Les Bons Mots: A Podcast about Language Learning
34 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -Are you learning a second (or third!) language? Are you passionate about languages? Join us on Les Bons Mots to talk about language learning! Our hosts are language teachers who are here to help you and answer your questions. Each week, we will discuss a different aspect of learning a language and give you some tips for improvement. Whether you’re learning English or any other language, Les Bons Mots is for you! Les Bons Mots is produced by ACA, a language training school based in Quebec, Canada. Your host, Britta has been working with ACA since 2018. She holds a Master’s degree in Adult Education from UBC and a TESL Canada Teacher Training Certificate. Her business background and education helps her to deliver relevant and engaging language classes to a diverse group of professional clients using a curriculum that is appropriate to their context.
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Episodes
Français Québécois
December 17, 2021 15:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBAre you learning French in a Canadian context? Do you work with clients or colleagues in Quebec? In this episode, Roxane and Britta talk about how the French language is used in Quebec, including topics like politeness and formality, what to expect at a 5 à 7, and some unique Quebec vocabulary. Join us, and practice your French listening skills, because this episode is in French! This week, the guest host is Roxane St-Hilaire. Roxane is pedagogical advisor at ACA, and she is also a French...
Français Québécois
December 17, 2021 15:00 - 33 minutes - 22.9 MBAre you learning French in a Canadian context? Do you work with clients or colleagues in Quebec? In this episode, Roxane and Britta talk about how the French language is used in Quebec, including topics like politeness and formality, what to expect at a 5 à 7, and some unique Quebec vocabulary. Join us, and practice your French listening skills, because this episode is in French! This week, the guest host is Roxane St-Hilaire. Roxane is pedagogical advisor at ACA, and she is also a French...
Staying the Course: Persistence in Language Learning
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBAre you learning a language? It is a rewarding project, and one that takes time and effort. How do you stay motivated through the learning process? In this episode, our guest Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin shares her own language learning journey, and offers great advice about how to stay focused and motivated through all parts of the language learning process. Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin is an Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Farm Credit Canada. In this position, leads the team a...
Staying the Course: Persistence in Language Learning
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBAre you learning a language? It is a rewarding project, and one that takes time and effort. How do you stay motivated through the learning process? In this episode, our guest Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin shares her own language learning journey, and offers great advice about how to stay focused and motivated through all parts of the language learning process. Corinna Mitchell-Beaudin is an Executive Vice President and Chief Risk Officer at Farm Credit Canada. In this position, leads the team a...
Connect the Dots: Connected Speech for Pronunciation
November 19, 2021 05:00 - 35 minutes - 24.7 MBAre you working on making your English pronunciation sound more natural? When you listen to people speaking English, does it seem like they are speaking too quickly? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this episode is for you. Learn about how words in spoken English are connected. In this episode, Britta and Clémence discuss how some sounds change, appear, or even disappear when people speak English. They also share practical tips on how to understand spoken English, and how to...
The Icing on the Cake: The Unexpected Advantages of Being a Language Learner
November 05, 2021 04:00 - 37 minutes - 26.2 MBWhy are you learning another language? Is it for fun? For love? For professional reasons? There are a lot of reasons people choose to learn a language, and a lot of benefits to be gained from the experience. In this episode, our guest is Pierre-William Plante, a Solutions Specialist at Coveo. If you want practical advice about how to improve your language skills, and why it is worth the effort, this episode is for you! Pierre-William talks about his experience learning English, primarily ...
Work it! Job Interviews in English
October 22, 2021 04:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBAre you looking for a new position? Are you going to be interviewed either fully or partially in English? This week Jenni and Britta talk about what kind of questions you can expect to hear in an English-language job interview, and how to answer them. They share advice about answering wildcard questions, which verb tenses to use, key vocabulary to highlight your skills, and how to prepare for success before the interview even starts. This episode is essential listening for job seekers! Thi...
Living in your Second Language
October 08, 2021 04:00 - 39 minutes - 27.3 MBWelcome back to season three of Les Bons Mots! Have you ever lived in a second language environment or been immersed in one? Do you increasingly use your second language at work? This experience is the focus of the first episode of season 3 of Les Bons Mots. In this episode, we are excited to speak to David Thibodeau, who is a radio producer for CBC/Radio-Canada, Canada’s national broadcaster. He talks about what it has been like for him and his family to move from Gatineau, Quebec to Vanc...
