Bonjour tout le monde ! 👋
This week, I have a special challenge for you: narrate our story “La montagne Simeli“! 🏔️
When you narrate, your brain has to actively retrieve and reconstruct what you heard. You’re not just passively receiving the language – you’re making it YOUR OWN.
You’re recalling vocabulary, recreating sentence structures, and thinking IN French rather than ABOUT French. 🧠✨
This is where the magic happens!
And I want to invite you – yes, YOU – to take the challenge and share your narration in the Community Chat: https://www.aliceayel.com/community-chat/
Don’t worry about perfection. Don’t worry about getting every detail right. Just tell the story as YOU remember it, with the French you have right now.
That’s exactly what matters. 🌟
How to Narrate “La montagne Simeli” 🎧📖
First, watch and listen to the story to understand it. Don’t pause, don’t look up words, don’t stress.
Just follow along and get the gist – who are the characters? What happens? How does it end?
Let the story wash over you and see what sticks. 👀
Then, tell it back in your own words. You can do this orally (speak it aloud to yourself, a family member, your pet, or even record a voice memo!) or in handwriting (grab a pen and a notebook).
Start in whatever language feels comfortable – your mother tongue with French words mixed in, mostly French with some mother tongue, or entirely in French if you’re feeling brave!
There’s no “right” way, only YOUR way. ✍️🗣️
The key is to retrieve what you absorbed without looking back at the transcript. What do you remember? What moments stood out? What phrases stuck with you?
Trust that your brain captured more than you think! 💭
Grace Shows Us How It’s Done! 👏🎉
One of our wonderful community members, Grace, took the challenge and shared her narration. I want to show you what she wrote – not because it’s perfect (it’s not!), but because when I read it, I understood the gist of the story perfectly.
And that means Grace truly understood “La montagne Simeli“! 💙
Here’s Grace‘s narration with just a few gentle corrections in brackets:
“Il était une fois un homme généreux et pauvre. Il a un frère égoïste et riche. Un jour, [l’]homme généreux [est allé] dans [une] forêt et il a vu [une] montagne très [haute]. Il a aussi vu 12 hommes [forts] en bas de la montagne. Les 12 hommes ont dit « montagne, ouvre[-]toi ». Ils [sont entrés dans la] montagne et [ils ont] pris des sacs de richesse et ils ont dit « montagne[,] ferme[-]toi ». Après [que] les 12 hommes [sont sortis], l’homme généreux était [curieux] et il a dit à la montagne « montagne, ouvre[-]toi ». L’homme est [entré dans] la montagne et il a pris quelques [choses précieuses] comme [de l’]or et il [est retourné] à sa maison. Le frère égoïste a vu que son frère avait [de l’]or et [qu’]il [était devenu] riche. Alors, le frère égoïste était jaloux et il a demandé pourquoi son frère [était] devenu riche. Il a [entendu parler de la] montagne [et de sa] richesse. Par conséquent[,] le frère égoïste [est allé à] la montagne et il a dit « montagne, ouvre[-]toi ». Il a vu beaucoup de richesse et il était heureux. Cependant, quand il [a voulu] sortir, il a dit « montagne [Simeli], ferme[-]toi », [à la] place [de] montagne [Simeli]. Ça n’a pas marché. Soudain, les 12 hommes [forts] [sont arrivés] et [i]ls ont dit à l’homme égoïste : « c'[est] toi qui [as pris notre] richesse ! » et ils ont coupé sa tête.”
Grace, this is WONDERFUL! 🎊 You retold the entire story with all the key plot points: the two brothers, the magic mountain, the magic words, the greedy brother’s mistake, and the tragic ending.
Your verb usage shows you understood the sequence of events. Your vocabulary choices show you grasped the emotions and actions. Yes, there are some small grammar adjustments (articles, verb agreements, past tense forms), but that’s completely normal and those will smooth out naturally with more exposure and practice.
What matters is that you COMMUNICATED the story! ✨
This is exactly what narration is about: expressing what you understood with the French you have right now. Not perfection. Progress. 🌱
Your Turn! 🇫🇷💬
Now I want to hear from YOU! It’s not too late to take the challenge.
Watch “La montagne Simeli,” then narrate it in your own words and share it in the Community Chat.
Why share it publicly? Because it makes you accountable. Because seeing others’ narrations inspires you. Because the community will celebrate with you. Because putting yourself out there – even imperfectly – is how courage builds and confidence grows. 💪
Your narration doesn’t need to be as long as Grace’s. It doesn’t need to be in perfect French. It just needs to be YOURS.
Even a few sentences are enough! Tell us what you remember about the two brothers, about the magic mountain, about what happened. Use English if you need to. Mix languages. Do whatever feels right. Just TRY. 🎯
I’m waiting to read your stories!
Let’s fill the Community Chat with your versions of “La montagne Simeli” – each one unique, each one valuable, each one proof that you’re not just listening to French… you’re ACQUIRING it. 🏔️✨
À très bientôt!
Alice 🇫🇷
P.S. If you feel nervous about sharing, remember: every single person in this community started exactly where you are. We’re all learning together, growing together, and celebrating every brave step forward – including yours! 🌟