Fluency by CD: Champs-Elysees

Speak French? Speak It Better

By Lauren Elkin

Paris Kiosque - June 2002 - Volume 9, Number 6
Copyright (c) 2002 Lauren Elkin - Used with permission.

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It's often lamented by Francophiles in exile that we "lose our French" when away from French-speaking countries. Watching French movies we guiltily sneak a peak at the subtitles, and reading Le Figaro we invariably reach for the Petit Robert a few times. Happily, there is a way to keep up our French: the monthly audiomagazine Champs-Elysees. Their motto is Speak French? Speak it better -- perhaps it ought to be Hear it better. Champs-Elysees is a great way to keep your ears in tune with the rapidity and mellifluousness of this sometimes indecipherable language, but its main advantage is that it enables subscribers to stay up to date with recent events and issues in France.

Each month (except July), Champs-Elysees assembles a group of timely stories relating to French culture, politics, and society, focusing on stories which may not have come to the attention of the international media, in order to keep Francophiles feeling "in the loop." The magazine is divided into two sections, Actualité, Politique, et Sociale and Culture, Gastronomie, Patrimoine, which includes reviews of current French theatre, books, cinema, restaurants, describes places to visit in France, and highlights interesting aspects of French regional culture. Recent articles have included profiles of the actor Jean Reno, Belgian songstress Lara Fabian, the owner of the celebrated Parisian bistro La Tour d'Argent, the cult success of the movie Amelie, the phenomenon of Loft Story, the meaning of the names of the streets in Paris, and others. The CD is accompanied by a booklet which consists of a transcription of the articles and a glossary of expressions and concepts that may be unfamiliar to the listener. For the intermediate student, there is an optional study supplement available that presents pre- and post-listening exercises to develop grammar and improve comprehension. The supplemental material is what makes the audiomagazine more helpful than, say, listening to French radio over the Internet. You can back up and replay, or pause and look up a word whenever an idea is unclear.

Champs-Elysees, Inc. also publishes audiomagazines in German (Schau ins Land), Italian (Acquerello Italiano), and Spanish (Puerto del Sol). Swing by the website (http://www.champs-elysees.com/) to check out an interactive product demo, which provides a strong sense of how the magazine works. While you're there, if you're sold on the idea, you can order subscriptions in increments of five months, one, or two years. Back issues are also available for $23 each, in case you'd like to sample an issue before committing to a subscription. However, if you are unhappy with your subscription, the company emphasizes their money-back guarantee.

Whether you prefer to learn on your own or if you don't have time to enroll in a formal conversation class, Champs-Elysees is the perfect way to sharpen your aural comprehension and keep up with the French, short of moving to France.

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Lauren Elkin is a New York-based freelance writer and graduate student. She will be living and writing in Paris this summer while working as a research assistant at the Sorbonne, in the Centre de recherches sur la littérature de voyage. She can be reached at laurenelkin@hotmail.com.

Editor's Note: Dear Readers, while our writers are always delighted to hear and to receive comments, both about their columns in the The Paris Kiosque, as well as your experiences in Paris, they are unable to answer any requests for travel information. Thank you for your understanding.