French Listening Comprehension
Exercises to practice and improve your French listening skills
Beginning/Intermediate | Intermediate/Advanced
By Name | Top listening exercises | Listening tips
Work on your French listening comprehension with these exercises, including a French sound file with study guide, transcript, and translation. Most also offer a short quiz.
The (parentheses) indicate the author/publisher/source of each sound file.
Accents de France
French varies from country to country and from region to region. Learn about
some of the accents you might encounter in France in this audio report.
(LaGuinguette)
À l'hôtel ~ At the Hotel
Beginning-level French dialogue between a hotel receptionist and guest. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
Americans in Paris
Tourism in France took a major hit in 2003, but times are changing once again. Learn about Americans
in Paris - what they like to do, and what Paris is doing for them - in this two-part listening comprehension
exercise. (Champs-Élysées)
L'amour véritable
Old age does not have to mean the end of living, or even loving. In this
interview, a 90-year-old man shares his thoughts on how to get the most out of
life and love, at any age. (LaGuinguette)
L'Anniversaire de Tintin
Tintin is a world-renowned Belgian comic strip. This sound file discusses
Tintin and its creator. (Champs-Élysées)
Au magasin ~ At the store
Beginning-level French dialogue between a customer and storekeeper. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
Au restaurant ~ At
the Restaurant
Beginning-level French dialogue between a waiter and customer. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
Beginning French Dialogue
Practice your French listening ability with this beginning-level French dialogue
featuring greetings and introductions and your choice of speeds: regular and
slow. (Camille Chevalier Karfis)
Bistrots à Paris
Cafés have long been a Parisian institution, but they have changed a great deal over the years. (Champs-Élysées)
Les Bois de Paris
Discussion about two important parks in Paris.
(Champs-Élysées)
Breakfast ~ Le petit déjeuner
Beginning-level dialogue between a customer and waiter at breakfast. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
The Cemetary
Intermediate
level of
Les portes tordues, a bilingual audiobook for beginning to intermediate
students. (Kathie Dior)
Le Centre Pompidou à Metz
Le Centre Pompidou will soon be found not just in Paris, but also in
Metz. Learn about the idea behind this project, the architects who designed it,
and some of the museum's characteristics. (Champs-Élysées)
C'est de l'amour véritable !
Old age does not have to mean the end of living, or even loving. In this
interview, a 90-year-old man shares his thoughts on how to get the most out of
life and love, at any age. (LaGuinguette)
Characteristics of Patois
Discussion about dialects in France and the two main points of view on their
linguistic status.
(LaGuinguette)
Coupe
du monde de football
Newscast about the French soccer team at the 2002 World Cup.
(Champs-Élysées)
Le CPE
In January 2006, the French government passed a labor reform law that
sparked off protests around the country. Learn about the CPE and why it was so
distasteful to French students and workers. (LaGuinguette)
La Défaite des Bleus à la Coupe
du monde de football
Newscast about the French soccer team at the 2002 World Cup.
(Champs-Élysées)
Les Deux Magots
Interview with the manager of the famous Deux Magots café in Paris.
(Champs-Élysées)
Dialogue, Beginning French
Practice your French listening ability with this beginning-level French dialogue
featuring greetings and introductions and your choice of speeds: regular and
slow. (Camille Chevalier Karfis)
Eiffel Tower
A report on visitors to the Eiffel Tower.
(Champs-Élysées)
Les égouts de Paris
An interesting report on something that most people give little thought to,
and the unusual museum where you can learn more about it: the Parisian sewer
network. (Champs-Élysées)
L'ETA et le Pays Basque
Introduction to the history behind the ETA, the Basque separatist movement.
(Champs-Élysées)
Une Femme ministre de la Défense
Interview with Michèle Alliot-Marie, the first woman to head the French Department of Defense.