Pronunciation - HOW do you say it?
April 02, 2021 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBIs it there, their or they’re? Why is the verb tear pronounced differently than the tears we cry? Do I have to pronounce the ‘b’ in doubt? English and French are full of words that sound the same, but have different meanings, words that are written the same, but have different pronunciations, and silent letters! In this week’s episode, Britta and Clémence help you to understand some of the homophones, heteronyms and silent letters that can be challenging for language learners. This week’s ...
Pronunciation - HOW do you say it?
April 02, 2021 04:00 - 33 minutes - 23.4 MBIs it there, their or they’re? Why is the verb tear pronounced differently than the tears we cry? Do I have to pronounce the ‘b’ in doubt? English and French are full of words that sound the same, but have different meanings, words that are written the same, but have different pronunciations, and silent letters! In this week’s episode, Britta and Clémence help you to understand some of the homophones, heteronyms and silent letters that can be challenging for language learners. This week’s ...
The Evolution of Language: Talking about Professions
March 19, 2021 04:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBDid you know that the preferred term for policeman is police officer? A postman is now a mail carrier, and a stewardess is a flight attendant. If a fireman is now a firefighter, is a fisherman a fisherfighter? Join Britta and Johnson in the second episode on our series on the evolution of English. They discuss the naming of professions through the ages, and how the names for different jobs are evolving as the workforce changes and becomes more inclusive. This week, our guest host is Johnson...
Pronunciation: Don't Stress about It!
March 05, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBDid you know there are three ways to pronounce the -ed ending in English? Does thinking about syllable stress and word stress make you feel...stressed? This week, Britta and Clémence demystify some of the mysteries of English and French pronunciation, and help you to make yourself understood when speaking these languages. This episode is essential listening for language learners! This week’s guest host is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s d...
Pronunciation: Don't Stress about It!
March 05, 2021 05:00 - 38 minutes - 26.7 MBDid you know there are three ways to pronounce the -ed ending in English? Does thinking about syllable stress and word stress make you feel...stressed? This week, Britta and Clémence demystify some of the mysteries of English and French pronunciation, and help you to make yourself understood when speaking these languages. This episode is essential listening for language learners! This week’s guest host is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s d...
The Evolution of Language: New Year, New Words
February 19, 2021 05:00 - 40 minutes - 27.9 MBSharent, deepfake, slow-walk… are any of these words new to you? One of the most enjoyable parts of learning a language is learning new vocabulary we can use in our daily lives, at work and at home. Every year, more new words are added to English language dictionaries as well! Join Britta and Johnson as they discuss these new words, which reflect world events, social movements, and what people are saying on social media or in the business world. This week, our guest host is Johnson Bresni...
Making the Most out of Making Mistakes
February 05, 2021 05:00 - 44 minutes - 30.7 MBWhenever we learn something new like a language, making mistakes is part of the process. What is the difference between a mistake and an error in language learning? How do language teachers help learners correct their mistakes? Why don’t the people around us correct us when we make a mistake? Join Britta and Kelsey as they discuss these questions, and offer advice and suggestions to help us make the most out of our mistakes. Language teachers may also be interested to learn more about the ef...
True Friends, False Friends
January 22, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBEnglish and French have thousands of words in common - how can you tell which words have the same meaning in both languages, and which ones are false friends, words which look or sound the same, but have different meanings? Join Britta and Kimberly as they explore some of the similarities, and deceptive differences, between English and French. This week’s episode tackles verb tenses, parts of speech, and some essential business vocabulary! This week’s guest host is Kimberly Lamontagne. Kim...
True Friends, False Friends
January 22, 2021 05:00 - 34 minutes - 24 MBEnglish and French have thousands of words in common - how can you tell which words have the same meaning in both languages, and which ones are false friends, words which look or sound the same, but have different meanings? Join Britta and Kimberly as they explore some of the similarities, and deceptive differences, between English and French. This week’s episode tackles verb tenses, parts of speech, and some essential business vocabulary! This week’s guest host is Kimberly Lamontagne. Kim...
