6 Favorite French Talk Shows to Polish Your Language Skills

Americans love watching Oprah’s Winfrey Show, British Graham Norton but which tv shows like the French?

Do they have their own French Oprah or Graham?

Or perhaps that’s not their style?

The French, like English-speaking countries, as well as the rest of the world, love watching tv shows. 

From the casual ones where they discuss French movies, for example, to the eccentric tv shows with celebrities and their lives there are so many different and amusing shows that you can only choose which ones to watch first.

Even though nowadays tv shows aren’t the number one people choose to watch, they still have the reputation as one of the great tv programs to watch in your spare time.

It would be a pity if you don’t get to know some of the following iconic talk shows, which are a sign of recognition among the people in the Francophone world.

Besides, they are always a great way for you to practice your language skills, boost your vocabulary or prepare some specific topic you can discuss with your French tutor.

Let’s get to know them better and see how a French talk show can polish our language skills.

How You Can Learn French With TV Shows?

Before you continue to watch tv shows and find a perfect match for you, keep in mind that you won’t understand every single word, even if you are on an advanced proficiency level. 

And that’s perfectly normal.

All these TV shows are created for native French speakers, so even if your French is very good, even excellent, you will still need a lot of practice to understand them.

That means that you have some options, with these shows, of course, to learn French.

• Choose the show based on your proficiency level. For every student, there is a suitable tv show, even for beginners. So, before you start watching the show, make sure it is suitable for your level of proficiency. You surely don’t want to spend the whole time of the show asking yourself every single word or searching in the dictionaries.

• As we’ve mentioned, you won’t understand every single word spoken in the show and that’s perfectly fine. You have to, however, make a plan for how you can understand unfamiliar words or phrases. You can, for example, write them down and later memorize them with flashcards

• Find other language learning materials that can help you understand tv shows easily. For example, organize a dinner with your French companions and watch the show together. After watching, you can discuss the show, help one another with unknown expressions, even play addictive games to improve your French skills.

6 Favorite Talk Shows to Help You Polish Your Language Skills

On N’est Pas Couché (We’re Not Asleep Yet)

This is, undoubtedly, the most popular and number one talk show in French.

The host, Laurent Ruquier, invites guests for his talk show which streams every Saturday at 11 p.m.

The topics are different, from the casual to the serious, even taboo ones, depending on the past week. Therefore, they discuss the events and topics that were popular that week mainly in France and sometimes in the world.

Besides on YouTube, you can watch this talk show on France 2 where they regularly upload recent episodes.

Vivement Dimanche (Can't-Wait Until Sunday)

If you are already in the Francophone world, you’ve surely heard about this talk show where the guests sit on a red sofa.

Every week, the host, Michel Drucker, calls celebrities to discuss with them the past week’s events.

The show is amusing and quite fun because of the host's style and quick thinking to casually lead the show and again to also find about the celebs' projects and further business plans.

If you think you could enjoy it, France 2 gives some of the episodes and parts of the show for free although the host himself uploads on his YouTube channel.

Ce Soir (Ou Jamais !) (Tonight or Never)

The show is streaming every Friday at 11.30 pm on France 2 channel.

Its host, Frederic Taddei, calls different guests from all over the world and different professions. There, you can see actors, musicians, comedians but also writers and artists.

Besides discussing recent events in the country and worldwide, there's always one musical guest who performs his songs so that you can practice your listening skills with the modern French songs and be up-to-date with the latest performances.

Besides on France 2 channel, you can watch this talk show on YouTube Channel and on Dailymotion.

7 Jours Sur la Planète (Seven Days on The Planet)

If you are searching for not a long talk show but the one that will get your attention completely, you should check this one.

7 jours sur la planete is a 20-minute long talk show and it is a bit more educational than the previous ones. Every week, a host with a new guest talks about social, political, and educational topics.

A lot of words and phrases you might use later in real situations are something that is worth watching the show.

On the YouTube channel, there are subtitles, too, so even beginners and pre-intermediate students can follow the story.

Nailed it, France

A cooking talk show that is everything but boring. In every episode, three contestants compete who will make the best dessert, preferably a more complex one.

That wouldn't be so weird if the contestants are amateurs.

The show is full of yummy French food idioms and dialects from different parts of France so not only will you expand your vocabulary but you will also learn more about French variants and customs.

The show is available on Netflix, so hurry watching while it is there.

Les Anges

If you want to watch a show that uses natural French, even French slang words, the reality show 'Les Anges' is just the show for you.

Several reality TV stars are put in a glamorous house, in a location in Los Angeles. You follow them and their days and intentions to become actors, models, chefs, etc.

Reality shows aren't that bad to watch because no serious topics are covered so that you will need complete concentration. Moreover, the vocabulary they use is also easy, every day, so you can follow their conversations without any scripts or supporting language learning tools.

Final Thoughts

These 6 French talk shows are suitable for every French learner.

They are a great way to practice your listening skills, boost your vocabulary, and get an ear for pronunciation.

Moreover, you can hear a little more about current events and see other people’s opinions about them, and even learn something new.

If you are a true fan of French talk shows, you can also ask for advice from your French tutor. Maybe he has some idea what might interest you. Or you can both discuss talk shows’ topics and practice conversational skills.