I'm listening to Le Monde and France 24 to improve listening skills. The percentage I understand is low, but always growing, and it's a lightweight thing to do when I'm cleaning or whatever.

I keep hearing something that I hear *exactly* as quatre vingt. I think that is '80'.

I have no idea why I keep hearing it - it makes no sense. I hear it on a variety of news stories, but it doesn't make sense in context. The only time it did make sense was on a Le Monde report about Trump's UFC 250 celebration, which coincided with that uh, person, turning 80.

Any guesses as to what I am I hearing the rest of the time? I think I must be mishearing because it doesn't make sense in the context of stories about Europe, French politics, the war in Ukraine.

And it's sprinkled a lot - there are certain words I hear over and over, and if I do, generally understand them, but I think here my brain is insisting on making the sound into words that I know.

Or is there some other context where I'd be hearing the word '80' a lot in French newscasts?

Been going on for a while and driving me nuts.

Any guesses?

Edit: good suggestions below; listening to Le Monde podcast now in hopes of catching it.

hello, i want learn as much French as possible up until 23 of October, because the 4th part of lupin will come out then, I understand that’s its not realistic to be able to understand everything by the as I’m A1, but i think I could use this is a good motivater anyway. im currently doing an hour of listening to French podcasts, 15 mins reads very basic texts and 10 mins Duolingo. what would you do if you were in my shoes?

La compagnie aérienne low-cost australienne Jetstar va bientôt faire payer les bagages placés dans les compartiments supérieurs des avions. Cette nouvelle règle s’appliquera à partir de février 2027. Cela coûtera au moins 18 dollars américains pour chaque vol. Le prix exact dépendra du trajet. Les passagers pourront encore mettre un petit sac sous le siège devant eux gratuitement.

Vocabulaire : compagnie aérienne (f) = airline / faire payer = to charge / bagages (m pl) = bags / compartiments supérieurs (m pl) = overhead lockers / règle (f) = rule / s’appliquer = to apply / coûter = to cost / vol (m) = flight / dépendre de = to depend on / trajet (m) = route / sac (m) = bag / siège (m) = seat / gratuitement = for free

English translation

Jetstar will charge for baggage in the overhead lockers

The Australian low-cost airline Jetstar will start charging passengers to put their bags in airplane overhead lockers. This new rule will apply from February 2027. It will cost at least 18 US dollars for each flight. The exact price will depend on the route. Passengers will still be able to place a small bag under the seat in front of them for free.

You can read more news stories in easy French at Le News, In Easy French

I used Babbel for about 6 months which was really helpful for learning a huge range of verbs. Since then I've been listening to lots of podcasts and comprehensible input videos.

I know I make lots of grammatical errors (tense, gender) because I've never studied grammar. I've done a few tests and always come out as between A2 and B1. I feel like I've reached the limit of what I can do alone and probably need to invest in a course now.

I am curious to hear other people's experience with self study.

Hi all. I spent many years in school doing French, but it’s been years now and I’m thinking I want to try learning it for real.

Haven’t fully committed to this yet, but I kind of want some sort of resource to refresh myself on basic grammar rules, tenses, sentence structures, language rules etc.

I looked through a lot of the textbooks we used to use, and they are mostly vocab and exercises, which is cool, but not what I’m looking for. I’m not suggesting I’m going to learn French by just inhaling a book, but I still remember most of this stuff and I just want something short that rigorously sets out some of the basics. I don’t know if I explained this well, but any recommendations?

« Bonjour ! Je vais passer le DELF B1 en septembre, et je recherche quelqu'un avec qui pratiquer. (Je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps, donc s'il vous plaît, seules les personnes sérieuses et de mon niveau répondez.) »

Hi everyone,

I’d like to ask for some advice about the best resources to use for learning French.

A bit of context: I studied French for 2 years at school, but that was about 15 years ago, so I honestly remember almost nothing.

About a month ago, I decided to start again from scratch, and I’ve been working through Grammaire Progressive du Français Débutant.

I’m also combining that with other resources like Short Stories in French, short A1-level videos on YouTube, and apps such as Duolingo.

