Bonjour tout le monde ! 👋

I’ve been thinking about something lately, and I shared it with you in this week’s Community Chat discussion about Spending Time Wisely ⏰.

It’s a topic that’s been on my mind because, honestly, I struggle with it myself – especially when it comes to my Chinese journey! 😅

Here’s what I keep wondering: How much time do we spend each day scrolling through social media, checking news feeds, or just… passing time on our phones? 📱

An hour? Two hours? Maybe more? (No judgment here – I’m right there with you!)

Now imagine this: What if you took just 15-20 minutes of that time – not all of it, just a tiny slice – and redirected it to listening to a French story? Just one story. That’s it. 🎧✨

You don’t need to overhaul your entire life or carve out massive blocks of study time. You just need 15 minutes for YOU – for something that actually lights you up, something that moves you toward a dream instead of just filling empty space.

Your French dream is worth 15 minutes, don’t you think? 🇫🇷

I’d love to hear from you 💬

How do YOU currently spend your “in-between” time? (Waiting in line, during your morning coffee, before bed, etc.)

What would it take for you to redirect just 15 minutes a day to French?

What’s the biggest obstacle – time, motivation, remembering to do it, something else?

Have you found ways to make French a natural part of your day?

What’s working for you? What’s not?

Let’s talk about this! I think we can all learn from each other’s strategies (and struggles!).

Share your thoughts in the Community Chat: https://www.aliceayel.com/community-chat/

A Glimpse into Karel’s Daily Rhythm 🏡

One of our wonderful community members, Karel, shared his daily routine, and I think there’s something we can all learn from his approach.

Karel has the luxury of time and has built a well-established routine that works beautifully for him.

He wakes up, enjoys breakfast with coffee while reading the newspaper for an hour, then dedicates an hour to acquiring French (or another language).

After a coffee break, he does some DIY projects or gardening. Following a hot lunch (his main meal), he checks emails, watches French (or another language) YouTube videos, then returns to his language studies and hands-on activities.

At 6 PM, he has dinner, followed by more studying and reading before heading to bed at a reasonable hour.

On average, Karel dedicates three to four hours daily to language acquisition! He admits he’s not sure if it’s always efficient, but it’s an excellent way to spend his time – and most importantly, it works for him and keeps him motivated. 🌱

Read Karel’s article about learning another language. Click here!

What I love about Karel’s story is this: he’s found HIS rhythm. Your rhythm might look completely different – and that’s perfect!

The key is finding what works for your life, your schedule, your energy.

The Secret Ingredient: Narration 📝✨

Here’s something powerful: simply watching or listening to stories is wonderful, but there’s one practice that transforms passive listening into deep acquisition – narration.

When you narrate a story (either by speaking it aloud in your own words or writing it by hand), something magical happens in your brain. 🧠

You’re no longer just receiving the language – you’re actively reconstructing it, making it yours. You’re recalling vocabulary, recreating sentence structures, and thinking IN French rather than ABOUT French.

Oral narration builds your speaking confidence and helps you think on your feet, while handwritten narration deepens your connection to the spelling, flow, and rhythm of the language.

Both methods make you retrieve what you’ve absorbed, which is exactly how language moves from passive recognition to active use.

So after you watch or listen to a story, take just a few minutes to tell it back – to yourself, to a pet, to your mirror! 🪞

Or grab a notebook and write what you remember.

It doesn’t need to be perfect. It doesn’t need to be long. Just your version of the story, in your words, with the French you have right now.

You’re Doing Beautifully 💫

Thank you for being here, for showing up, for dedicating even small moments to your French journey.

Remember, the journey itself IS the reward – every word you understand, every story that makes you smile, every tiny moment of “I got that!” is a victory worth celebrating. 🎉

I’d love to see you in the Community Chat this week!

Share your thoughts on spending time wisely, tell us about your daily rhythm (messy or structured – all are welcome!), and if you’re feeling brave, share a narration of one of our stories.

Your voice matters in this community.

À bientôt!
Alice