Coucou ☕️🇫🇷🥐 I'm Amélie Laurent and this is my French newsletter. I supercharge your progress from A2 to B2 through colloquial dialogues.
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Bonjour tout le monde! 🌞 Another Tuesday another scrumptious dialogue for your learning pleasure.
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We all secretly know the only way to truly learn a language are real-life conversations and experiences. Lessons and grammar can only take us so far.
While real-life experiences are difficult to recreate, my colloquial conversational dialogues help you learn authentic French in context. They’re how real French people actually speak.
If you have any questions or concerns - comment below or simply reply to this email.
Gros Bisous! A x
Dialogue Audio 🎧
Dialogue du Jour
Alexandre : Éva, quel est ton jeu de société préféré ?
Éva : Je dirais que ✪ c'est le Monopoly. C'est un vrai casse-tête ✪ parfois, mais j'aime l'aspect stratégique.
Alexandre : Ah, le Monopoly ! Un classique. C'est vrai que c'est un peu un casse-tête, surtout quand on ne sait plus vraiment à qui c'est le tour.
Éva : Tu sais, chaque fois qu'on joue, je suis toujours celle qui est confuse ✪. Je me demande ✪ toujours "c'est ton tour ou c'est à moi ? ✪"
Alexandre : Haha, c'est tellement toi ! Et le Jeu Catan, tu l'as déjà essayé ?
Éva : Non, je ne l'ai jamais joué. Est-ce que c'est difficile ?
Alexandre : Non, pas vraiment, c'est bon enfant ✪, une ambiance très relax. Tu devrais vraiment l'essayer.
Éva : Pourquoi pas ? C'est une bonne idée.
Alexandre : Super ! D'ailleurs, je prévois une soirée jeux de société avec des amis ce week-end. Ça te dirait de ✪ nous rejoindre ? Il y aura aussi ce gros beauf ✪ de Martin, tu te souviens de lui ?
Éva : Martin, le grand avec la barbe ? Oui, je me souviens de lui. Mais ca va, ça semble amusant. J'y serai.
Alexandre : Parfait ! On se voit alors ce week-end.
♡ 𝕃𝕚𝕜𝕖 𝕓𝕖𝕝𝕠𝕨 👇
✪ Notes
je dirais que 🧩 = I would say that
un casse-tête✨ = lit. ‘head-breaker’ = headache/conundrum/puzzle. Just a great expression. Ex. ‘Ce problème est un vrai casse-tête”.
confus(e) = embrouillé = confused. A true friend 👯♀️ (words that translate almost directly) . Can be a little tricky because the feminine ‘confuse’ looks like a verb to English-speaker-brains, but it’s an adjective!
je me demande 🧩 = I’m wondering. Ex. ‘Je me demande comment j'ai pu être si crédule’ (I wonder how I could have been so gullible)
c'est à moi = it’s my turn (or, it’s up to me)
c'est bon enfant✨ = amical, sans malice = friendly, good-natured, easy-going. I just love this phrase. The whole atmosphere of what you’re doing has the energy of a happy baby/child, how wonderful.
ça te/vous dirait de 🧩 = how would you like to = the right way to ask if something suites someone to do. Ex. "Ça te dirait de venir dîner à la maison ce soir ?”
ce gros beauf = the insult for the stereotypical obnoxious man, someone the speaker finds backward, gross, a little sexist, makes vulgar jokes, narrow-minded, arrogant etc. “Mon chef est un gros beauf”. (v. colq.)
*✨ = especially ‘Frenchie’ words/phrases you should try and use more
*🧩 = ‘une phrase toute faite’ (a canned response/phrase that you can memorise and use as a puzzle piece, chaining these together in conversation is the fastest way to sound fluent)
Writing Prompt ✍️
My favourite board game is probably Monopoly, although I haven’t played it in far too long. I remember *begging* our parents to play it on a Sunday afternoon, and how you’d have to leave it all set up on the living room floor to finish the next evening (did we ever finish those games?). I was always convinced my sister was laundering money, dirty dealings happened under the Monopoly board. And she always wanted to be the banker too! Very suspicious!
Alors, quel est ton jeu de société préféré ?
All answers are welcome. One word.. or one sentence.
Write me your answer in the comments. I can’t wait to read them! 👇🏼
Translation
A: E, what's your favourite board game?
E: I'd have to say Monopoly. It's a real brain-teaser sometimes, but I like the strategic aspect.
A: Ah, Monopoly! A classic. It's true that it's a bit of a puzzle, especially when you don't really know whose turn it is any more.
E: You know, every time we play, I'm always the one who's confused. I always ask myself "Is it your turn or mine? "
A: Haha, that's so like you! Have you ever tried the Catan game?
E: No, I've never played it. Is it difficult?
A: No, not really, it's very good fun, a very relaxed atmosphere. You really should try it.
E: Why not? It's a great idea.
A: Great! In fact, I'm planning a board games evening with some friends this weekend. Would you like to join us? There's that big lout Martin there, do you remember him?
E: Martin, the tall guy with the beard? Yes, I remember him. But it's all right, it sounds like fun. I'll be there.
A: Perfect! See you then this weekend.
Exercise - Fill in the blank 💪
Quickly test your comprehension, accelerate your learning. 🚀
Trouver une solution à ce problème est vraiment ___ pour moi.
Finding a solution to this problem is really a headache for me.___, cette pizza est la meilleure que j'ai jamais mangée.
I would say, this pizza is the best I've ever eaten.L'ambiance à cette fête ___, tout le monde s'amuse et rit.
The atmosphere at this party is good-natured, everyone is having fun and laughing.Mon cousin, avec son humour de ___, me fait toujours rire.
My cousin, with his big loutish humor, always makes me laugh.___ si elle viendra à la fête demain.
I wonder if she will come to the party tomorrow.
If you’re struggling the ✪ Notes section is always a good place to look. 😉 The answers are all in the dialogue or notes section.
[NO PEAKING] Answer Key: 1. un casse-tête 2. je dirais que 3. c'est bon enfant 4. gros beauf 5. je me demande
⏪ Catch Up On Recent Dialogues
Une Façon d'utiliser ce Dialogue
These dialogues are a very simple tool. Yet this allows them to be versatile and endlessly flexible to you and your learning style.
Here’s one way you could use the dialogue this week:
📣 Read the dialogue out loud (this bit is really important) to yourself.
Try and master the intonation of the words and emotions.
Check out my quick guide🔗 for different ways you can learn with these dialogues. Perfect if you’re finding them too easy or too hard. 🙌🏻
Private French Lessons
If you’re a serious intermediate student, and would like a private lesson, you can book one here →. Please note there are limited spots available, it is '“first-come first-served” as you say in English.
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À plus tard, mes chers élèves!
Amélie x
J’aime le Wingspan. Les oiseaux sont amusants.
The quiz was so helpful. I hope that I will find one at the end of each dialogue. I also appreciated your explanation of unfamiliar phrases