http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Past-Present-Future.mp3 Before learning to play the saxophone, the clarinet, and the flute; before attending the Detroit Institute for Musical Arts; before meeting John Coltrane, who encouraged him to move to New York to pursue his dreams; before collaborating with Herbie Hancock; bef…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/KIDSO-Childhood-Original.mp3 I figured that sharing a song called “childhood” by a band called “Kidsø” would be the perfect opportunity to share something about my own childhood. But upon further reflection, I realize that if you’ve been reading this long enough, you already know more…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Hey-Rosetta-Psalm.mp3 When I was 26 my new girlfriend told me about a music festival we absolutely HAD to attend. She’d been the previous summer and assured me it was the best opportunity to see tons of local bands for cheap before they got famous. Held on an island big enough for thr…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/William-French-Blue-Heron.mp3 When my kids were tiny, we bought them a bird book. One of those books where the kid can press a button and hear what the pictured bird sounds like. Our kids were captivated by the bird calls these buttons summoned forth, especially the ones they recogniz…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Is-This-Composer-the-20th-Centurys-Chopin.mp3 One of my favourite memories from my kids’ early childhood is watching from the kitchen window while they played in the garden. They would do a variety of things back there; hide stuff, play on the climber, fill the kiddie pool with water …

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Campfires.mp3 By the time the video game Below was released at the end of 2018, the anticipation was high. The game had been announced in 2013, when its studio – Capybara Games – was trying to follow the success of the award-winning Sword and Sworcery. Below had some ingredients of it…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Dominique-Fils-Aime-Feeling-Good.mp3 Spring time often inspires musicians and poets to write about renewal and rebirth and hope and all those happy, shake-off-the-cold themes. Songs like that are great, and I’ve featured a few of them here over the years. But for all its mention of bi…

To say that relations between the U.S. and Europe have changed is an understatement. NATO is a major bone of contention and the introduction of tariffs has caused turmoil in financial markets. Let’s talk about it in this lesson.By Plus Publications

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Uly-thats-no-way-to-fly-2019.mp3 The Irish, as a people, have a bit of a history of hard knocks: famines, storms, constant cloud cover, and a long list of problems related to the English. Despite this (or perhaps as a reaction to it) one of the principal concepts connected with St. Pa…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Apres-la-pluie.mp3 Looking at an accordion, it’s hard to imagine how anyone came up with the idea for such an instrument. I mean, drums I understand. Hitting stuff is fun, so it makes sense to want to make different things to hit just to find out what it sounds like. Flutes make sense…

http://www.beautifulsongoftheweek.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Talk.mp3 This was never one of Coldplay’s biggest songs, but I always liked it. “Talk” came out in 2005, when I was stumbling into adulthood. The song was typical quarter-life crisis stuff, full of lyrics about feeling lost or incomplete, and describing lofty ambitions like “climbing …

Gambling is a colossal industry. Those with skin in the game say that it’s ‘just fun’. However, there are also those who say that gambling is addictive as a drug. Let’s discuss ‘les jeux d’argent’ in this lesson.By Plus Publications

The people of southern Louisiana are very proud of their French heritage and culture. They’re fighting tooth and nail for the survival of French which is struggling against the onslaught of English. In this lesson, let’s discuss some of the things that makes Louisiana different.

Our lesson this time relates to the European elections in which President Macron’s party was subjected to a drubbing while support for parties of the right surged. A snap election, called by President Macron after the election results became known, is a high-risk strategy. Let’s discuss.By Plus Publications

This time, our lesson relates to a DIY job that frightens off a lot people, that is, laying tiles. Let’s start with a dialogue.By Plus Publications

Since the launch of chatGPT in November 2022, everyone is talking about it. Some are in awe of its potential while others go so far as to say that it represents an existential threat. Let’s talk about this technological evolution in this lesson.By Plus Publications

It seems we are inexorably headed towards a cashless society. It is not uncommon now for some retailers to even refuse cash payments. What are the consequences of this development? Let’s talk about it.

In this lesson, we will hear Bertrand’s thoughts on a book he has just finished reading. But we are going to discover that the book’s title isn’t really true.By Plus Publications

People were starting to feel invincible. After over two year’s of covid, they were saying to themselves: ‘it’s over – we can get back to normality’. But covid is still circulating. Let’s start with a conversation.By Plus Publications

After nearly two years, we are seeing a gradual return to the workplace. Working from home – travailler de sa maison – has presented both advantages and disadvantages.

Some people are early-risers while others are night owls. In this lesson, we discuss an adage which makes the bold claim that people who fall into the first category are at an advantage.

One of our Beginner listeners asked about the English verb ‘to get’ which made us think about prendre. ‘Get’ is just one of the many meanings of this multipurpose French verb, depending on the context.

This lesson centres on an interesting initiative which should see manufacturers pull up their socks when it comes to environmentally-friendly products. Let's start with a conversation!

One of our listeners asked that we would prepare a lesson with some gardening vocabulary and that’s what we did, over WhatsApp! We have lots of interesting vocabulary to learn – let’s start with a conversation.

Our conversation this time is about something which has been central to our lives around the world since the beginning of the year. We are speaking, of course, about the coronavirus pandemic. Let's get started with a conversation.

