Frequently Asked Questions

Because textbook French and spoken French are not the same language and the difference goes deeper than vocabulary. Saying je n'ai pas envie instead of j'ai la flemme is correct. But it creates distance. And knowing the expression is not enough: relou is perfectly natural with a friend. In a job interview, it would be a serious mistake. Sounding natural means understanding register, not just what to say, but when, and to whom.

Because the gap between intermediate and fluent is rarely about grammar. If you can already hold a conversation, the problem is the layer beneath: the expressions, the register, the cultural logic that native speakers use without thinking. That is precisely the gap France, Explained is built to close.

Three things make a real difference: regular exposure to spoken French, a practical understanding of register, and cultural context that makes vocabulary stick. The podcast provides weekly exposure, free, short, consistent. The book builds register awareness. France, Explained provides the cultural depth. Used together, they cover the ground that most intermediate learners are missing.

One episode every week, one word, one expression, or one question of register, unpacked clearly and practically. Free, available wherever you listen to podcasts.

A practical guide to the expressions intermediate learners miss, not because they are rare, but because no one teaches them. Every expression was heard in real conversation, not collected from a dictionary. More than a vocabulary list, it is a guide to register: where an expression works, and where it does not.

A slang dictionary collects expressions. This book explains register: the difference between an expression that works perfectly in one context and creates distance in another. That distinction runs through every entry.

It depends on where you are. The podcast is the right place to begin training your ear: free, weekly, no commitment. The book builds vocabulary and register awareness at your own pace. France, Explained goes deeper: the cultural logic behind the language, the layer that makes everything else make sense. Coaching is for when you want faster, personalised progress on your specific gap. The four work well together, and most learners move naturally between them.

Speak Real French was created by Pierre Couturier, language specialist, author of more than fifty books on vocabulary, expression, and real-life language use, and founder of two companies specialising in language immersion and international education. Based in Bordeaux. Focused on one idea: helping intermediate learners move from correct French to genuinely present.

A series of audio modules for intermediate learners who want to understand France from the inside, not just the language, but the codes, the culture, and the unwritten rules that shape every conversation. Each module unpacks one corner of French life: the vocabulary, the social logic, the things that are never written down anywhere. Every module includes an audio programme and a PDF self-check — twenty questions that test not just what you remembered, but what you actually understood. One module is free, with no registration required.

A language course teaches you how to speak French. France, Explained teaches you how France works. Most intermediate learners already have the grammar. What they are missing is the cultural layer: the register, the social codes, the expressions that signal you are present rather than just passing through. That is the gap this series is built for.

Intermediate to upper-intermediate learners (B1 to B2) who feel stuck despite years of study. Expatriates navigating daily life in France. Professionals working in French who want to sound natural rather than just correct. If grammar is still a struggle, start with the podcast. If grammar is solid but something still feels missing, France, Explained is where to go next.

Coaching is for learners who have built a solid foundation and want to go further, faster, with personalised support. Sessions are built around exactly where you are, not where a syllabus says you should be. No fixed curriculum, no generic exercises. Just focused work on the specific things that are keeping you from sounding like yourself in French. Coaching is limited by design. Start with France, Explained. Come to coaching when you are ready.

Because your plateau is personal. Apps and group classes follow a fixed structure. Coaching focuses on your specific gaps, in real time. That precision is what allows faster, lasting progress.