Feel Good French | Slow French Podcast & Stories

Déborah Pham van Xua
  • 4.8 (4)
  • Language Learning
  • Updated Weekly

Feel Good French is a Slow French podcast for A2, B1 and B2 learners, francophiles, expats and future expats dreaming of a new chapter in France. Improve your French listening naturally through true stories, French culture, history, travel and real places in France. Discover extraordinary lives of people who reinvented themselves in France. Not a grammar lesson: French through stories. Free transcripts and companion PDFs: www.feelgoodfrench.com

  1. 6d ago

    Jackie Kennedy Wanted the Mona Lisa. France Resisted. | Slow French

    Jackie Kennedy wants to bring the Mona Lisa to the United States. Louvre curators fear the journey could damage it. How does a former student of French, with no elected office, help turn a dinner promise into a national art loan? In this episode of Extraordinary Lives in France, follow Jackie from her year in Paris to her work at the White House, her friendship with André Malraux and the painting’s journey in 1962–63. Listen in clear, slow French, with useful expressions explained as the story unfolds and French and English subtitles in the video version. Would you like to discuss this story in a small French conversation group? Join the interest list here: https://tally.so/r/0Q4DqZ Expressions in this episode: - la soif de connaissances — a thirst for knowledge - le patrimoine — cultural heritage - un prêt — a loan If you enjoyed this episode, listen next to Julia Child’s story about the French meal that changed her life. Photo credit: Mona Lisa photograph by Fred Romero, cropped for video, CC BY 2.0: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Leonardo_da_Vinci_-_Mona_Lisa_(31319341901).jpg | License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ Other archival images: Wikimedia Commons, JFK Presidential Library and Museum, and Bibliothèque nationale de France. Music: “Cafe Regrette” by Asher Fulero. #JackieKennedy #SlowFrench #LearnFrench #FrenchListeningPractice

  2. Sep 23

    Anthony Bourdain in France: The Oyster He Never Forgot | Slow French

    At La Pyramide in Vienne, young Anthony Bourdain waits in the car with his brother while their parents enjoy a French meal. Later, on an oyster farmer’s boat in Arcachon Bay, he gets his own chance to impress them. Why did tasting one raw oyster stay with him long after he became a chef, writer and traveler? Listen in clear, slow French, with useful expressions explained as the story unfolds. Would you like to talk about this story in French? I’m forming a small conversation group for listeners of Extraordinary Lives in France. Tell me about your French and availability to join the interest list; I’ll let you know when enrolment opens: https://tally.so/r/0Q4DqZ Expressions in this episode: • avoir du caractère — to be strong-willed • prendre goût à quelque chose — to grow to like something • les coulisses — behind the scenes • savourer — to take time to enjoy • les mois en « r » — the traditional oyster season, September to April #SlowFrench #LearnFrench #FrenchListeningPractice #AnthonyBourdain

  3. Sep 2

    James Baldwin Left America at 24. Why France? | Slow French Story

    At 24, James Baldwin left America for Paris. He had little money, spoke little French, and had not yet published a novel. So why did he leave everything behind?In this episode of Extraordinary Lives in France, discover how France changed James Baldwin’s life and writing, from his difficult early years in Paris to Go Tell It on the Mountain and Giovanni’s Room, and finally to the beautiful village of Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where he made his home.Along the way, we’ll discover some surprising details: the restaurant incident that helped push Baldwin to leave America, the famous writers and musicians who visited his home in Provence, and the little room he jokingly called his “torture chamber.”This story is told in clear, natural Slow French for intermediate learners. Turn on the French or English subtitles if you need them, slow down the playback speed, and simply enjoy the story.🇫🇷 Feel Good French: discover extraordinary lives, places and stories in France while naturally improving your French.💌 Stay ConnectedNewsletter: https://shorturl.at/379V0Facebook Group – Retiring in France: / feelgoodfrench Website: https://feelgoodfrench.comWho should I tell you about next? Anyone in minde? Tell me in the comments.#FrenchPodcast #StoriesinFrench #JamesBaldwin #SlowFrench #LearnFrench #FrenchListening #FrenchCulture

  4. Aug 27

    Slow French Story George | George Orwell: The Young Englishman Who Went Broke in Paris

    Before he became the author of Animal Farm and 1984, George Orwell was a struggling young man living in Paris. His dream was to become a writer. Instead, he found himself broke, hungry, and working as a dishwasher in the hidden kitchens of Paris. In this Slow French story, discover the little-known years that shaped one of the greatest writers of the twentieth century while naturally improving your French. You’ll also learn authentic French expressions such as: • être dans la dèche• être fauché• ne plus avoir un rond• toucher le fond• métro, boulot, dodo Level: A2–B1 Come for the story.Leave with better French.

