Politics, History & Economics
Topic specific French practice exercises
You won't need a time machine to take a trip into the past with us as we explore the evolution of the French government and other significant historical events.
- Hello, my name is France!
The country France introduces itself. - How to vote at a polling station in France?
Learn how to vote in a French election. - I, Louis XIV
The French king Louis XIV tells us about himself. - Money and me
Thibault and Flora are complete opposite when it comes to money! - November 11 commemorations
Alice explains France's November 11 commemorations. - Radio news bulletin
Here is a short news broadcast. - A ride in a hot air balloon
Learn more about the origin of hot air balloons and join us for a ride! - Following the news
Liliane tells us how and why she follows the news regularly. - Marie-Antoinette
Here's a quick biography of Marie-Antoinette, "last" queen of France (pre-French Revolution). - My first time voting
Emma was very excited to be voting for the first time! - Napoleon, a Corsican emperor
Did you know that French emperor Napoleon was from Corsica? - The 14th of July
Do you actually know why France's National Day is July 14th? - The first woman astronomer
Edmée Chandon, first French female astronomist, tells us about herself. - Who am I?
Guess who this important figure of the French Resistance is. - A call to the bank
Philippe is calling his bank about a letter he received recently. - A costly project
Martine wants to reduce her spending to buy a new car. - Clovis, king of the Franks
Learn about the first king of the Franks. - Colette's house
Laurence enjoyed visiting the famous French writer's childhood house. - Conversation between the election's two rounds
Marc explains the French presidential election process to his friend Alice. - D-Day beaches
Geoffrey is planning a historical trip to Normandy's D-Day beaches. - Going back in time
Marine asks Amanda, Bruno and Sébastien what they would do if they could go back in time. - Lighthouses in Brittany
Learn about the beautiful lighthouses you can find in Brittany. - Queen Elizabeth II's death
Here's a French news announcement about the death of the long-reigning British Queen. - Simone Veil
Irène introduces this larger-than-life French magistrate and politician. - The European Parliament in Strasbourg
Learn about this European institution located in Strasbourg. - The origin of fire
Fire is one of the most important discoveries in human history. - Bonne fête des Mères !
Learn about Mother's Day in France while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - C'est quoi le 14 juillet ?
Learn about France's National Holiday and its origins, while practising your French listening comprehension. - Comment est née la langue française ?
Where did the French language come from? Get the short answer in this cute animated video for children. - D'où vient la tradition du marché de Noël ?
Learn a bit of the history behind France's traditional Christmas markets in this cute video. - French Elections
Learn about French elections while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Inventions françaises
Hundreds if not thousands of products you use every day started out as nothing more than an idea - and many of those ideas were originally French. - La fête de la Saint-Patrick
Saint Patrick's Day is the most important day of the year for Irish people all over the world. Learn about this 17 March celebration with this video. - La valeur inestimable de Notre-Dame de Paris
Notre-Dame de Paris, a jewel of French Gothic architecture, was partly destroyed by fire on 15 April 2019. Learn about some of the damage that was done in this video. - Le français moderne
Learn about Modern French in part five of our series of bilingual articles on the development of French over the centuries. - Le Salon International de l'Agriculture
The annual Salon International de l'Agriculture is the largest French agricultural event of the year. - Les Fêtes Johanniques de Reims
Learn about Reims's historical celebration commemorating Charles VII's coronation, while practising your French listening and reading comprehension. - Marianne (Les Symboles de la République française)
Learn about the origins of Marianne, the iconic woman of the French Republic, while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Marie Curie
Ready for two minutes of women's history? Listen to French kids talking about renowned scientist Marie Curie in this cute video. - Naissance de la langue française
Modern French dates from about the year 1300, but where did it come from? Learn about the birth of French in this French audio and transcript - just click any phrase for the English translation and related grammar lessons. - Plus de faits intéressants sur le français
By popular demand, more interesting facts about French, while practising your French reading and listening skills. - Pourquoi les Français sont-ils si fiers de leur cuisine ?
