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L’idée de “retourner en classe”, “être à nouveau un élève” ou “apprendre quelque chose de nouveau” ne vous fait peut-être pas rêver et pourtant vous avez toujours voulu parler anglais !
Que ce soit pour votre vie professionnelle ou personnelle, nous sommes convaincue qu’apprendre à communiquer en anglais fera reculer les barrières pour communiquer entre gens de nationalités différentes, mais aussi, vous aidera à briser l’effet plafond de verre qui vous empêche d'évoluer aujourd’hui.

La maîtrise de l’anglais deviendra ainsi le moteur pour réaliser vos rêves et raviver vos ambitions.
Ensemble nous prouverons que vous pouvez le faire et que vous allez le faire.

Venez rejoindre la communauté grandissante #E4F.

Voyez grand, sautez le pas, JUMP avec English 4 French!

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  • #133
    Wednesday · 8 min

    #3 A2 Countable , Uncountable nouns

    #3 A2 Countable and Uncountable nouns Hi and welcome back to Podcasts at English for French. I’m Alison, and today we are looking at nouns. We’re diving into countable and uncountable nouns, advanced containers, the foundational and tricky rules of some/any, and the subtle traps of little and few. Grab your notebook, listen carefully, and at the end there are some exercises to check you have understood. The answer key is included so that you can check your work. The Foundations – Countable vs. Uncountable Nouns To use quantifiers correctly, we must first separate our universe into two types of nouns: Countable Nouns: Objects or entities you can count individually using numbers. They possess a singular and plural form (one idea, two ideas; a laptop, three laptops). Uncountable Nouns: Substances, abstract concepts, or collective categories that cannot be counted as standalone physical items. They never take a plural "s". The Trap: Watch out for words that sound like they should be countable. In English, words like advice, information, furniture, luggage, weather, and equipment are strictly uncountable. You cannot say "an advice" or "three furnitures." Containers and Partitive Expressions Because uncountable nouns lack physical borders, we use container and partitive phrases to measure and quantify them. Liquid & Gas: A bottle of water, a carton of milk, a tank of gas, a drop of oil. Solid & Food: A loaf of bread, a bar of chocolate, a slice of cheese, a grain of rice, a clove of garlic. Abstract & General: A piece of advice, an item of clothing, a sheet of paper, an act of kindness. Some and Any (Basic Rules & Exceptions) Most learners learn the golden rule early: use some in affirmative sentences and any in negative sentences and questions. But at an A2+ level, we need to look closer: The Golden Rule: Affirmative: "I have some free time today." Negative: "I don't have any free time today." Standard Question: "Do you have any free time today?" The Exception 1: Offers and Requests. When you are offering something or politely requesting something in a question, you use some instead of any because you expect or hope for a "yes" answer. Example: "Would you like some coffee?" or "Could you give me some assistance?" The Exception 2: "It doesn't matter which one." You can use any in affirmative sentences when it means choice or freedom. Example: "You can borrow any book from my shelf; they are all great." Much, Many, and Plenty When talking about large quantities, placement and noun type dictate your choice: Many pairs exclusively with countable nouns (many challenges, many errors). Much pairs exclusively with uncountable nouns (much effort, much traffic). Note: Native speakers rarely use "much" in positive statements; they reserve it for questions and negatives, using "a lot of" or "plenty of" for positives. A lot of / Lots of / Plenty of: These are versatile options that work with both countable and uncountable nouns in positive sentences. Example : I have a lot of work to do.Fortunately I have plenty of time in which to do it. Little vs. Few (Nuance and Attitude), No and none Finally, let's master small quantities: Countable (Few / A few): A few = A small, positive amount (sufficient). "I have a few dollars, so I can buy a snack." Few = Almost none, a negative feeling (insufficient). "I have few friends who share this hobby." Uncountable (Little / A little): A little = A small, positive amount (sufficient). "I speak a little French; I can manage." Little = Almost none, a negative feeling (insufficient). "There is little hope of fixing this broken screen. No and none No acts like an adjective; it is always followed directly by a noun to mean "not any " (Example: "I have no time to waste.") None acts like a pronoun; it stands alone without a noun, often used as an answer or followed by "of." (Example: "How much juice is left? None.") Example Paragraph We went to the grocery store to buy snacks for the party, but no cookies were left on the shelves. We checked all the aisles, but there were none available anywhere. So, all you need to do is practice. Find an object, idea, or substance, and decide if it is countable or uncountable. Then, so as to memorise it, put it in a sentence. I have very little time left in this podcast, but I have given you lots of information; you need some practice. I hope you enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison, at English for French podcasts. See you soon. Cheers Practice Exercises Exercise 1: Advanced Identification & Transformation Identify if the underlined word is Countable (C) or Uncountable (U), then fix the sentence if it uses a forbidden plural form. The teacher gave me three valuable advices for my writing. 2.We need to pack all our luggage into the trunk. 3.She bought two new furnitures for her apartment. 4.Can you give me a paper to write this down? Exercise 2: Masterclass Gapfill (Some vs. Any , No or None ) Fill in the blanks using some or any, keeping exceptions for offers, requests, and "any-choice" sentences in mind. If you need ________ help with your project, just let me know. 2.Would you like ________ more juice, or are you finished? 3.You can pick ________ color you like for your bedroom wall; they're all on sale. 4.I looked everywhere, but I couldn't find ________ evidence of a break-in. 5.Could I borrow ________ money for the bus ticket, please? 6.There is ________ milk left in the fridge, so we need to go buy a carton. 7.How many tickets are left for the concert? I checked online, and there are ________. Exercise 3: Quantifier Challenge Fill in the blanks with the best fit: much, many, a few, a little, few, little. We have very ________ time before the deadline, so we must work quickly and efficiently. 2.How ________ ingredients do we need to bake this complex cake? 3.I wanted to buy a new jacket, but there were ________ sizes left in my favorite color. 4.We baked a dozen cookies, but after the party, there were ________ left. 5.Unfortunately, there were very ________ people who understood the lecture, so the professor had to explain it again. 6.He has made ________ progress with his guitar playing; he can already play two songs! 7.There isn't ________ point in arguing about this decision now; it's already final. Part 3: Answer Key & Breakdown Exercise 1: U (Incorrect: change advices to pieces of advice). U (Correct: luggage has no plural form). U (Incorrect: change furnitures to pieces of furniture). C (Correct here as a single sheet of paper, though "a sheet of paper" is more precise). Exercise 2: any (standard conditional sentence). some (polite offer). any (meaning "it doesn't matter which one"). any (negative sentence). some (polite request). no (followed directly by the noun milk) none (stands alone as a pronoun answer) Exercise 3: little (uncountable, negative connotation: not enough time). many (countable noun: ingredients). no (It is followed directly by the noun sizes). none (It stands alone at the end of the sentence as a pronoun). few (countable, negative connotation: almost nobody understood). a little (uncountable, positive connotation: some progress has been made). much (uncountable, used in a negative sentence).

  • #132
    September 10 · 10 min

    #2 A2 Adjectives and adverbs

    #2 A2-Adjectives and adverbs Podcast transcript Hi, welcome back to English for French podcasts.I’m Alison and today, we’re taking a look at two categories of words that make your English sound vibrant, precise, and expressive: adjectives and adverbs. Whether you’re writing an email or telling a story to a friend, knowing how to use these correctly will immediately boost your speaking and writing skills at the A2 level. In this episode, I’ll walk you through the core rules, key spelling changes, tricky irregular exceptions, and special sense verbs. Then, we’ll analyze a short reading text together, answer comprehension questions, and work through four full practice exercises. Here we go! Part 1: The Basic Rules Let's start with the fundamental difference between these two word types. Adjectives describe nouns—that means people, places, or things. They answer questions like What kind?, Which one?, or How many? • Example: "She is a careful driver." (Careful describes the noun, driver.) • Example: "They live in a large house." (Large describes the noun, house.) Adverbs, on the other hand, describe verbs (actions), adjectives, or other adverbs. They tell us how, when, where, or in what manner an action happens. To form a regularadverb, you simply add -ly to the base adjective. • Example: "She drives carefully." (Carefully tells us how she drives.) • Example: "The choir sang softly." (Softly describes how they sang.) Here is how common adjectives transform into regular adverbs: Adjective Adverb Example Sentence Quick Quickly He walked quickly to catch the bus. Slow Slowly The traffic moved slowly in the morning. Beautiful-Beautifully She paints beautifully. Quiet-Quietly The children played quietly in the room. Part 2: Essential Spelling Transformations While adding -ly is the general rule, there are three important spelling transformations you need to memorize when changing an adjective to an adverb: 1. Adjectives ending in consonant + -y: Change the -y to -i before adding -ly. a. Happy - Happily ("The children played happily.") b. Easy - Easily ("He passed the test easily.") 2. Adjectives ending in -le: Drop the -e and add -y. a. Terrible - Terribly ("I am terribly sorry.") b. Simple - Simply ("She explained the problem simply.") 3. Adjectives ending in -ic: Add -ically. a. Automatic -Automatically ("The door shuts automatically.") b. Specific - Specifically ("I bought this specifically for you.") Part 3: Crucial Exceptions & Special Rules Now for the part that trips up many English learners—the exceptions! 1. Irregular Forms Some adverbs do not use -ly at all: • Good (adj) -Well (adv): "He is a good cook," but "He cooks well." • Fast (adj) -Fast (adv): "That is a fast car," and "He drives fast." (Never write "fastly"!) • Hard (adj) -Hard (adv): "It was a hard test," and "She studied hard."• Late (adj) - Late (adv): "The train is late," and "He arrived late." Note: Be careful with hardly and lately! They are completely different words: • Hardly means almost not ("I could hardly hear the speaker"). • Lately means recently ("Have you seen any good movies lately?"). 2. Words Ending in -ly That Are Adjectives Some words naturally end in -ly but are actually adjectives, not adverbs! • Friendly, lovely, lonely, silly, ugly. • To use these as adverbs, use the phrase in a ... way/manner: "He spoke to me in a friendly way." 3. Sense Verbs (State Verbs) Verbs related to the senses—such as look, feel, smell, taste, sound, seem, and be— take adjectives, not adverbs, when they describe the condition of the subject! • Correct: "The pizza smells delicious." (Not "deliciously") • Correct: "This sweater feels soft." (Not "softly") Part 4: Reading Passage & Comprehension Let me read a short story to show you how these words function in real context. Pay close attention to how adjectives modify nouns and adverbs modify verbs! Maya's Productive Saturday Maya is an organized architect who wakes up early every Saturday morning. She loves her neighborhood because it is usually quiet in the morning. Today, she walked briskly to her favorite local bakery. The bakery always smells wonderful and serves delicious pastry items. Maya greeted the baker warmly and ordered a fresh croissant. The baker smiled kindly and handed her the bag.Maya sat near the window and worked hard on her new building designs. She drew the plans carefully and double-checked every dimension precisely. Her supervisor reviewed the finished work later that afternoon and said, "You did a good job on this design, Maya! You plan your projects very well." Maya felt happy and headed home with a sense of pride. Reading Comprehension Questions 1. How does Maya walk to the bakery, and why is this word an adverb? 2. Which sense verb in the text is followed directly by an adjective instead of an adverb? 3. Find three irregular or non-ly adverbs used in the story. Part 5: Comprehensive Exercises Exercise 1: Adjective or Adverb? Choose the correct option in parentheses. 1. My father drives extremely (careful / carefully) when it rains. 2. The hot soup tastes (delicious / deliciously) on a cold day. 3. Susan played (good / well) in the tennis match yesterday. 4. It was a very (hard / hardly) exam, but we worked (hard / hardly) to pass it. 5. They walked (quiet / quietly) out of the meeting room. 6. The weather turned (sudden / suddenly) cold last night. 7. He speaks English (fluent / fluently) because he lived in Canada. 8. That music sounds too (loud / loudly); please turn it down. Exercise 2: Spelling Practice (Forming Adverbs) Convert the adjective in brackets into the correct adverb form. 1. She solved the difficult equation ____________ (easy).2. The children played ____________ (happy) in the garden all afternoon. 3. The security system activates ____________ (automatic) at midnight. 4. He apologized ____________ (terrible) for breaking the vase. 5. The opera singer performed ____________ (beautiful) last night. Exercise 3: Error Correction Find and correct the single error in each sentence. 1. She runs very fastly when she competes in sprints. 2. The birthday cake tastes so sweetly! 3. Our football team played good in the second half. 4. He drove dangerous down the wet highway. 5. I was late, so I walked quick to the bus station. Exercise 4: Gap-Fill Exercise Fill in the gaps using the correct adjective or adverb form of the words in the box: [good, bad, heavy, late, smooth] 1. It rained ____________ all night, causing minor flooding on the road. 2. The airplane landed ____________ on the runway despite strong crosswinds. 3. You shouldn't eat that milk product; it smells ____________. 4. She arrived ____________ for the conference and missed the keynote speaker. 5. He plays the violin very ____________ after ten years of practice. That’s all for now from me, Alison, at Podcasts with English for French. The answer key is at the end of this transcript. Practice using these adverbs and adjectives in your English, add colour to your descriptions, and have fun. See you soon. Cheers Answer Key Reading Comprehension: 1. She walks briskly. It is an adverb because it modifies the action verb walked (describes how she walked). 2. The verb smells ("smells wonderful"). 3. Early, hard, and well. Exercise 1: 1. carefully 2. delicious 3. well 4. hard, hard 5. quietly 6. suddenly 7. fluently 8. loud Exercise 2: 1. easily 2. happily 3. automatically 4. terribly 5. beautifully Exercise 3: 1. fastly -fast ("She runs very fast...") 2. sweetly - sweet ("The birthday cake tastes so sweet!") 3. good -well ("Our team played well...") 4. dangerous -dangerously ("He drove dangerously...") 5. Quick-quickly ("...so I walked quickly...") Exercise 4: 1. heavily 2. smoothly 3. bad 4. late 5. well