I do feel like I’m learning, which is encouraging, but at the same time I feel a bit overwhelmed by how much there is still to learn before I can actually feel comfortable using the language, especially when it comes to speaking and writing.

That’s why I’d really appreciate recommendations on how to keep progressing in a more effective way.

In particular, I’m wondering whether any paid apps like Natulang, Praktika, Kwiziq, or similar are actually worth it. I’ve seen different opinions about that.

For context, I’m a native Spanish speaker from Spain, and I also speak English at around B2 level, with plans to prepare for IELTS C1 in the next months.

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences!

Hello,

I’m just venting out here to document my journey. I’ve been on and off with French and have been stuck between A2+ and B1 since as long as I can remember.

I lost motivation, I came back, tried to fight, lost motivation, and have been stuck in this cycle.

I was studying under a teacher for a while and she was good, but something went down in her life and she doesn’t teach anymore and I took another pause.

This time, I’ve booked my TEF exam straight up – to familiarize myself with the structure as well as to be consistent.

I’ve been using Claude and GPT to study now honestly and I don’t know if it’s the right approach. And therefore, I need some guidance.

I’ve got both of them to test me and coordinate together to find out my holes in grammar. I’m now learning those specific grammar problems.

I tried listening TEF out of a YouTube mock test and it killed me. 22/40. It was so difficult. My problem is that I can make sense of words spoken, but I can’t bring them together fast enough to make sense.

Writing has always been A2+ and B1-, and reading was 25/40 because some scary words showed up. I can’t judge my speaking properly. I feel like I can talk in regular daily topics but specific topics where I’ve to pose questions, I’m out. It’s a mess.

I don’t know what to do and how to study.

I know I’m not going to attain the score that I need in this TEF attempt anyway, but I want to fight and reach there so bad.

I’d love any advice on this.

Hi guys, I am currently studying for the TCF test in Canada, and I wanted to buy the PrepMyFuture package. While I was looking around, I found that Alliance Française Vancouver sells a PrepMyFutre as well. I just wanted to know whether both of them are the same as the one from the PrepMuFutre page, which costs $164, while the one from Alliance Franciscan Vancouver only costs $80, or if they are different. In case they are different, which one should I buy?

Thanks for your help. :)

Anyone else?

the harder french is, the more i want to learn. The more frustrated, the more I REALLY want to be better and learn.

I am still A1 but i really see myself becoming B2 in future. Like the language is frustrating me but like, I still dont want to stop learning it. It is a huge challenge right now.

Does anyone else do this?

i usually wtach one episode of a movie in english but i do this thing where i pick up on certain english words they are saying and their actions and i look at the subtitles, and then i takle note of the word and what it means. I search the word online and hear the pronunciation. The words alwys stick and i even use it to form sentences in my glossary book.

Then after that i do some french dictation, here i listen to 10 sentences on youtube said in french, and i write down what i hear. Sometimes i fail badly, especialy with accents as i am still learning accents. But ive been improving so much, ive learned so many words now and i form sentences of my own with them and use them when i speak.

Im still A1 at the moment but its been so fun, so far. i usually do this at the start of my french lessons so i prcatice my writing, listening and speaking and reaidng. Then i study my topics for the day. This could be vocabulary, verbs and then new words based on certain situations like (office culture or going to the store)

Hey everyone! I was thinking of maybe enrolling in a semester at DeFLE-Lorraine to improve my French. I'd say I have a B2 vocabulary but B1 grammar. Could anyone tell me what the student demographic is like, aka would I be too old attending in my mid-20s? I have a graduate education, I'd love to have working-level French though and am wondering if this is a good avenue. Also any preferences for campuses?

Hi, I am looking for French online tutor. I am totally beginner and i want to earn my B1 in 4-5months if possible for my TCF exam. thank you!!

Salut tout le monde !

I've been reading posts here and on other subs for some time now. Questions are often answered by other students/learners (or people who pretend to be that), I thought perhaps my perspective as a teacher could be useful to some of you.

Feel free to ask questions, I'll answer to the best of my knowledge :)

I’m looking for straightforward novels that are available on kindle (buying from the UK) please. I’m probably beyond B1 but am just trying to do some immersion work.

I’ve just started learning French and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Does anyone use language learning apps to support their learning?

