236 pages
Culture & register
Tu or vous, toasts and small talk: what fits where, and with whom.
Sorting gameC2
A French regional word in a formal text: error, quotation or style?
Classify regional French words in formal texts as ordinary regional usage, quotation, deliberate style or mediated explanation without treating a variety as deficient.
Real documentA2
Read a French wedding invitation and reply
A French wedding invitation (faire-part) with the mairie, the church, the vin d'honneur and the dinner. Understand each part, then learn how to reply.
Vocabulary listB1
Boulot, pote, fric: nine familiar French words in everyday sentences
Recognise nine familiar French nouns with examples, gender notes and picture practice. Learn boulot, pote, fric, bagnole, bouquin and more.
PhrasebookB1
Ce n’est pas grave: how to say “it’s okay” in French
Reply to a small apology with ce n’est pas grave, recognise casual c’est pas grave, and add a useful next step. Five exchanges and a short quiz.
ArticleA2
Enchanté or ravi de vous rencontrer: pleased to meet you in French
Choose a short or fuller French introduction, match enchanté and ravi to the speaker, and practise tu and vous in two first-meeting scenes.
DialogueB1
Laisser tomber and coup de main: French idioms in a moving-day dialogue
Read a moving-day conversation with laisser tomber, donner un coup de main and jeter un coup d’œil. Separate physical actions from idiomatic meanings.
Word scaleB1
Do you agree? French from pas du tout to tout à fait
Pas du tout d'accord, pas vraiment, mouais, plutôt d'accord, tout à fait, absolument: a scale for agreeing and disagreeing in French debates and meetings.
Matching gameB1
French body idioms: avoir la tête dans les nuages and more
Coûter les yeux de la tête, casser les pieds, avoir le bras long, mettre les pieds dans le plat: match ten French body idioms to their meanings.
Cheat sheetB1
Septante, huitante and nonante: French regional number words
Recognise septante, huitante and nonante, compare Belgian and Swiss usage with France’s tens, and identify the numbers in short everyday examples.
TimelineB1
Coco Chanel: a life in eight dates
From an orphanage in Corrèze to the rue Cambon: follow Gabrielle Chanel's life in eight dates, in simple French, then put them back in order.
Common mistakesB1
Causer or parler: chatting, speaking and causing a problem
Avoid three traps with causer and parler. Compare talking with someone, talking about a topic and causing an effect, then answer four questions.
QuizC1
À rebours de: against a trend or literally backwards?
Read à rebours de in eight French contexts contrasting a trend, expectation or interpretation, alongside literal backwards movement.
Gap-fillB2
French B2 gap-fill: clarify an ambiguous interview answer
Complete 12 stance and reformulation markers in a French interview, then distinguish support, reservation and a concrete commitment.
Text conversationB2
Ask a French editor to preserve a qualification in your quote
Ask a French editor to restore a condition that was cut from your quote, using precise branching replies and a concise faithful alternative.
Verb drillB2
Partial disagreement in French: sur ce point, en partie and dans ce cas
Turn eight sweeping rebuttals into precise partial disagreements. State what you accept, then limit one point, part of an explanation or particular case.
Practical guideB2
Change French register while keeping the facts: a rewrite workshop
Practise French register rewrites that preserve the actor, time, uncertainty and strength of a claim. Compare recommendations, actions and results.
Myth or factA1
Myth or fact: French greetings and politeness
Do you have to say bonjour in shops? Is tu always rude? Do the French kiss everyone? Judge eight claims about greeting people in France.
ReadingB1
C’est dingue or c’est fou? Read three surprising French reactions
Read a short French story with c’est dingue, c’est fou and folle de. Check what surprises the speakers and practise fou, folle, fous and folles.
Sorting gameB1
Real French or franglais? Sort words you'll hear in France
Le parking, le footing, le pressing: sort sixteen words into everyday French, franglais that sounds English but means something else, and official French alternatives.
Real documentA2
Read a French event poster: la Fête de la musique
A town poster for the Fête de la musique: stages, times, free entry, road closures and the shuttle. Find the information you need to plan your evening.
PhrasebookA2
C’est gentil or c’est aimable: thank someone and answer an offer
Say “That’s kind of you” in French, accept or decline an offer, and choose de ta part or de votre part. Includes useful phrases and a short quiz.
ArticleB1
En fait or en réalité? Say “actually” in French
Correct a date with en fait, contrast appearance with en réalité, and keep actuellement for currently. Compare examples and test four choices.
DialogueB2
“Where are you really from?” Responding in French
Practise a sixteen-turn French conversation about “where are you really from?”, with ways to limit disclosure, clarify and redirect.
Word scaleB2
Affirme, estime, s'interroge: French reporting verbs and commitment
Compare affirme, estime and s’interroge through complete quotations, distinguishing assertion, judgement and questioning rather than ranking truth.
Matching gameA2
French school years: CP, CE1, sixième, terminale and ages
Confused by CP, CM2, sixième and terminale? Match each French school year to its age and UK/US equivalent, and see why French secondary school counts down.
Cheat sheetA2
French text message abbreviations: mdr, tkt, jsp and more
Decode French texting: mdr (LOL), tkt (don't worry), jsp (I don't know), stp, bcp, dsl, slt, cc. A one-page reference with full forms and examples.
TimelineB1
Joan of Arc: her story in eight dates
From Domrémy to Orléans, Reims and Rouen: the short life of Jeanne d'Arc during the Hundred Years' War, told as a French timeline.
Common mistakesB2
Effectuer or faire? Choose a natural French action verb
Use effectuer for checks, calculations and repairs, keep faire in everyday expressions, and practise clear rewrites with three focused questions.
QuizB1
Tu parles !: an eight-question quiz on agreement and “yeah right”
Does tu parles mean you speak, you bet or yeah right? Read the clue in each French exchange and test all three meanings in eight explained questions.
Gap-fillB1
Laisser tomber: practise “drop it” in a French gap-fill story
Drop a plan, set a detail aside or let a notebook fall. Learn the meanings of laisser tomber, then complete six gaps in a story about three friends.
Text conversationB1
Sending condolences in French by message
A colleague has lost a parent. Write a short, sincere French condolence message: what to say, what to avoid, and how to offer help without intruding.
Verb drillB1
Piger or comprendre: practise “I get it” in French
Compare familiar piger with comprendre, study their present-tense forms and complete eight drills. Learn when comprendre means “include” instead.
Practical guideB1
What does a short French reply mean? Read the whole exchange
Understand avec plaisir, je vous en prie and bien reçu through short exchanges. Practise spotting acceptance, thanks, permission and a polite refusal.
Myth or factA2
Myth or fact: tipping, water and bread in French restaurants
Is tipping compulsory in France? Is tap water free? Can you ask for more bread? Judge seven claims about French restaurant habits, vrai ou faux.
ReadingB2
Fustiger or critiquer: read the strength of French criticism
Read a short French report and compare fustiger, critiquer and critiquer vivement. Practise strong criticism, limited criticism and faithful summaries.
Sorting gameB1
Spoken or written French? Sort everyday words by register
Ouais, genre, du coup, bref vs néanmoins, toutefois, par conséquent, en outre: sort sixteen French words into speech and formal writing.
