The first time you try to speak French outside your classroom, the question might be simple but the silence can feel long. You know how to introduce yourself on paper, but you need a real moment to find the words for your own name, your own plan, or your own opinion when someone is waiting for an answer. That brief pause is not a sign of failure. It is actually the most useful thing you can practise before your next lesson.
This guide is designed for learners who are already using the textbook Édito A1, 2e édition (2022), published by Didier FLE. The textbook begins with Unité 0, Bienvenue !, and runs through Unité 10. In your language course, you probably work through the exercises, grammar tables, and official audio provided by your teacher. If you want to try additional speaking practice between your classes, the Édito A1 companion courses on HearSay offer original dialogues that follow the same themes. These materials are independent of the official textbook.
To get the most out of your study time, choose the unit your class is currently working on. Listen to a short dialogue, find one question you could answer yourself, and say your own response aloud. You can change the details to make the sentence true for you. If you get stuck, write down the question for your teacher rather than guessing and repeating an error.
A realistic between-class routine
You do not need to study for hours to make progress with your speaking. A heavy study schedule is often hard to keep up with, whereas a small, focused task is easy to repeat. You can build a flexible routine around five simple steps that you can apply to any recording from your textbook or the HearSay dialogues:
- Listen for general meaning: Play the audio once without reading the text. Try to identify where the speakers are, who they are, and what they want to achieve.
- Replay a short part: Focus on a single sentence, such as a question or an explanation. Replay it two or three times until the rhythm feels familiar.
- Say a useful turn aloud: Mimic the pronunciation and speed of the speaker. Do not worry about translating every word, just focus on how the phrase sounds.
- Personalise a reply: Pause the audio after a question. Answer the speaker using your own name, your real location, or your actual preferences.
- Bring one question to class: If you are unsure about a verb form, a pronoun, or a pronunciation, write it down. Your teacher can help you resolve it in your next lesson.
This routine works well because it focuses on active production. Instead of just reading a vocabulary list, you are using the words to build your own sentences. You can use this method with a classmate during study sessions, or on your own with a voice recorder.
Join a local choir in Unité 0
In Unité 0, Bienvenue !, your textbook introduces you to the absolute basics of the French language. You learn how to greet people, ask how they are doing, spell your name using the French alphabet, and count from 0 to 31. It is also the first time you encounter the difference between the informal tu and the formal vous.
To practise these skills in a realistic setting, you can use the HearSay course Joining a local choir. The dialogue takes place at a busy community association fair in Rennes on a Saturday in September. Hanna, who has wanted to sing for years, stops at the stand of a local choir. Gilles, a volunteer at the stand, takes down her information. Because they do not know each other, they use the formal vous from their very first words.
How to use this scene for practice
Listen for how Gilles asks Hanna for her name and checks the spelling.
To turn this into a personal exercise, pause the recording after Gilles asks, Vous vous appelez comment ?. State your own first name and surname aloud. Then, imagine the volunteer needs to write it down. Spell your surname letter by letter in French. If your name has silent letters, double consonants, or accents, practice explaining those details just like Hanna does.
Next, focus on asking for clarification. In a loud room, it is natural to miss information. In the dialogue, Hanna asks Gilles to repeat the price of the choir membership.
Say this phrase aloud several times. It is one of the most useful sentences you can learn as a beginner because it allows you to keep a conversation going without panicking when you do not understand a word.
Finally, practise identifying dates and times. Gilles tells Hanna that the choir meets on Thursday evenings and starts on a specific date in September. Use the numbers and months you have learned in Unité 0 to say your own birthday, the current date, or the day your French class meets. Write these dates down as you say them to check that your spoken numbers match your written notes.
Ask about a coat at a secondhand sale in Unité 5
When you reach Unité 5, C'est tendance !, your class will focus on shopping, describing objects, talking about the weather, and expressing opinions. You learn the forms and positions of adjectives, close future plans using the futur proche, and how to use demonstrative adjectives like ce, cet, cette, and ces.
To practice these concepts, you can look at the HearSay course At a secondhand clothes sale. This dialogue takes place at a community yard sale, or vide-dressing, in Tours on a wet Sunday morning in October. Bastien, a student who rides his bicycle everywhere, is looking for a warm winter coat. He stops at the table of Pauline, who is selling her clothes before moving house. Because they are both young students in an informal setting, they use tu with each other.
How to use this scene for practice
Pause after Pauline says Du M. If you were buying the coat, what would you say? Practice stating your own clothing size using the phrase Moi, je fais du... followed by your size, such as S, M, L, or XL. If you want to practise shoe sizes, which use the word pointure, you can say Je fais du... followed by a European shoe size like 40 or 42.
