English 4 French

About English 4 French

L’idée de “retourner en classe”, “être à nouveau un élève” ou “apprendre quelque chose de nouveau” ne vous fait peut-être pas rêver et pourtant vous avez toujours voulu parler anglais ! Que ce soit pour votre vie professionnelle ou personnelle, nous sommes convaincue qu’apprendre à communiquer en anglais fera reculer les barrières pour communiquer entre gens de nationalités différentes, mais aussi, vous aidera à briser l’effet plafond de verre qui vous empêche d'évoluer aujourd’hui. La maîtrise de l’anglais deviendra ainsi le moteur pour réaliser vos rêves et raviver vos ambitions. Ensemble nous prouverons que vous pouvez le faire et que vous allez le faire. Venez rejoindre la communauté grandissante #E4F. Voyez grand, sautez le pas, JUMP avec English 4 French!

Publisher

english4french

Category

education

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

6 Oct 2020

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

113 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   9 Oct 2026

   Episode 2 B1/2 Prefixes and suffixes

   #2 B1/2 Prefixes and suffixes Welcome back to Podcasts with English for French, with me, Alison. Today we’re taking a look into one of the most effective strategies for B2 learners to expand their vocabulary rapidly: Word Formation through Prefixes and Suffixes. The Origins: Where Do English Word Building Blocks Come From? To truly master English word building, it helps to understand where these affixes (prefixes and suffixes ) originate. Modern English is a hybrid language, but its affixes come primarily from two major sources: Old English (Germanic Roots): These are native English building blocks like un-, mis-, -ful, and -less. They tend to attach to everyday core words (e.g., un-happy, help-ful). Latin and Ancient Greek: Over 60% of English vocabulary—and up to 80% of academic and professional English—comes from Latin and Greek. Affixes like inter- (between), sub- (under), trans- (across), and -tion (action/state) entered English via French and Latin during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, which is why many words are transparent in French and English, the origin or etymology is the same. Greek and Latin building blocks form much of English vocabulary, as they do in French. How Knowing Etymology and Affixes Transforms Your Learning Instant Decoding (Passive Vocabulary): When reading an article or listening to a podcast, you don't need a dictionary every time you see an unfamiliar word. If you know that trans- means across and -national relates to nations, you can instantly deduce that transnational means operating across border boundaries. Grammatical Flexibility (Active Vocabulary): Suffixes tell your brain the exact grammatical slot a word fills in a sentence. Recognizing that –ize/ise forms verbs while -ity forms abstract nouns allows you to adapt your thoughts fluently without halting your conversation. Exam Success exams test word transformation explicitly, whether Toeic, IELTS, Cambridge or Cloe. Knowing how Latin-based roots combine with prefixes and suffixes gives you a systematic approach to answering these questions correctly. Expanded B2 Prefixes & Suffixes Reference Table Here is an expanded set of high-frequency B1/2 prefixes and suffixes including their linguistic origin, functional meaning, base words, and transformed examples. Type Affix Origin Meaning / Function Examples Base Word Préfix un- / in- / dis- Germanic / Latin Opposite, negative unhappy, incorrect, disagree happy, correct, agree Prefix mis- Germanic Badly, wrongly misunderstand, mislead understand, lead Prefix re- Latin Again, back reconsider, rewrite consider, write Prefix over- / under- Germanic Too much / Not enough overcooked, underestimated cooked, estimated Prefix inter- Latin Between, among international, interactive national, active Prefix sub- Latin Under, below subconscious, standard → substandard conscious, standard Prefix trans- Latin Across, beyond transform, transport form, port Suffix -able / -ible Latin Able to be (Adjective) readable, flexible read, flex Suffix -ment / -tion Latin Action / State (Noun) development, hesitation develop, hesitate Suffix -ful / -less Germanic Full of / Without (Adjective) careful, careless care Suffix -ly Germanic Manner / Way (Adverb) efficiently, fortunately efficient, fortunate Suffix -ize (-ise) Greek To make / cause to become (Verb) modernize, prioritize modern, priority Suffix -ity Latin State / Quality of (Noun) creativity, flexibility creative, flexible Suffix -ous Latin Full of / Possessing (Adjective) ambitious, hazardous ambition, hazard It is also important to understand the different stress we put on syllables in words (which syllable carries the t

2. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Episode 6 A2: Past simple vs Past continuous

