Episode 2 Ma France

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France,

a series of short programmes to help you with spoken French.

In this programme...

Two sisters show us

some of their favourite pets and animals,

describing animals and family members in some detail

and how well do you know your own daughter?

Our surprise challenge.

But first here are the key words and expressions for this programme.

She is six years old.

To talk about another person, animal or thing in French, use il or elle.

She has pretty blue eyes.

He is very kind.

For more than one person use ils and elles.

They have a cat.

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

Now have another look at some of the expression you've just heard.

He is very clever.

He is very shy.

Whales are beautiful.

Adjectives or describing words usually have four forms -

masculine and feminine, singular and plural.

He is tall.

They are tall.

She is tall.

They - feminine - are tall.

But how does Claude Gazay describe her two daughters Jane and Lena?

Who is mischievous and who is a chatterbox?

Qui est coquine et qui est bavarde?

Tres Bien, messieurs, 'dames.

Pas trop difficile, j'espere?

Who is mischievous and who's a chatterbox?

About Lena she said...

She is very good, but with a little mischievous streak to her.

About Jane...

She's a real chatterbox.

Et finalement, messieurs, 'dames,

it's time for our surprise challenge for the people we filmed.

They never know what we're going to ask them, but they always have a go!

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France,

a series of short programmes to help you with spoken French.

In this programme...

Try your hand at a new French sport, accrobranche.

Faites attention!

Giving instructions and warnings in French.

And can sport make you a poet?

Another surprise challenge.

But first the key words and expressions for this programme.

Hold on!

Instructions and warnings are given using the -ez form of the verb

without the 'vous', known as the imperative.

Follow me!

Choose a level!

One exception to this is soyez - be, the imperative form of etre.

Be very careful!

Now, here's a recap of some of the expressions you've just heard.

Put your hands behind the clasps.

Push there with your hands!

The expression il faut also tells you that you have to do something,

You have to concentrate all the time.

After il faut, add the infinitive to say what has to be done.

You have to be careful.

But what kind of people are drawn to a new sport like accrobranche?

And how long does it take most people to do the black run?

Ils mettent combien de temps pour faire la noire?

Tres Bien, messieurs, 'dames.

We asked...

How long does it take people to do the black run?

Customers will take 20 minutes or half an hour.

Off you go!

Allez is used all the time in French.

Come on, let's play.

Come on, we're off.

Come on, watch out now.

In the challenge that follows, listen out for all the times you hear allez.

Have you tried Ma France online yet?

It's full of entertaining interactive exercises

and you can see the films again with subtitles in English or French.

Log on to our website.

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France, a series of short programmes

to help you make the most of your French.

In this programme a Rhone valley winegrower

tastes two red wines,

making comparisons and talking about different wines.

And can you guess where the wine's from?

Our surprise challenge.

But first, the key words and expressions for this programme.

"Wine".

There are many ways of describing a wine...

"Sweet".

"Fine" or "delicate".

"Intriguing".

And when comparing wines, you can use...

"More", or..."less".

"Smoother than the previous one".

"More surprising".

WOMAN SPEAKS FRENCH

Now here's a recap of some of the expressions you've just heard.

"For me, I prefer the unusual side".

"I prefer the Gigondas".

"This one".

"That one".

"I quite like this one".

"I don't dislike that one".

"This one goes very well with good meat".

This doctor-turned-winegrower talks about his career change

and his experience of the wine trade.

But what's his advice about drinking?

Un verre par jour? "A glass a day?"

WOMAN SPEAKS FRENCH

Tres bien, messieurs 'dames.

Pas trop difficile, j'espere?

We asked what the doctor's advice was about drinking...

"A glass a day?"

He answered...

"Everything in moderation".

Et finalement, messieurs 'dames,

it's time for our surprise challenge for the people we filmed.

They never know what we're going to ask them, but they always have a go!

SHE SPEAKS FRENCH

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France,

a series of short programmes to help you make the most of your French.

In this programme...

It's not all posh nosh in France.

Choosing a takeaway from your local kebab shop.