The Business of Language Learning
January 15, 2021 05:00 - 46 minutes - 32.2 MBWelcome to Season Two of Les Bons Mots! Join Britta and Taylor for a discussion of the business of language learning. How do successful organizations approach language training? Why does ACA invest in our instructors and our own made-in-Quebec curriculum? How has language training changed in the last decade, and what is next for language education and for ACA? This week’s guest host, Taylor ireland, is the president of ACA. Before he became president of ACA in 2009, Taylor travelled the wo...
Language Teaching with the Les Bons Mots Team
December 18, 2020 18:00 - 54 minutes - 37.3 MBExplore language teaching with the Les Bons Mots Team, and get to know the creative team behind this project! What are some of the classroom activities we love to use? What challenges do our students face? What is our best language-learning advice, and what has teaching languages taught us? This week’s guest hosts are Lauren McIntosh and Nathan Elliott. Lauren has been teaching since 2014 and has taught English as a Second Language for the last three years. She has a Master's degree in Li...
Minisode 5: Phrases for Business Meetings in French
December 11, 2020 05:00 - 11 minutes - 8.09 MBDo you attend meetings in French, or do you hope to attend them soon? Our French instructors and guest hosts Zoé Moamadi and Nicole Wirtz are here to help you, with some useful phrases to help you people who are learning French to participate in meetings. This week’s minisode is in French! Our guest hosts this week are Zoé Moamadi and Nicole Wirtz. Zoé has a master’s degree in visual arts from University Mark Bloch in Strasbourg, France, and has taught French to adults and teens. Nicole is...
Key Differences between English and French
December 04, 2020 05:00 - 37 minutes - 25.6 MBAre you learning French and intrigued by all of the differences between English and French? Our French language instructors, Nicole Wirtz and Zoe Moamadi, break down some of the key differences that students of French encounter. Join us, and practice your French listening skills, because this is the first French language episode of Les Bons Mots! Our guest hosts this week are Zoé Moamadi and Nicole Wirtz. Zoé has a master’s degree in visual arts from University Mark Bloch in Strasbourg, Fr...
Minisode 4: Chips or Fries? Tips and Tricks for Understanding Regional Englishes
November 20, 2020 05:00 - 24 minutes - 17 MBIs that vegetable a courgette or zucchini? Are you looking for the lav or the restroom? Join Britta and Jeff as they discuss regional varieties of English and the differences in some essential categories such as greetings, thank yous, washrooms, food and clothing. This week's guest host is Jeffrey Smale. Jeffrey is a member of the teaching team at ACA, and since obtaining his CELTA teaching certificate has taught in Brazil and Quebec. He has learned some Russian, Bulgarian, German, Chines...
Bilingualism - Truths and Misconceptions
November 13, 2020 21:00 - 37 minutes - 26 MBJoin Britta and Jeff as they discuss bilingualism, an important subject in the world of language learning. What does it mean to be bilingual? What are some of the misconceptions about bilingualism? They also discuss the physiological, social and financial benefits of bilingualism! Jeffrey Smale is a member of the teaching team at ACA, and since obtaining his CELTA teaching certificate has taught in Brazil and Quebec. He has learned some Russian, Bulgarian, German, Chinese, Portuguese and a...
Minisode 3 - Technology and Language Learning - Tips and Tricks
November 06, 2020 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBJoin Britta and Chris to discuss how we can use technology to optimize language learning. Our hosts also provide you with suggestions for many great websites and apps (including ACA’s own online learning platform, Mindi) you can use to build your skills in many different languages. This week's guest host is Chris Ashton. Chris is an ESL Teacher at ACA and also a Psychology teacher at an English-speaking college in Quebec City, where he gives lectures on the development of language and firs...
Minisode 3: Technology and Language Learning - Tips and Tricks
November 06, 2020 05:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBJoin Britta and Chris to discuss how we can use technology to optimize language learning. Our hosts also provide you with suggestions for many great websites and apps (including ACA’s own online learning platform, Mindi) you can use to build your skills in many different languages. This week's guest host is Chris Ashton. Chris is an ESL Teacher at ACA and also a Psychology teacher at an English-speaking college in Quebec City, where he gives lectures on the development of language and firs...
