Bien-dire French Audio Magazine
Level: B1–C2 (CEFR)
Choose your subscription
Now you can improve or maintain your French with Bien-dire, the audio magazine for people who love France and the French language.
Published every two months, Bien-dire not only helps you improve your fluency, it also helps you understand what it is to be French.
The Printed Magazine
The 52-page glossy magazine is packed full of lively articles and in-depth interviews about France and French culture. There are regular features on a range of topics including travel, business, the arts, cinema, politics, sport, cuisine, popular culture, plus profiles on leading personalities and issues making the news.
Alongside each article in French key words and phrases are glossed into English. Every feature is carefully chosen and graded for difficulty so you can assess your progress (CEFR levels: B1-C2). Each article will keep you up to date with idiomatic expressions as well as practical information about contemporary life in France.
The Audio (MP3 or CD)
The accompanying MP3 audio download (or audio CD) is the perfect tool for improving listening comprehension and building confidence in speaking French. Put together by a team of professional narrators, the 60 minutes of audio provides well-paced readings of the key articles from the magazine, together with pronunciation and intonation exercises. The audio component of the subscription will enable you to improve significantly your ability to understand French as it’s really spoken.
What’s more, because it’s a periodical, your study of French is always maintained and you won’t forget what you’ve worked so hard to learn; this is why Bien-dire has become an invaluable, authentic resource for thousands of teachers and students alike.
No Quibble Money-Back Guarantee
We think you’ll find Bien-dire to be the best way to maintain or improve your proficiency in French, but if it is not for you, for any reason at all, we’ll refund the entire cost of your subscription on a ‘no questions asked’ basis and what’s more, you can keep your first issue – all we ask is that you let us know within two months of receiving your first issue.
So, don’t delay, order Bien-dire TODAY and we’ll rush you your first issue of this superb French audio magazine.
Postage
Postage is added at checkout for print subscriptions. There is no postage on digital subscriptions.
| Subscription | UK | Europe | Rest of the world | US & Canada |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 year (6 issues) · Print + MP3 download | £13 | £13 | £16 | $19 |
| 1 year (6 issues) · Print + Audio CD | £13 | £13 | £16 | $19 |
| 2 years (12 issues) · Print + MP3 download | £26 | £26 | £32 | $38 |
| 2 years (12 issues) · Print + Audio CD | £26 | £26 | £32 | $38 |
Prefer the printed magazine on its own, without the audio? See the magazine-only subscription.
FAQs
What level of French do I need to read and listen to Bien-dire?
Bien-dire is aimed at intermediate to advanced learners of French (levels B1 to C2 of the CEFR scale). Every feature is graded for difficulty, so you can choose articles at your level and see your progress. If you are a beginner or lower intermediate, try our sister magazine Bien-dire Initial (A1 to B1).
What’s the best way to learn with Bien-dire?
To get the most from the magazine, we suggest you do one article a day. Choose an article by interest or by level of difficulty: on a busy day do a shorter article, and when you have more time tackle one of the longer features. Try to study at the same time every day, at the time of day when you feel at your best.
Sit down with no distractions and listen to the audio reading of the article with your full attention. Listen again, then on the third listening follow the article in the magazine, picking out the words you couldn’t quite catch. Make flashcards of those words (English on one side, French on the other), review your earlier flashcards and, lastly, practise with the pronunciation and intonation exercises on the audio. That is a complete study session for the day, taking anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes depending on the length of the article.
If you can, use the new words and expressions you’ve learnt in conversation, for example in a French group or class. Saying them out loud will really help to fix them in your long-term memory.
What can I expect from the audio?
Each issue comes with 60 minutes of audio (as an MP3 download or on CD), recorded by a team of professional narrators. It gives well-paced readings of the key articles from the magazine, so you can follow the text as you listen, together with pronunciation and intonation exercises. It will significantly improve your ability to understand French as it’s really spoken.
Do you provide a word-for-word translation of the articles?
No. A word-for-word translation often has to compromise on the meaning or placement of individual words for the sake of the readability of the sentence. Instead, key words and phrases are glossed into English alongside each article, so you can keep reading in French without reaching for a dictionary.
