Improve your French listening skills, no matter your level. Try this clip from the Inner French podcast, it’s 44 words in 21 seconds, listen to the clip and take our transcription quiz to improve your French comprehension.
This clip is from the Inner French podcast Episode 001. Listen and fill in what you hear below. Read more and find a translation below. Find the full podcast here.
Press play and take the transcription quiz to practice your French listening comprehension.
(You can use the ⋮ to adjust playback speed)
The above audio sample and transcription is from the Inner French podcast episode 001. We do not own the content. Listen to the entire episode here.
It’s going to be
I have high hopes for this site. In reality though, I have high hopes for my French. I want to improve to a point where I can hold my own with the locals. As I do in China and Taiwan when I’m there. It’s going to be great. It’s gonna be a trek.
Language learning, in my opinion, is like this never ending mountain. Even in English, sure I can speak English. But there’s more to language than just speaking, there’s communicating, there’s pathos and logos syncing up with the communication. There’s getting your point accross and doing it succinctly and powerfully. Isn’t that all wrapped up in Language? I don’t want to scare you! Obviously, we’re not all going to become lawyers. If you can communicate what you want to say in the environment you operate within, isn’t that fluency?
All the same, it’s a never ending mountain, there’s always more to climb. I just like to look back at how far I’ve come some times. Don’t forget to look back, otherwise it’s going to be a difficult journey, wherever you are.
What’s opening up for you in this clip? I’m open to any and all feedback, as always. Let me know.
The snippet in English
Find a translation of this snippet here, how much of this did you hear?
Par contre, si vous n’avez pas confiance en vous, si vous pensez que vous n’êtes pas capable d’apprendre une langue, ça va être plus difficile parce que le filtre dans votre cerveau va empêcher ces choses, ce message, de passer, d’arriver jusqu’à votre cerveau.
On the other hand, if you don’t have confidence in yourself, if you don’t think you’re capable of learning a language, it’s going to be more difficult because the filter in your brain is going to prevent those things, that message, from getting through, from getting to your brain.
The above translation from Deepl. Source
What does “ça va être” mean?
The phrase “ça va être” is a common phrase in French. It means “it’s going to be” or “it will be”. It’s interesting, even in this relatively slow clip (by French standards) still receives a liaison and “va être” glides together.
For example, you might hear someone say “Ça va être difficile” which means “It’s going to be difficult” or “Ça va être amusant” which means “It’s going to be fun”.
This phrase is often used in conversation to express anticipation or expectation about something that is going to happen in the future.
One fun fact about the phrase “ça va être” is that it is often used in the French language as a filler phrase, similar to how “like” is used in English.
For example, in a conversation, someone might say “Et puis, ça va être…” (“And then, it’s going to be…”) as a way to pause and gather their thoughts before continuing their sentence.
What does “empêcher” mean?
“Empêcher” is a French verb that translates to “prevent” or “hinder” in English. It is commonly used to describe actions or behaviors that stop something from happening or progressing.
Some examples of how “empêcher” can be used in a sentence are:
- Je vais empêcher les enfants de manger trop de bonbons. (I’m going to prevent the children from eating too much candy.)
- La pluie va nous empêcher de jouer au tennis aujourd’hui. (The rain is going to prevent us from playing tennis today.)
- Nous devons empêcher cette entreprise de polluer l’environnement. (We need to prevent this company from polluting the environment.)
Fun fact: The word “empêcher” comes from the Old French word “empechier,” which means “to hinder” or “to obstruct.” The word can be traced back to the Latin “impedicare,” which means “to entangle” or “to fetter.”
What did you love about this?
Comment below with your feedback! Tells us what you think. Send a note or leave a comment below. We appreciate the feedback. Also, we’re always looking for partners to build this site and grow the content available.