(Champs-Élysées)
François Mitterrand
January 2006 marked the 10-year anniversary of the death of François Mitterrand, the first and so far only socialist president of
France. Learn about Mitterrand and some of the people who loved him in this
listening comprehension exercise. (LaGuinguette)
French in France
Introduction to French in France (dialects and "standard French") and the Dictionary of French Regionalisms. (LaGuinguette)
Les Galeries
Lafayette
Les Galeries Lafayette is one of the most famous department stores in
France. Learn about the history of the store and the people behind it.
(Champs-Élysées)
Graffiti
Graffiti does not necessarily equal vandalism. It's a means of personal and
even artistic expression. Learn about some of the people and techniques behind
graffiti. (La Guinguette)
La Grande Arche de La Défense
La Grande Arche de La Défense is one of the most visited monuments in
France. Learn about the history of this site and the monument itself.
(Champs-Élysées)
Greetings and Introductions
Practice your French listening ability with this beginning-level French dialogue
featuring greetings and introductions and your choice of speeds: regular and
slow. (Camille Chevalier Karfis)
Le Guide Michelin
Le Guide Michelin is a French institution, but after more than 100 years, is it still
feasible? Learn about Le guide Michelin and contemporary French cuisine in this 2-part
listening comprehension exercise. (Champs-Élysées)
Guignol
Learn about France's beloved puppet Guignol and its creator.
(Champs-Élysées)
Le jardin des Tuileries
Learn about the famous Parisian park, le jardin des Tuileries, as you work on
your listening comprehension with this three-part discussion. (La Guinguette)
La Joconde
The Mona Lisa is sick. Learn more about the past, present, and future of this
famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. (Champs-Élysées)
Le Petit Larousse celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005. Learn about the beginnings and evolution of this famous French dictionary. (Champs-Élysées)
La Légion d'honneur
La Légion d'honneur is a prestigious French order that decorates both
soldiers and civilians for outstanding achievements. Learn about the history and
evolution of the Legion of Honor in this listening comprehension exercise.
(Champs-Élysées)
La loi Evin
La loi Evin regulates the advertising of alcohol in France. Learn about
this law and the reasoning behind it in this listening comprehension
exercise.
Love
Old age does not have to mean the end of living, or even loving. In this
interview, a 90-year-old man shares his thoughts on how to get the most out of
life and love, at any age. (LaGuinguette)
Metz : Le Centre Pompidou
Le Centre Pompidou will soon be found not just in Paris, but also in
Metz. Learn about the idea behind this project, the architects who designed it,
and some of the museum's characteristics. (Champs-Élysées)
Millau, Le viaduc
Le viaduc de Millau was completed in 2004. Learn about the construction and safety mechanisms
of the Millau viaduct. (Champs-Élysées)
Mitterrand
January 2006 marked the 10-year anniversary of the death of François Mitterrand, the first and so far only socialist president of
France. Learn about Mitterrand and some of the people who loved him in this
listening comprehension exercise. (LaGuinguette)
Mona Lisa
The Mona Lisa is sick. Learn more about the past, present, and future of this
famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci. (Champs-Élysées)
Narbonne
Narbonne is a little-known town with with a lot of history in the
Languedoc-Roussillon region of France. Learn about the past and present of this
beautiful town. (Champs-Élysées)
Nicolas Sarkozy for President
Nicolas Sarkozy is one of the front-runners in the 2007 French presidential election.
Learn about his platform and pro-American stance. (Champs-Élysées)
Notre Dame
Notre Dame is one of the largest and most visited cathedrals in France.
Learn about the history and maintenance of this famous Parisian monument.
(Champs-Élysées)
Number Practice
Learning to count in French is one thing - it's fairly easy to memorize un,
deux, trois. It's another matter entirely to be able to think
of a number without counting up to it, or to understand individual numbers when you
hear them. Fortunately, practice makes perfect, and these sound files
can help you to get better at understanding and using French numbers with random number generators.
(Laura K. Lawless)
Paris, les Bois de
Discussion about two important parks in Paris.
(Champs-Élysées)
Patois, characteristics of
Discussion about dialects in France and the two main points of view on their
linguistic status.