  • #131
    September 4 · 11 min

    #1 A2 Present simple vs continuous

    #1 A2 Present simple vs Present continuous The Story of Time — How to Talk About Your Life Hi and welcome back to podcasts with English for French! I’m Alison, and today, we are we are going to be revising both present simple and present continuous and comparing their use in the English language . Until now, you might have learned that the Present Simple is just for things you always do, and the Present Continuous is just for what is happening right now. Well, we are going to go further with that today. English speakers use these two tenses to express lots of different actions and time notions —from permanent truths and background facts to temporary life chapters and changing trends. If you want your English to sound natural, flexible, and detailed, this podcast is for you. Here we go. Part 1: Present Simple The Present Simple isn't just about your morning routine. It can be used to talk about anything that is stable, permanent, or governed by a timetable. • 1. Permanent States & Facts: Things that don't change often or are laws of nature. o Water boils at 100 degrees Celsius. o She lives in Paris and works for a bank. (This is her permanent life situation). • 2. Scheduled Events & Timetables: We actually use the Present Simple to talk about official future schedules! o The train leaves at 8:00 AM tomorrow. o The film starts in twenty minutes. • 3. Expanded Adverbs of Frequency & Range: Beyond just always and never, use these precise frequency expressions: o Frequency Phrases: once a week, twice a month, every three days, on weekdays. o Adverbs: frequently, regularly, occasionally, from time to time. Word Order Check:• I go to the gym twice a week. (Phrases go at the end of the sentence) • I frequently read news online. (Single adverbs go before the main verb) Part 2: Present Continuous The Present Continuous is more than just what is happening now. It can be used to talk about temporary life periods, gradual changes, and future personal plans. • 1. Temporary Chapters (Around Now): Things happening in this phase of your life, even if you aren't doing them this second. o I'm reading a fantastic book by Stephen King. (Not while driving, but during this period of my life). o He is studying engineering at university. (A 4-year temporary period). • 2. Changing Trends & Progress: Situations that are developing or evolving over time. o Housing prices are going up quickly. o My English is getting better every day. • 3. Fixed Personal Plans (The Near Future): Definite arrangements you have made with other people. o I’m meeting Sarah for dinner tonight. (It's booked and agreed). • 4. Time Expressions Beyond "Now": o these days, nowadays, this semester, currently, this year. Examples: • Nowadays, more people are working from home. (Trend) • I am taking a photography course this semester. (Temporary chapter) Part 3: Deep Comparison — Changing the Tense Changes the Meaning Notice how changing the tense completely transforms what you tell the listener: Sentence Tense What it really means I live in London. I am living in London. He works hard. He is working hard. Present Simple London is my permanent home. Present Continuous I'm here temporarily (e.g., for a 6-month job contract). Present Simple :He is a hard-working person (personality trait). Present Continuous :He has a big deadline or project right now. The bus leaves at 9:00. Present Simple Official timetable schedule. I am leaving at 9:00. Present Continuous :My personal plan for this morning. Part 4: Special Exceptions 1. The Stative vs. Action Shift Some verbs change meaning entirely depending on whether they are Simple or Continuous! • Think: o I think it's a good idea. (Opinion = Stative / Present Simple) o I am thinking about moving to Spain. (Mental process happening now = Continuous) • Have: o She has two dogs. (Possession = Stative / Present Simple) o She is having lunch. (Action/Eating = Continuous) 2. Expressing Annoying Habits with "Always" Here is a native speaker secret! When you combine always with the Present Continuous, it means an action happens repeatedly and annoys you: • He is always leaving his dirty socks on the floor! • They are always complaining about the weather! Understanding these nuances turns basic English into natural, expressive speech. Time to put these dynamic uses into practice with our text and exercises below!The answer key is at the end of this transcript. Text Comprehension Read about David's current life changes and answer the questions below. David's Career Pivot David is a high school teacher in Manchester. He usually teaches history to teenagers, and he works from Monday to Friday. He loves history because he believes that understanding the past helps people make better decisions today. Currently, however, David is taking a sabbatical year. These days, he is studying software development at a local college. He wants to change his career path because technology is growing so fast across the globe. His daily routine is very different this semester. Instead of grading papers in the evening, he is learning how to code in Python. His programming skills are improving week byweek, though he occasionally finds the material difficult. Next Monday, he is meeting a career counselor to discuss job opportunities in tech. Questions: 1. What is David's permanent job, and what are his normal work days? 2. Why is he studying software development these days? 3. What general trend is mentioned regarding technology? 4. Is David's meeting with the career counselor next Monday a routine or a personal plan? 5. Identify one sentence from the text that describes a gradual change or progress. Practice Exercises Exercise 1: Contextual Choice Choose the correct verb form based on whether the situation is permanent, scheduled, temporary, or a developing trend. 1. The sun ____________ (rise) in the east and sets in the west. 2. Nowadays, climate change ____________ (become) a major concern for young people. 3. The train to Edinburgh ____________ (depart) at 08:15 every morning from Platform 4. 4. I usually drive to work, but my car is broken, so I ____________ (take) the bus this week. 5. What time ____________ you ____________ (meet) Alex tonight? Exercise 2: Stative vs. Dynamic Verbs Complete the sentences using either the Present Simple or Present Continuous of the verb in brackets. 1. I ____________ (think) this dress looks great on you! 2. Shh! Don't disturb him; he ____________ (think) about a complex problem. 3. My uncle ____________ (have) three houses in the countryside. 4. We ____________ (have) a great time at the party right now. Exercise 3: Advanced Gap Fill & Adverb Placement Insert the adverb in brackets into the correct place and use the correct tense. 1. (always / complain) My roommate __________________ about the noise, and it really drives me crazy! 2. (occasionally / visit) We __________________ our grandparents on Sunday afternoons. 3.(currently / search) Sarah __________________ for a new apartment near her office. 4. (rarely / rain) It __________________ in this desert region during the summer months. That’s all for today, with me, Alison, at English for French podcasts. I hope you enjoyed listening. Keep practicing and have fun. Cheers Text Comprehension Answers 1. He is a high school history teacher, and he normally works from Monday to Friday. 2. Because technology is growing fast across the globe, and he wants to change his career path. 3. "Technology is growing so fast across the globe." 4. It is a fixed personal plan in the near future (expressed with Present Continuous). 5. "His programming skills are improving week by week." Exercise 1 Answers 1. rises (Permanent scientific fact) 2. is becoming (Developing trend) 3. departs (Official timetable schedule) 4. am taking (Temporary situation) 5. are / meeting (Fixed future plan) Exercise 2 Answers 1. think (Opinion / Stative) 2. is thinking (Mental action in progress) 3. has (Possession / Stative) 4.are having (Experiencing / Dynamic action) Exercise 3 Answers 1. is always complaining (Annoying repeated habit) 2. occasionally visit (Routine / Frequency) 3. is currently searching (Action in progress around now) 4. rarely rains (General truth / Low frequency)

  • #130
    September 3 · 9 min

    #14 A1 Countable /Uncountable nouns

    #14 A1 Countable, Uncountable nouns (some and any) Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison , and today we are looking at a topic that every beginner needs when talking about food, shopping, and everyday items: Countable and Uncountable Nouns. By the end of this podcast, you will know how to order food, talk about your kitchen, and use words like a, an, some, and any with confidence! Part 1: Countable Nouns Countable nouns are individual items that you can count using numbers: 1, 2, 3, or more. • Singular: Use a or an before one item. o a apple (starts with a consonant sound? Use a, e.g., a banana, a book). o an apple (starts with a vowel sound? Use an, e.g., an apple, an egg). • Plural: Add -s or -es to the end when you have two or more. o One apple → two apples o One sandwich → three sandwichesPart 2: Uncountable Nouns Uncountable nouns are things you cannot count individually with numbers. They are usually liquids, tiny grains, concepts, or foods that come in whole masses. • Common categories: o Liquids: water, milk, coffee, juice o Grains/Powders: rice, sugar, salt, flour o Mass foods: cheese, butter, bread, meat o Concepts: money, time, music, information • Golden Rule: Never put a/an or a number directly before an uncountable noun, and do not add -s. o Say: water (NOT a water or two waters). o To count them, use containers or units: a glass of water, a loaf of bread, a cup of coffee.Part 3: Using "Some" and "Any" When you don't need an exact number, use some and any: Context Positive (+) Countable Nouns (Plural) I have some apples. Uncountable Nouns I have some milk. Negative (-) I don't have any apples. I don't have any milk. Question (?) Do you have any apples? Do you have any milk? Reading Text: Preparing for a Party Read this short story to see these nouns in action: Today is Saturday, and Mark is preparing for a dinner party. He makes a shopping list. He needs an onion, three tomatoes, and a bottle of olive oil. In his fridge, there is some cheese, but there isn't any butter. He also wants to buy some rice and a bag of sugar. He checks his wallet to see if he has any money. Luckily, there are some coins and two banknotes in his bag. Now he is ready to go to the supermarket! Practice Exercises Exercise A: Countable or Uncountable? Decide if each noun is Countable (C) or Uncountable (U). 1. Banana → _____ 2. Milk → _____ 3. Money → _____ 4. Chair → _____ 5. Rice → _____ Exercise B: Gap-Fill Exercise Complete the sentences with a, an, some, or any. 1. Would you like _____ cup of tea? 2. I don't have _____ sugar for my coffee. 3. Can I have _____ apple from the basket? 4. We need to buy _____ vegetables for dinner.5. Is there _____ orange juice left in the fridge? Master English Containers & Shopping Dialogues (A1 Level) Part 1: Container Expressions & Quantifiers Because uncountable nouns (like water, bread, cheese) cannot be counted directly with numbers (you cannot say "two waters" or "three breads"), we use container words or measurement units to make them countable! Common Container Phrases for Uncountable Nouns Container / Unit Used with... Example A bottle of.. Liquids .. a bottle of water, a bottle of wine A cup / glass of ....Hot / Cold drinks... a cup of coffee, a glass of milk A loaf of (plural: loaves)... Bread ....a loaf of bread, two loaves of bread A slice of ...Cut portions... a slice of cheese, a slice of pizza A bag of ...Grains / Powders ...a bag of flour, a bag of rice A piece of...General items /Food... a piece of cake, a piece of news A carton of ...Dairy / Juices... a carton of milk, a carton of juice A can of ...Soda / Canned food ...a can of soup, a can of cola Part 2: Roleplay Dialogue — At the Grocery Store Characters: • Seller: Working at a local grocery stand. • Customer: Buying ingredients for dinner. Setting: A local neighborhood market stand. Seller: Hello! How can I help you today? Customer: Good morning! I’m looking for some ingredients to make dinner. Seller: Great! What do you need? Customer: First, do you have any fresh tomatoes? Seller: Yes, we do! How many would you like? Customer: I’d like four tomatoes, please. Also, is there any cheese available? Seller: Yes, there is some delicious cheddar cheese. Customer: Perfect. Can I get a slice of cheese and a loaf of fresh bread? Seller: Of course. Anything else? Do you need any drinks? Customer: Yes, please. I'll take a bottle of water and a carton of orange juice. Is there a banana left? Seller: Yes, there is one banana right here! Customer: Wonderful. That is all. How much is it? Seller: That will be $12, please. Thank you! Part 3: Exercises & Practice Exercise 1: Match the Food to the Correct Container Match the items on the left with the correct phrase on the right. 1. Coffee a. A slice of 2. Bread b. A bottle of 3. Pizza c. A cup of 4. Rice d. A loaf of 5. Olive Oil e. A bag of Exercise 2: Gap-Fill Exercise Fill in the blanks with the correct container word: bottle, carton, slice, loaf, piece. 1. Could I have a _________ of cake with my afternoon tea? 2. Don't forget to buy a _________ of milk for breakfast tomorrow. 3. She bought a fresh _________ of bread from the bakery. 4. He drank a whole _________ of water after running. 5. Would you like a _________ of cheese on your burger? Exercise 3: Dialogue Practice Questions Answer the questions based on the dialogue above in complete sentences: 1. How many tomatoes does the customer buy? 2. Does the customer buy a carton of milk or orange juice? 3. What container word is used for bread in the store? That’s all for today from me, Alison, at Podcasts with English for French. Keep practicing Cheers Answer Key countables/uncountables Exercise A: 1. Countable (C) 2. Uncountable (U) 3. Uncountable (U) 4. Countable (C) 5. Uncountable (U) Exercise B: 1. a (Singular countable noun starting with a consonant) 2. any (Negative sentence with an uncountable noun) 3. an (Singular countable noun starting with a vowel) 4. some (Positive sentence with plural countable nouns)5. any (Question form with an uncountable noun) Answer Key containers Exercise 1 1 c (A cup of coffee) 2 d (A loaf of bread) 3 a (A slice of pizza) 4 e (A bag of rice) 5 b (A bottle of olive oil) Exercise 2 1. piece (or slice) 2. carton 3. loaf 4. bottle 5. slice Exercise 3 1. The customer buys four tomatoes. 2. The customer buys a carton of orange juice. 3. The word used is "a loaf of" bread.

