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🇫🇷 French · Fluency Level 2

PART 1 · LESSON 1 OF 30 · 30 MINUTES Free

The Letter from the Academy

Hear a schoolteacher explain that the academy wants to close a class, understand the numbers behind it, and decide not to accept it.

Audio instruction: English

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Lesson 1 · The Letter from the Academy

French · 30 minutes

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0:0029:50
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THE STORY

A January morning at the school gate, Madame Lefevre with a letter, and two mothers who stop walking.

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Hear a sentence from the lesson, then put its words in order.

Words and phrases

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J'ai reçu la lettre de l'académie. Ils ferment une classe à la rentrée prochaine.zhay ruh-sew lah lehtr duh lah-kah-day-mee, eel fehrm ewn klahs ah lah rah(n)-tray proh-SHEHNI've had the letter from the academy. They're closing a class next September.
Ils ferment une classe ? Il y en a deux !eel fehrm ewn klahs, eel yah(n) nah DUHThey're closing a class? There are two!
Il en restera une. Vingt-six élèves, du CP au CM2, avec une seule maîtresse.eel ah(n) rehs-tuh-rah ewn, va(n)t-see zay-lehv, dew say-pay oh say-ehm-duh, ah-vehk ewn suhl meh-TREHSThere'll be one left. Twenty-six pupils, from first year to fifth, with one teacher.
Concrètement, ça veut dire quoi ? Il manque combien d'élèves ?koh(n)-kreht-mah(n), sah vuh deer kwah, eel mah(n)k koh(n)-bya(n) day-LEHVConcretely, what does that mean? How many pupils are missing?
Les effectifs sont à vingt-six. Il en faut trente pour garder deux classes. Quatre élèves.lay zay-fehk-teef soh(n) tah va(n)t-sees, eel ah(n) foh trah(n)t poor gar-day duh klahs, kahtr ay-LEHVThe numbers are at twenty-six. It takes thirty to keep two classes. Four pupils.
Quatre élèves. On peut faire appel ?kahtr ay-lehv, oh(n) puh fehr ah-PEHLFour pupils. Can we appeal?
On peut toujours. Mais il faut des parents, pas une maîtresse.oh(n) puh too-zhoor, meh eel foh day pah-rah(n), pah zewn meh-TREHSYou always can. But it takes parents, not a teacher.
On peut toujours.oh(n) puh too-ZHOORYou always can.
Alors on ne va pas laisser faire. À partir de maintenant, on se bat.ah-lor oh(n) nuh vah pah leh-say fehr, ah par-teer duh ma(n)-tuh-nah(n), oh(n) suh BAHThen we're not going to let it happen. From now on, we fight.
À partir de maintenant, on se bat.ah par-teer duh ma(n)-tuh-nah(n), oh(n) suh BAHFrom now on, we fight.