French language
It's all about general knowledge, fun and speaking really good French!

A journey throughout the French-speaking world to explore every corner of the globe! In each country we meet francophones who present, in French, their culture, way of life and commitments. The programme also shines a spotlight on local projects that keep the French language alive, dynamic and constantly evolving.

TV5MONDE and the International Organisation of La Francophonie (OIF) invite you into the classrooms of teachers of FLE (French as a foreign language) using TV5MONDE pedagogical resources. As well as the sequences of lessons filmed off the cuff, the teachers share lots of tips on teaching according to context and their students. If you are a teacher, you can find all our pedagogical resources at enseigner.tv5monde.com

The French language: officially born in the 16th century, by the hand of a king, at the Château de Villers-Cotterêts. Since then it has travelled across continents thanks to 321 million French-speakers. A story recounted in the first person, describing its difficulties and successes down the centuries.

Explore the power of language through creative and stimulating writing games! Let yourself be guided by the members of the French writing group 'Oulipo' (Ouvroir de littérature potentielle) and discover fascinating figures of style which give new dimensions to literary creativity.

And what if changes to language could bring wider changes to our society? With her acute sense of detail, Athéna Sol invites us to explore the new words shaping a contemporary and more inclusive francophone world. With support from the SACD Fund - TV5MONDE

Places where people talk. They talk while travelling or talk about travelling, talk about anything and everything, for pleasure, just for the pleasure of talking. A series that plays with the French language, its exceptions and its difficulties, but always with a touch of indulgence and plenty of humour.

From Paris to Puducherry, via Rio, Buenos Aires and Tsiroanomandidy, to meet some of the men and woman continuing to spread the influence of the French language and francophone culture across the world. With personal stories from Irina Bokova, Bernard Cerquiglini, Laurent Fabius, Julia Kristeva, Erik Orsenna, Sebastião Salgado...

A journey throughout the French-speaking world to explore every corner of the globe! In each country we meet francophones who present, in French, their culture, way of life and commitments. The programme also shines a spotlight on local projects that keep the French language alive, dynamic and constantly evolving.

So why put an s at the end of "chaussettes rouges" but not for "chaussettes orange"? Who decides that you need a hyphen and an apostrophe when you write "va-t'en"? Why does the adjective "demi" only agree when it is placed after a noun, and not before? It's all so confusing! The French language sometimes seems so complex that it would be easy to simply give up. The web series "Osez le Français" is here to help you!

The French language is derived from Latin... The whole language? No, because a large part of its vocabulary has been taken from other cultures, those whose route crossed that of the French during the course of their history. Words borrowed from European neighbours such as Italy, Germany or England, but also from African, Arabian, Chinese or even Mexican cousins. A reminder that French, an international language, was forged in diversity.

Often bilingual, or even trilingual, they learnt English when they first started to speak, mainly listen to music from the English-speaking world, watch films and series in English, use anglicisms... For young Quebeckers aged 18-24, the language of Shakespeare is second-nature. But what is their relationship with that of Molière?

Each year, each month, each day, the French language is constantly renewed. It is permanently evolving and making room for new words, new expressions, neologisms and language tics. Etymology, geography, culture and influences, Aurore Vicenti reveals all the secrets of the words and expressions of the moment!

In honour of the 19th Francophonie Summit, this special programme was filmed at the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française at Villers-Cotterêts. Augustin Trapenard receives Francophone authors who spread the beauty of the French language around the world and make it their literary territory.

The 2024 final brings together the nine best candidates, from 120,000 secondary and high school students. Before the judges, the finalists have to read a set text, seen for the first time on the eve of the final, judged on four main criteria: expression, rhythm, tone, ability to transmit emotion.

Recognised as the father of Ivorian literature, Bernard Binlin Dadié died in 2019 at 103. Having lived through a century of history, his views are clearly stamped on his innumerable writings. A look back at the turbulent career of a visionary who fought for the dignity of his fellow citizens.

Ten stories, ten experiences made possible thanks to the French language. Here are 'Les Visages de la francophonie' (the faces of the French-speaking world), proposed by the Ministry of International Relations and Francophonie of Québec in partnership with 'La Fabrique culturelle' of Télé-Québec.

How truly understand the work of Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850)? Through his life: a prodigious literary, romantic, political and financial adventure, that saw a young provincial become the most famous writer of his time, producing a monumental volume of work. With personal accounts by Adrien Goetz, Dan Franck, Marc Dugain...

Paris, 1840. Rodolphe de Gerolstein, prince without fear but not without reproach, investigates the disappearance of his housekeeper's son Germain, an investigation that takes him deep into the Parisian underworld and to some of its most chic addresses, before finally revealing a dark and very personal secret... An animated series adapted from the novel by Eugène Sue in forty three-minute episodes, created from period engravings.

The story of twenty figures whose creative work in the French language served ideals of liberty, emancipation and independence. The series recounts the destiny and work of these men and women, exceptional artists, some of the best writers amongst francophone poets and novelists. The ink may sometimes have faded, almost disappeared, leaving a blank page blown by the winds of history. "Black Ink and White Page" brings them back from oblivion.

They are all authors who have chosen French as their language of expression. A choice often guided by emotion, personal history but also by a desire for deconstruction or to make a point.