  • #129
    September 3 · 7 min

    #13 A1 There is/There are

    Podcast transcript #13 A1- There is , There are and the determiners this/that/these/those Welcome back to podcasts with English for French, I’m Alison and today we are looking at two fundamental tools every English learner needs: There is / There are and the determiners This, That, These, and Those. By the end of this podcast, you will know exactly how to point things out, describe your room, and speak with confidence! Part 1: "There is" and "There are" We use There is and There are to say that something exists in a specific place. 1. There is (Singular & Uncountable) Use There is (or the shortcut There's) when talking about one person, animal, or thing, or something you cannot count (like water or sugar). • There is a cat on the sofa. • There is an apple in the bag. • There is some water in the glass. 2. There are (Plural) Use There are when talking about two or more people, animals, or things. • There are two cats on the sofa. • There are five books on the desk. 3. Negatives and Questions • Negative: Add not. o There is not (There isn't) a car outside. o There are not (There aren't) any chairs here. • Question: Swap the order! o Is there a supermarket near here? o Are there any students in the classroom?Part 2: Demonstratives (This, That, These, Those) These four words help us point at specific things based on two rules: Distance (Near vs. Far) and Number (Singular vs. Plural). 1. Near You (In your hands or close by) • This (Singular): Used for one thing close to you. o Example: This is my phone. (I am holding it). • These (Plural): Used for two or more things close to you. o Example: These are my keys. (They are in my hand). 2. Far From You (Across the room or down the street) • That (Singular): Used for one thing further away. o Example: That is a high mountain over there. • Those (Plural): Used for two or more things further away. o Example: Those are beautiful birds in the sky. Quick Reference Chart Singular (1) Plural (2+) Existence There is / There's There are These Near (Close) This book books Far (Away) That book Those books Reading Text: Welcome to My Apartment Read this short text to see how all these rules work together. The answer key to all exercises can be found at the end of this transcript. Hello everyone! Welcome to my apartment. There is a large living room with a big window. This chair next to me is very comfortable, but that sofa across the room is old. Look at the shelf over there—those are my favorite souvenirs from my travels. On the table here, there are three notebooks and a cup of tea. This tea is delicious! Is there a TV in the room? No, there isn't, but there is a large bookcase filled with classic books. Practice Exercises Exercise A: Fill in the Gaps (There is / There are) Complete each sentence with There is or There are. 1. __________ a computer on the desk. 2.__________ four chairs around the dining table. 3.__________ some milk in the fridge. 4.__________ two dogs playing in the garden. 5.__________ a pencil on your notebook? (Question form) Exercise B: Choose the Correct Determiner (This / That / These / Those) Select the best word for each sentence. 1. Take __________ cup of coffee here; it’s hot! (This / That) 2.Look at __________ airplane high in the sky! (This / That) 3.I love __________ shoes on my feet right now. (these / those) 4.Who are __________ people standing over by the door? (these / those) 5.__________ is my best friend, Sarah, standing next to me. (This / That° There is now going to be a dialogue in a seperate recording ;check out the uses of there is /are and this/that, these/those. Keep practicing by, for example, describing a room in your house. That’s all for now from me, Alison , at English for French podcasts Cheers − Characters: − Anna: Moving into a new apartment. − Ben: A friend helping her unpack and set up. − Setting: Inside Anna’s new living room surrounded by boxes. − Dialogue: − Anna: Thanks for helping me unpack, Ben! − Ben: No problem! Wow, there are a lot of boxes in this room. Where do we start? − Anna: Let's start with this box here on the floor. There is a clock inside. Can you put it over there on the wall? − Ben: Sure! Is that clock on the wall high enough? − Anna: Perfect, thanks! Now, look at these books in my hands. Where should I put them?− Ben: There is a small bookshelf next to the window. You can put them there. − Anna: Great idea. Oh, look out the window! Those flowers in the garden are so pretty. − Ben: They really are! By the way, is there a kettle in the kitchen? I'd love some tea. − Anna: Yes, there is! And there are some mugs on the table. This mug right here is for you. − Ben: Perfect. Let's take a break! Practice Tips for A1 Speaking 6. Act it out: Practice with a partner, swapping roles (Anna and Ben). 7.Use real objects: Point to actual items nearby when saying this, that, these, and those to build physical memory. 8.Focus on contractions: Try saying "There's" instead of "There is" during the second read-through to sound more natural. Answer Key Exercise A: 1. There is 2. There are 3. There is 4. There are 5. Is there Exercise B: 1. This 2. That 3. these 4. those 5. This

  • #128
    August 28 · 9 min

    #12 A1 Present continuous

    #12 A1 Present continuous Transcript Hi , and welcome back to English for French podcasts .I’m Alison and today we are talking about an action happening right now—the Present Continuous. This tense is used to describe actions happpening at a certain time and ongoing ( c’est le “en train de” en français) Imagine you’re calling a friend. You ask, "What are you doing?" They don't answer with habits like "I eat lunch every day." They say, "I am eating lunch right now." That's the Present Continuous! How to Build It To form the Present Continuous, follow this simple formula: Subject + be (am/is/are) + Verb-ing • I am studying. • She is drinking coffee. • They are listening to music. For negative sentences, just add not after the verb to be: • He is not (isn't) sleeping. For questions, flip the subject and the verb to be: • Are you watching TV? Adding -ing to a verb is usually straightforward, but a few specific spelling rules depend on how the verb ends. Here is the quick breakdown to help you get it right every time. Rule 1: The General Rule (Just add -ing) For most standard verbs, simply add -ing to the end of the base verb without changing anything. • walk -walking • play -playing• study -studying (Note: unlike present simple rules, verbs ending in -y keep the - y!) • read -reading Rule 2: Verbs Ending in Silent -e (Drop the -e) If a verb ends with a silent -e, drop the -e before adding -ing. • Make-making • Write- writing • Dance- dancing • Live-living Exception: If the verb ends in -ee, keep both e's (e.g., see-seeing, agree -agreeing). Rule 3: The CVC Rule (Double the final consonant) If a one-syllable verb ends in a Consonant + Vowel + Consonant (CVC) pattern, double the final consonant before adding -ing. • s - i - t (CVC) sitting • r - u - n (CVC) running • s - w - i - m (CVC) swimming • s - t - o - p (CVC) stopping Exception: Never double the final letter if the verb ends in w, x, or y (e.g., snow -snowing, fix -fixing, buy -buying). Rule 4: Verbs Ending in -ie (Change to -y) If a verb ends in -ie, change the -ie to -y before adding -ing. • Die-dying • Lie-lying • tie- tying Summary Table Rule Type Base Verb Present Continuous What Changed? General cook cooking Added -ing Ends in -e ride riding Dropped -e CVC Pattern get getting Doubled -t- Ends in -ie lie lying Changed -ie to -y Reading Practice: A Busy Sunday Afternoon Read the short text below and notice how every action is happening in the current moment. Today is Sunday. It is 2:00 PM, and the Miller family is at home in the garden. Mr. Miller is cooking lunch on the grill. He is making burgers. Mrs. Miller is sitting under a large tree. She is reading a new book and drinking iced tea. Their young son, Leo, is playing with a red ball. The family dog, Max, is running around Leo and barking happily. Their daughter, Emma, isn't playing outside today. She is sitting in her bedroom, and she is studying for an English test. Everyone is enjoying their afternoon! Reading Comprehension Questions 1. What is Mr. Miller doing? 2. Is Mrs. Miller reading a book or sleeping? 3. What is the dog, Max, doing? 4.Is Emma playing outside with Leo? Grammar Exercises Exercise 1: Fill in the blanks Complete the sentences using am, is, or are + the verb in parentheses. 1.Look! The train __________ (come) now. 2.I __________ (write) an email to my friend. 3.We __________ (not watch) TV right now; we're listening to the radio. 4.What __________ you __________ (do) at the moment? 5.Sarah __________ (wear) a blue dress today. Exercise 2: Fix the mistake Each sentence has one mistake. Write the correct sentence. 1. They reading a book right now. 2.He is play tennis in the park 3.I am not like this noise right now. (Hint: remember the action verb + -ing rule!) I hope you enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison, atr English for french.See you soon.The answer key is below. Cheers Answer Key • Comprehension: 1. He is cooking burgers on the grill. • 2. She is reading a book. • 3. He is running around Leo and barking. • 4. No, she isn't. She is studying in her bedroom. • Exercise 1: • 1. is coming • 2. am writing • 3. are not watching • 4. are / doing • 5. is wearing • Exercise 2: • 1. They are reading a book right now. • 2. He is playing tennis in the park. • 3. I am not listening to this noise / I am not enjoying this noise.

  • #127
    August 27 · 9 min

    #11 A1 -Genitive possession

    #11 Genitive : Possession HI, Welcome back to podcasts with me, Alison, at English for French. Today we will be looking at the genitive form of possession. So,grab a notebook and a pen, because we are diving deep into one of the most useful grammar rules in English. Aujourd’hui, on va parler du genitif en anglais, donc, prenez un stylo et un papier et prenez des notes ! If you want to say something belongs to someone, you don't need long, awkward sentences. You just need the apostrophe! Rules Rule 1: Singular Nouns → Add ’s For one person, animal, or thing, add ’s to the owner. Pour une personne, un animal,ou une chose on ajoute l’apostrophe plus ‘s’ • "This is John’s car." (Not: The car of John) • "Where is the cat’s water bowl?" • "Emma’s bag is heavy." Rule 2: Regular Plural Nouns Ending in -s → Add only ’ Pour les noms régulier pluriel on ajoute qu’un apostrophe When a noun is plural and already ends in -s, do NOT add another s. Just put the apostrophe ’ at the very end! • "This is the students’ classroom." (Multiple students share it) • "My parents’ house is near the lake." (Both mom and dad live there) • "The dogs’ leashes are near the door." (Two or more dogs) Rule 3: Irregular Plural Nouns → Add ’s What about plural words that don’t end in -s? Words like children, men, women, or people? Treat them just like singular words: add ’s!Pour les noms pluriel et irregulier on fait comme pour les nom singulier on ajoute un apostrophe et ‘s’ • "The children’s playground is clean." • "This is the women’s locker room." • "The men’s shoes are on sale." Rule 4: Names Ending in -s What if a person’s name naturally ends in s, like James or Lucas? You can actually do both, but adding ’s is most common: • "James’s jacket" OR "James’ jacket" (Both are correct!) 2. Guided Practice: Sentence Transformations Let me test you.Try to transform these in your head. 1. "The laptop of the teacher." "The teacher’s laptop." (Singular) 2. "The coats of the doctors." (Plural) "The doctors’ coats." (Plural ending in -s) 3. "The toys of the children." "The children’s toys." (Irregular plural) 4. "The office of my boss." My boss’s office." (Singular ending in -s) Fill in-the-Blank Exercise Now it's your turn! Complete each sentence using the correct possessive form of the word in parentheses. Write down your answers—the answer key is at the end of the lesson! 1. This is ____________ (David) new bicycle. 2.Where are the ____________ (teachers) test papers? (plural teachers) 3.My ____________ (sister) favorite color is green. 4. Look at the ____________ (bird) nest in the tree! (singular bird) 5.The ____________ (men) suits are black and white. 6.Is that ____________ (Maria) phone on the table? 7.All of the ____________ (students) scores were high. (plural students) 8.My ____________ (grandparents) garden has beautiful flowers. (plural grandparents) Multiple Choice Quiz Sarah: Choose the correct option: A, B, or C. 1. Which sentence is correct for ONE girl? A) The girl's hat is red. B) The girls' hat is red. C) The girls hat is red. 2. Which sentence is correct for TWO brothers? A) My brother's bedroom is big. B) My brothers' bedroom is big. C) My brothers's bedroom is big. 3. Which sentence is correct for IRREGULAR plurals? A) The childrens' shoes are muddy. B) The childrens's shoes are muddy. C) The children's shoes are muddy. 5. Reading Comprehension Text Read this short story about a Saturday afternoon with Lucy’s family, then answer the questions below. Lisez l’histoire ci-dessous et repondez aux questions en utilisant le vocab dans le texte et des vrais phrases! Lucy’s Busy SaturdayToday is Saturday, and Lucy’s family is very busy at home. Lucy’s brother, Tom, is outside cleaning his dog’s house. Her parents’ car is parked in the driveway because it needs cleaning. Inside, Lucy’s mother is preparing food in the kitchen.At 1:00 PM, the whole family drives to Lucy’s grandparents’ house for lunch. The children’s favorite meal is homemade pizza, so grandmother makes three big pizzas. After lunch, they all look through the family’s old photo albums together. Comprehension Questions 1. What is Tom cleaning outside? 2.Whose car is in the driveway? 3.Where does the family go at 1:00 PM? 4.What is the children's favorite meal? 5.What do they look through after lunch? Remember the three golden rules: • Singular noun → add ’s • Regular plural noun (-s) → add ’ • Irregular plural noun → add ’s I hope you enjoyed this podcast, with me, Alison. Practice by making your own sentences. I’ll see you soon at E4F. The answers are below. Cheers Answer Key Section 3: Fill-in-the-Blank 1. David’s 2. teachers’ 3. sister’s 4. bird’s 5. men’s 6. Maria’s 7. students’ 8. grandparents’ Section 4: Multiple Choice Quiz 1.A (girl's = one girl) 2.B (brothers' = multiple brothers) 3.C (children's = irregular plural + ’s) Section 5: Reading Comprehension 1. Tom is cleaning his dog’s house. 2.Her parents’ car is in the driveway. 3.They go to Lucy’s grandparents’ house. 4.The children’s favorite meal is homemade pizza. 5.They look through the family’s old photo albums.

