Coucou les French learners,

I must admit that one place I’ve always longed to visit is the state of Louisiana, in the United States.

The story of the Cajun people, in particular, fascinates me. Their journey from France to Acadie (now Nova Scotia) and eventually to Louisiana is one of resilience, adaptation, and cultural preservation.

In the mid-18th century, the Acadians were exiled by the British during “Le Grand Dérangement” after refusing to swear allegiance to the British crown. Many Acadians endured unimaginable hardships as they were forcibly removed from their homes, separated from their families, and sent to distant lands.

Some eventually found refuge in Louisiana, where they settled in the bayous and prairies, adapting to their new environment while preserving their French heritage.

What captivates me most about the Cajun people is how they transformed adversity into a unique culture that thrives to this day.

Their language evolved into Cajun French, and their oral storytelling tradition flourished.

Cajun tales are rich with humor, wit, and moral lessons. These stories reflect the blending of French, African, Caribbean, and Native American influences that make Louisiana such a culturally vibrant place.

Our New Story Listening Video: a tale from Louisiana

This week, My Dear Man & I are thrilled to share our latest free YouTube video featuring the story of “Monsieur Tortie,” a clever turtle living deep in the Louisiana bayou.

This tale is part of the rich Cajun storytelling tradition, which often showcases trickster characters who use their wits to outsmart others.

Cajun tales like this one are entertaining and they’re windows into the culture and resilience of the Cajun people. The vibrant imagery of the bayou and the clever dialogue bring these stories to life.

When you watch and listen to “Monsieur Tortie,” focus on understanding the overall meaning rather than translating every word.

Let your imagination fill in the details as you immerse yourself in the story.

This is what makes Story Listening so powerful, it provides natural and compelling language input that helps you acquire French effortlessly.

After watching, visit our site to read and listen to the story again. Click here!

The story contains what we call “optimal input.” This means it is designed to be comprehensible yet slightly challenging, just above your current level, so you can absorb new vocabulary and structures without feeling overwhelmed.

Join Our Community of Learners

If you enjoyed this story, join our community of French learners on our site.

There, you can watch more videos, read along with texts, and listen to compelling stories that make acquiring French enjoyable and effective.

Our members have shared incredible feedback about how this approach has transformed their French journey.

Nick Doffing recently left this review on Trustpilot:

“This is a phenomenal language learning resource. I have studied other languages using more ‘traditional’ methods: taking college courses, studying flashcards, reading grammar books… it was a chore… Alice’s website is anything but a chore; it is simply a pleasure. It’s natural stress-free learning. And it’s quick too! Even from the first lesson! It’s almost unbelievable how quickly you can pick up the language using an acquisitional approach… There simply is not a better way to begin your French language studies than Alice’s courses (besides being born in France!).”

So why not give it a try?