Bonjour les amis d’Étranger Things 👋
We’re starting French Practice Circles on Zoom — short, friendly, fully immersive video chats to help us speak more, laugh more, and feel a little more Aixois(e) every week. This post is the sign-up thread: tell us when you’re free, what CEFR level you’re comfortable practicing at, and whether you’d like to host a session. Hosts for sessions would be nice, but not required. I have the Zoom account to setup the recurring meetings, but a conversation host would be nice to make sure there's a good flow from introductions to conversational topics.
How it works (simple-simple)
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Comment below with your available days/times (local Aix/Paris time), your level (A1–C2), and whether you can host a session on my Zoom account.
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When 2–8 people line up for a slot, we lock it in for a regular weekly time slot.
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Sessions run 30–60 minutes, video on if possible (cameras help with pronunciation and vibes), and French only after a 2-minute warm-up. You don't need to stay on the call the whole time.
Suggested comment format (copy/paste)
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Name:
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Time zone: (assumed Europe/Paris unless you note otherwise)
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Available slots (Paris time): e.g., Tue 19:00–20:00, Thu 10:30–11:15
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Level: A1 / A2 / B1 / B2 / C1–C2
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Can host the conversation (Thom will schedule on his Zoom account)? Yes / No / Maybe
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Focus you’d like: e.g., café talk, admin vocab, travel, news, pronunciation
Need a quick Zoom refresher? See Zoom’s official quick-starts for joining and scheduling. (Zoom)
Unsure of your level? Peek at the Council of Europe’s CEFR descriptors. (Portal)
A friendly, light structure (60 min)
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0–5 min: Bonjour + icebreaker (weather, “rose or noir?” micro-polls)
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5–20 min: Theme round in pairs (market, buses, café, admin)
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20–40 min: Whole-group prompts (photo, mini-roleplays, “explain & guess”)
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40–55 min: Open chat or mini-debate (keep it kind, short turns)
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55–60 min: New words round-up + selfie wave 👋
Hosting? You’ve got this 💪
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Before: Work with me to get you setup to be the host for a timeslot, and prep 3 prompts for the sessions conversations; (Zoom’s getting-started pages walk you through it.) (Zoom)
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During: Keep turns short, and gently nudge back to French.
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After: Post a mini recap in the comments (new words, giggles, next time).
Tiny netiquette (we’re here to help each other)
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Be patient, no corrections mid-flow (note it; share after).
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Keep shares to 60–90 seconds so everyone talks.
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Mics muted in big groups; cameras on if you can (lip-reading helps!).
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No recording unless everyone agrees.
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Kindness > perfection. Always.
Ideas by level (pick what feels comfy)
A1 — “Je me présente,” shopping phrases, bus & café role-plays, numbers & times.
A2 — Daily routines, past weekend, simple opinions (“j’aime bien… parce que…”).
B1 — Tell a short story, compare places, give advice (“tu devrais…”).
B2 — Light news chat, defend a viewpoint, explain a process (admin, travel).
C1–C2 — Nuance, idioms, cultural hot takes (politely!), summary & rebuttal.
CEFR reference if you want to self-check. (Portal)
Quick tech checklist
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Zoom app updated; test mic/cam 2 minutes before. (Zoom)
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Headphones if possible (room echo is the enemy).
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One prop on your desk (ticket, photo, receipt) = instant speaking prompt.
Discussion Topics and Vocab
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“Mon mini-marché idéal”: 3 stalls, 2 adjectives, 1 complaint.
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“Le bus parfait”: pitch a new line in 5 sentences.
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“Café confessions”: your funniest “tu/vous” moment (we all have one).
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Photo talk: describe a picture of Aix and guess the exact spot.
Use Table Topics to fuel five-minute mini-conversations: present one clear prompt (“Au marché idéal : 3 produits, 1 prix, 1 mini-plainte”), give 30 seconds to think, then do a fast round where each person speaks up to 60–90 seconds—host models first, keeps the clock, and posts support phrases (connecteurs: mais, parce que, donc, ensuite).
Rotate 2–3 prompts per session or, alternatively, run a vocab lightning round: each participant brings one French word learned recently and gives a short definition en français plus a tiny example (e.g., “Un déclic : moment où on comprend soudain. Exemple : J’ai eu un déclic avec le subjonctif hier.”).
The host notes standout words in chat, invites one follow-up question max, and transitions smoothly to the next speaker to keep the rhythm lively and 100% en français.
“Why Zoom?” (and why now)
Because speaking regularly beats waiting for confidence to arrive by La Poste. These circles make practice easy, social, and repeatable — a little curated structure plus a lot of encouragement.
Your turn — post your times below!
Tell us when you’re free, your level, and if you can host. If you want notifications when a slot fills, say “ping me for Tue/Thu evenings” and we’ll reply in-thread.
Scheduled French Practices:
Passcode: 270157
Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83701960017?pwd=bMhrjCR99CHx1U4h0V8bkLhIa7l9sC.1
Tips for learners (by level)
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A1: Prepare 5 sentences you know; reuse them shamelessly.
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A2: Bring 3 connectors (mais, parce que, alors) and 5 “safe” verbs.
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B1: Try the past → reason → future sandwich in answers.
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B2: Limit yourself to 2 complex ideas per turn; leave room for others.
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C1–C2: Model clarity; reformulate classmates’ ideas to include them.
If you’ve never used Zoom, start here (join/schedule basics). (Zoom)
If you’re unsure of CEFR levels, skim the official descriptors. (Portal)
Post your availability now — and à très vite en visio !
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