Why are the French so proud of their cuisine? Find out in this cute animated video. - Quelques faits intéressants sur le français
Take a break from learning French to learn some interesting facts about the French language, while practising your French reading and listening skills. - Qui sont-ils ? Les Frères Bogdanoff
Learn about France's most famous twins, while practising your French listening comprehension. - Rentrée scolaire : la dictature de la mode
Video about the evolution of school smock and the latest back-to-school fashions in France. - 1 PM radio news
Headlines of the 1 PM news - based on France Inter's 13h of the 24/08/21. - At the beachfront restaurant
Cyril and Eve try the restaurant near the hotel by the beach and decide what to eat from the menu. - City vs dog poop
Alain and Pauline discuss the city's measures to fight against dog waste. - Heatwave
A weather forecast on one of the hottest days of the year. - High cost of cigarette packaging change
Learn about the cost of the new policy on cigarette packaging in France. - Le commerce équitable : un enjeu de société
Marina discusses the necessity to have a public discussion on fair trade. - Louis XIV and the artists
Learn about Louis XIV's passion for the arts, which didn't come without an ambition to control his own image. - Louise Bourgeois
Marie-Claire tells us about her favourite French artist. - Saving up for Christmas
Nadia has a plan to save money until the Holidays. - The Appeal of 18 June 1940
Discover the historical context around Charles de Gaulle's most famous speech. - The birth of Marseille
Learn about the birth of the oldest French city. - The Conservatoire de Paris
Learn about this famous music institution in the French capital. - The fifth republic
Learn more about the current French political regime. - The old fool's palace
The "Ideal Palace" is as fascinating a piece of architecture as it is a wonderful story. - The three-coloured flag
Why is the French flag blue, white and red? - Who to vote for at the second round?
Listen to three different voting intentions for the second round of the 2022 French presidential elections. - Women's vote in France
Catherine and Blanche tell us about the first time they were allowed to vote in 1945. - 6 juin 1944 : voyage à travers le temps
Witness the commemoration of the Allied landing in Normandy, while practising your listening and reading comprehension. - 8 mai 1945 : la capitulation de l'Allemagne à Reims
Learn about Germany surrendered to Allied forces on the 8th of May 1945, while practising your listening and reading comprehension. - Assomption
August 15 is the Catholic holiday of Assomption (Assumption Day) and is férié (a public holiday) in France. - Basique - OrelSan
Practise your French rapping skills with OrelSan's "Basique". - Bastille Day
Happy Bastille Day! Learn about the French national holiday in our bilingual audio article. - Décès de l'ancien président Jacques Chirac, l'animal politique
Former French president and mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac passed away on 26 September 2019. Learn about the legacy of this political animal in this video from France24. - Dialectes et langues régionales
For centuries, France was divided into two main dialectal regions. Learn about the development of French in this bilingual article. - Fête de la Musique
La Fête de la Musique is an annual celebration in France and around the world. Learn a bit of its history in our bilingual audio article, then listen to a few French variety classics. - Haiti's story of independence
Haiti was the first French colony to gain independence, in large part thanks to one man. - Héritage de Johnny Hallyday
Despite being French, Johnny Hallyday wrote his will in the United States, which allowed him to disinherit his children. Find out how they're challenging the will and whether they have a case in this video. - Jean de La Fontaine (Portraits français)
Learn about French poet Jean de La Fontaine, while practising your French reading and listening skills. - Joséphine Baker au Panthéon
Learn about the decision to welcome Josephine Baker into the French Panthéon, while practising your French listening and reading comprehension. - L'Appel du 18 Juin 1940
The Appeal of 18 June is considered the origin of the French Resistance during World War II. Learn how it came about in this French video with transcript and translation. - La Chandeleur
The 2nd of February is known as Chandeleur, la fête des chandelles, or le jour des crêpes - learn all about it in this video. - La construction de la tour Eiffel
Learn more about how France's most iconic monument came to be, while practising your French listening comprehension. - La Déclaration d'Indépendance de la Belgique (4 octobre 1830)
Learn about how Belgium proclaimed its independence, while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Le coq gaulois (Les Symboles de la République française)
Learn about the origin of this symbol of the French Republic while practising your French listening comprehension. - Le drapeau tricolore (Les Symboles de la République française)
Learn about the origins of the French tricolor flag, symbol of the French Republic, while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Le français classique
Learn about Classical French in this 5-part series of bilingual articles about the development of French over the centuries. - Le Louvre : 800 ans d'Histoire
Did you know that the Louvre, one of the most famous museums in the world, was originally a fortress? Learn about the history of this Parisian monument in this fascinating video. - Le moyen français
Learn about Middle French in this 5-part series of bilingual articles about the development of French over the centuries. - Le premier mai
In much of the world, the 1st of May is a public holiday called Labour Day. Learn the history in this French video with transcript and translation. - Le suffrage universel masculin - 5 mars 1848
France was the first country to institute universal men's suffrage. Find out how that came about in this audio article and bilingual reader. - Le XVIIIe siècle, le siècle des Lumières
Learn about some of France's rich history in this video. - Pézenas : Destination estivale
Pézenas is a beautiful town in southern France loaded with history, culture, and artistic significance. Learn about this "green pearl" in our French audio article with transcript and translation. - Quel est le sens spirituel du Carnaval et du Mardi Gras ?
