In this 2nd episode on ‘la banlieue’, Gaelle explains the origins of the French banlieue from the 20s, and the reasons behind its slow and predictable decay. She also talks about a few solutions that the government is currently trying out and gives somes film suggestions to complete the picture in your heads.

In this episode (part one of two), Gaelle explains what “banlieue” means. It’s commonly translated as “suburb” but in reality it’s more complicated than that. You’ll understand the two opposite realities hidden behind the word and why “banlieue” is so strongly linked to violence in people’s minds.

In this episode, Gaelle will tell you everything you need to know about a festive dessert, available in France only in January: la galette des rois. You will understand where it takes its origins from, what a “fève” is, and how serious this tradition is for businesses like bakeries. But more importantly, you will finally understand why grown-ups go under the table as if they were 4 years old, playing hide-and-seek.

In this episode, Gaelle will introduce you to a French movie: la tour Montparnasse infernale. You will also get to learn about a famous comic duo: Eric et Ramzy.

In this episode, Gaelle introduces you to a key French female figure of the 20th century: Simone Veil. Born in 1927, she was caught in the horror of the Second World War and survived a concentration camp. When she came back to France, she set herself to work in politics. Still to this day, her name is famous. Discover why in this episode.

In this episode, Gaelle gives you real life examples of how to talk about your weekend or your day at work. Because when you want to have a friendly chat with colleagues or friends, talking about your past day/week/holiday is common. Gaelle will also highlight the differences between “passé composé” and “imparfait” to try to help you use them accurately.

In this episode, Gaelle interviews Laure, a French woman currently unemployed and who decided to use her free time to do some good and volunteer. Laure talks about the association she volunteers for, what she does there, and explains why she loves it.

In this episode, Gaelle gives you some handy tips that’ll help you understand French people and sound more French. Oral French is quite different from written French and you need to be able to spot the contractions and missing letters.

In this episode, Gaëlle takes you down a musical path to meet a famous Belgian singer: Stromae. You will learn where his stage name comes from, what he’s been up to for the past 6 years since he left the musical world, and you’ll finally understand the lyrics of his famous “Alors on danse” song.

In this episode, Gaelle talks about the nuclear strategy chosen by France as its main source of energy and electricity. She explains why the country has made this unique choice and what problems result from it.