  • #126
    August 27 · 5 min

    #5 Comm pro -Small talk conversation podcast with Alison and Lucas

    #5 Comm Pro: Small talk Alison: Hello, welcome Podcast, with English 4 French. Today, I'll be explaining how to master small talk in formal and informal conversations. Today I am joined by our famous, well-known, one-and-only Lucas. Lucas: Hi there, what’s up! Today, we’re tackling something that makes some people’s hands sweat and leaves others feeling totally energized: Small Talk. Alison: Ah, small talk. The dreaded “How about this weather?” banter. But honestly, Lucas, I’ll defend small talk to the end. People think it’s superficial, but it’s actually the emotional handshake before any real connection happens. Lucas: Right on, Alison, but I have to disagree slightly on how most people do it. Generic small talk—like talking about the rain—can feel like a waste of time. For me, small talk is only valuable if you move past the script quickly. But alright, let's break it down into three stages: introducing yourself, keeping the conversation going, and making smooth exit. Stage 1: Introductions (Formal vs. Informal) Alison: Here we go. Introducing yourself sets the initial tone. In a formal context—think a corporate meeting or a job interview—you want clarity and a firm posture. Lucas: Exactly. You don't want to sound like a resumé, though. A formal introduction usually follows a simple standard: "Hello, I don't think we've met. I'm Lucas, Senior teacher at ENGLISH 4 FRENCH." Alison: Right. And the classic response is, "Pleasure to meet you, Lucas. I'm Alison, Podcast produce." Simple, respectful, and well-structured. Lucas: But compare that to an informal context—a friend's house party or a casual coffee shop queue. If you say "Pleasure to meet you" there, you'll sound like a robot! Alison: (Laughs) Fair point. In casual settings, you rely on shared surroundings or a low-pressure opener. "Hey, I'm Alison. Are you a friend of Sarah’s?" or simply, "Hey there, mind if I grab this chair?" Lucas: Exactly. Notice how the informal version doesn't always start with a name. It often starts with an observation about the environment. You drop the formality to make the other person comfortable immediately.Stage 2: Keeping the Conversation Going Alison: Okay, you've introduced yourself. Now comes the hard part: avoiding that awkward silence where both people start staring at their drinks. How do you keep it flowing? Lucas: My favorite technique is using, Echo, Open Questions and words that show interest Alison: I like this method. Lucas, can you show us how the echo works. Lucas: Sure. Alison, tell me something about yourself. Alison: I was born in Brighton. Lucas: Wow. Brighton? Is that in the South of England? Alison: Yes, it is. You would love it there. It’s a trendy city. Lucas: Trendy? That’s interesting. In what way? Alison: Have you noticed how Lucas chose some works to echo in order to make me talk more? Lucas: And the fun thing is that you can choose any word you think could be interesting to echo. I could have echoed the word “city” instead of “trendy”. City? I thought Brighton was a small town. Alison: Absolutely, echoing is quite useful. And I’ve just used “absolutely” to pretend I am interested in what Lucas just said. Anyway, during our small conversation, Lucas also asked a couple of open questions: “Is that in the South of England? In what way? This is another way to keep the conversation going. Lucas: Totally, exactly, really, awesome, no way. Words that you could use to show interest Stage 3: Ending the Conversation Gracefully Alison: This is where most people panic. How do you leave without being rude? The golden rule of exiting a conversation is giving a valid reason plus a warm closing statement.Lucas: In a formal setting, you highlight professional duties or networking courtesy. For instance: "It was a pleasure learning about your project, Alison. I see my colleague approaching, so I must excuse myself. Let's exchange cards before we leave." Alison: Professional and smooth. In an informal setting, you use time constraints or physical actions: "Anyway, I'd better grab another drink/head out before I miss my bus home! It was so great catching up with you, Lucas." Lucas: And notice the word "Anyway"! "Anyway" is the ultimate linguistic pivot that signals a transition to the end of a chat. Alison: It really is. Well, Lucas, speaking of exits, I think that’s a wrap Lucas: Agreed. Check out the exercises below to test your understanding of today’s topic. Alison: Hope you’ve enjoyed our podcast. See you soon, cheers. Lucas: Bye Language Learning & Comprehension Supplement Section 1: Written Comprehension Exercise A: Multiple Choice Choose the correct option based on the transcript. 1. What does Lucas think about generic small talk topics like the weather? a) They are the best way to connect. b) They can feel like a waste of time if the conversation doesn’t move past them quickly. c) They should only be used in formal business settings. 2. According to Alison, what makes a formal exit effective? a) Leaving abruptly when someone else approaches. b) Asking for personal contact details immediately. c) Giving a clear, professional reason along with a warm closing statement. Exercise B: Formal vs. Informal Categorization Identify whether each phrase is Formal (F) or Informal (I).1. "Hello, I don't believe we've met. My name is Dr. Aris." [ ] 2. "Hey! Mind if I sit here?" [ ] 3. "Anyway, I’d better run before traffic gets crazy!" [ ] 4. "It has been an absolute pleasure discussing this initiative with you." [ ] Section 2: Oral & Expression Exercises Exercise C: Role-Play Scenarios (Oral Practice) Practice speaking these scenarios out loud with a partner or record yourself. ● ● Scenario 1 (Formal): You are attending an industry conference. Introduce yourself to someone sitting next to you, ask one open question about their work, and bring the conversation to a polite close after 1 minute. Scenario 2 (Informal): You are at a neighbor's weekend barbecue. Use a shared observation about the food or environment to start a chat, use the "Echo & Pivot" technique once, and make a casual exit. Answer Key (For Self-Correction) Exercise A: 1 (b), 2 (c) Exercise B: 1 (F), 2 (I), 3 (I), 4 (F)

  • #125
    August 27 · 11 min

    #4 Comm Pro -Appraisals, meetings and conferences

    #4 Comm Pro : Mastering Professional Communication, Podcast Transcript Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison and today we are going to be talking about three scenarios every professional encounters: scheduling appointments, navigating performance appraisals, and engaging at industry conferences. At the higher levels, basic English gets the job done, but it can sound flat or overly blunt. Today, we’re moving from simple phrases to nuanced, professional phrasing so you can handle high-stakes workplace interactions with complete confidence. Here we go.. Scenario 1: Scheduling, Rescheduling & Managing Appointments Scheduling sounds simple until you hit conflicts, tight deadlines, or time zones. The goal is to move past standard phrases like "When are you free?" and use conditional structures, professional phrasal verbs, and clear proposed time frames. Example Dialogue: Managing a Schedule Conflict Sarah (Project Lead): "Hi Mark, I wanted to check your availability for this week. Could we pencil in a 45-minute sync to align on the Q3 deliverables?" Mark (Senior Analyst): "I’d like to, Sarah, but I’ve got a tight schedule today. Could we push it back to Thursday morning? I have a window of availability between 10:00 AM and 11:30 AM." Sarah: "Thursday at 10:30 AM works well on my end. I’ll send over a calendar invite with the meeting link." Mark: "Perfect. If an unexpected clash in my schedule arises before then, I’ll let you know right away so we can bring it forward or adjust accordingly." Please note that there are two pronunciations for the word schedule (British) and schedule (American) , both are correct. Extended Phrase Breakdown & Alternatives • Proposing Initial Times: o Standard: "When can we meet to talk about the project?" o B2 Level: "Could we pencil in a brief catch-up later this week to align on the project milestones?"o B2 Level: "Do you have any availability toward the end of the week for a 30-minute sync?" • Rescheduling or Dealing with Conflicts: o Standard: "I am busy, let's meet later." o B2 Level: "Due to an unexpected scheduling conflict, I'll need to push back our meeting to Friday afternoon." o B2 Level: "Something urgent has come up. Would it be possible to bring our session forward to this morning instead?" • Confirming & Finalizing: o Standard: "Okay, see you then." o B2 Level: "That time slot works perfectly on my end. I'll issue a calendar invitation with the agenda attached." Scenario 2: Appraisal & Performance Review Meetings Appraisal meetings require a delicate balance. You need to showcase accomplishments without sounding arrogant, and accept constructive criticism without getting defensive. Example Dialogue: Self-Assessment & Handling Feedback Manager: "Thanks for taking the time today, Elena. Let's start by looking at your key achievements over the past six months." Elena: "Overall, it's been a productive period. I managed to streamline our client onboarding workflow, which reduced our setup time by roughly 20%. However, I did hit a few bottlenecks when managing the multi-regional rollouts." Manager: "I noticed that as well. What steps are you taking to address those operational challenges?" Elena: "Moving forward, I intend to delegate more operational tasks to the junior team members so I can focus on strategic planning. I'd also welcome any guidance on how to improve cross-departmental coordination." Extended Phrase Breakdown & Alternatives • Highlighting Achievements (Self-Appraisal): o Standard: "I worked hard and did a good job on the project." o B2 Level: "I successfully spearheaded the new client onboarding process, which significantly improved our team's overall efficiency."o B2 Level: "Over the last quarter, I played a pivotal role in scaling our customer retention efforts." • Discussing Challenges & Areas for Growth: o Standard: "I had trouble with time management." o B2 Level: "I encountered a major bottleneck with deadline management, but I have since adopted a new prioritization framework to resolve it." o B2 Level: "One area where I see room for improvement is delegating high-priority tasks during peak workloads." • Responding Positively to Criticism: o Standard: "Okay, I will try to fix that." o B2 Level: "I appreciate that feedback. I intend to take proactive steps to refine my workflow in that area over the next quarter." Scenario 3: Conferences, Workshops & Professional Networking Attending international conferences involves distinct communication phases: initiating small talk, discussing technical sessions, and exchanging contact details smoothly. Example Dialogue: Networking Between Keynote Sessions David: "Excuse me, do you mind if I join you at this table? The venue is packed today!" Claire: "Not at all, go right ahead! How are you finding the conference so far?" David: "It's been very insightful. What did you think of the keynote speaker's points on digital transformation?" Claire: "I thought her analysis of market trends was spot on, though some of her predictions on automation seemed a bit optimistic." David: "I agree completely. By the way, I'm David from Apex Solutions. We specialize in supply chain logistics." Claire: "Nice to meet you, David. I'm Claire. We're actually expanding our logistics division right now—let's exchange business cards or connect on LinkedIn so we can discuss potential collaboration." Extended Phrase Breakdown & Alternatives • Breaking the Ice & Starting Conversation: o Standard: "Is this seat free? Do you like the presentations?" o B2 Level: "Is this seat taken? What has been your main takeaway from the panel discussions so far?"o B2 Level: "Have you attended this conference in previous years, or is this your first time?" • Discussing Content & Sharing Opinions: o Standard: "The speech was good." o B2 Level: "I found the keynote presentation particularly engaging, especially the data on emerging industry trends." o B2 Level: "Her perspective on market disruption was quite compelling, though I have a few reservations about the timeline." • Closing the Conversation & Following Up: o Standard: "Bye, nice talking to you." o B2 Level: "It was a pleasure exchanging insights with you today. Let's connect on LinkedIn to keep the conversation going." o B2 Level: "Here is my business card. Feel free to reach out if you'd like to explore potential synergies between our teams." • Here are some exercises to practice what you have learnt. Exercise 1: B2 Business Synonyms Match the everyday vocabulary in Column A with its professional B2 workplace synonym in Column B. Column A (Standard Everyday English) Column B (Professional B2 Business English) 1. Postpone / Delay to a later time A. Streamline 2. Problem or delay in a process B. Keynote 3. Schedule tentatively C. Push back 4. Lead or initiate a major project D. Pencil in 5. Make a process simpler or more efficient E. Bottleneck 6. Main featured presentation or speech F. SpearheadExercise 2: Written Comprehension & Gap-Fill Exercise Read the workplace narrative below and select the correct option (A, B, C, or D) for each blank. Text Effective workplace communication requires agility across different settings. When managing a busy work calendar, professionals must often (1) _____ provisional meeting dates with international clients, taking care to avoid unexpected scheduling (2) _____. If urgent priorities arise, it may become necessary to (3) _____ an appointment to the following week. During annual performance reviews, employees should highlight how they managed to (4) _____ complex operations to save time, while also identifying operational (5) _____ that hindered progress. Finally, when attending professional (6) _____, asking thoughtful questions after a (7) _____ speech and making an effort to (8) _____ with attendees can pave the way for successful future collaborations. 1. (A) call off (B) pencil in (C) drop out (D) break up 2. (A) clashes (B) panels (C) keynotes (D) reviews 3. (A) push back (B) set up (C) bring forward (D) speed up 4. (A) complicate (B) streamline (C) delay (D) reject 5. (A) solutions (B) achievements (C) bottlenecks (D) agendas 6. (A) appraisals (B) conflicts (C) bottlenecks (D) conferences 7. (A) keynote (B) bottleneck (C) setup (D) summary 8. (A) isolate (B) network (C) postpone (D) reschedule Thanks for listening that’s all for today with me, Alison at English for French podcasts. The answer keys are below. I have included below some example templates, practice writing your own emails Have fun, see you soon at podcasts with me, Alison, at E4F. Cheers Synonym Answer Key: o 1 – C (Push back) o 2 – E (Bottleneck) o 3 – D (Pencil in) o 4 – F (Spearhead)o 5 – A (Streamline) o 6 – B (Keynote) Gapfill answers Answer Key & Explanations 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. B (pencil in) — To tentatively add a meeting to a schedule subject to later confirmation. A (clashes) — Scheduling conflicts where two events overlap. A (push back) — To delay or postpone an event to a later time or date. B (streamline) — To optimize or make a process faster and more efficient. C (bottlenecks) — Points of congestion or obstacles that slow down progress. D (conferences) — Formal multi-person gatherings for industry networking and learning. A (keynote) — The primary, high-profile presentation delivered at a conference. B (network) — To establish mutually beneficial professional relationships. Template 1: Scheduling an Appointment Subject: Proposed Meeting: Q3 Project Alignment / [Your Name] Dear [Name], I hope this email finds you well. I would like to pencil in a 30-minute sync later this week to align on our Q3 project milestones and discuss upcoming deliverables. Could you let me know if you have any availability on either of the following dates? • Thursday, September 4th: 10:00 AM – 11:30 AM • Friday, September 5th: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM If neither of these windows works on your end, please feel free to suggest an alternative time that suits your schedule. If an unexpected clash in my schedule arises prior to our call, I will be sure to inform you right away.I look forward to hearing from you. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Job Title] Template 2: Preparing for an Appraisal Meeting Subject: Appraisal Preparation & Pre-Meeting Agenda / [Your Name] Dear [Manager's Name], Ahead of our upcoming performance appraisal scheduled for [Date/Time], I wanted to share a brief outline of the key points I hope to cover during our discussion. Over the past six months, my primary focus has been to streamline our client onboarding workflow, which successfully reduced setup processing times by 20%. Additionally, I have compiled a summary of operational bottlenecks we encountered during recent project rollouts, along with proposed solutions to resolve them in the next quarter. During our meeting, I would also welcome your feedback on areas where I can continue to grow, as well as opportunities to spearhead new initiatives within the team. Thank you for your time, and I look forward to our discussion. Sincerely, [Your Name] [Your Job Title] Template 3: Following Up After a Conference Subject: Following up from [Conference Name] / [Your Name] Dear [Contact's Name], It was a pleasure meeting you during the networking session at [Conference Name] yesterday.I really enjoyed our conversation regarding market expansion strategies, and I found your perspective on emerging digital trends particularly insightful. As discussed, I believe there are several potential synergies between our teams' current projects. I have attached my digital business card for your convenience. Please feel free to reach out if you would like to schedule a brief call to explore potential collaboration opportunities. Alternatively, we can connect on LinkedIn to stay in touch. Thank you again for exchanging insights with me. Best regards, [Your Name] [Your Job Title] [Company Name]