Carnaval and Mardi Gras are huge, weeks-long celebrations in Nice, Venice, New Orleans, Rio de Janeiro, and many other cities around the world. Find out about their religious origins in this video. - Trois minutes pour comprendre Thanksgiving
Enjoy this video that offers a quick overview of Thanksgiving, while practising your listening and reading comprehension. - Arles's Amphitheatre
Learn about this fascinating ruin of the Roman era. - Coco Chanel
Learn about this extraordinary woman who became a fashion icon. - Drôme provençale, a little piece of heaven
Vincent tells us about this beautiful region in the South of France. - French Mobile Phone Habits
We're taking a look at the importance of mobile phones in French people's lives. - Luxembourg: A bit of history
Learn about the early history of this interesting country. - Mardi Gras in New Orleans
Did you know where New Orleans's famous Mardi Gras came from? - Mister Spendthrift
Geoffrey can't seem to control his spending! - Paternity leave in France
Learn about the latest improvements to French paternity leave. - Pompidou Centre
Learn about the history of this unique building in Paris. - Results of the 2022 presidential election's first round
Here's a summary of the main results of the first round of France's 2022 presidential elections. - Saint Sylvester's Day's origins
Why is December 31st Saint Sylvester's Day in the calendar? - Sorbonne University
Learn about the most famous French university. - Talking about fake news in French
A French-language commission came up with a translation for the ubiquitous expression "fake news". - The "Veuve Clicquot"
Here's the story of how widow Barbe-Nicole Clicquot created one of the most famous champagne brands in the world. - The 1799 coup d'Etat
Learn how Napoleon Bonaparte became Head of State following a coup d'Etat in 1799. - The feminist revolutionary Olympe de Gouges
Bastien tells us about this extraordinary humanist writer from 18th century France. - The history of the French macaron
Learn more about this elegant and delicious confection. - The war poets of World War I
Amélia tells us about the French poets who fought during the First World War. - Young heroes
Children are more than ever the future. - Chez Victor Hugo à Guernesey
Discover Victor Hugo's amazing mansion Hauteville House on the island of Guernsey, while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Histoire des Jeux Olympiques Modernes
Discover how the modern Olympic Games came to be, while practising your French listening comprehension. - Histoire et origine du français canadien
The French spoken in Québec is different than what you might be used to - but why? Check out this animated video for an explanation of the Québécois accent ... - Jeanne d'Arc (Portraits français)
Learn about Joan of Arc - Jeanne d'Arc - while practising your listening and reading comprehension. - L'histoire de la Fête Nationale
Learn about the history of France's national holiday, le 14 juillet, in this informative video. - L'histoire de la Saint-Sylvestre
Discover why December 31st is also known as "la Saint-Sylvestre" in France, while practising your French reading and listening comprehension. - Quand Mai 68 changea la France
May 1968 was a turning point in French history. On this 50th anniversary, learn how students and workers revolutionalized France. - Thanksgiving contre les Indiens d'Amérique
Learn about some of the controversy surrounding the US celebration of Thanksgiving, while practising your B2 French listening and reading comprehension. - Valéry Giscard d'Estaing - Une rétrospective en images
Former French President Valéry Giscard d’Estaing died of Covid-19 on 2 December, 2020, at the age of 94. Take a look back at his life and career in this video from Le Monde. - Jour de manif (Le Futur + Telling time)
Practise your conjugations in Le Futur AND telling time with this Fill-in-the-Blanks kwiz exercise
- Les Jeux Paralympiques (Definite & Indefinite Articles)
Practise your French definite and indefinite articles with this Fill-in-the-Blanks exercise
- La République française (Level A1)
Practise your French A1 level with this Fill-in-the-blanks exercise.
- Les symboles de la République française (Level A1)
Practise your French A1 level with this Fill-in-the-blanks exercise.
- Une femme indépendante (Relative Pronouns)
Practise your French Pronom relatif "qui/que/ce qui/ce que" with this Fill-in-the-Blanks exercise
- Le Débarquement (Vocabulaire)
Practise your French D-Day vocabulary in French vocabulary with this Fill-in-the-Blanks kwiz!
- Voter en France (Vocabulaire)
Practise your Elections vocabulary in French with this Fill-in-the-Blanks kwiz!
- Le défilé des armées du 14 juillet (Vocabulaire)
Practise your Military Vocabulary in French with this Fill-in-the-Blanks kwiz!
