Are you overusing the imperative? Turns out French speakers avoid using the imperative with four other grammar structures to sound more natural and polite.

Your action steps:

1️⃣ Follow along with the transcript and review the content here.

2️⃣ Practice using the imperative! Create a story on Instagram where you tell your friends what they should do by avoiding the imperative. Use the subjunctive, infinitive, futur simple, or "Veuillez + infinitif" to tell them what to do. Remember to tag @elevatefrench to get feedback from Dr. Natalie!

3️⃣ Learn something new in today's lesson? Veuillez laisser un avis! Please leave a rating and review to help more intermediate learners to find this podcast.

Get a conversation going with your French coworkers, family, or Francophone friends! Your intermediate starter pack to starting more conversations in French.

Voici tes prochaines étapes:

1️⃣ Get your Past Tense Cheat Sheet so you can easily talk about what you've seen and read with the passé composé and imparfait.

2️⃣ Review the transcript for this lesson.

Make sure to tap the subscribe button so that you'll never miss an episode!

Tu me manques or Je te manque? Clarify how to use the verb Manquer to talk about what you miss, what you don't have, and what opportunities you have missed out on.

Vos prochaines étapes:

1️⃣ Take the MANQUER quiz!

2️⃣ Check out the transcript to check your understanding

What are the best techniques to improve your spoken French? In this conversation with Dr. Julia Gorham, professor of French at The Australian National University, you'll learn how to improve your French with research-based tips.

Tes prochaines étapes [Your next steps]:

1️⃣ Follow along with the transcript here

2️⃣ Make sure to tap the "subscribe" button so you never miss an episode!

Have a question about French? DM Natalie @elevatefrench on Instagram or Facebook. It might just become the subject of a new episode!

When do you use COD vs COI - what even are they and why do you absolutely need them to improve your intermediate French?

Your action steps after listening:

1️⃣ Join the Intermediate French Class to improve your fluidity and learn all the small words (such as COD vs COI) that make a big difference in your speaking and listening skills

2️⃣ Review the transcript for today's lesson

3️⃣ Need to gain confidence with speaking from scratch? Save your spot in the Beginner French Foundations Reboot group class!

Got a question about your level? I always love to hear from you! You can reach me anytime at natalie@elevatefrench.com

Why do you sound like a textbook and how can you fix it?

Tes prochaines étapes [Your next steps]

1️⃣ Improve your French with the free live class - Speak Real French: Slang & Idioms for Intermediate Learners. Save your spot here for the September 2025 free live class and practice!

Which article should you use and when? And when should you use DE versus DU, DE LA, DES?

Breaking down all the review you need to speak more confidently at the intermediate level in this episode.

Tes prochaines étapes [Your action steps]

1️⃣ Take the quiz to test your understanding!

2️⃣ Check the transcript and listen again to make sure you know exactly when to use the definite and partitive articles.

3️⃣ Tap "Subscribe" or "Follow" where you're listening so that you never miss an episode of Let's Speak French!

Can you actually be a "numbers person" or a "language person?" In this lesson, you'll learn:

• What the science has to say about being a "language person"
• How neuroplasticity research can help you improve your French
• The power of movement for when you get stuck
• How to stop thinking "I'm bad at this" and why it'll be good for your French skills!
• Key takeaways from Caroline Williams' My Plastic Brain that you can apply to your French learning.

Your action steps:

1️⃣ Get your customizable template: Overcoming the Intermediate Plateau.

2️⃣ Review the transcript.

Enjoying Let's Speak French? Leave a review to help other intermediate learners find the podcast!