Want to sound better in French this week, without studying for hours?

In this episode, I’m sharing 9 of the most common mistakes I hear from intermediate (and even advanced) French learners, and how to fix them quickly so that you sound more natural and confident in French.

These aren’t big grammar lessons or complicated rules. They’re small, high-impact tweaks that you can notice, practice, and improve almost immediately.

We’re talking:

• pronunciation mistakes that can completely change your meaning
• common verb errors
• faux amis that trip up even strong learners
• and simple article mistakes that make your French sound off

Think of this episode like a checklist. Spot your mistakes, practice them for a few minutes this week, and you’ll feel the difference within a week.

Tes prochaines étapes:

1️⃣ Read the transcript to check off which of the 9 most common errors you're making, and how to fix them.

2️⃣ Stay in the loop for weekly French lessons: Join the newsletter.

3️⃣ Tap “Follow” / “Subscribe” so you never miss an episode of Let's Speak French!

If you’ve ever arrived in Québec feeling confident in your French… and then heard people speaking and thought “Attends… c’est du français ça?” — this episode is for you.

In this episode, you’ll learn 10 of the most common Québec French expressions you’ll actually hear in everyday life — whether you’re traveling, working, or chatting with Québécois friends and colleagues. From “Ça va-tu?” to “c’est pas pire” and “ben voyons!” these are the expressions that don’t always show up in traditional French classes but make a huge difference in real conversations.

We’ll break them down by category so you can understand them, recognize them, and start using them with confidence.

🎧 In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How questions work in spoken Québec French (and what that little -tu really means)

• Common reactions and expressions to sound more natural in conversation

• Everyday vocabulary for shopping, food, and daily life

• Key differences between Québec French and French from France

Whether you’re preparing for a trip to Montréal, working with Québécois colleagues, or just want to better understand different varieties of French, this episode will help you feel more confident right away.

👉 Next steps:

• Read the full transcript + review all 10 expressions.

• Keep learning Québec French with more expressions.

• Want to go further with your Québec French? Check out my curated list of Québec French novels for intermediate + advanced learners.

And if you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to follow/subscribe and leave a rating — it helps more intermediate French learners find the podcast

What's it like to work in the US, from a French perspective?

In this episode, my guest, Denis Gras, shares the cultural surprises he experienced while working in an American environment, especially when it comes to communication styles. We talk about politeness, directness, small talk, and the subtle differences between French and North American conversation norms.

To get the most out of this lesson:

1️⃣ Check your understanding of the episode with the transcript here.

2️⃣ Tap the subscribe button to make sure you never miss an episode of Let's Speak French!

3️⃣ Send Natalie a message @elevatefrench on Instagram or Facebook to let her know: What shocked you most about Denis's experience?

The French verb PASSER doesn’t just mean “to pass.” In fact, it has so many meanings that it can completely change depending on context, and that’s exactly why it confuses intermediate learners.

In this episode, you’ll learn 9 essential uses of PASSER, with clear examples and simple explanations (in French). Then we tackle the big grammar question: When does PASSER take AVOIR vs ÊTRE in the passé composé?

If you’ve ever hesitated before saying j’ai passé or je suis passé, this episode will make it finally click.

• The most common meanings of PASSER in everyday French

• How the meaning changes depending on context

• A simple way to know when to use AVOIR or ÊTRE in the past tense

  
  

  Tes prochaines étapes:

1️⃣ Check your understanding of the 9 meanings of passer with the English translations in the transcript.
2️⃣ Say one example out loud using être and one using avoir in the passé composé.
3️⃣ Share this episode with a fellow French learner - chances are they aren't learning this in class!

Learn exactly how to say "something, " someone," and "somewhere," and the grammar rules for quelque chose + de + adjectif.

Voici tes prochaines étapes (Here are your next steps!):

1️⃣ Make it stick by reviewing the transcript.

2️⃣ Take the quiz to practice the negative forms of these words.

3️⃣ Check out episode #19 to work on advanced negative forms.

Bonne continuation et à la prochaine!

P.S. Learn something new today? If so, would you mind leaving a review and rating of this podcast wherever you're listening? It will help this podcast reach other intermediate French learners like you!

4 Strategies that take just 50 minutes per week to help you improve your vocabulary by leaps and bounds.

To get the most out of this lesson:

1️⃣ Get your customized reading list here.

2️⃣ Use the double-play method to check what you learned.

3️⃣ Send a message to me (Natalie) @elevatefrench on Instagram or Facebook to let me know which book you're picking to implement these vocabulary strategies!

Tu as appris quelque chose de nouveau aujourd'hui? Leave a rating and a review to help this podcast reach more intermediate learners like you - merci beaucoup!

And no, it doesn't mean "place" like you think it does!

You'll learn 8 ways to use "la place" in your everyday conversation, and what to say when you're talking about the places that you go.

1. Access your Customizable Study Template to track the 8 uses of "la place" and all the vocabulary you're learning.

2. Check out the 8 uses and the examples (with English translations).

3. Tap "Follow" so that you never miss an episode of Let's Speak French!

Have you been avoiding using DONT ? This lesson will hep you use it in your everyday speech to sound more natural and less repetitive.

After you listen to the lesson, voici tes prochaines étapes:

1. Check the transcript to review expressions with DE.

2. Take the DONT Quiz to make it stick

If you learned something new today, leave a rating or review to help this podcast reach more intermediate learners!

Take your intermediate French to the next level with the Intermediate French Class!

Sound more natural in your next French conversation with these everyday slang and idioms that you can use at work or in daily conversations.

1️⃣ Join the free workshop: Speak Real French - Slang & Idioms for Intermediate Learners

2️⃣ Review the 8 expressions you learned in this episode with the French transcript.