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Live media can present a real challenge because they are aimed at Francophone audiences.

Having said this, listening to the equivalent of the BBC News in French will usually involve a clear speaking presenter with superb enunciation. Also, the subject matter is likely to be familiar, allowing you more easily to ‘fill in the gaps’ in your comprehension.
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    France 24

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    Euronews

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    RFI Savoirs

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    Radio France

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    TED Talks

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    YouTube

 
France 24
This Internet-based service transmits in French, English, Spanish and Arabic. It offers a live news feed and a large selection of articles. The ‘Émissions’ section contains a selection of videos covering a wide range of interests, including political debates that can become quite heated. Check out the French viewpoint on English news stories.

Level: Intermediate to advanced

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Euronews
Another news channel with a web site that can be viewed in multiple languages, although for our purposes you will need to choose French.

The news videos are accompanied by a written report but this might not always be a verbatim account of the dialogue. It does, however, aid understanding, bearing in mind that the reports are aimed at French speakers.

Level: Intermediate to advanced

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RFI Savoirs
Radio France International (rfi) has introduced this service as an aid to learning and teaching French. That’s not to say it’s easy, but it is pitched at a more learner-friendly level than normal radio broadcasts.

The Journal en français facile, for example, provides an audio daily news summary with a full transcript.

Level: Intermediate to advanced

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Radio France
If you feel brave, or just want to test yourself occasionally, visit the Radio France website where you can choose between a selection of channels. There’s no ‘facile’ here, these are French radio channels for French speaking people.

Level: Advanced

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TED Talks
TED is a non-profit organisation devoted to spreading ideas, usually in the form of short, powerful talks and there are a considerable number in French. These are people speaking to francophone audiences so the level is between high intermediate and advanced, but many have subtitles, sometimes in English or, failing that, in French.

Level: Intermediate to advanced

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YouTube
Just type in something like ‘French interviews’, or ‘’French films’, and YouTube will offer you seemingly an endless list of videos from which to choose. Clearly not all of them will be suitable, or relevant, but among them you will almost certainly find something worth listening to.

Check out celebrities who speak French, some incredibly well, while others less so.

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