Current Events

Current Events and News

News in FrenchActualité et informations

French resources related to current and historical events. Also see useful vocabulary:

And sports and newspapers/magazines.

Current Events

News in Slow French

News in Slow French
News in Slow French is a weekly podcast aimed at intermediate-level French students. Native speakers report current events at a reduced but not unnatural pace, making it easier for you to understand without being overloaded by rapid-fire French.

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Current Events

Pain au chocolat vs Chocolatine

Pain au chocolat
Depending who you're talking to, those lovely little pastries filled with chocolate might be called pains au chocolat or chocolatines. This tasty debate has finally been settled once and for all - at least in theory. Find out more in this short, fun video with interactive subtitles.

   

Current Events

Public Holidays

French holidays - jours fériés
Everyone loves a good public holiday, n'est-ce pas ? France has 11 of them, but they're not always paid days off from work. Learn about jours fériés in this audio article.

   

Current Events

Demonstrations and Strikes

Demonstrations and strikes in France
For better or for worse, demonstrations and strikes are an important part of French society. Here's some vocabulary to help you understand the news as well as links to further information.

Current Events

Gilets Jaunes Dancing Remix

Gilet jaune
Fun for your French class! This video combines music with current events (French President Emmanuel Macron talking to gilets jaunes) and includes interactive subtitles.

   

Current Events

un gilet

GiletMot du jourThe normally innocuous word gilet is all over the news lately, so this French word of the day is free!

   

Current Events

News

French news vocabulary
If you want to know what's going on in the world, this vocabulary related to news and current events will help you understand what you read and hear.

   

Current Events

Irma in Guadeloupe

Hurricane Irma
In early September 2017, Hurricane Irma destroyed several Caribbean islands and affected many others. Guadeloupe, where I live, was one of them.

   

Current Events

Holidays

Jours fériés - French holidaysFrance has 11 public holidays (bank holidays), known as jours fériés, jours chômés, fêtes chômées, or fêtes légales.

Current Events

Vive la France ! (excerpts)

Vive la France
Want to hear the patriotic French expression Vive la France ! in the wild? Check out these clips taken from speeches by French presidents and presidential candidates.

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Current Events

Emmanuel Macron

Emmanuel Macron
Video of French President-elect Emmanuel Macron's victory speech with transcript and translation, plus grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation notes.