A food critic shows us how well you can eat in Lyon.

And a surprise challenge -

ordering food for a vegetarian with a spice allergy!

But first, the key words and expressions for this programme.

I'm hungry.

Very important in France.

What do you want to eat?

'Voulez' comes from the verb 'vouloir' - to want.

To say what you want, say "je veux" - I want

Or, more politely, "je voudrais" - I'd like.

You can ask...

Can I have?

Can I have two kebabs, please?

SPEAKING FRENCH:

Now, here's a recap of some of the expressions you've just heard.

Oh, I love spicy sauce.

What do you prefer as a starter?

My preference is for the pate in pastry.

And what kind of meat do you prefer?

I prefer the steak fillet.

It's clear that in Lyon, there are restaurants to suit all pockets,

tastes and occasions.

Guillaume Tania, the restaurant critic,

remembers an unusual fish dish.

Quel est le nom du poisson qu'il mentionne?

Tres bien, messieurs-dames!

We asked...

What is the name of the fish he mentions?

A fish like red mullet.

I like French food...

But I also like Turkish and Greek food.

What's your favourite cuisine?

Nothing beats French cuisine.

Et finalement, messieurs-dames, it's time for our surprise challenge for the people we filmed.

They never know what we're going to ask them,

but they always have a go!

If you'd like to see the films again,

or have some fun with the interactive exercises and grammar,

log on to our website:

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France,

a series of short programmes to help you with spoken French.

In this programme...

Making bookings online for a skiing trip.

Finding out what facilities are available in a gite.

And, guess the region.

Our surprise challenge. Where are these houses in France?

But first the key words and expressions for this programme.

How much is it?

Is there a mini-market near here?

The simplest way to make questions in French

is to make your voice rise at the end of a sentence.

Can we go there on foot?

A returnable deposit.

A down payment.

Available.

To book.

We saw your gite on the internet.

Now here's a recap of some of the expressions you've just heard.

Est-ce que helps turn a statement into a question.

Is it available for the weekend of the 11th?

Can we book by telephone?

Are there things to do?

Il y a - there is or there are - will help you find out what's available.

Are there any sheets in the gite?

There is everything you need.

But what is it like running and owning a gite?

Does Madame Billard favour that type of holiday?

Est-ce qu'elle prend ses vacances en gite?

Tres bien, messieurs, 'dames.

Pas trop difficile, j'espere?

We asked...

Does Madame Billard go on holiday in a gite?

Her reply was...

In general no, but we may start to as we get older.

There are quite a few things going on.

There are nightclubs of course.

Sometimes il y a gets shortened in conversation

to simply y a - there is or there are.

There are shows.

And now it's time for our surprise challenge.

You could try it too. A bientot!

Bonjour, je m'appelle Stephane Cornicard

et je vous presente Ma France,

a series of short programmes to help you with spoken French.

In this programme...

Looking for a good deal on a house in the South of France.

Getting by in an estate agent's - une agence immobiliere.

And guess the price of this property!

Our surprise challenge.

But first the key words and expressions for this programme.

We're looking for a house.

We'll have a think about it.

"On" in French is far more widely used and informal

than the English word "one".

Its normal translation is "we".

May we have a look around?

He can, she can, we can.

"On" has the same verb ending as il and elle.

The living room.

French windows.

How many square metres is it?

Now have another look at some of the expression you've just heard.

Can you remind me of the price of the house?

329,000 Euros.

Are the electrics and the plumbing in a good state of repair?

Can we negotiate?

You'll find there's lots of other jargon that goes with house-hunting in France.

Listen out for TTC.

C'est quoi, TTC?

Tres bien, messieurs, 'dames.

Pas trop difficile, j'espere?

We asked...

What does TTC mean?

The answer was...

All taxes included.

I think everyone likes a villa.

For myself, I live in a flat.

Fitted kitchen.

Bathroom.

The ad.

And now it's time for our surprise challenge.

You could try it, too! A bientot!

If you'd like to see the films again

or have some fun with the interactive exercises and grammar,

log on to our website at -

Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd

Email [email protected]