and the phrases you'll actually use at the airport.
Body Parts in French: 10 Essential Words with Pronunciation
Learn the parts of the body in French — la tête, le bras, la main, le pied… — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, whether each word is le or la, and how to say what hurts with 'j'ai mal à'.
3,000 French Words You Already Know: The Cognates Trick
Thousands of French words are almost identical to English. A certified teacher shows the cognate patterns (-tion, -able, -ique…) that unlock ~3,000 French words instantly — plus the false friends to avoid.
Days of the Week in French: Pronunciation, Spelling & the Grammar Trap
Learn the 7 days of the week in French — lundi to dimanche — with a certified teacher's video: pronunciation, why French days aren't capitalized, and when to say 'le lundi' vs 'lundi'.
DELF B2 Production Orale: A Full Example Monologue, Analysed
Watch a complete DELF B2 production orale example and see exactly why it scores at B2 level. A certified teacher breaks down the monologue, the exam timing (30 min prep, ~10 min monologue), and the structure that wins points.
Recent TCF Canada Exam Topics: Expression Orale & Écrite
The TCF Canada speaking and writing topics (sujets) reported by recent candidates in 2026 — with a model plan for each Tâche. Updated regularly by a certified teacher.
How to Pass the DELF B2 Oral Exam
A certified DAEFLE teacher breaks down the DELF B2 oral exam: how to structure your monologue, build a phrase bank, win the débat, and use your 30 minutes of prep time.
TCF Canada Score Chart: CLB & NCLC Levels for Canadian Immigration
Official TCF Canada to NCLC/CLB conversion table. Find the exact scores you need for Express Entry, CEC, and PNP — and how to reach your target level.
DELF vs DALF: Which French Diploma Should You Take?
Not sure whether to take DELF or DALF? A certified teacher explains the differences, who each exam is for, and which one makes sense for your goals.
TCF Canada vs TEF Canada: Which Test Should You Take?
Choosing between TCF Canada and TEF Canada for your immigration file? This side-by-side comparison covers format, difficulty, score conversion, and which test suits you best.
How to Reach B2 French Level: A 3-Month Roadmap
A certified French teacher's month-by-month plan to reach B2 level — what to focus on, common mistakes, and how to know when you're ready for the exam.
TCF Canada Expression Écrite: Tâche 1, 2 & 3 Explained
A certified teacher breaks down the 3 TCF Canada writing tasks — word counts, what each one tests, the structure that scores points, and example openings for Tâche 1, 2 and 3.
TCF Canada Expression Orale: How Tâche 2 & 3 Are Scored
How the TCF Canada speaking test is marked: the 3 tasks, the examiner's criteria, and exactly what to do in Tâche 2 (asking for information) and Tâche 3 (giving your opinion) to reach NCLC 7+.
How Long Does It Take to Prepare for TCF Canada?
How many weeks or months you really need to prepare for TCF Canada, based on your starting level — with a week-by-week plan to reach NCLC 7.
TCF Canada NCLC 7 / CLB 7: The Exact Scores You Need
The exact TCF Canada scores for NCLC 7 in all four skills — the Express Entry minimum — plus why NCLC 7 matters for your CRS points and how to reach it.
Written by Rémi
DAEFLE certified French teacher, Berlitz instructor, 3,000+ hours of teaching experience. These articles reflect what I actually teach my students every day — no generic advice.