IOLEBA French
Lesson: Mini
Listen to a Story with Brigitte
Imagine you are sitting together as Brigitte tells you about her home city of Lyon.
À tout de suite! Brigitte
Bonjour, my friends! I’m Brigitte.
Below is a short story I recorded for you, and it is all in French.
Now, I want you to imagine I’m sitting right here with you, telling you this story. You’re too polite to stop me and say, “Excuse me, I don’t speak French.” So you just listen.
That’s exactly how you learned your first language. As a child, nobody handed you a grammar book. You listened, and little by little, the sounds started to mean something.
- Listen to the story once. Don’t worry about understanding. Just enjoy the sound.
- Read along with the French text and the English translation.
- Listen again. Then listen once more.
You’ll be surprised how quickly your ear starts to catch words, expressions and sounds you didn’t notice the first time.
Then we play. Games and songs help the words stick, and before long you’ll find yourself hearing French, then speaking it.
Grammar comes later, just like it did in school. Children learn to speak first and study the rules afterward. We’ll slip in short grammar lessons along the way to help you connect the dots.
No email. No credit card. Nothing to sign up for. This little lesson is my gift to you. Just press play, stay awhile and have fun.
Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes, and sooner than you think, you’ll be speaking French.
Une promenade à Lyon
Look through the photographs, then listen as Brigitte carries you through the city in French.
After listening, open the French story. Then check its meaning in English.
Une promenade à Lyon
1. Bienvenue dans le Vieux Lyon. Ce quartier historique est classé au patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO. Ses rues étroites, ses bâtiments anciens et ses passages racontent l’histoire de la ville.
2. La Saône traverse Lyon près de la vieille ville. Ses quais, ses ponts et les bâtiments qui bordent le fleuve font partie du paysage lyonnais.
3. La place Bellecour est une grande place au centre de Lyon. Au milieu se trouve la statue de Louis Quatorze à cheval.
4. Près de la place, les visiteurs trouvent des rues commerçantes et des boutiques élégantes. Lyon réunit son histoire et la vie moderne.
5. Lyon est également célèbre pour sa cuisine. Dans un restaurant traditionnel appelé un bouchon, les visiteurs peuvent découvrir les spécialités lyonnaises. Beaucoup de personnes considèrent Lyon comme l’une des grandes villes gastronomiques d’Europe.
6. Sur la colline de la Croix-Rousse, les canuts travaillaient autrefois dans les ateliers de soie. Aujourd’hui, ce quartier conserve une partie importante de l’histoire et de la culture lyonnaises.
A Walk Through Lyon
1. Welcome to Old Lyon. This historic district is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its narrow streets, old buildings and passageways tell the city’s story.
2. The Saône River passes through Lyon near the old city. Its riverbanks, bridges and the buildings beside the river are part of Lyon’s familiar city landscape.
3. Place Bellecour is a large public square in central Lyon. In the middle stands the statue of Louis the Fourteenth on horseback.
4. Near the square, visitors find shopping streets and elegant boutiques. Lyon brings its history and modern city life together.
5. Lyon is also famous for its cuisine. In a traditional restaurant called a bouchon, visitors can discover Lyon’s local specialties. Many people regard Lyon as one of Europe’s great food cities.
6. On the Croix-Rousse hill, silk workers known as canuts once worked in silk workshops. Today, this neighborhood preserves an important part of Lyon’s history and culture.
Return to Brigitte’s recording after reading the story. Do not test yourself. Simply notice how many more words, sounds and expressions you recognize this time.
Ten Words from Brigitte’s Story
Hear each French word, repeat it aloud and then reveal its English meaning.
You do not need to memorize these words today. Simply begin connecting each French sound with its meaning.
Word 1 of 10
le Vieux Lyon
Sounds like: luh vyuh lee-ON
Bienvenue dans le Vieux Lyon.
Listen carefully, then say the French aloud.
Move through them again whenever you wish. Every repetition helps your ear recognize French more naturally.
Hear It. Choose It. Say It.
Listen to the complete French sentence, choose the missing word and then repeat it aloud.
You will hear the missing word inside the complete sentence. Listen carefully, select the word you heard and then repeat the entire sentence.
Sentence 1 of 6
You may listen more than once.
Which French word completes the sentence?
You heard, recognized and repeated six complete French sentences. That is how individual words begin becoming usable language.
Two French Words for River
Lyon provides a wonderful way to understand the difference between une rivière and un fleuve.
In French, Not Every River Is Called the Same Thing
English normally uses the word “river” for both. French uses a different word depending on where the water eventually flows.
La Saône est une rivière because it joins the Rhône at La Confluence.
Le Rhône est un fleuve because it continues south and reaches the Mediterranean Sea.
A Little Grammar and a Crossword
Meet four small French words, then use the ten Lyon vocabulary words in your mini crossword.