  • #124
    August 5 · 8 min

    #3 COMM PRO : Visio and phone calls

    #3 Comm Pro: Visio and phone calls Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison, and today we are looking at how to tackle a huge part of modern work life: navigating phone and video calls with confidence, clarity, and professionalism. Whether you are jumping on a Zoom call, answering a phone call from a client, or dealing with technical glitches, knowing the right phrases will help you sound natural and authoritative. First we are going to look at how to master Virtual & Phone Communication Opening the Call (The Right First Impression) On the Phone When answering an incoming work call, state your name and company immediately. When making a call, introduce yourself and state your purpose clearly. Answering: "Good morning,English for French , this is Alison How may I help you?" "Hello, John Smith speaking." Calling : "Hello, this is Alison from English for French. I'm calling about your lessons with us.” "Hi John, do you have a quick moment to speak?" informal On a Video Call (Visio) Video calls are slightly more informal at the start while people join, but you should transition to business smoothly. Small Talk & Tech Check: "Good morning everyone. Can you all hear and see me clearly?" "Let’s wait another minute or two for everyone to join us." Starting the Agenda: "Alright, now that everyone is here, let’s get started." "The goal of today’s call is to cover [Topic A] and outline next steps for [Topic B]." Asking for Help & Offering Assistance Collaborative calls require polite, indirect requests that maintain professional etiquette. Asking for Help (Polite Requests) Clarification: "Could you expand on that last point? I want to make sure I got everything." Technical Help: "Could someone share their screen? My presentation file isn't loading." Task Support: "Would you mind sending over the updated report after the meeting?" Offering Help "Would you like me to take notes and send around a summary afterwards?" "I can help look into that issue if you’d like." "Let me know if you need a hand with the presentation." Handling Technical Issues & Interruptions Gracefully Technical glitches happen to everyone—the key is to address them calmly without panicking. Mute Issues: "Sorry about that, I was on mute!" Audio/Video Lag: "You’re cutting out a bit. Could you repeat that last sentence?" Screen Sharing: "Can everyone see my screen okay?" Managing Cross-Talk (Video Calls): "Sorry, go ahead, Alison. I’ll speak after you." Closing the Call Professionally Never end a call abruptly. Wrap up with clear action items, appreciation, and a formal sign-off. Summarizing Action Items: "So to summarize, I will draft the email and Laura will review the budget." Final Check: "Does anyone have any final questions before we wrap up?" Thanking & Goodbye: "Thank you for your time today, everyone. Have a great rest of your day!" "Thanks for calling, Lucas]. Talk to you soon. Goodbye !" ⚠️ Common Pitfalls: Errors to Avoid ❌ Common Mistake Why It Causes Problems ✅ What to Say/Do Instead Saying "Sorry,Who are you?" when answering a call. Sounds rude and demanding. "May I ask who is calling, please?" Saying "I don't understand you, speak louder." Blames the speaker directly. "Could you speak up a little, please? The line is faint." Leaving long silences while looking for files. Leaves the listener wondering if the line died. "Bear with me for one second while I pull up that file..." Ending with just "Bye!" on a formal client call. Too abrupt for formal business settings. "Thank you for your time. Have a great day!" Talking over someone on video. Causes audio distortion on platforms like Zoom/Teams. Pause, raise your virtual hand, or write in the chat: "Go ahead, Jane ." Interactive Practice Exercises Exercise 1: Script Rewrite Rewrite these informal or awkward phrases into professional English. Informal: "What do you want?" 👉 Professional: __________________________________________________ Informal: "Wait a minute, I can't find the page." 👉 Professional: __________________________________________________ Informal: "Your mic is broken, I hear nothing." 👉 Professional: __________________________________________________ Informal: "I'm hanging up now." 👉 Professional: __________________________________________________ Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks Fill in the missing words using vocabulary from today's lesson: (Words: mute, summarize, hand, expand, join in) "Let's wait another minute for Sarah to ____________ on the call." "Could you ____________ on that idea? I'd love to hear more details." "Sorry, I didn't realize I was on ____________!" "I can give you a ____________ with that report if you're busy." "Before we finish, let me quickly ____________ our key action items." Exercise 3: Matching Scenarios to Phrases Match the scenario on the left (1–4) with the most appropriate professional phrase on the right (A–D). Scenario Professional Phrase 1. A colleague is speaking, but you cannot hear them. A. "Let’s park that topic for now and circle back to it next week." 2. The meeting is running long, and you need to discuss another topic later. B. "You’re on mute, [Name]—we can’t hear you." 3. You want to introduce your team member to present a section. C. "Before we close, let’s quickly assign action items for each task." 4. You want to ensure everyone leaves the call knowing their tasks. D. "I’ll pass the mic over to Sarah to walk us through the design updates." Exercise 4: Spot the Error & Fix It Identify the error in each line of dialogue and rewrite it professionally. Dialogue: "Hey! Can you show your screen now?" 👉 Fix: __________________________________________________ Dialogue: "Stop talking, I can't hear the client." 👉 Fix: __________________________________________________ Dialogue: "I will close the call now because time is out." 👉 Fix: __________________________________________________ Role play Scenario: I am Arthur Pendelton, a project manager at Apex Logistics. I am calling you, my primary point of contact at your company, to get an urgent status update on the software integration project we started last month. (Phone rings...) Arthur: "Good morning! This is Arthur Pendelton calling from Apex Logistics. I'm calling to check in on the status of our software integration project. Do you have a quick moment to speak?" That’s all for today at English for French podcasts. I hope you enjoyed it. You can find the answers to the exercises below. See you again soon and keep practicing. Cheers Exercise 1: Script Rewrite Answer Key Informal: "What do you want?" 👉 Professional: "How may I help you today?" or "Could you let me know what you're calling regarding?" Why: "What do you want?" sounds aggressive and dismissive in English business culture. Rephrasing it into a polite offer of assistance maintains professional courtesy. Informal: "Wait a minute, I can't find the page." 👉 Professional: "Please bear with me for just a moment while I pull up that page." or "One moment, please—let me locate that document for you." Why: Phrases like "bear with me" signal to the listener that you are actively working to fix the delay, preventing awkward silence on the call. Informal: "Your mic is broken, I hear nothing." 👉 Professional: "I'm having a little trouble hearing you. Could you check if your microphone is unmuted?" or "Your audio seems to be dropping out—could you repeat that last part?" Why: Direct statements like "your mic is broken" can feel accusatory. Framing the issue as a neutral technical glitch ("I'm having trouble hearing you") is much more polite. Informal: "I'm hanging up now." 👉 Professional: "Thank you for your time today. I’ll let you go now—have a great rest of your day!" or "Thanks for the update. Talk to you soon. Goodbye!" Why: "Hanging up" is too abrupt and transactional. Professional closings always express appreciation before wrapping up. Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks Answer Key "Let's wait another minute for Sarah to join in the call." Explanation: "Join in " is an extremely common phrasal verb in business contexts meaning to join a phone or video conference call. "Could you expand on that idea? I'd love to hear more details." Explanation: To "expand on" something means to elaborate or provide more depth about a point already mentioned. "Sorry, I didn't realize I was on mute!" Explanation: Being "on mute" is the standard phrase used when your microphone audio is switched off during a video or audio call. "I can give you a hand with that report if you're busy." Explanation: "Give a hand" (or "need a hand") is a natural idiom used to offer or request assistance in a collaborative work environment. "Before we finish, let me quickly summarize our key action items." Explanation: "Summarize" means to outline the main points or responsibilities before concluding a call. Here is the complete answer key and explanations for Exercises 3 and 4! Exercise 3: Matching Scenarios to Phrases Answer Key 1 — B Scenario: A colleague is speaking, but you cannot hear them. Phrase: "You’re on mute, [Name]—we can’t hear you." Explanation: Pointing out that someone is on mute quickly solves the most common audio issue in video calls without interrupting the flow of the presentation. 2 — A Scenario: The meeting is running long, and you need to discuss another topic later. Phrase: "Let’s park that topic for now and circle back to it next week." Explanation: "To park a topic" means to save a non-urgent discussion for a future time so the team stays focused on the current agenda. 3 — D Scenario: You want to introduce your team member to present a section. Phrase: "I’ll pass the mic over to Sarah to walk us through the design updates." Explanation: "Passing the mic" (or "handing over") is a smooth transition phrase used to delegate the presentation to a colleague. 4 — C Scenario: You want to ensure everyone leaves the call knowing their tasks. Phrase: "Before we close, let’s quickly assign action items for each task." Explanation: Establishing clear "action items" ensures everyone understands their specific responsibilities after the call ends. Exercise 4: Spot the Error & Fix It Answer Key Original: "Hey! Can you show your screen now?" 👉 Professional Fix: "Could you share your screen with us when you're ready?" or "Would you mind pulling up your screen?" Explanation: In English business contexts, "show your screen" sounds overly informal or direct. "Share your screen" is the standard term, paired with "Could you..." or "Would you mind..." for politeness. Original: "Stop talking, I can't hear the client." 👉 Professional Fix: "Could everyone please hold on a second? I'm having trouble hearing the client." or "May I ask everyone to mute their mics for a moment so we can hear [Client Name]?" Explanation: Telling colleagues to "stop talking" is sharp and blunt. Addressing the entire group politely or focusing on mic etiquette maintains a professional environment. Original: "I will close the call now because time is out." 👉 Professional Fix: "I see we’ve run out of time, so let’s wrap things up here." or "Since we’ve reached the end of our scheduled time, let's wrap up." Explanation: "Time is out" is a literal translation error from languages like German or French. In English, we say "we've run out of time" or "we've reached the end of our time."

  • #123
    July 31 · 9 min

    #10 A1 : Possessive adjectives

    #10 Possessive adjectives Hi, I’m Alison. Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. Today we are looking at an important concept in English grammar: Possessive Adjectives. When you want to say something belongs to you, to me, or to someone else, you use possessive adjectives. The verb 'belong' means that something is 'owned' by you. For example: "This is my phone" or "Where is your bag?" This is her son, she is her daughter. The difference between these possessive adjectives and those in French is that we apply them depending on the possessor and not the thing that is possessed My car/my cars His car/his cars Their cat/their cats The possessive adjectives are invariable, no plural form. Quand vous avez quelque chose qui vous appartient ou qui appartient à quelqu’un d'autre, on utilise les adjectifs possessifs. En français c’est le mon , ma , mes etc. sauf qu’en anglais l’adjectif possessif est accordé avec la personne a qui l’objet appartient et n’est pas accordé avec l’objet) Let's break it down together! What Are Possessive Adjectives? In English, possessive adjectives are small words used before a noun to show ownership or relationship. They tell us who owns or possesses something. To use them correctly, you must pair each possessive adjective with its matching subject pronoun: I → My: You use my when talking about things that belong to yourself. You → Your: You use your when talking directly to another person about something they own. He → His: Use his for a male person (a man, boy, or male name like John). She → Her: Use her for a female person (a woman, girl, or female name like Sarah). It → Its: Use its for an object, animal, or thing when gender isn't specified. We → Our: Use our when something belongs to a group that includes you. They → Their: Use their when something belongs to a group of other people (not including you). Important Rule: Always Place Before the Noun In English, the possessive adjective always sits directly in front of the noun it describes. It never changes whether the noun is singular or plural! Correct : My book / My books Incorrect: ~~Mys books~~ or ~~Book my~~ Quick Reference Table Subject Pronoun Possessive Adjective Example Sentence I My This is my cat. You Your What is your name? He His His car is red. She Her Her dress is blue. It Its The dog eats its food. We Our Welcome to our house. They Their Their children are happy. Examples in Action Listen carefully to how these words sound in everyday conversations: My: "I love my family." Your: "Is this your jacket?" His: "David is brushing his teeth." Her: "Sarah is reading her book." Its: "Look at that bird! Its wings are yellow." Our: "We love our English class!" Their: "Tom and Emma are calling their parents." Tip: Be careful with it's vs. its! It's (with an apostrophe) means It is. (Example: It's cold today.) Its (without an apostrophe) shows possession. (Example: The cat drinks its milk.) That’s all for today’s podcast with me, Alison, at English for French. I hope you enjoyed it You will find below an exercise, but also remember the best way to learn is to use the language, so try using these possessives. This is my podcast; you are listening on your computer! Keep practicing every day, and soon these words will feel totally natural. Have fun. Cheers ! Practice Exercise Now it's time to test your memory! Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, its, our, their). I have a book. This is _______ book. She has a bicycle. _______ bicycle is green. John has a phone. _______ phone is new. We live in a big house. _______ house has three bedrooms. They are doing _______ homework together. What is _______ favourite movie? (asking you) Answer Key my (I have a book. This is my book.) her (She has a bicycle. Her bicycle is green.) his (John has a phone. His phone is new.) our (We live in a big house. Our house has three bedrooms.) their (They are doing their homework together.) your (What is your favorite movie?)

  • #122
    July 17 · 9 min

    #2 Comm pro: Writing business emails

    #2 Professional Communication: Writing business emails Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison, and today we are talking about a skill that causes a lot of stress: writing business emails. If you are at this level, you already know your grammar—but you might struggle with the tone. Is your email too friendly? Is it too cold? Let’s find some solutions to that today." The main idea behind writing a good professional email is being clear, not clever! When writing at this level, you might feel tempted to use long, complicated sentences to sound smart. Don't. Modern business communication values clarity above everything else. A perfect email is one that can be read and understood in less than 30 seconds. Use short sentences and get straight to the point. One has to find the subtle difference between being friendly and being professional; there is a fine line between them. Tone is how your voice sounds in writing. In English, a cold email can sound rude, but an overly friendly email can sound unprofessional. The golden rule is to be polite, helpful, and objective. Try to avoid using exclamation marks (!) to show excitement—it can look childish. Use full stops instead. Always avoid caps lock (LIKE THIS), which looks like shouting. In British English, we often use softening and indirectness to avoid sounding aggressive or too abrupt. If you are writing specifically for British colleagues or clients, the culture relies heavily on indirectness and politeness markers. Compare these different styles: Direct (American style): "Send me the report by 5 PM." Indirect (British style): "Would it be possible to receive the report by 5 PM?" Softening your requests: Use modal verbs like could, would, and should. Instead of saying "I want," say "I would appreciate." Understatement: British speakers often minimize problems. If a situation is a disaster, a British client might write, "We have a slight hitch," or "This is not ideal." Quick Vocabulary Note: British vs. American Spelling Keep an eye on your spelling settings! If you are focusing on British English, look out for these common changes: British English (UK) American English (US) Apologise / Organise Apologize / Organize Behaviour / Colour Behavior / Color Programme Program Now let’s look at how to structure your business email Every clear business email follows five simple steps. Let's look at the anatomy of a standard message. Section Purpose Example 1. The Greeting Set the right tone immediately. Dear Sir,Madam ,Dear Mr. Davis, or Hi Sarah, 2. The Opening State why you are writing clearly. I am writing to update you on... 3. The Core Message Give the main information or request. Could you please review the attached document? 4. The Next Step Call to action or closing thought. I look forward to hearing from you. 5. The Sign-off Professional goodbye + your name. Yours faithfully/sincerely, or Best regards, [Your Name] If you start your mail with Dear Sir, Madam, you should finish in business mails with “Yours faithfully”; if, however, you know the name of the person you are writing to, then one can use Dear Mr. Jones and finish with “Yours sincerely”. Both are formal, so you may wish to use Kind regards” instead. Note that Ms. in front of a name indicates a woman who is either unmarried or does not wish to use her married title. Let’s check the formal vs informal vocabulary. Using the wrong word can completely change how your colleague or client perceives you. Here is a handy synonym guide to help you choose the right tone. Informal Word / Phrase Formal Business Equivalent Ask for Request Get Receive Help Assist / Assistance Need Require Tell Inform Sorry! We apologize for any inconvenience caused. I think... In my opinion, / It appears that... Let me know Please inform me / Kindly advise Fix Resolve But However, Let's look at how to rewrite a messy, overly casual email into something sharp and professional. Here is an example of a casual email which would not be used with clients, unless you know them on a personal level. Hey Tom, sorry for the delay. I need the budget report ASAP because I'm trying to fix the project plan. Send it to me when you can. Thanks, Alex. Always avoid acronyms like asap and fyi except in internal emails or to people you know well. The following example is for a professional mail but to someone you have already communicated with: Dear Tom, Please accept my apologies for the delay in getting back to you. I am currently updating our project plan and require the latest budget report to finalize it. Could you please send the document at your earliest convenience? Thank you for your assistance. Best regards, Alex So let’s practice, the answers can be found at the end of this podcast: Try to rewrite these sentences using the formal/informal table above. Exercise 1: Rewrite this sentence to a client: "Hey, I got your email. I'll help you fix the problem." Exercise 2: Fill in the blank with a formal word: "Should you ________ further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me." That’s all for today's podcast with me, Alison, at English for French! Remember, when in doubt, keep it simple, clear, and slightly more formal than you think it needs to be. I hope you enjoyed this podcast, and I’ll see you soon. Cheers The answers to our exercises are as follows Exercise 1: "Thank you for your email. I will assist you in resolving the issue." Exercise 2: require

