Starting a Language Lesson Slowly | Learn French in English

French lesson set in a contemporary Paris everyday setting: Before a language lesson, two adults talk about feeling nervous, hearing that the group is friendly, and starting slowly..

EN → FR / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Starting a Language Lesson Slowly to practice French conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Je suis nerveux avant le cours.

zhuh SWEE nair-VUH ah-VAHN luh KOOR I feel nervous before class.
B

Ce sentiment est normal. Le groupe est sympathique.

seh sahn-tee-MAHN eh nor-MAHL. luh GROOP eh sahm-pee-TEEK That feeling is normal. The group is friendly.
A

Je suis content de l'entendre.

zhuh SWEE kohn-TAHN duh lahn-TAHN-druh I am glad to hear that.
B

Nous commençons doucement.

noo koh-mahn-SOHN doo-suh-MAHN We take things slowly at first.
A

Ça a l'air bien.

sah ah LAIR byehn That sounds good.
B

La première partie est facile.

lah pruh-MYAIR par-TEE eh fah-SEEL The first part is easy.

Word by Word

Je “Je” means “I” here and identifies the speaker in “Je suis nerveux”. It is used when the speaker talks about their own feeling or state.
suis “Suis” means “am” in “Je suis nerveux”, describing the speaker’s current state. It is the form of être used with “Je” here.
nerveux “Nerveux” means “nervous” here. In “Je suis nerveux”, it describes how the speaker feels before the class.
avant “Avant” means “before” and places the feeling earlier than the class in “avant le cours”. Use it to say that something happens before another event.
le “Le” means “the” and introduces “cours” in the definite expression “le cours”. It is used here to refer to the particular class being discussed.
cours “Cours” means “class” or “lesson” in “le cours”. The phrase “le cours” refers to the language lesson that is about to begin.
Ce “Ce” means “that” here and points to the feeling in “Ce sentiment”. It is placed before “sentiment” to identify which feeling is being discussed.
sentiment “Sentiment” means “feeling” in “Ce sentiment est normal”. It names the nervous feeling mentioned in the previous line.
est “Est” means “is” in “Ce sentiment est normal”. It connects the feeling with the description “normal”.
normal “Normal” means “normal” here and says that the feeling is expected. It describes “Ce sentiment” in “Ce sentiment est normal”.
groupe “Groupe” means “group” in “Le groupe est sympathique”. It refers to the people taking the lesson together.
sympathique “Sympathique” means “friendly” or “nice” in “Le groupe est sympathique”. It describes the group and reassures the learner about the people in the class.
content “Content” means “glad” or “happy” in “Je suis content de l'entendre”. It describes the speaker’s positive reaction to the information just heard.
de “De” links “content” with “l'entendre” in “content de l'entendre”. Here it introduces the action that makes the speaker glad.
l'entendre “L'entendre” means “to hear it” in “Je suis content de l'entendre”. “L'” refers to the information about the group, and “entendre” names the action of hearing it; this form is useful when reacting positively to information just received.
Nous “Nous” means “we” in “Nous commençons doucement”. It includes the speaker and other people in the action of starting.
commençons “Commençons” means “start” or “begin” in “Nous commençons doucement”. With “Nous”, it says that the group begins the lesson together.
doucement “Doucement” means “slowly” or “gently” in “Nous commençons doucement”. It explains how the group begins and is useful for describing a gradual pace.
Ça “Ça” means “that” or “it” in “Ça a l'air bien”. It refers to the idea of starting slowly and makes that idea the subject of the response.
a l'air In “Ça a l'air bien”, “a” is the form used for “has”, while “l'air” contributes the idea of appearance. Together, “a l'air” means “seems” or “looks”, so the whole expression evaluates how something appears.
bien “Bien” means “good” in “Ça a l'air bien”. It gives a positive evaluation of how the proposed start seems.
La “La” means “the” and introduces “partie” in “La première partie”. It refers to the particular first section of the lesson.
première “Première” means “first” in “La première partie”. It shows the position of “partie” at the beginning of the lesson.
partie “Partie” means “part” in “La première partie”. It refers to one section of the lesson, specifically the first one.
facile “Facile” means “easy” in “La première partie est facile”. It describes the first part of the lesson and reassures the learner that this section will not be difficult.

Grammar Points

avoir l'air + adjectif

Le groupe a l'air sympathique.

luh GROOP ah LAIR sahn-pa-TEEK

The group seems friendly.

French uses avoir l'air before an adjective to say that someone or something seems a certain way.

nous commençons

Nous commençons doucement.

noo koh-mahn-SOHN doo-suh-MAHN

We start slowly.

With nous, commencer becomes commençons; the cedilla keeps the soft s sound before o.

French Vocabulary

avant prep
ah-VAHN before

avant le cours

avoir l'air phrase
ah-VWAHR LAIR seem; look a l'air

Ça a l'air bien.

commencer verb
koh-mahn-SAY start commençons

Nous commençons doucement.

content adj
kohn-TAHN glad

Je suis content.

cours noun
KOOR class

le cours

doucement adv
doo-suh-MAHN slowly

Nous commençons doucement.

entendre verb
ahn-TAHNDR hear

de l'entendre

groupe noun
GROOP group

Le groupe

nerveux adj
nair-VUH nervous

Je suis nerveux.

normal adj
nor-MAHL normal

Le sentiment est normal.

sentiment noun
sahn-tee-MAHN feeling

Ce sentiment

sympathique adj
sahn-pa-TEEK friendly

Le groupe est sympathique.

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

I feel nervous before class.

Show AnswerJe suis nerveux avant le cours.

I am glad to hear that.

Show AnswerJe suis content de l'entendre.

We take things slowly at first.

Show AnswerNous commençons doucement.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

nervous

Show Answernerveux

before

Show Answeravant

group

Show Answergroupe

normal

Show Answernormal