Are you a French teacher searching for listening activities for French students to improve their French listening skills? Today I am sharing with you five fun and informative French podcast episodes from the French Duolingo podcast. These are personally some of my favourite podcasts for intermediate-level French listening practice. These are ideal for high school French classrooms.
The French Duolingo podcast episodes are super accessible for intermediate French language learners due to a few very specific reasons. First of all, the narrator takes the time to teach new vocabulary in context. Second of all, the podcast is bilingual. So it changes between French and English every thirty seconds to a minute.
The topics chosen are also super engaging!
Most of these French Duolingo podcast episodes below employ the passé composé and imparfait past tense structures.
Before we go any further, I made worksheets to accompany each of the podcast episodes. Go ahead and download them to use with your French classes.
I really wanted colouring sheets and comprehension sheets to use with my own students. I am sharing the set with you as well!
1. Paris – Les catacombes interdites
The first French Duolingo podcast episode is all about les Catacombes à Paris. The episode is called les Catacombes interdites. The story is narrated mainly in the past tense – so your students do need to have a strong foundation in passé composé and imparfait.
In this episode, we learn about the life and mission of photographer Gaspard Duval and his love of the Paris Catacombs. This is a fantastic French listening activity if you are looking to teach your students about the history of the Catacombs and how they came to be. We also learn a little about the history of Paris as well.
It is a very engaging listen! One of the reasons why I love the French Duolingo podcasts so much is that I feel like I am in Paris with the narrator and the photographer.
This French podcast episode would fit in perfectly with Paris or historical monument units or even for l’Halloween!
If you’re looking for another activity to pair with this podcast episode, here is a French reading comprehension article on les Catacombes written specifically for intermediate French students.
2. La chocolatière
The next French Duolingo podcast episode explores the story of Euphrasie Mbamba. Mbamba was born in Cameroun and spent most of her childhood at her family’s cacao plantation.
At the age of 10 Mbamba moves to Belgium and tries chocolate for the first time. She falls in love with the delicious treat. This is when Euphrasie decides she wants to become a chocolatière.
However, she notices that the chocolate industry in Belgium does not have any Black people and definitely no Black women.
The French podcast explores Euphrasie’s remarkable journey as a chocolatière and entrepreneur.
This is a great French listening activity to accompany a French class food unit!
3. La mélodie de la Martinique
In this intermediate French podcast episode, we meet Christophe. Christophe’s family is from Martinique, but they moved to la France métropolitaine when he was a child.
Christophe’s dad is passionate about music and passes on his love of music to his children.
Christophe and his siblings tragically lose their parents in a plane crash. Christophe decides to go to Martinique after their death to produce a musical album inspired by his parents’ ancestral home.
This is literally the PERFECT French listening activity for a thematic French music unit. It such a beautiful way to bring in Francophone culture and les Antilles into a very typical Core French unit.
4. Surfer au Sénégal
This is an inspiring story about Khadjou Sambe. Khadjou lives in Senegal and she wants to be a surfer. However, it is frowned upon for girls and women to surf in her small village.
This podcast episode explores Khadjou’s story and her journey to becoming a pro surfer!
This French podcast episode would fit in well to any Core French sports unit.
5. Le nom caché
Ugh – I will warn you – this one may end in tears.
On a more serious note, this podcast episode features the story of Damien who discovers that his deceased grandparents were Jewish.
This discovery results in Damien trying to find answers about what happened to his great-grandparents and his grandfather.
At the end of the podcast, Damien learns that his lack of relationship with his grandfather likely was due to his grandfather’s trauma from his childhood.
Please be careful to ensure that you have properly warned your students of the podcast content. If they have Jewish heritage, they may find parts of the podcast to be triggering.
I have to admit – this one was my favourite out of all of the French Duolingo podcast episodes I’ve shared today. It had me captivated from the very beginning.