  • #121
    July 13 · 12 min

    #1 Comm Pro podcast-Introductions

    Podcast: #1 Comm Pro- Introductions Pitching Yourself, Your Job, and Your Company: The Art of the English Introduction Welcome back to podcasts with English for French ! I’m Alison, and in today’s podcast, we are diving deep into one of the most frequent—yet undeniably nerve-wracking—moments in your professional life: introducing yourself, your role, and your company. Whether you are hitting "send" on an introductory email, picking up the phone to speak with a prospective client, or stepping up to the podium for a major presentation, the words you choose dictate how you are perceived. In British English culture, hitting the right tone is an art form. Overdo the formality in a casual setting, and you risk seeming aloof; be too casual in a high-stakes environment, and you might be viewed as unprofessional. Today, we will break down how to introduce your professional self across three core mediums: Emails, Phone Calls, and Presentations. For each, we will explore the Informal, Polite/Standard, and Formal registers of British English. Then, we will wrap up with an expanded synonym exercise to lock in your learning. Here we go.. Written Introductions: The Email Inbox In the UK corporate world, email introductions are often your first point of contact. Tone is notoriously difficult to read in writing, so your choice of vocabulary does the heavy work. Informal (Internal Slack/Teams or close colleagues) The context is reaching out to a peer in a different department or a new team member joining your workspace. Example: "Hi Mark, hope you’re having a good week. Just a quick one to introduce myself—I’m Sarah and I’ve just taken over the mobile app side of things here at TechSprint. We’re a small start-up making productivity tools for remote teams. I am looking forward to working with you! Cheers, Sarah." Polite / Standard (External clients or cross-departmental heads) The context is emailing a new supplier or reaching out to a manager you haven't met. Example: "Dear Mark, I hope this email finds you well. My name is Sarah Jennings, and I work as a Software Engineer at TechSprint. We specialize in digital productivity solutions designed for remote workforces. I am reaching out to introduce myself as your main point of contact for our upcoming project. It is a pleasure to connect with you. Kind regards, Sarah." Formal (High-stakes pitches or corporate cold outreach) The context is introducing your company to a major enterprise stakeholder or a C-suite executive. Example: "Dear Mr. Davies, I trust you are well. Allow me to introduce myself; my name is Sarah Jennings. I hold the position of Senior Software Engineer at TechSprint, an enterprise dedicated to pioneering advanced productivity software for distributed organizations. I am writing to formally introduce our services to your department. I welcome the opportunity to discuss how we might assist you. Yours sincerely, Sarah Jennings." Spoken Introductions: The Phone or Video Call British phone etiquette relies heavily on vocal warmth and pacing. While emails allow you to edit, phone calls require you to adapt on your feet. Informal (A casual 1-on-1 Zoom or internal catch-up) The context is :An informal onboarding chat with a colleague. Example: "Morning! I'm Sarah, by the way. I handle the software engineering side of things here. Basically, I spend my days building our mobile apps and fixing bugs. I’m with TechSprint—we’re a fresh start-up doing remote work tools. Great to finally put a face to the name!" Polite / Standard (A scheduled discovery call with a prospect) The context is: A first meeting with a potential client on Microsoft Teams. Example: "Hello everyone, thank you for jumping on the call. My name is Sarah Jennings. I am a Software Engineer at TechSprint. Our company develops bespoke productivity tools for remote teams to help them collaborate more effectively. It is a pleasure to meet you all virtually today." Formal (An official briefing or intake call with external legal/finance) The context is: A formal teleconference representing your organization to institutional partners. Example: "Good afternoon. Thank you for your time today. For those I have not yet met, my name is Sarah Jennings. I serve as the Senior Software Engineer at TechSprint. We are an established provider of enterprise-grade productivity software for distributed workforces. I look forward to our discussion today." Broadcast Introductions: The Presentation Stepping up to present—whether to 5 people in a boardroom or 500 in an auditorium—demands distinct framing. Here, your introduction sets the expectations for the entire session. Informal (A Friday afternoon internal show-and-tell) The context is: Sharing a quick update with your immediate company department. Example: "Hi guys, thanks for coming. For anyone who doesn't know me, I'm Sarah. I look after the mobile app development here at TechSprint. Today, I'm going to give you a quick look at what we've been working on to make remote work a bit easier. Let's dive in." Polite / Standard (A webinar or a regional industry meetup) The context is: Presenting to a mixed audience of peers and external professionals. Example: "Good morning, everyone. Thank you for being here. My name is Sarah Jennings, and I work as a Software Engineer at TechSprint. For those unfamiliar with our work, TechSprint creates digital solutions aimed at optimizing remote team performance. Today, I would like to share some insights into our development process." Formal (A keynote speech or a vital pitch to the Board of Directors) The context is: Addressing the executive board or speaking at a major corporate summit. Example: "Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. May I take this opportunity to introduce myself; my name is Sarah Jennings. I hold the position of Senior Software Engineer at TechSprint. Our organization is dedicated to pioneering next-generation software architecture for distributed workforces globally. It is a privilege to address you today as we review our strategic technological roadmap." Your Turn: The Expanded Synonym & Register Exercise Now that you've seen how these introductions shift across different channels, let's test your ability to upgrade and adapt vocabulary. Below are ten sentences or phrases. Try to transition them across the different tones of formality using British English professional standards. Part A: Complete the Table Fill in the missing blanks in your mind (or on a notepad) before checking the answers below. Informal (Casual) Polite (Standard Business) Formal (Boardroom/Executive) 1. Just a quick one to say hi. I am writing to introduce myself. How would you say this formally? 2. I handle the tech side. I am responsible for our technology. How would you say this formally? 3. We make remote work tools. We design productivity software. How would you say this formally? 4. A fresh start-up... A growing business... How would you say this formally? 5. Let's dive in. Let us begin the presentation. How would you say this formally? Part B: Multiple Choice Challenge Choose the phrase that best fits a Formal British English Presentation: To start your speech, which sounds most appropriate? a) Right, let's get the ball rolling. b) Good morning. If I may have your attention, please. c) Hi everyone, thanks for showing up. When explaining your company's market position: a) We are a massive player in the software space. b) We are a well-known company making apps. c) We are a leading enterprise specializing in software architecture. So ,it is not always easy to get the tone right when introducing yourself or your company , role or job, but these guidelines should help. I hope you have enjoyed this podcast, with me, Alison, at English for French. The answers to the questions can be found below. 🎯 The Answer Key Part A Answers: Formal Option: "Allow me to introduce myself." or "I am writing to formally introduce our organization." Formal Option: "My remit encompasses our technological infrastructure." (Note: "Remit" is highly favored in British corporate environments to signify scope of responsibility.) Formal Option: "We pioneer advanced architectural solutions for distributed workforces." Formal Option: "An emerging enterprise..." or "An agile, high-growth organization..." Formal Option: "With your permission, I shall commence the briefing." Part B Answers: b) "Good morning. If I may have your attention, please." is excellent for a formal presentation. (a is too informal; c is polite but a bit too casual for a strict boardroom). c) "We are a leading enterprise specializing in software architecture." provides the precision, weight, and elevated vocabulary expected in formal British commerce. Summary Checklist for Your Next Introduction: Emails: Check your sign-offs (Cheers vs. Kind regards vs. Yours sincerely). Phone Calls: Avoid dropping your pronouns (Say "My name is..." rather than just barking your name). Presentations: Frame your role by what you oversee, not just what you do.

  • #120
    June 15 · 10 min

    #9 A1 QUESTION WORDS

    #9 A1-QUESTION WORDS Part 1: Visual Mind Map & Meaning Guide. Source : MAHIJ Hi, I’m Alison. Welcome back to podcasts with English for French. Remember that each question word targets a completely different type of information. Part 2: Examples for Formula 1 (The "Be" Verb) Let's look at a large collection of sentences using our first pattern. Remember the rule for states, locations, and identities: Question Word + Am/Is/Are + Subject + Extra Info Talking About People & Identities Who + is + your English teacher? Qui est ton professeur? Who + are + those people near the door? Qui sont les gens près de la porte ? What + is + your brother's job? Qu’est-ce que le travail de ton frère ? Who + is + the manager of this shop? Qui est le manager de ce magasin ? Talking About Locations & Objects Where + is + my blue pen? Où est mon stylo bleu ? Where + are + the car keys? Où sont les clés de la voiture ? What + is + on the kitchen table? Qu’est-ce que c’est sur la table de la cuisine ? Where + is + the nearest train station? Où est la gare la plus proche ? Talking About Times & Reasons When + is + the English exam? Quand est ton examen anglais ? When + is + your favorite TV show on? Quand est ton emission préfèré sur la télévision ? Why + are + you + tired today? Pourquoi es-tu fatigue aujourd’hui ? Why + is + the window + open? Pourquoi est la fenêtre ouverte ? Part 3: Examples for Formula 2 (Action Verbs with Do/Does) Now let's look at sentences that use action words like live, want, buy, go, work, or study. Remember, you must use do or does right after the question word! Question Word + Do/Does + Subject + Action Verb (Base Form) Everyday Habits (Using "Do" for I / You / We / They) Where + do + you + live? Où habites-tu? What + do + you + eat for breakfast? Qu’est ce que tu manges pour le petit déjeuner ? When + do + they + start work every day? A quelle heure commencent-ils au travail tous les jopurs ? How + do + you + spell your last name? Comment épellez-vous votre nom de famille ? What time + do + we + meet tomorrow? A quelle heure on se retrouve demain ? Why + do + you + study English? Pourquoi étudiez-vous l’anglais? Routines of Others (Using "Does" for He / She / It) Where + does + he + work? (Not works) Où travailles-t-il ? What + does + she + want to drink? (Not wants) Qu’est-ce qu’elle voudrais boire ? How + does + your father + go to the office? (Not goes) Comment ton père se rend-il au bureau ? When + does + the supermarket + close? (Not closes) À quelle heure ferme le supermarché ? What time + does + the bus + arrive? À quelle heure arrive le bus ? Why + does + he + drive a big truck? • Pourquoi conduit-il un gros camion ? Part 4: The Ultimate Question & Answer Table To help you see how these sentences flow in real conversations, here is a large table matching common A1 questions directly with their answers. Notice how the structure of the question guides the answer! Question Word Real-Life Question Sentence Real-Life Answer Sentence What "What is your favorite color?" "My favorite color is blue." What "What do you do on Saturdays?" "I play football with my friends." Where "Where are my shoes?" "Your shoes are under the bed." Where "Where do you buy fresh bread?" "I buy bread at the bakery down the street." When "When is the soccer match?" "The match is on Sunday afternoon." When "When do you visit your family?" "I visit my family in December." Who "Who is that girl in the red jacket?" "That girl is my sister, Marie." Who "Who do you eat dinner with?" "I eat dinner with my mother” Why "Why are you drinking water?" "Because I am very thirsty." Why "Why does she walk to school?" "Because she does not have a bicycle." How "How is the weather in London today?" "The weather is rainy and cold." How "How do they cook this delicious chicken?" "They cook it in a hot oven for one hour." Your Final Takeaway Challenge We went through more than thirty example sentences today! Pick just three questions from this lesson that you find useful. Write them down on a piece of paper or save them in your phone. Keep writing sentences until the structure feels natural and spontaneous (Continuez de pratiquer en écrivant jusqu’à que ça devient naturel et un automatisme, l’écriture est très important dans l’apprentissage d’une langue I hope you enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison. See you soon at English for French podcasts. Keep practicing. Cheers

