Learn French with Videos - Yabla

In this video, you will learn to recognize the difference between first- and second-group verbs. First-group verbs end in -er in the infinitive and second-group verbs end in -ir. The verbs in each group have the same endings in each tense, which makes it a lot easier to learn how to conjugate them.

Lionel interviews his cousin Jean-Pierre, who is a dog trainer. Jean-Pierre explains that dogs are like children: the sooner they are trained, the better. As a dog gets older, it becomes increasingly difficult to fix bad behaviors. However, it's never too late to teach an old dog new tricks...

Patricia sheds a new light on the renowned fable by Jean de La Fontaine, "The Cicada and the Ant." Maybe the cicada isn't such a bad character after all....

Patricia recites one of Jean de La Fontaine's most famous fables, "La Cigale et la Fourmi" (The Cicada and the Ant). After spending the entire summer singing instead of storing food, the cicada is starving come winter. She hopes her neighbor the ant can help her....

The quaint little town of Montmorency holds a few peculiar surprises, such as a gas station sign with an outdated phone number and a statue of Jean-Jacques Rousseau that's been knocked over multiple times.

Lionel and Jean-Pierre conclude the Lindre-Basse series from the top of a wildlife observatory overlooking the Lindre pond. It's a very fragile area filled with bird life that deserves protection.

Patricia takes us on a "white journey in the French language" by explaining some common French expressions using the word blanc/blanche (white).

Daniel Benchimol shows us around Montmorency, a town famous for being the residence of the Enlightenment philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who lived in the "House of Gossips." Montmorency also boasts a medieval communal oven and is near a sulfurous spring that is open to the public!

Jean-Pierre teaches Lionel some more interesting facts about the birds of the Saulnes region. For example, did you know that a swan can eat up to three kilos of grass per day? How's that for a vegetarian diet!

Patricia tells us a fun story peppered with expressions involving the word blanc/blanche (white). You might recognize some of them from English, such as hisser le drapeau blanc (to raise the white flag), but others are a bit more difficult to decipher.

Jean-Pierre gives Lionel some more information about the habits of storks. These migratory birds can be trained to be sedentary so visitors have a chance to see them year-round.

Daniel takes us north of Paris to Montmorency, a charming little town with a collegiate church called the Collégial Saint Martin. This historic town is only a stone's throw away from the ultramodern business district of La Défense.

Still in the Lindre-Basse region, Jean-Pierre explains the fish breeding process to Lionel. They also enjoy the beautiful sight of storks building their nests during mating season.

Patricia is in a dark mood.... Learn some expressions using the word noir (dark, black) and express your dark feelings in French!

In the second installment on French expressions not to be taken literally, Patricia discusses the phrase se faire l'avocat du diable (to play devil's advocate).