Paris Series
Intermediate (B1)Travelling to France, or hoping to.
Opens 🧪 Series Test A, on episodes 1 to 10. Test B covers 11 to 19.
🗼 Paris Series is the closest thing in the library to a novel: one story, told in 19 dialogues. You land at Charles de Gaulle, take the métro, check into the hotel, then order dinner, ask the way, queue at the Louvre, dodge a pickpocket (sorry, it had to be done) and finish at the top of the Tour Montparnasse, looking out over a city you've just lived in French.
I built it for the trip almost every student of mine dreams about. Too many of them study for years, land full of hope and freeze at the first ticket machine, because textbook French and airport-at-7am French are two different languages. It's for intermediate (B1) learners who have finished the beginner material and want French they can use on the ground.
Afterwards you'll follow the boulangerie (Et avec ceci ?), the security line at the airport, the market, Versailles and the Sacré-Cœur, and you'll answer in French instead of switching to English. Go in order: it's one story, and it builds episode by episode.
How a lesson works
Every episode of 🗼 Paris Series is a full lesson. Here is what came with Tour Montparnasse. 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:
jeter un œil ✨🧩 = take a lookça va être chaud ✨ = it's going to be difficult - Two exercises
Fill in the blank, then Translate.
- A writing prompt
« Quelle est la vue la plus impressionnante que tu aies jamais vue ? Pourquoi t'a-t-elle marquée ? »
All 19 episodes
In story order, from the airport to the top of the Tour Montparnasse. Each title opens the episode on Substack.
- 01Arrivée à l'aéroport
- 02Dans le métro
- 03Enregistrement à l'hôtel
- 04Visite de la Tour Eiffel
- 05Dîner au restaurant
- 06Prendre un café
- 07Demander le chemin
- 08Visite du musée du Louvre
- 09Notre-Dame de Paris
- 10Passer à la boulangerieFree to try
- 11Jardin des Tuileries
- 12Une visite au marché
- 13Les Trottinettes
- 14Sécurité des aéroports
- 15Versaille
- 16Pickpockets
- 17Le Sacré-Coeur
- 18Sainte-Chapelle
- 19Tour MontparnasseFree to try
Listen to a real episode
The first minute of Tour Montparnasse 🏯. Noah and Mathilde argue about whether the view can beat Sacré-Cœur.
The highlighted phrases are the ones the lesson explains.
- gâche tout le charmeruins all the charm
- arrête de râlerstop complaining
- jeter un œiltake a look
- ça vaudra peut-être le coupit might be worth it (but the speaker is unconvinced)
- ça va être chaudit's going to be difficult
- NoahAlors, Mathilde, tu penses vraiment que la Tour Montparnasse va nous offrir une meilleure vue que le Sacré-Cœur ?So, Mathilde, do you really think the Montparnasse Tower will offer us a better view than Sacré-Cœur?
- MathildeC'est ce que disait la femme avec qui on a bu de l'absinthe hier soir. Elle avait l'air convaincante, non ?That's what the woman we drank absinthe with last night said. She seemed convincing, didn't she?
- NoahPeut-être, mais ce bâtiment... C'est une tache noire corporative sur la skyline de Paris. Franchement, il gâche tout le charme.Maybe, but that building... It's a corporate black stain on the Paris skyline. Frankly, it ruins all the charm.
- MathildeOh arrête de râler, Noah. Je vais jeter un œil par moi-même. Si les vues sont aussi bonnes que promis, ça vaudra peut-être le coup.Oh, stop complaining, Noah. I'm going to take a look for myself. If the views are as good as promised, it might be worth it.
- NoahSi tu le dis. Mais franchement, ça va être chaud de battre le Sacré-Cœur. Ce dôme blanc avec ses petites ruelles en dessous, c'est iconique.If you say so. But honestly, it's going to be tough to beat Sacré-Cœur. That white dome with its little streets below, it's iconic.
- MathildeBon, on est arrivés. Qu'est-ce que tu en penses de l'intérieur ? Moi, je trouve ça un peu vide et sans âme.Well, we've arrived. What do you think of the interior? I find it a bit empty and soulless.
- NoahOui, ça manque de vie. C'est froid et impersonnel. Mais bon, montons voir la vue. On ne perd rien à essayer.Yes, it lacks life. It's cold and impersonal. But anyway, let's go up and see the view. We have nothing to lose by trying. ...
- MathildeWow, Noah, regarde ça ! C'est comme un jeu de société géant. On voit chaque monument parisien.Wow, Noah, look at this! It's like a giant board game. We can see every Parisian monument.
Tap any line to jump to it.
What readers say
I have a trip planned to Paris to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. French with Amélie has helped me get more comfortable with speaking than the apps that I use.
I studied French in high school and college and was an au pair in Paris. My language skills got rustier and rustier. Our son now lives in Paris — I am determined to be able to converse with him in French! This newsletter is just what I needed to get back in the saddle: perfect topics, just long enough and challenging enough to learn new words and phrases, but also perfect to practice what I already know. Merci!
French learning made enjoyable and relevant.
Questions, answered
Who is 🗼 Paris Series for?
Intermediate (B1) learners heading to Paris, or dreaming of it. Every episode is a situation a real visitor hits: transport, hotels, restaurants, tickets, directions and the odd minor disaster.
Do I need to go in order?
It's one continuous story, so in order works best. Every episode still stands alone, so you can always jump to the one you need.
Is the series free?
Two episodes are free to try: the boulangerie and Tour Montparnasse. 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.