How is a subscription to Bien-dire different from a language-learning app?
Language-learning apps are useful for giving you a basic grounding as a beginner, but they are poor at showing you how the language is spoken in the countries where it is used. Bien-dire provides authentic, up-to-the-minute content about France and French culture: lively articles and in-depth interviews on travel, business, the arts, cinema, politics, sport, cuisine and popular culture, plus profiles of the personalities and issues making the news. Each article keeps you up to date with idiomatic expressions and practical information about life in France today, so you learn French as it’s really spoken.
Reviews
As a French primary school teacher who has been living in the U.K. for 20 years, I was asked 3 years ago by friends and acquaintances if I could do ” French conversation ” with them . I was struggling a little bit to find the right support to use with them as they are at different levels, when by luck, I came across an advert for your magazine. Straight away I looked it up on line and decided that it was the perfect tool for me to offer them diversity. On top of that the CD is a bonus for those who struggle with pronunciation. So far out of my 5 students, 2 of them have already decided also to subscribe to your magazine for a year and we are now looking forward to the next issue (102) to learn more interesting facts, expressions and discover new places.
Sylvie Guillot, French Teacher
I regularly use Bien Dire with my students. It is an excellent learning aid for my intermediate French students. The magazine is well structured and illustrated and it has a clear user-friendly layout. It is well thought out, for example, a colour-coded system indicates the level of each article or exercise. This offers students the option to work through the articles from the simplest to the more complex and in doing so gives them a sense of progress. The content of Bien Dire is both varied and up to date. The articles cover a wide range of themes ranging from tourism, history, food, contemporary life in France, to major political stories and even a little celebrity news. The articles give a really good, up to the minute, snap shot of life in France with all the key words and expressions highlighted in the glossary sections that go with each article. My students love Bien Dire: it provides them with continuous learning in between my 1-to-1 lessons with them. They enjoy the topics and find the vocabulary lists very helpful.
Marie-Ange Danthois, French Teacher
And, just one more word. I LOVE BIEN DIRE. I am so happy to have found you. Thanks for putting out such a wonderful publication,
Ronda Bellsey, subscriber.
I am totally in accord with the first review.
Being over 70 I have some difficulty remembering but being able to go over each article several times, with and without the CD, my French is definitely improving. I have found all the various articles interesting and the levels at which they are presented are ideal for me (‘O’ Level) at school + Commercial French in College (1959!) and speaking French (always) when on holiday. I get by but I know my syntax is sometimes poor and vocabulary lacking. Level 2 articles are comfortable, Level 2+ are a stretch and Level 3 are difficult but not enough to prevent me working at it. Already after only three weeks with my first magazine I feel I have made great leaps forward.
I am not connected with the magazine in any way. This review is genuine!
Sue Davies
Thanks, Bien-Dire, I’m delighted with my purchase.
I’m really delighted to have discovered Bien Dire. I would strongly recommend Bien Dire to everyone with a knowledge of basic French grammar and vocabulary and who wants to get a real taste of French culture and a chance to really enjoy learning more.
The articles are varied, and interesting, and the high production standards of the artwork and photos make the experience of learning a real pleasure. Most of the articles are far too short to let you get bored, and the more in-depth ones really make you feel you understand fascinating aspects of French culture and history.
After just a week of studying every day with Bien Dire, I found a noticeable difference. I was able to watch programmes on TV5, and follow many more programmes than previously.
I soon found my own way of studying Bien Dire, which is to study 2 pages a day, making notes on all new vocabulary. And the following day, I would revisit what I had learned previously, by listening to the CDs on my MP3 player. This I do on the bus or tube, during coffee-breaks, even when jogging.
I am totally addicted to this excellent and enjoyable product. Each magazine and CD represents many hour’s worth of enjoyable study at my own pace, and is a magazine and audio CD I will keep for a long time. And yet each issue is half the price of an hour with a private French tutor.
For someone like me who enjoys being in France and talking in French, it feels literally life-changing. Thanks again. I must also say the staff at Language Direct have been very helpful and friendly.
Brendan Riley
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