Hot Issues
B2Discuss what France is actually talking about.
Opens 🧪 Series Test A, on episodes 1 to 10. Test B covers 11 to 20.
A warning before you come in: 🔥 Hot Issues has opinions. 29 debates on what France is actually arguing about: the climate crisis, AI, social media, immigration, inflation, working from home, lab-grown meat, universal basic income and whether fashion can ever be sustainable. Every episode is people who don't quite agree, at real speed.
Debating is the French national sport, narrowly behind complaining. I built this series for B2 learners who can already follow a normal-speed conversation and want the French of the news, the café terrace and the family dinner, where people talk over each other and change their minds mid-sentence.
Afterwards you'll follow a dinner-table argument about tourism, plastic or the new space race, and you'll hear the moves people use to concede, push back and land the last word: ne te méprends pas, tiré par les cheveux, ça ne tient pas la route. Then you say what you think, in French. Pick the topics that annoy you most: annoyance is a fantastic teacher.
How a lesson works
Every episode of 🔥 Hot Issues is a full lesson. Here is what came with La Mode Durable. Each one is also an episode in 💜 The Private Podcast, and the free weekly episode is on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
- The dialogue, at three speeds
Native speed, 🐢 Slow Audio and ⚡ À la parisienne.
- Transcript and translation
Every line in French, then in English, so nothing stays a blur.
- Key Vocab
The words the scene turns on, each with its English.
- Notes on the French people actually say
From this episode:
tendance passagère = passing trendune friperie ✨ = thrift store - Two exercises
Fill in the blank, then Translate.
- A writing prompt
« Comment incorpores-tu la mode durable dans ta vie quotidienne ? »
All 29 episodes
In the order they came out. Each title opens the episode on Substack.
- 01La crise climatique
- 02La santé mentale
- 03La fragilité de la démocratie - À la limite du chaos
- 04Un Monde Post-pandémique ?
- 05La crise en Ukraine
- 06Le Café
- 07S’attaquer aux géants de la tech
- 08Israël et Palestine
- 09La Menace de l'IAFree to try
- 10La viande cultivée en laboratoire
- 11La crypto se fait culturelle
- 12Le dilemme des réseaux sociaux
- 13Un monde globalisé
- 14L'Immigration
- 15La Sauna
- 16La Nouvelle Course à l'Espace : Elon Musk
- 17L’avenir de l’énergie - Les renouvelables
- 18Bien-être et santé mentale
- 19Le Rôle de l'Allemagne en Europe
- 20L’inflation qui grimpe - L’avenir du capitalisme?
- 21Changer de job - Miser sur toi-même
- 22Travailler depuis chez soi - Le nouveau bureau
- 23Chine, Hong Kong et Taïwan
- 24Le Sud Global
- 25Le Féminisme
- 26L'impact du tourisme
- 27Le Plastique dans Notre Vie
- 28Le Revenu Universel de Base
- 29La Mode Durable
Listen to a real episode
The first minute of La Mode Durable 👗 ♻️. Enzo and Juliette argue about whether sustainable fashion is a revolution or a passing trend.
The highlighted phrases are the ones the lesson explains.
- tendance passagèrea passing trend
- exorbitantsastronomical (prices)
- épouvantablesappalling
- cautionnerto endorse (a false friend for English speakers)
- EnzoTu penses vraiment que la mode durable n'est qu'une tendance passagère ? Je trouve ça fascinant comment les grandes marques se précipitent soudainement pour devenir "écologiques", alors qu'elles ont contribué pendant des décennies à la fast fashion.Do you really think sustainable fashion is just a passing trend? I find it fascinating how big brands are suddenly rushing to become "ecological," when they've contributed to fast fashion for decades.
- JulietteC'est plus complexe que ça. La mode durable représente une véritable révolution dans l'industrie textile. Les consommateurs sont de plus en plus conscients de l'impact environnemental de leurs achats. D'ailleurs, j'ai récemment découvert une boutique qui utilise uniquement des matériaux recyclés et biodégradables.It's more complex than that. Sustainable fashion represents a real revolution in the textile industry. Consumers are increasingly aware of the environmental impact of their purchases. By the way, I recently discovered a shop that only uses recycled and biodegradable materials.
- EnzoJe comprends ton point de vue, mais franchement, les prix sont exorbitants. Comment veux-tu que l'étudiant moyen puisse se permettre d'acheter un t-shirt à 80 euros, même s'il est fabriqué avec du coton biologique ?I understand your point of view, but frankly, the prices are astronomical. How do you expect the average student to afford an 80-euro t-shirt, even if it's made with organic cotton?
- JulietteSi on réfléchissait différemment, on pourrait voir que c'est un investissement. Ces vêtements durent beaucoup plus longtemps. Et puis, as-tu pensé aux conditions de travail épouvantables dans les usines de fast fashion ? On ne devrait pas cautionner ça.If we thought differently, we could see it as an investment. These clothes last much longer. And have you thought about the appalling working conditions in fast fashion factories? We shouldn't endorse that.
Tap any line to jump to it.
What readers say
The lessons have been really helpful in improving my understanding and providing a good challenge to test my grammar.
Par ça, j'apprends le vrai français. Les dialogues me présentent un apprentissage sympathique. Ça marche !I learn something new with each newsletter, but it isn't so difficult as to be intimidating.
Questions, answered
Who is 🔥 Hot Issues for?
B2 learners who want the French of the news, the café terrace and the family dinner, where people talk over each other and change their minds mid-sentence.
Do I need to go in order?
No. Pick the topics that provoke you: every debate stands alone.
Is the series free?
One episode is free to try: the debate about whether AI is a real threat. The rest is a members' series, part of the 💎 Premium Program. Premium starts with a 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
What comes with each episode?
The dialogue at three speeds, the transcript and translation, Key Vocab, notes on the French people actually say, two exercises and a writing prompt.
Can I listen on the go?
Yes. Every lesson is also an episode in 💜 The Private Podcast, with ⚡️ Live Transcript. The free weekly episode is on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
Not sure it's your level?
Take the free listening test: eight clips, about two minutes, and you'll know where you stand. Find your French level.