Podcasts for French on the go

Podcasts are experiencing a huge surge in popularity at the moment! According to Forbes, at least 112 million Americans alone listen to podcasts and (crazily enough) that number is steadily increasing. So, what better way to continue your French learning and comprehension than to start listening? These podcasts are easy to listen to on your phone or computer, via iTunes or an online streaming service.

With options for every level of French, this selection of podcasts just might contain your next favorite!

French Voices was created by a French teacher in Australia who uses her podcast as an international learning tool. Jessica tapes conversations with other native speakers in which they talk about the guests’ passions! The most recent episode featured the Canadian author and illustrator Marie-Louise Gay, whose books you can find in the library! A brief selection of other guests include the French subtitlist for the Walking Dead franchise, a couple who travels the world by bicycle, professional tennis players, and at least one boulanger/pâtissier to make you crave some French pastries while listening! Each episode has a corresponding list of vocab and some listening comprehension questions.

La Poudre is a conversation-based podcast created by Lauren Bastide. Each episode, she speaks with a different inspiring woman. Her guests are often involved in the arts, activism, and politics and they speak with Lauren about how they and women of the 21st century are shaped by the education they received, the invectives of society, and their relationship to their bodies. Each episode is also accompanied by three book recommendations to deepen the conversation; many of which can be found in our library!

Le Bureau des Mystères is hosted by two friends, Mathias and Charles, who use their podcast to dive headfirst into all sorts of paranormal mysteries. From ghosts to disappearances to psychics and more, this podcast is your go-to for both a little spookiness and a dose of reality when they class the mystery as “solved” or as a hoax. They also host the podcast Inspiré de faits réels which looks to reveal the reality behind the fiction of horror films that are “based on a true story.”

Les Gentilshommes is hosted by three friends who describe their podcast by saying, “On a 30 ans, et on ne comprend pas toujours les relations entre les hommes et les femmes.” In order to better understand the relationships between men and women, the hosts invite a different female friend each episode and ask her questions. These conversations will leave you laughing and feeling like you’re among friends!

NoTube is part of a larger series by Binge Audio including No Ciné and No Fun. All three investigate the culture of their chosen topics: in this case, YouTube. Hosted by Vincent Manilève and featuring YouTube heavy-hitters as guests, this podcast aims to be a place of analysis, debate, information, and - of course - entertainment, while talking about YouTube’s massive online presence.

Choses à savoir is a podcast that deep dives into random topics. It asks (and answers!) questions like “Is breathing ocean air really good for you?” and “What is a black hole?” and everything in between! Its equivalent in English would probably be the “Stuff You Should Know” family of podcasts. If you want to develop votre culture générale, this is the one for you!

Superhéros hosted by Julien Cernobori, this podcast tells the life stories of the guests. Each season focuses on one individual, leaving you feeling like you really know Paul, Vanessa, and Hélène. Season four will follow a man named Hafizou and launches on December 11th.

Un podcast à soi Hosted by Charlotte Bienaimé and partnered with the magazine Causette, this podcast uses personal interviews, expert testimony, research, and reflection in order to talk about the social issues surrounding the fight for equality between men and women. Topics include work, education, health, ecology, sport, sexuality, violence, discrimination, and more.

Bibliomaniacs is a podcast hosted by four bibliophiles. Coralie, Amandine, Léo, and Eva post an episode once per month, in which they discuss coups de coeur, new books (and those about to be published!), books on a theme, and more!

Une semaine dans le monde is a little different from the others on this list as it’s primarily a video podcast through France 24. Every week, a round table of invited guests discusses both international and French news. If you’re looking for a shorter and more traditionally audio-driven news podcast, try Binge Actu.

Sérieusement?! Avec Pablo Mira is the news podcast for you if you want your current events told with humor! Pablo Mira and three debaters talk about politics and pop culture… while trying not to take themselves or their topic too seriously!

While French podcasts are available via American iTunes, it’s much easier to discover new selections using the library’s iPads. If nothing on this list jumps out at you or you just want to see what else is out there, come on in and browse!