Dear Community,
What if I told you that while you’re simply enjoying a good story this week, your brain is quietly mastering French grammar?
No flashcards. No conjugation drills. Just you, a beautiful tale, and your wonderfully intelligent mind doing what it does best.
This Week’s Story Gift: “La Politesse”
We’re gathering around a classic French tale about three princes, a mysterious healer, and a lesson that changes everything.
(Spoiler: it’s always the youngest prince who gets it right, isn’t it?)
Find the story here: aliceayel.com/resources/la-politesse
While you listen, something magical happens. Your brain absorbs the passé-composé the way morning light fills a room – naturally, gently, without force.
You’re not studying tenses. You’re living inside them.
Your Invitation: Share Your Narration
After listening (once or ten times – whatever feels right),
join us on Telegram to share your narration by Sunday, February 1st: t.me/+kj7F0mWZ8Uo4OWE0
Your narration is yours alone. It might be:
- Three sentences or three paragraphs
- In French or your mother tongue
- Written or spoken
- About the whole story or just one moment that caught your heart
There’s no wrong way to tell a story you’ve made your own.
Not Ready for the Full Story Yet?
Try this gentle practice called copia – a method from the Renaissance scholar Erasmus for expressing one idea in many ways.
It’s how children naturally build vocabulary!
The story begins: “Il était une fois un roi”
You could also say:
- Il y a longtemps, il y avait un homme très important
- Autrefois vivait un souverain
- Dans les temps anciens, un grand seigneur régnait
Pop your version on Telegram! This playful practice builds your French vocabulary like a garden grows – one seed at a time.
Meet Yourself Where You Are
Some days the French flows like honey.
Other days? You might feel like you’re starting over.
Both are perfect. Both are progress. Both are you showing up, which is everything.
See you in the story,
Alice 💕
P.S. Remember that feeling when a story clicks? When suddenly you understand not just the words, but the heart of what’s being said? That’s what our community is built for – those moments when French stops being something you’re learning and becomes something you’re living. Your fellow story listeners are waiting to hear what this tale means to you. That’s the kind of learning that lasts.