  • #119
    June 15 · 8 min

    #8 A1 ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY PODCAST

    #8 A1-ADVERBS OF FREQUENCY Hi, I am Alison and welcome back to podcasts with English for French, helping you to learn English, we are taking a look at Adverbs of Frequency—those important words we use to talk about how often we do things. Using examples and explanations, I am going to help you understand adverbs using a list of phrases you can use in your daily life. Understanding the Frequency Scale To understand these words, think of them as a scale from 100% of the time down to 0% of the time. (pour comprendre on peut utilizer un système de pourcentage ).Look at the chart above to visualize the scale, and let's go through the big list of examples below. I have categorized them by Daily Routines, Food & Drink, and Hobbies & Sports so you can see them in action. Frequency Word Category: Daily Routines Category: Food & Drink Category: Hobbies & Sports 100% Always "I always wash my hands." "You always drink warm milk." "He always plays tennis." 90% Usually "She usually walks to school." "We usually eat salad for lunch." "They usually watch comedies." 70% Often "They often wake up early." "I often bake fresh cookies." "You often go to the beach." 50% Sometimes "We sometimes take the bus." "He sometimes cooks dinner." "She sometimes paints pictures." 10% Rarely "He rarely cleans his bedroom." "They rarely drink soda." "I rarely play video games." 0% Never "I never lose my cell phone." "She never eats meat." "We never go skiing." Sentence Structure: The Two Strict Rules Now, let's look at exactly where to place these words in a sentence. This is very important because the rule changes based on the type of verb you use.(Nous allons voir où on place ces mots dans une phrase.) Rule 1: Action Verbs (Word goes BEFORE the verb) When you use a normal action verb—like eat, drink, walk, read, buy, or sleep—the frequency adverb must sit before that action. I + always + brush my teeth before bed. My brother + usually + drives a red car. We + often + visit our grandparents. They + sometimes + listen to podcasts. She + rarely + forgets her homework. You + never + wear a hat. Rule 2: The "Be" Verb (the adverb goes AFTER the verb) When you use the verb to be—am, is, or are—to describe a state or a feeling, the frequency word must sit after that verb. I am + always + happy to help you. He is + usually + tired after work. The library is + often + quiet. We are + sometimes + late for breakfast. They are + rarely + sad on weekends. You are + never + alone in class. Let's Review a Few More Examples! To make sure you really have this down, let's look at a few common mistakes and how to fix them: Incorrect: She goes usually to the gym. Correct: She + usually + goes to the gym. (Rule 1) Incorrect: I always am on time. Correct: I am + always + on time. (Rule 2) Try creating your own sentences using this exact structure today. Think of one thing you always do, one thing you sometimes do, and one thing you never do. I hope you enjoyed listening to this podcast, with me , Alison , here at English for French. Keep practicing out loud, and I will see you next time Cheers

  • #118
    June 10 · 13 min

    #7 A1 PRESENT SIMPLE

    #7 A1- PRESENT SIMPLE Hi, my name is Alison, welcome back to podcasts with English for French. Today, we are talking about an essential part of English grammar, the Present Simple Tense. We use this tense to describe things and people, our habits, general truths, permanent situations (where we work or live, for example), and facts. (Aujourd’hui on va parler du présent simple. On utilise ce temps pour décrire des choses et des gens, nos habitudes, les vérités générales, des situations permanentes, où on travaille, ou où on habite , et des faits. Now, it is not as simple as its name suggests; it has a few little rules that every language learner should know. Today, we’re going to learn its three forms —positive statements, negative statements, and questions—plus, we'll look at the spelling rules that you need to know for pronunciation and writing.(Nous allons regarder les 3 formes, positive, négative et interrogative, et les règles à suivre pour bien prononcer et écrire ). Here we go. I: The Positive (The Rule of the 'S') Let’s start with the basics. We use the Present Simple to talk about habits, routines, or things that are generally true. For example, "I drink tea every morning" or "Water boils at 100 degrees." For most people—I, you, we, they—the verb stays completely normal; we call this the base verb or “BV”. You just say the verb with no conjugation necessary. On utilise pour ces pronoms la base verbale ou le verbe non conjugué. "I live in New York." (Verb ‘to live’) "They play tennis on weekends. (Verb ’to play’) But here comes the rules. When we talk about a third person—he, she, or it—the verb needs to be conjugated . We have to add an -s, -es, or -ies to the end. Missing that 's' is the number one mistake a lot of learners make, so try to train your ear to listen for it! Now, you don't always just add the letter "S" onto the end of every verb. Spelling in English has its exceptions. Let’s break down the three official spelling rules for third-person verbs: Rule 1: The Standard "S" For about 80% of English verbs, just add a regular -s. Walk becomes Walks ➔ "He walks to work every day." Speak becomes Speaks ➔ "She speaks fluent Japanese." Rule 2: The Hissing Sounds & O (Add "-es") If a verb ends in a sound that sounds like a hiss, a buzz, or a pop—specifically -ch, -sh, -x, -ss, -z,ou-o, we add -es instead. This adds an extra syllable (-iz) to make it easy to pronounce. (Si le verbe finit par ces lettres on doit ajouter le -es qu’on prononce -iz). Watch becomes Watches ➔ "He watches his favorite show on Tuesdays." Wash becomes Washes ➔ "She washes her car on weekends." Go becomes Goes ➔ "She goes to the gym at 6 AM." Rule 3: The Consonant + Y (Change to "-ies") Look closely at the letter right before a final -y. If it is a consonant (like d, l, r), the "Y" turns into an -ies. Study becomes Studies ➔ "He studies English." Fly becomes Flies ➔ "The bird flies south for winter." ⚠️ If there is a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) before the "Y", this rule does not apply! Just add a normal 's'. For example, play becomes plays ("He plays soccer") and buy becomes buys. Act II: The Negative Alright, making things negative. (Maintenant le negative) In English, we can't just throw the word "not" directly onto a normal verb. We can't say, "I not live in New York." That sounds really bad to a native speaker. Instead, we have to call in a helper, also known as an auxiliary verb. That helper is do.(Pour conjuguer le présent simple au négatif, on a besoin d’une aide : les auxiliaires ; vous les avez également en français !) To make a sentence negative, we combine do + not to get do not (or the contraction don't). "I don't like mushrooms." "We don't wake up early on Sundays." But what happens to our third-person (he, she, it)? Well, that 'S' we just talked about is going to be added to the auxiliary , we conjugate auxiliaries in English not verbs , so much easier.! So do becomes does, and when we add "not", we get does not (or doesn't). Because the 's' is already on the auxiliary, the main verb goes back to its normal form or base verb, verbs are lazy in English; the auxiliaries do all the work!. (Alors, pour la troisième personne, le ‘s’ ne s’ajoute plus au verbe, car on va utiliser (comme en français) un auxiliaire , qui, lui, va prendre le ‘s’ et la négation, et le verbe qui est paresseux en anglais retourne à sa forme de base verbale , non conjuguée.) Look at how this changes: "She doesn't like mushrooms." (Not: "She doesn't likes") "He doesn't wake up early." (Not: "He doesn't wakes") Act III: Asking Questions Finally, let’s talk about questions. To ask a question in the Present Simple, we use that exact same auxiliary, do or does, but we move it to the very front of the sentence. The formula is simple: Auxiliary (Do/Does) + Subject + Main Verb? Let's look at the standard subjects first: "Do you speak Spanish?" "Do they travel often?" And for he, she, it, we use our friend does. Just like in the negative form, the main verb stays completely in its base form because does is already doing all the work. "Does she speak Spanish?" "Does it take a long time?" The Cheat Sheet So to conclude, let’s look at a complete table using a few different verbs so you can see all the rules in action. Subject Type Form Default Verb (Work) Hissing/-O Verb (Go) Consonant + Y Verb (Study) I / You / We / They Positive Negative Question I work here. I don't work here. Do you work here? They go out. They don't go out. Do they go out? We study English. We don't study English. Do we study English? He / She / It Positive Negative Question She works here. She doesn't work here. Does she work here? He goes out. He doesn't go out. Does he go out? It studies data analysis. It doesn't study data analysis. Does it study data analysis.? Sum up: The main verb only changes its ending in positive sentences for he/she/it. In negatives and questions, the auxiliary (does/doesn't) does the work, and the main verb stays in its base form, lazy form!! (Pour conclure, le verbe principal ne change que pour la troisième personne, he, she, it , en phrases positives et pour la négation et les questions on utilise les auxiliaires « do et does » (He, she, it) et le verbe retourne en forme de base , paresseux !) That’s all for today. Keep practicing, use the table to make sentences and questions. The Present Simple! You've seen it in all its forms, from spoken speech to written spelling. Go out there, practice using it in a conversation today, and listen out for those third-person rules I hope you have enjoyed this podcast with me, Alison, at English for French. See you soon. Cheers

  • #117
    June 3 · 14 min

    #23 B1/2 ADDITIONAL COLLOCATIONS

    #23 B1/2 ADDITIONAL COLLOCATIONS Hi, and welcome back to podcasts with English for French. I’m Alison, and today we are looking into collocations. At the B2 level, you already know thousands of nouns. You know words like attention, cold, time, and promise. But are you pairing them with the correct verbs? Often, intermediate learners translate directly from their native language, leading to phrases that sound just a little bit "off" to a native ear, for example, to do a mistake instead of to make a mistake, or to pass time instead of to spend time. Today, we are mastering six essential verbs that are very useful in phrases and in collocations: pay, catch, waste, win, give, and keep. Let's break them down. Collocations, as you probably already know, are two or more words that are used together at the same time to mean something specific, and if you use the wrong verb, it can sound odd. Pay, Catch, and Waste: Let’s start with three verbs that frequently show up in both professional settings and daily life. PAY (Attention / A compliment) The Nuance: In many languages, you "make" attention or "give" a compliment. In English, attention and compliments are things you pay. Examples: "You need to pay attention to the road signs while driving. By the way, I loved your presentation earlier—everyone was paying you compliments about it." CATCH (Someone's eye / A glimpse) The Nuance: Beyond catching a ball or catching a bus, catch is used for a sudden visual connection. If you look at someone and they look back at the exact same time, you catch their eye. If you see something for just a split second, you catch a glimpse of it. Examples: "I tried to catch the waiter's eye to ask for the bill, but he was too busy. I only caught a glimpse of him before he disappeared into the kitchen." WASTE (Time / Breath) The Nuance: We all know about wasting money, but at B2, you should also use waste for communication and effort. If talking to someone is useless because they won't listen, you are wasting your breath. Example: "Don't waste your time trying to convince him to change his mind; you're just wasting your breath." Win, Give, and Keep: Now, let's move on to our next three verbs: win, give, and keep. These are crucial for describing relationships, respect, and trust. WIN (An argument)The Nuance: You don't "gain" an argument, you win it. More importantly, abstract things like professional admiration aren't just given to you—you have to win someone over to your point of view. Example: "She didn't just win the argument during the debate; she also managed to win the entire committee over to her point of view." GIVE (A hand / Someone a lift) The Nuance: Give is incredibly versatile. In casual or workplace English, if you help someone with a physical task (like carrying boxes), you give them a hand. If you drive them somewhere so they don't have to take the bus, you give them a lift (or a ride). Examples: "If you're struggling with those heavy files, I can give you a hand. I can also give you a lift home after work if your car is still in the garage." KEEP (In touch / An open mind) The Nuance: Keep is all about continuity. To maintain a relationship with someone, you keep in touch. When approaching a new, strange idea without judging it too quickly, you keep an open mind. Examples: "Even though we moved to different cities, we still keep in touch. It’s important to keep an open mind when experiencing a new culture." Let’s bring all six of these together into a natural workplace scenario. Listen to how these verbs flow together smoothly: "When I started my new job, I made sure to pay attention to how the senior staff operated. I wanted to win their respect early on. My manager was great—she always kept an open mind when I suggested new ideas. Yesterday, I caught a glimpse of our quarterly targets and realized we were behind. Instead of wasting my breath complaining, I asked a colleague to give me a hand with the data so we could fix it. We worked late, but we stayed motivated." Notice how none of those sentences felt robotic? That is the power of verb collocations. They connect your thoughts seamlessly. So, your practice for today is to take the verBS I use next and use them in some sentences, try to use as many as possible in natural, fluid English, and try to spot them in the next English article you read or TV show you watch. I hope you enjoyed this podcast, keep practicing and see you soon at podcasts with English for French. Cheers

  • #116
    May 29 · 13 min

    #4 A1 ALPHABET AND NUMBERS

    #4 A1 ALPHABET AND NUMBERS Hi, my name is Alison. Welcome back to podcasts at English for French. Today’s podcast is all about the alphabet and numbers. Today, we are going to learn the basic pronunciation and also how to spell your name and mail addresses without being misunderstood. In English, there are 26 letters. We have vowels (A, E, I, O, U) and consonants (all the other letters). Let’s listen to how they sound and look at an example for each one. A to G A is for Apple. “I am eating an apple.” B is for Boy. “The boy is happy.” C is for Cat. “My cat is sleeping.” D is for Dog. “I love my dog.” E is for Egg. “An egg for breakfast.” F is for Fish. “The fish is in the water.” G is for Green. “The grass is green.” H to N H is for House. “This is my house.” I is for Ice cream. “I like chocolate ice cream!” J is for Jacket. “Wear a jacket. It is cold.” K is for Key. “Where is my key?” L is for Lemon. “A lemon is yellow.” M is for Milk. “Drink some milk.” N is for Name. “My name is Emma.” O to T O is for Orange. “Orange is a delicious fruit.” P is for Pen. “Write with a blue pen.” Q is for Quiet. “Please be quiet in the library.” R is for Red. “The apple is red.” S is for Sun. “The sun is hot today.” T is for Teacher. “She is my English teacher.” U to Z U is for Umbrella. “Take an umbrella. It is raining.” V is for Vegetables. “Vegetables are good for you.” W is for Water. “Can I have a glass of water, please?” X is for Xylophone (or X-ray!). Y is for Yellow. “The sun is yellow.” Z is for Zebra. “Look at the zebra at the zoo.” Practice saying these letters every day. You can spell your own name to practice! For example, my name is A L I S O N (Entraînez vous en épelant vos noms, emils etc) To avoid being misunderstood the letters of the alphabet have “code names”, you may know some of them already. So for example to spell my name I would say ( pour épeler mon prénom et nom je dirais) : A for Alpha L for Lima I for India S for Sierra O for Oscar N for November If it is difficult to remember, you can make your own code names, keep it simple; animals, fruit, days of the week, months of the year.(Vous pourriez faire votre propre code des lettres, gardez le simple , les animaux, fruits, jours et mois) A for apple L for lemon I for Ice cream S for Sunday O for orange N for Never This will mean less mistakes especially on the telephone. (Vous aurez moins de problèmes de compréhension surtout au téléphone) Try with your mail address Here’s mine, listen carefully: alison@english4french.com Note that the @ is “at” and the point is “dot”in mail addresses and websites. Part 2: Numbers (1 to 10 and More) Now, let’s move to numbers. Numbers are everywhere. We use them for age, prices, and phone numbers.’ (Nous utilisons les chiffres pour l’âge, les prix, et les numéros de téléphone) Let’s count from 1 to 10 together: Number Word Example 1 One I have one sister. 2 Two She has two cats. 3 Three There are three books on the table. 4 Four A car has four wheels. 5 Five I have five fingers on my hand. 6 Six The class starts at six o'clock. 7 Seven There are seven days in a week. 8 Eight He is eight years old. 9 Nine The bus arrives in nine minutes. 10 Ten I have ten toes. Big Numbers (10 to 100) When you know 1 to 10, the big numbers are easy! 11 = Eleven 12= Twelve 13 = Thirteen 14 = Fourteen 15 = fifteen 16 = sixteen 17 = Seventeen 18 = Eighteen 19 = nineteen Be careful of the pronunciation of the numbers with “teen” so as not to confuse them with the units of ten (20, 30 etc). Faites attention à la pronunciation de 13 à 19. 20 = Twenty ("I am twenty years old.") 21 = Twenty-one , twenty-two, twenty-three etc 30 = Thirty ("The book costs thirty pounds.") 40 = Forty 50 = Fifty 60 = Sixty 70 = Seventy 80 = Eighty 90 = Ninety 100 = One hundred ("There are one hundred people here!") Now, how do we use letters and numbers together? Let’s listen to a short conversation. Conversation at a Hotel: Receptionist: Hello! What is your name? Guest: My name is John. Receptionist: How do you spell your last name? Guest: It is S - M - I - T - H. Receptionist: Can I have a phone number, please? Guest: Yes, it’s 07 65 43 91 28 Receptionist: Thank you, Mr. Smith. Your room number is 405 (Four-zero-five). Here is your key! Guest: Thank you! Note that in phone numbers in English , each number is said as a single digit ( chaque numéro est dit comme chiffre individuel.) That is all for today's episode! You now know the alphabet and basic numbers in English. Practice spelling your name and counting things in your room. Cheers