You can also use this scene to practise the futur proche to talk about what you are going to buy. Bastien decides to purchase the coat and a small bicycle light. He uses the verb aller followed by an infinitive: Je vais prendre le manteau (I am going to take the coat). Think of three items in your room. Practice saying what you are going to buy, wear, or sell this weekend using this grammatical structure.
If you have a study partner, you can turn this yard sale into a simple roleplay. Gather a few random objects from your desk, like a book, a pen, or a mug. Assign a price to each item. Take turns playing the seller and the buyer. The buyer should ask about the price and the condition of the object, while the seller explains what the object is for. Keep your sentences short and focus on using demonstrative adjectives correctly, matching ce, cet, cette, or ces to the gender and number of your items.
Talk about your studies and skills in Unité 10
Unité 10, Au travail !, is the final chapter of the book. It covers university studies, job interviews, describing your professional skills, and discussing career plans. You learn how to use direct object pronouns to avoid repeating nouns, how to express duration using depuis or pendant, and how to connect relative clauses with qui and que.
The HearSay companion course An internship interview shows how these linguistic tools work in a realistic context. Yasmine, a third-year graphic design student, has an interview with Stéphane, the owner of a small design studio in Angers. The walls of the office are decorated with theatre posters. Because this is a professional interview, both speakers use the formal vous.
How to use this scene for practice
To personalise this exchange, replace Yasmine's answers with your own reality. If you are a student, say what subject you study and where your university is located. If you are already working, state your job title and explain how long you have been doing it using the word depuis. For example, Je suis comptable depuis trois ans (I have been an accountant for three years).
You can also practice describing your practical skills and language abilities. In the dialogue, Stéphane asks Yasmine what software she can use and which languages she speaks. Practice listing your own skills using the structure Je sais... (I know how to) followed by an infinitive verb, or Je parle... (I speak) followed by the languages you know. Keep your explanations honest and simple. You do not need to invent a complicated professional profile to have a useful practice session.
If you are working with a classmate, take turns acting as the interviewer and the applicant. The interviewer can ask about working hours, the duration of the position, and the required tasks. The applicant can practise asking about practical details: Quelles sont les heures de travail ? (What are the working hours?) or C'est un stage payé ? (Is it a paid internship?). This helps you practise the polite register and formal questions that are common in professional French environments.
Bring clear questions to your next class
When you finish a short speaking session at home, take a minute to write down a quick note about your practice. Do not try to write a long essay or correct every single mistake you made. Instead, focus on one or two specific points where you felt stuck.
For example, your note might say:
- Unité 0: I struggled to pronounce the letter 'U' when spelling my name.
- Unité 5: I was not sure whether to use 'ce' or 'cet' before the word 'imperméable'.
- Unité 10: I did not know how to translate my current job title into French.
A precise question gives your teacher a clear starting point for your next class. It is much easier for a teacher to explain a specific grammar rule or help you with a single sound than to answer a general complaint like "I cannot speak French."
If you recorded yourself during your practice, listen to the file once. Do not worry if your accent does not sound perfect or if you hear a slight hesitation. The main question to ask yourself is: If a French speaker heard this, would they understand my meaning? If the answer is yes, then your practice has been successful. You can refine your pronunciation and expand your vocabulary as you progress through the chapters of your textbook.
Explore more resources
Using these small speaking tasks between your lessons will help you feel more confident when it is time to participate in class. Rather than trying to memorise complete dialogues, focus on making small, personal changes to the sentences you hear. This approach makes the language more practical and easier to remember.
If you want to try more listening and speaking exercises that match your current chapter, you can visit the Édito A1 course hub. You will find a distinct, seven-lesson course for every unit in the book, allowing you to practise different real-life situations at your own speed. Keep following your teacher's plan, use the official audio from Didier FLE, and use these extra scenes whenever you want to try speaking aloud.
HearSay is not affiliated with or endorsed by Didier FLE. Édito A1 is a trademark of its owner. These are our own conversations, written around each chapter's themes.
FAQ
Why does this guide start at Unité 0?
The first unit of the second edition of Édito A1 is numbered 0 and is called Bienvenue !. If your class is using an older edition or a different version of the syllabus, check your own table of contents to see how the early chapters are organised.
Can I use these exercises if I do not have a study partner?
Yes. You can practise all of these tasks on your own by talking aloud or recording your voice on your phone. Pause the audio after a question is asked, give your own answer, and then play the recording back to see how your speed and pronunciation compare to the speakers.
What should I do if my spoken response is much shorter than the audio?
That is perfectly fine. At the A1 level, a short, clear answer is always better than a long, complicated sentence that is hard to finish. Focus on giving a direct answer using the words you know well, and write down any longer phrases you want to check with your teacher.