Le, La, Un and Une
French nouns usually travel with a small word called an article. The article helps tell us whether the noun is masculine or feminine and whether we mean the or a.
Listen to each complete expression so your ear begins connecting the article with the noun. In the crossword, enter only the main vocabulary word—not le, la, un or une.
Your Lyon Mini Crossword
Use the English clues to enter the French vocabulary. Spaces and accent marks are not required. Select the speaker beside a clue whenever you want to hear the complete French expression.
Across
Down
Even though the crossword uses only the noun, continue saying the article with it: une rue, un pont, la cuisine, la soie. Your ear will begin learning which words naturally belong together.
Lyon chante avec moi
Finish your Lyon visit with a joyful French song using the places and words you explored today.
Music helps your brain remember the rhythm, expressions and sounds of a language. You do not need to understand every word.
Lyon chante avec moi
Listen for words you already recognize: rue, quartier, bâtiment, rivière, pont, place, boutique, cuisine and soie.
Listen once before opening the lyrics.
Paroles françaises
Bonjour mes amis, bienvenue à Lyon,
Dans les vieilles rues, nous marchons doucement.
Un quartier, un bâtiment, mille histoires à foison,
Le Vieux Lyon nous sourit maintenant.
Écoute, regarde, répète avec moi,
Un mot, puis deux, et la langue est là.
Quinze minutes et un sourire chaque jour,
À Lyon, le français chante toujours.
La Saône est une rivière au cœur de la ville,
Sous les ponts, son eau avance tranquillement.
Sur les quais, la promenade est facile,
Et Lyon se reflète doucement.
Écoute, regarde, répète avec moi,
Un mot, puis deux, et la langue est là.
Quinze minutes et un sourire chaque jour,
À Lyon, le français chante toujours.
À la place Bellecour, le roi est à cheval,
Puis les boutiques nous invitent à entrer.
Dans un bouchon, quel plaisir à table!
La cuisine lyonnaise est à partager.
Écoute, regarde, répète avec moi,
Un mot, puis deux, et la langue est là.
Quinze minutes et un sourire chaque jour,
À Lyon, le français chante toujours.
À la Croix-Rousse, on découvre la soie,
Les canuts racontent le temps d’autrefois.
J’écoute les mots et je les dis avec toi,
Petit à petit, je parle français, moi!
Écoute, regarde, répète avec moi,
Un mot, puis deux, et la langue est là.
Quinze minutes et un sourire chaque jour,
À Lyon, le français chante toujours.
À Lyon, le français chante toujours!
English Meaning
Hello, my friends, and welcome to Lyon.
Through the old streets, we walk gently.
A neighborhood, a building and countless stories—
Old Lyon is smiling at us now.
Listen, look and repeat with me.
One word, then two, and the language is there.
Fifteen minutes and a smile every day—
In Lyon, French is always singing.
The Saône is a river in the heart of the city.
Beneath the bridges, its water moves peacefully.
Along the riverbanks, the walk is easy,
And Lyon is gently reflected in the water.
Listen, look and repeat with me.
One word, then two, and the language is there.
Fifteen minutes and a smile every day—
In Lyon, French is always singing.
At Place Bellecour, the king is on horseback.
Then the shops invite us to come inside.
In a bouchon, what a pleasure to gather at the table!
Lyon’s cuisine is meant to be shared.
Listen, look and repeat with me.
One word, then two, and the language is there.
Fifteen minutes and a smile every day—
In Lyon, French is always singing.
In Croix-Rousse, we discover silk.
The silk workers tell stories of earlier times.
I listen to the words and say them with you.
Little by little, I am speaking French!
Listen, look and repeat with me.
One word, then two, and the language is there.
Fifteen minutes and a smile every day—
In Lyon, French is always singing.
In Lyon, French is always singing!
You have already heard many of these words in Brigitte’s story and used them in your activities. Now let the music help them stay with you.
Your French Journey Can Continue
Brigitte joins you from the Lyon Opera House with a personal invitation.
Brigitte’s Message
Bonjour, my friends!
I am standing in front of the beautiful Lyon Opera House, in the heart of the city.
I hope you had fun visiting Lyon with me and discovering how we learn French at IOLEBA.
Today, you listened to a French story, explored useful words, completed an activity and crossword, discovered something special about French culture and even learned through music.
And this is only a small example of what is waiting for you.
Your next three complete French lessons—and a special review—are free. There is no credit card and nothing to purchase. We simply ask for your email address so you can enter the learning community and continue your journey.
To learn more, visit the IOLEBA Language Community home page.
I hope you will join Pierre, Elena, Professor Guy and me as we continue exploring France, its language, food, people and culture.
À très bientôt, mes amis. I hope to see you in the next lesson!
Return to the IOLEBA Language Community home page to learn more and begin your next three French lessons and special review—completely free.
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