  5. Jul 29

    Nina Simone in France: The Refuge She Searched For | Slow French Story

    Pourquoi Nina Simone a-t-elle choisi de quitter les États-Unis pour vivre dans un petit village du sud de la France ? Dans cet épisode de Slow French Story, découvrez l’histoire touchante de Nina Simone, l’une des plus grandes chanteuses américaines du XXᵉ siècle. Après des années de succès, de combats et de souffrance, elle quitte son pays à la recherche d’un peu de paix. En Provence, elle trouve un refuge. Pas une vie parfaite, mais un endroit où reprendre son souffle. Une histoire vraie racontée en français lent, idéale pour les apprenants de niveau A2-B1 qui souhaitent améliorer leur compréhension tout en découvrant la culture et l’histoire de la France. Dans cet épisode, vous découvrirez également du vocabulaire utile, des expressions naturelles et une immersion dans la vie de Nina Simone en France. 00:00 Introduction – Nina Simone arrive en Provence 00:42 Pourquoi quitte-t-elle les États-Unis ? 01:57 Le combat pour les droits civiques 02:55 La France, un refuge pour les artistes 04:05 Une nouvelle vie à Carry-le-Rouet 05:18 « Ne me quitte pas » et le public français 06:24 Peut-on vraiment recommencer sa vie ailleurs ? 07:10 Conclusion 🇫🇷 Bonne écoute !

  6. Jul 1

    Slow French Story: Gertrude Stein in Paris

    Learn French with a Slow French story about Gertrude Stein, the American writer and art collector who moved to Paris at 29 and built a new life in France. At 27 rue de Fleurus, Picasso, Matisse, Hemingway and Fitzgerald came to see her paintings, discuss art and hear her opinion. Perfect for A2, B1 and B2 learners who want French listening practice through culture, history, art, Paris, expat life and true stories of people who started a new chapter in France. Transcript and PDF: www.feelgoodfrench.com

  7. Jun 24

    Ernest Hemingway: The Lost Suitcase That Changed His Life | Slow French Podcast

    Slow French podcast for intermediate French learners. Improve your French listening skills while discovering how Ernest Hemingway’s years in Paris changed his life forever. In this episode of Extraordinary Lives in France, we explore the story of Ernest Hemingway, a young American writer who arrived in Paris in the 1920s dreaming of becoming an author. Living among the cafés of Montparnasse, Shakespeare and Company, and the artists of the Lost Generation, Hemingway slowly found his voice. Then one day, almost all of his early writing disappeared in a lost suitcase at the Gare de Lyon. This true story is about Paris, writing, resilience, and starting over. It is also a story that many expats and lovers of France will recognize: arriving in a new country, building a new life, and discovering a new version of yourself. This Slow French podcast is designed for intermediate learners (A2-B1) and anyone interested in French culture, French history, Paris, literature, and authentic French listening practice. 00:00 Hemingway’s lost suitcase01:20 Welcome to Extraordinary Lives in France01:50 Ernest Hemingway arrives in Paris03:15 Montparnasse cafés and expatriate life05:15 Shakespeare and Company06:45 Gertrude Stein and the Lost Generation07:45 The lost manuscripts at Gare de Lyon09:40 Learning to write after loss10:45 Paris as a blank page11:35 A Moveable Feast12:00 Question for listeners and French learners #SlowFrench #LearnFrench #FrenchPodcast #FrenchListeningPractice #IntermediateFrench #LearnFrenchThroughStories #ErnestHemingway #Paris #FrenchCulture #ExtraordinaryLivesInFrance #FrenchPodcastA2 #FrenchPodcastB1 #LearnFrench #FrenchStories #FeelGoodFrench #MovetoFrance

  8. Jun 17

    Julia Child: The Woman Who Introduced France to America

    Learn French with this Slow French podcast. Every Wednesday, we discover an extraordinary life connected to France while improving our French naturally through storytelling. Last week, we explored the life of Josephine Baker. Today, we’re discovering Julia Child, the American woman who introduced French cuisine to America. In 1948, Julia Child arrived in France with no idea that her life was about to change forever. She was 36 years old. She wasn’t a chef. She wasn’t famous. And she still hadn’t found her true calling. Then, during a lunch stop in Normandy, she tasted a simple French dish called Sole Meunière. That meal would change everything. In this episode of Extraordinary Lives in France, you’ll discover how Julia Child fell in love with France, studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, and eventually introduced French cuisine to millions of Americans through her books and television shows. You’ll discover: • The meal that changed Julia Child’s life• Her connection to World War II• How she met her husband Paul Child• Life in post-war France• Her training at Le Cordon Bleu• The story behind Mastering the Art of French Cooking• How she became America’s most famous ambassador of French cuisine Perfect for intermediate French learners (A2-B1), francophiles, expats, and anyone who loves France, history, culture, and inspiring true stories. 🎧 New episode every Wednesday. 👇 Tell me in the comments: Which extraordinary life connected to France should I cover next? #SlowFrench #LearnFrench #FrenchListeningPractice #FrenchCulture #JuliaChild #FrenchPodcast #LearnFrenchThroughStories #IntermediateFrench #France #ComprehensibleFrench

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About

Feel Good French is a Slow French podcast for A2, B1 and B2 learners, francophiles, expats and future expats dreaming of a new chapter in France. Improve your French listening naturally through true stories, French culture, history, travel and real places in France. Discover extraordinary lives of people who reinvented themselves in France. Not a grammar lesson: French through stories. Free transcripts and companion PDFs: www.feelgoodfrench.com

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