(LaGuinguette)
Patois and Regional
Characteristics
Do regional differences in dialect reflect regional
differences in mentality?
(LaGuinguette)
The Patois of Vendée
Presentation of some characteristics of the French patois spoken in Vendée.
(LaGuinguette)
Le Pays Basque et l'ETA
Introduction to the history behind the ETA, the Basque separatist movement.
(Champs-Élysées)
Le petit déjeuner ~ Breakfast
Beginning-level dialogue between a customer and waiter at breakfast. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
Le Petit Larousse celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2005. Learn about the beginnings and evolution of this famous French dictionary. (Champs-Élysées)
Presidential Elections - 2007
In April and May 2007, France will choose a new president, but at the moment there are
some problems with the normal electoral process, including an important candidate not yet meeting the requirements to be on the ballot.
Learn more in this listening comprehension exercise. (Champs-Élysées)
Regional
Characteristic and Patois
Do regional differences in dialect reflect
regional differences in mentality? (LaGuinguette)
Au restaurant ~ At the Restaurant
Beginning-level French dialogue between a waiter and customer. (Camille
Chevalier Karfis)
A fictional tale about a problem that's all too real: the disappearance of accents in written French. (Champs-Élysées)
Riots in France
On 27 October 2005, riots began in a Parisian suburb and quickly spread across
France and even to neighboring countries. In this three-part discussion, a
reporter discusses the riots with two neighborhood elders in Clichy-sous-Bois
who are trying to calm down the situation. (LaGuinguette)
Sarkozy for President
Nicolas Sarkozy is one of the front-runners in the 2007 French presidential election.
Learn about his platform and pro-American stance. (Champs-Élysées)
The Scary House
Beginning level of Les portes tordues, a bilingual audiobook for beginning to intermediate
students. (Kathie Dior)
Ségolène Royal - Présidente ?
Ségolène Royal is a socialist and is working hard to become France's first
female president. Learn about her platform and her struggle in this discussion.
(LaGuinguette)
Sète
Introduction to Sète, an ancient fishing village on the French Mediterranean. (Champs-Élysées)
Simone de Beauvoir
Simone de Beauvoir was one of France's most beloved authors and an early
French feminist. Learn about her life and work. (Champs-Élysées)
Tintin, l'anniversaire de
Tintin is a world-renowned Belgian comic strip. This sound file discusses
Tintin and its creator. (Champs-Élysées)
La Tour Eiffel
A report on visitors to the Eiffel Tower.
(Champs-Élysées)
True Love
Old age does not have to mean the end of living, or even loving. In this
interview, a 90-year-old man shares his thoughts on how to get the most out of
life and love, at any age. (LaGuinguette)
Tuileries, jardin des
Learn about the famous Parisian park, le jardin des Tuileries, as you work on
your listening comprehension with this three-part discussion. (La Guinguette)
The Twisted Door
Intermediate
level of Les portes tordues, a bilingual audiobook for beginning to
intermediate students. (Kathie Dior)
Presentation of some characteristics of the French patois spoken in Vendée. (LaGuinguette)
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles is the most visited site in Europe. Learn more about
this grand château and the restoration it's undergoing. (Champs-Élysées)
Le viaduc de Millau
Le viaduc de Millau was completed in 2004. Learn about the construction and safety mechanisms
of the Millau viaduct. (Champs-Élysées)
Who said no?
Intermediate
level of Les portes tordues, a bilingual audiobook for beginning to
intermediate students. (Kathie Dior)
Top listening exercises
There are over a hundred listening exercises on this site, ranging from simple
dialogues to in-depth listening comprehension exercises. The most visited
listening pages tend to be those that offer practical advice or discuss someone
or something famous. Here are the most popular French listening exercises on
this site.
More French listening comprehension exercises are added regularly, so bookmark this page.
Beginning/Intermediate | Intermediate/Advanced
By Name | Top listening exercises | Listening tips
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