   #6 A2 Past Simple & Continuous Hi, and welcome back to English for French podcasts with me, Alison. Today we are looking at the difference between using the Past simple vs. Past Continuous. When you tell a story, Past Continuous builds the background scene (the atmosphere and ongoing actions), while Past Simple captures the main events that move the story forward! These tense aspects work in all notions of time. Read the following explanation to understand. The idea is the same for the aspects, whether they are present, past, or future, even if today we are concentrating on the past tenses. Time and Aspect: • Time: Both tenses happen entirely in the past. They describe events that started and finished before now. • Aspect (Simple vs. Continuous): o Simple Aspect: Focuses on completed events, whole actions, or sequences of events. o Continuous Aspect: Focuses on duration, ongoing processes, or background activities at a specific moment. 1. Interrupted Action (Continuous + Simple): A long action in progress is interrupted by a short event. I was sleeping when the alarm rang. 2. Parallel Actions (Continuous + Continuous): Two ongoing actions happening at the exact same time. While Dad was cooking, Mum was working in the garden. 3. Sequential Actions (Simple + Simple): Actions that happen one after another. He woke up, grabbed his keys, and ran out the door. Auxiliary Verbs: How to Form Positive, Negative & Question Forms Understanding auxiliary verbs is the key to building these tenses correctly without making common mistakes: • Past Simple: Uses no auxiliary verb in positive sentences (just regular -ed or irregular 2nd forms), but requires the auxiliary verb "did" / "did not" (didn't) for all negatives and questions. When you use "did," the main verb returns to its base form, with no conjugation of the verb, only the auxiliary. • Past Continuous: Always uses the auxiliary verb was / were (past form of to be) across positive, negative, and question forms, followed by verb + -ing. Quick Verb Structure Reference Tense Sentence Type Auxiliary Verb Main Verb Form Example Past Simple Past Continuous Positive None Past form (-ed / Irregular) They played tennis. Negative did not (didn't) Base verb They didn't play tennis. Question Did ... ? Base verb Did they play tennis? Positive was / were Verb + -ing She was reading a book. Negative was not / were not Verb + -ing She wasn't reading a book. Question Was / Were ... ? Verb + -ing Was she reading a book? 💡 Quick Rules for Adding "-ing" (Past Continuous) • Most verbs: Add -ing ,talk.... talking • Verbs ending in silent -e: Drop the -e. Write...writing. • Short CVC verbs (Consonant-Vowel-Consonant): Double the final consonant swim ..swimming, stop ...stopping. 🎧 Reading Comprehension: "The Unexpected Storm" Read the story carefully. Pay attention to how both tenses interact within the same sentences through interrupted actions, parallel actions, and sequential events. Yesterday at 4:00 PM, a busy street in downtown Bristol was full of activity. While light rain was falling from the dark clouds, people were walking quickly with their umbrellas up. At the local café, Mark was drinking a warm coffee while his colleague Sarah was typing an email on her laptop. Outside on the pavement, two children were playing in the puddles while their mother was talking on the phone. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blew through the street and knocked over a display sign outside a bookshop. While Mark was watching the wind blew leaves across the street, a passing cyclist swerved to avoid the sign and lost his balance. The cyclist didn't fall off his bike, but he dropped his bag, and papers flew everywhere! Instantly, Sarah stopped typing, stood up from her chair, and ran outside to help. While she was collecting the scattered papers from the wet ground, Mark held the cyclist's bike. The mother,

3. 

   5 Oct 2026

   Episode 5 A2: Past continuous

   #5 A2 Past Continuous Podcast transcript Hi, and welcome back to English for French podcasts with me, Alison. Today, we are looking at a past tense that helps you paint a dynamic picture when telling stories: the Past Continuous. Have you ever wondered how to describe an action that was happening right in the middle of a specific moment in the past? That’s exactly what this tense is for! How to Build It: Structure The Past Continuous is formed using two simple elements: the auxiliary, to be and the verb form Base verb + ing. Subject+was / were+Verb-ing Was: I, he, she, it Were: you, we, they Examples Positive: I was reading a book at 8 PM yesterday. Negative: They were not (weren't) watching TV when I called. Question: Were you sleeping when the phone rang? Spelling Rules for Verb + -ing Before starting the exercises, review how to spell verbs with -ing: Rule Base Form Verb + -ing Example Most Verbs: Add -ing work, listen, watch working, listening, watching I was listening to music. Verbs ending in -e: Drop the -e, add -ing write, make, drive writing, making, driving She was writing a letter. Short Verbs ending in CVC (Consonant + Vowel + Consonant): Double the final letter, add -ing run, stop, swim running, stopping, swimming He was running for the bus. There are a few exceptions to this rule , of course ,e.g. “open becomes opening” Aspect and Time: How Does It Work? To master this tense, let's break down its two key components: time and aspect. Time (Past): The action happened entirely before now. It has no direct connection to the present moment. Finished time. Aspect (Continuous / Progressive) : The action was in progress (ongoing, temporary, or unfinished) at a specific past moment. Key Uses An Action in Progress at a Specific Time: At 10 AM this morning, Sarah was cooking breakfast. (She started before 10 AM and finished after 10 AM, but the action still finished in the past.) Interrupted Actions (Past Continuous + Past Simple): We were walking in the park when it started to rain. (The long, continuous action was interrupted by a short, completed action.) Parallel Past Actions: While Mark was studying, his sister was listening to music. (Two ongoing actions happening at the exact same time.) Past Simple vs. Past Continuous Here is a quick cheat sheet to help you compare the two tenses: Feature Past Simple Past Continuous Action Type Completed / Short action Ongoing / In-progress action Focus Result or finished event Background activity or duration Example I called Tom at 5 PM. I was calling Tom when the battery died. Common Signal Words Yesterday, in 2020, suddenly At [time], while, as, all evening 🎧 Listening & Reading Comprehension: "The Mysterious Noise" Read the story below and notice how the Past Continuous sets the background scene while the Past Simple moves the plot forward. Yesterday evening at 7:00 PM, the Miller family was spending time at home. It was raining outside, and a cold wind was blowing through the trees. Mr. Miller was reading a newspaper in the living room, while Mrs. Miller was preparing dinner in the kitchen. Their son, Leo, was doing his homework in his bedroom, and their dog, Max, was sleeping on the rug. Suddenly, a strange sound interrupted the quiet evening. Someone was knocking softly on the back door. Mr. Miller stopped reading and walked to the kitchen. Mrs. Miller was holding a wooden spoon and looking at the door with surprise. When Mr. Miller opened the door, nobody was there! Only a small, wet kitten was sitting on the porch, meowing for food. Reading Comprehension Questions Answer the following questions using full sentences: What was the weather like at 7:00 PM yesterday evening? What was Mrs. Miller doing when Mr. Miller was reading the newspaper? 3. Where was Max sleeping? 4.What i

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