Under Pressure: Taking the Stress out of Language Learning
October 30, 2020 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBJoin Britta and Chris as they talk about the stressful parts of language learning. What makes learning a language so stressful? What can we do as language learners (or language teachers) to reduce language-learning anxiety? Our hosts explore these questions in detail, and provide practical advice for ways to make language learning a positive, motivating experience. This week's guest host is Chris Ashton. Chris is an ESL Teacher at ACA and also a Psychology teacher at an English-speaking co...
Under Pressure: Taking the Stress out of Language Learning
October 30, 2020 04:00 - 38 minutes - 26.2 MBJoin Britta and Chris as they talk about the stressful parts of language learning. What makes learning a language so stressful? What can we do as language learners (or language teachers) to reduce language-learning anxiety? Our hosts explore these questions in detail, and provide practical advice for ways to make language learning a positive, motivating experience. This week's guest host is Chris Ashton. Chris is an ESL Teacher at ACA and also a Psychology teacher at an English-speaking co...
Minisode 2: Verb Tenses - Tips and Tricks
October 23, 2020 04:00 - 22 minutes - 15.7 MBJoin Britta and Johnson to tackle some of the key questions language learners have about verb tenses. From the challenge of choosing the correct auxiliary verb and the difficulties of learning irregular verbs and phrasal verbs to learning the infamous subjunctive, Britta and Johnson offer practical advice to anyone struggling to talk about time in a new language. This week's guest host is Johnson Bresnick. Johnson is the Director of Learning & Development at ACA, and has worked at ACA sin...
Perfecting Your Grammar with the Present Perfect
October 16, 2020 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBJoin Britta and Johnson as they talk about verb tenses, and specifically, the present perfect. What makes this tense challenging? When is it appropriate to use it? We take a deep dive into this tricky verb tense. Our hosts discuss some tips to help you gain confidence in using this verb tense. This week's guest host is Johnson Bresnick. Johnson is the Director of Learning & Development at ACA, and has worked at ACA since 2011. He has also taught ESL and had extensive experience in curric...
Perfecting Your Grammar with the Present Perfect
October 16, 2020 04:00 - 33 minutes - 22.8 MBJoin Britta and Johnson as they talk about verb tenses, and specifically, the present perfect. What makes this tense challenging? When is it appropriate to use it? We take a deep dive into this tricky verb tense. Our hosts discuss some tips to help you gain confidence in using this verb tense. This week's guest host is Johnson Bresnick. Johnson is the Director of Learning & Development at ACA, and has worked at ACA since 2011. He has also taught ESL and had extensive experience in curric...
Minisode 1: Pronunciation - Tips and Tricks
October 09, 2020 04:00 - 12 minutes - 8.93 MBJoin Britta and Clémence as they answer some common questions about pronunciation and discuss strategies for improving pronunciation, no matter what language you are learning! They talk about learning how to produce new sounds, how to practice them, what minimal pairs are, and more! This week's guest is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s degree in english literature along with a master's degree in English studies, and a master's degree in jo...
Minisode 1: Pronunciation: Tips and Tricks
October 09, 2020 04:00 - 12 minutes - 8.93 MBJoin Britta and Clémence as they answer some common questions about pronunciation and discuss strategies for improving pronunciation, no matter what language you are learning! They talk about learning how to produce new sounds, how to practice them, what minimal pairs are, and more! This week's guest is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s degree in english literature along with a master's degree in English studies, and a master's degree in jo...
Getting Tongue Tied: Talking about Pronunciation
October 02, 2020 13:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBJoin Britta and Clémence as they talk about pronunciation! What makes pronunciation so difficult? How important is it? How can you improve your pronunciation? Our language teachers offer you information and advice to help you improve your pronunciation as you learn languages. This week’s episode takes a dive into English and French pronunciation. This week's guest is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s degree in english literature along with a...
Getting Tongue Tied - Talking about Pronunciation
October 02, 2020 13:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBJoin Britta and Clémence as they talk about pronunciation! What makes pronunciation so difficult? How important is it? How can you improve your pronunciation? Our language teachers offer you information and advice to help you improve your pronunciation as you learn languages. This week’s episode takes a dive into English and French pronunciation. This week's guest is Clémence Grison. Clémence is part of the teaching team at ACA, and has a bachelor’s degree in english literature along with a...