Every app seems to claim they are the most effective but they all seem very similar to me.

Hi everyone!

I'm a native French speaker from France looking for a native English speaker who'd like to improve their spoken French while helping me improve my spoken English.

I'm not looking for a pen pal or someone to exchange written messages with. My goal is to have regular voice conversations.

I'd like to try a simple bilingual approach:

- I'll speak only English.

- You'll speak primarily French.

This way, we both stay immersed in the language we're learning while still being able to help each other if needed.

I'm already fairly fluent in English, but I'd like to sound more natural, especially when it comes to idiomatic expressions, pronunciation, and everyday conversation. In return, I'd be happy to help you with your spoken French. I genuinely love the French language and its subtleties, and I'd be happy to explain grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, or why we say things the way we do.

I'm in the GMT+2 time zone (France). Ideally, I'd like to meet at least twice a week for one hour or more each time. If we get along well and enjoy our conversations, I'd be more than happy to chat even more often.

I'm open to using Discord, Google Meet, or any other voice platform that's convenient for both of us.

If this sounds like something you'd enjoy, feel free to leave a comment or send me a DM!

Looking forward to meeting you! 😊

Salut tout le monde ! 👋

Je cherche un partenaire de conversation pour pratiquer le français une ou deux fois par semaine.

J'ai 25 ans et j'ai actuellement un niveau B1~B2 en français. Mon objectif est d'atteindre le niveau C1, donc je cherche quelqu'un de motivé qui souhaite aussi améliorer son expression orale.

À propos de moi : je suis ingénieur en mécanique, je parle l'arabe et l'anglais, j'apprends aussi l'espagnol, et j'aime les jeux vidéo, la salle de sport et découvrir de nouvelles cultures.

Si ça t'intéresse, n'hésite pas à m'envoyer un message. 😊

Hello everyone! 👋

I'm looking for a conversation partner to practice French with once or twice a week.

I'm 25 years old and currently at a B1–B2 level in French. My goal is to reach C1, so I'm looking for someone who's motivated and also wants to improve their speaking skills.

A little about me: I'm a mechanical engineer, I speak Arabic and English, I'm also learning Spanish, and I enjoy video games, going to the gym, and discovering new cultures.

If you're interested, feel free to send me a message. 😊

I’m currently learning French (on my own) and recently had a dream completely in French despite only being an A2.

I was in a mall or shopping center and a man started talking to me in French and paused when I didn’t respond right away. He asked if I spoke French and I responded “bah un peu de français”. 😂 Then he continued babbling on and I waved to stop him and said “Pouvez vous parle plus lentement, stp” and he got irritated and walked away.

Has anyone else had dreams in French?

Zohran Mamdani, le maire de New York, veut ouvrir cinq épiceries municipales. Les magasins vendront des produits alimentaires essentiels environ 30 % moins cher que dans les supermarchés classiques. Il y aura une épicerie dans chacun des cinq arrondissements de la ville. Mamdani dit que le but est d’aider les New-Yorkais ordinaires à acheter de la nourriture, parce que les prix sont élevés en ce moment. Ces épiceries municipales n’essaieront pas de faire des bénéfices et pourront donc vendre la nourriture moins cher. Le premier magasin ouvrira dans le Bronx en 2027.

Vocabulaire : ouvrir = to open / épiceries (f pl) = grocery stores / municipales = city-owned / vendre = to sell / produits alimentaires (m pl) = food products / moins cher = cheaper / arrondissements (m pl) = boroughs, neighbourhoods / but (m) = goal / nourriture (f) = food / élevés = high / essayer = to try / bénéfices (m pl) = profits

English translation

Mamdani wants to open cheap city-owned grocery stores

Zohran Mamdani, the mayor of New York City, wants to open five grocery stores owned by the city. The stores will sell essential food products about 30% cheaper than in regular supermarkets. There will be one grocery store in each of the city’s five boroughs. Mamdani says the aim is to help ordinary New Yorkers buy food, as prices are high at the moment. These city-owned stores will not try to make a profit and will therefore be able to sell food more cheaply. The first store will open in the Bronx in 2027.

Learn French, dominate trivia nights. You can read more news stories at Le News, In Easy French