The subject of this - our 200th lesson! - is the opioids crisis in the U.S. which has reached quite shocking proportions. But how did it come to this? Let’s start with a conversation.

Our conversation this time focuses on people who are referred to as ‘les décroissants’. But who exactly are ‘les décroissants’? To find out, let’s start with a conversation.

One of our listeners was taking up a position as a teacher in a pre-school in France and asked if we would put together some expressions and vocabulary that might be used in a dialogue between the teacher and a parent. Let’s consider one such conversation.

Our lesson this time goes back to a joke made by chat-show host Trevor Noah last summer, following the World cup. The only thing is, some people didn’t find his joke funny at all, not least the French ambassador in Washington. So what was it all about, again? Let’s start, as usual, with a conversation to put things in context.…

Our conversation this time focuses on President Macron's plan to reintroduce national service in France. Some people are wondering if he is the right man to decide on such matters, given that he himself is the first French president not to have done military service.

The Trump presidency is nearing the mid-term elections in November. Mr Trump – arguably more than any other American president – has polarised opinions. Let’s talk about the first half of his mandate and what has being going on in recent weeks.

Traditionally, French high school graduates have been guaranteed public university places, regardless of the grades achieved in their baccalauréat. This, however, has resulted in very high drop-out rates. It is hoped that, from 2018, proposed reforms will result in a more efficient means of access to university. Let’s talk about all this. C’est par…

Britain’s vote to withdraw from the European Union was widely controversial and continues to be so. Brexit – from a French perspective – is at the centre of our conversation this time.

The transfer of Brazilian footballer, Neymar, smashed all records in terms of the colossal sums of money involved. Are such sporting investments really justified? Let’s talk about that.

Our lesson this time was inspired by a recent article entitled “Have smartphones destroyed a generation?” A provocative title indeed, but one that got us thinking. C’est parti!

Our lesson this time - for Advanced learners – focuses on the stunning rise to the French presidency of the youthful Emmanuel Macron at just 39 years of age. How, exactly, did he manage to pull off such a victory? Let’s discuss.

A listener wondered if we could do a lesson on the basis of a traffic accident. So that’s what we’ve done : we’ve simulated a discussion on the basis of a minor accident that did actually occur recently at our end. Let’s start with a conversation: then we’ll look closely at the vocabulary.

The withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Accord on climate change caused consternation worldwide, not least as almost all countries signed up to its terms in 2016. Let’s talk about the decision of the U.S. administration to withdraw. We’ll discover how to make use of a whole range of interesting vocabulary. C’est parti!…

In some countries, particularly the U.S., a university education has become so expensive that some wonder if it is even worth going to college at all, any more. Let’s start with a conversation. Then we’ll come back and look more closely at some key vocabulary.

It’s holiday season, a time of year when we might discuss a film or TV series we’ve seen. That’s the subject of our conversation this time. First, let’s talk about a French production called ‘Spiral’.

The coral reefs of the world’s oceans are in mortal danger but, as is often the case with environmental concerns, few people seem to appreciate that the dangers are imminent. That is the focus of our lesson this time.

Digital tablets in the classroom were recently described as a 60 billion dollar hoax. Despite these strong words, it seems we’re on an inexorable drive to place a screen in front of every child in the classroom. But to whose benefit ? That’s the subject of our conversation in this lesson.

This lesson is inspired by our having heard about Norway in Michael Moore’s latest satirical documentary. Now, no country is perfect but Norway certainly seems to have a lot going for it. Let’s start with a conversation.

The title of this Advanced lesson may be controversial. After all, it is a fact that tens of thousands of people – some of whom have been lifted out of abject poverty – work in call centres around the world. However, questions one might ask are: what kind of work do call centre workers actually do? What kind of career prospects can workers realisti…

A listener asked about ‘tu’ and ‘vous’. In English, we simply use the pronoun ‘you’ but, in French, things are more complicated. In this conversation, we talk about when to use ‘tu’ and ‘vous’… and how to ‘make the switch’ between the two when our relationships have evolved over time. Let’s listen.

A listener asked said he had recently been in France and had heard a few slang words used frequently. In this lesson, our dialogue makes use of a variety of slang words, some of which are very common. Let’s listen.

This time, our lesson centres on the social tensions in France, arising from the proposed introduction of new work laws. The main protagonists are, on the one hand, the CGT - a very powerful union - and, on the other, the government which insists that there is no alternative to the new measures it is proposing.…

He was the world’s most famous boxer. But, to many, he represented much more than a particular sport. In this lesson, let’s talk about Mohammed Ali.

AirBnB has rocked the hospitality industry. For holiday-makers it has proved a boon but hoteliers are up in arms. On the other hand, hoteliers are up in arms, citing 'wild-west' practices and a lack of regulation, not to mention depleted rental accommodation, as property owners turn to this new rental model instead of committing to longer-term tena…

What exactly does the word ‘education’ mean to you ? Sur le chemin de l’école is a provocative and inspiring documentary from Pascal Plisson. It depicts vividly the insatiable thirst for learning of children in some of the world’s most remote corners. Let’s listen to a dialogue.