  • #115
    May 29 · 14 min

    #5 A1 COMPARATIVES

    #5 A1 Comparatives Hello, and welcome back to podcasts at English for French. I’m Alison and today’s podcast is all about comparatives ( aujourd’hui on va regarder comment utiliser des comparatifs en anglais).We use comparatives all the time so they can be very useful. "Comparative" comes from the verb to compare. We use comparatives when we look at two things—it could be two people, two cities, two cars, or two days of the week—and we describe the differences between them. Short Words (1 Syllable) Let’s start with the most common. In English, we categorize our adjectives by how long they are—specifically, by how many syllables, or vowel sounds, they have. When an adjective is short like tall, fast, small, or cold, the rule is easy. We take that short adjective, and we add -er directly onto the end of it. Then, to connect it to the second object, we use the word than (spelled t-h-a-n). The Structure: Adjective + -er + than Let's listen to how this sounds in natural, everyday conversation: Tall - Taller: Imagine you are standing next to your friend. You look up at him. You can say, "My friend is taller than me." Fast - Faster: Think about transport. A train travels quickly, but an airplane is incredible. "An airplane is faster than a train." Old - Older: My brother is older than me The "CVC" Spelling Rule Now, let's pause for a quick written tip. When you are writing these down, look closely at short words like big, hot, or sad. These words end in a specific pattern: a Consonant, a Vowel, and another Consonant (CVC). When a one-syllable word does this, we must double that very last letter before we add our -er( there are exceptions with vowel sounds like slow). Let's listen to how they sound. Big - Bigger: (spelled b-i-g-g-e-r). "An elephant is bigger than a cat." Hot - Hotter: (spelled h-o-t-t-e-r). "The desert is hotter than the mountains." So..Short word? Just add -er and than. Donc pour les adjectifs d’un syllable on ajoute –« er » et le mot « than » (et si le mot finit par consonne, voyelle, consonne on double la dernière consonne.) The "Y" Words (2 Syllables) So here’s the rule for words ending in Y with 2 syllables, words we use for example to describe feelings and traits, like happy, heavy, easy, or friendly. . When we want to make a comparison, we drop the -y completely, replace it with an -i, and then add our comparative -er. Let's break these down with some clear examples so you can hear the rhythm: Happy- Happier: (spelled h-a-p-p-i-e-r). Imagine your friend had a bad week last week, but today they are smiling. You can say, "She looks much happier than she did yesterday." Heavy - Heavier: Think about packing for a vacation. You lift your suitcase, and then you lift your small backpack. "The suitcase is heavier than the backpack." Easy-Easier: Maybe you tried learning a language before, but English is better for you. You might say, "This grammar lesson is easier than the one I did last week." Notice how the rhythm changes slightly, but the ending sound is exactly the same as our short words. Happier than, heavier than, easier than. The Long Words (2 or More Syllables) Now the third group. What do we do when an adjective is long a, 2 or more syllables? Words like beautiful, expensive, interesting, and comfortable. English speakers prefer a smooth vocal flow, so we do not change the long adjective at all. The adjective doesn’t change, but we place a word right in front of it: the word more or less. Pour garder la musicalité de l’anglais nous ne changeons pas les adjectifs longs et on ajoute « more » / plus ou « less » / moins et après l’adjectif on ajoute comme pour tous les comparatifs, « than ». The Structure: More/less + Adjective + than Let's listen to how this sounds when we put it into full sentences: Expensive- More expensive: Think about shopping. You see a beautiful dress and a t-shirt. "The dress is more expensive than the t-shirt." Beautiful-More beautiful: Imagine travelling. You are standing on a hill looking at a sunset over the ocean. You might think, "The countryside is more beautiful than the city." Interesting- More interesting: Think about books or movies. "In my opinion, the book is always more interesting than the movie adaptation." So, for long words, remember the golden rule: Don't change the word. (Irregular Comparatives) Irregular adjectives. These are words that don’t follow the rules. They don't take an "-er", and they don't use the word "more." Les comparatifs irréguliers ne suivent pas les règles . For A1 level, there are really only three irregulars that you need to know because you will use them often. Good The word good does not become "gooder". Instead, it transforms into the word better. Le mot “good “ , bien , devient le mot better , mieux. Let's think about food. You go to a restaurant, and the food is okay. But then you go home and eat your mother's cooking. You would say, "My mother's cooking is better than this restaurant." Or "My English pronunciation today is better than it was last month." Bad The word bad does not become "badder". It transforms into the word worse (spelled w-o-r-s-e).Le mot “bad” , mauvais deviant “worse”, pire . Think about the weather. Yesterday it was raining, but today it is raining and cold. "The weather today is worse than yesterday." Or think about being stuck in traffic. "The morning traffic is always worse than the evening traffic." Far The word far becomes further, not more far, le mot “far” devient further , plus loin. London is further away than Now that we have seen all four categories, let’s take a moment to review. When you want to compare two things, ask yourself just one question: How long is the word? Adjective Type Base Word Comparative Form Example Sentence Short (1 Syllable) CVC Fast Hot Faster than Hotter than "A car is faster than a bicycle." Provence is hotter than London 2 Syllables)Ends in "Y" Easy Easier than "Learning English is easier than learning Mandarin” Long (2+ Syllables) Comfortable More (or less) comfortable than "The sofa is more(or less) comfortable than the wooden chair." Irregular Good / Bad/Far Better than Worse than Further than "A sunny day is better than a rainy day." Today, I want you to try a little exercise. Look at the things around you right now. Look at your phone, your shoes, your cup of coffee, or the weather outside your window. Try to make just two or three sentences in your head, comparing them. Pour vous entrainer, regardez autour de vous, essayez de comparer des choses simples, faites des phrases. Is your coffee colder than it was five minutes ago? Is this podcast more difficult than last lesson’s podcast? The more you practice, the more natural it will become. Everyday, your English is better than it was yesterday. Tous les jours, votre anglais est mieux que c’était hier. Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this podcast. See you soon at podcasts with Alison at English for French. Keep practicing Cheers

  • #114
    May 29 · 15 min

    #6 A1 SUPERLATIVES

    #6 A1 Superlatives Hello, and welcome back to podcasts at English for French. I’m Alison and today’s podcast is all about superlatives (aujourd’hui on va regarder comment utiliser des superlatifs en anglais).We use superlatives all the time so they can be very useful. Superlative comes from the Latin and old French word “super,” which means to be above or beyond. We use superlatives when we look at one thing and compare it to other similar things and find it to be at the upper or lower limit in quality, quantity, etc.—it could be people, cities, cars, or a day of the week—and we describe the higher or lower quality, size between them.(Les superlatifs sont utilisés pour décrire quelque chose et sa qualité , quantité , taille, etc., en comparaison avec toutes les autres choses dans la même catégorie , par exemple, « my dog is the best dog », en utilisant le superlative on indique que « mon chien est le meilleur chien de tous les chiens ».) Short Words (1 Syllable) Let’s start with the most common. In English, we categorize our adjectives by how long they are—specifically, by how many syllables, or vowel sounds, they have. When an adjective is short like tall, fast, small, or cold, the rule is easy. We put the word “the” in front of the adjective and we take that short adjective, and we add -est directly onto the end of it. All superlatives start with the word “The”, the biggest car, the smallest cat etc. The Structure: The + Superlative Let's listen to how this sounds in natural, everyday conversation: Tall – The tallest: Imagine you are standing next to your friends. “Tom is the tallest of my friends” Fast - Fastest: Think about transport. “Most cars are fast but the Ferrari is the fastest” Old - Oldest: “He has lots of animals but his dog is the oldest” The "CVC" Spelling Rule Now, let's pause for a quick written tip. When you are writing these down, look closely at short words like big, hot, or sad. These words end in a specific pattern: a Consonant, a Vowel, and another Consonant (CVC). Si l’adjectif d’une syllabe finit par une consonne, une voyelle et une consonne, on double la dernière consonne. When a one-syllable word does this, we must double that very last letter before we add our -est ( there are exceptions with vowel sounds like slow). Let's listen to how they sound. Big – the biggest: (spelt b-i-g-g-e-s-t). "An elephant is the biggest land mammal” Hot – The hottest: (spelt h-o-t-t-e-s-t). "The South of France is the hottest region ." So..Short words? Just add the and -est. Donc pour les adjectifs d’un syllable on ajoute –the et « est » (et si le mot finit par consonne, voyelle, consonne on double la dernière consonne.) The "Y" Words (2 Syllables) So here’s the rule for words ending in Y with 2 syllables, words we use for example to describe feelings and traits, like happy, heavy, easy, or friendly. . When we want to make a superlative, we add “the” in front and drop the -y completely from the adjective, and then add our superlative ending -iest. Let's break these down with some clear examples so you can hear the rhythm: Happy- the Happiest: (spelt h-a-p-p-i-e-s-t). Imagine your friend had a bad week last week, but today they are smiling. You can say, "”This is the happiest she has ever been” “c’est la plus heureuse elle n’a jamais été”. Heavy – the Heaviest: Think about packing for a vacation. You lift your suitcases. "The blue suitcase is the heaviest." “La valise bleue est la plus lourde”. Easy-the Easiest: Maybe you tried learning a language before, but English is better for you. You might say, "English grammar is the easiest”( “La grammaire anglaise est la plus facile”) Notice how the rhythm changes slightly, but the ending sound is exactly the same as our short words. The happiest, the heaviest, the easiest. The Long Words (2 or More Syllables) Now the third group. What do we do when an adjective is long a, 2 or more syllables? Words like beautiful, expensive, interesting, and comfortable. English speakers prefer a smooth vocal flow, so we do not change the long adjective at all. The adjective doesn’t change, but we place “the” and then add a word right in front of it: most/least . Pour garder la musicalité de l’anglais, nous ne changeons pas les adjectifs longs et on ajoute « the »(le, la , les ) devant l’adjectif(comme pour tous les superlatifs ), et puis on ajoute most (plus) ou least ( moins) devant l’adjectif The Structure: The most/least + Adjective Let's listen to how this sounds when we put it into full sentences: Expensive- The most expensive: Think about shopping. You see a beautiful dress in a shop window . “That is the most beautiful dress in the shop” Beautiful-The most beautiful: Imagine travelling. You are standing on a hill looking at a sunset over the ocean. You might think, "This is the most amazing sunset I have ever seen” (C’est le plus beau coucher du soleil je n’ai jamais vu” Interesting- The least interesting: Think about books or movies. "His last book was the least interesting” (son dernier livre était le moins intéressant) So, for long words, remember the golden rule: Don't change the adjective. (Irregular Superlatives) Irregular adjectives. These are words that don’t follow the rules. They don't take an "-est",/iest and they don't use the word "most/least." Les superlatifs irréguliers ne suivent pas les règles . For A1 level, there are really only three irregulars that you need to know because you will use them often. Good The word good does not become "goodest". Instead, it transforms into the word the best. Le mot “good “ , bien , devient le mot best , meilleur(e). Let's think about food. You go to a restaurant, and the food is okay. But then you go home and eat your mother's cooking. You would say, "My mother's cooking is the best” Bad The word bad does not become "baddest". It transforms into the worst (spelt w-o-r-s-t).Le mot “bad” , mauvais devient “the worst”, le /la/les pire . Think about the weather. Yesterday it was raining, but today it is raining and cold. "The weather today is the worst of this week” Or think about being stuck in traffic. "The morning traffic is the worst” Far The word far becomes furthest, not more far, le mot “far” devient the furthest, le /la/les plus loin. “Rome is the furthest she has travelled”.. “Rome est le plus loin elle a voyage” Now that we have seen all four categories, let’s take a moment to review. When you want to compare one thing to all other things, ask yourself just one question: How long is the word? Adjective Type Base Word Comparative Form Example Sentence Short (1 Syllable) CVC Fast Hot The Fastest The Hottest A Ferrari is the fastest car Provence is the hottest region 2 Syllables)Ends in "Y" Easy The Easiest Lesson #1 is the easiest lesson Long (2+ Syllables) Comfortable The most/least comfortable The sofa is the most comfortable piece of furniture Irregular Good / Bad/Far The best The worst The furthest This is the best concert This is the worst day this month This is the furthest I have run Today, I want you to try a little exercise. Look at the things around you right now. Look at your phone, your shoes, your cup of coffee, or the weather outside your window. Try to make just two or three sentences in your head, using superlatives ( the best cup of coffee , the most comfortable shoes etc. Pour vous entrainer, regardez autour de vous, essayez d’utiliser des superlatifs pour des choses simples, faites des phrases. Is this the best or the worst podcast? The more you practice, the more natural it will become. Thank you for listening. I hope you enjoyed this podcast. See you soon at podcasts with Alison at English for French. Keep practicing Cheers

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