Bonus Unit 1 — At a café in Strasbourg · A1

1

The setting

Where and who

Place: a café near the cathedral, in Strasbourg, France.
Characters: Olivier (your teacher), Bailu and Liu Shishi, two Chinese students. Bailu (白鹿) and Liu Shishi (刘诗诗) are well-known Chinese actresses — the bonus chapters feature them as guest characters who happen to be learning French.

欧

Olivier

A French teacher. Loves coffee and chance encounters.

白

白鹿 · Bailu

22, literature student, from Beijing.

刘

刘诗诗 · Liu Shishi

24, also a student, Bailu's friend.

2

The dialogue

Read along

Olivier —Bonjour, mesdemoiselles. Vous êtes chinoises ? Hello, ladies. Are you Chinese?
Bailu —Oui, bonjour ! Nous sommes chinoises. Yes, hello! We're Chinese.
Olivier —Je m'appelle Olivier. Je suis professeur de français. Et vous ? My name is Olivier. I'm a French teacher. And you?
Bailu —Moi, c'est Bailu. Et voici mon amie, Liu Shishi. I'm Bailu. And this is my friend, Liu Shishi.

Olivier, Bailu and Liu Shishi introduce themselves outside the school — Scene 2 Introductions — "Enchantée, monsieur Olivier!" Getting to know each other

Olivier —Enchanté ! Vous habitez à Strasbourg ? Pleased to meet you! Do you live in Strasbourg?
Liu Shishi —Oui, nous habitons à Strasbourg, en France. Mais nous sommes de Pékin. Yes, we live in Strasbourg, in France. But we're from Beijing.
Olivier —Vous parlez très bien français ! You speak French very well!
Bailu —Un peu seulement… Nous aimons beaucoup la langue française. Only a little… We love the French language.

Talking about the French language at a library — Scene 3 Discussion — "I love French, it's a beautiful language." Talking about French

Olivier —Quel âge avez-vous ? How old are you?
Bailu —J'ai 22 ans. Et Liu Shishi a 24 ans. I'm 22. And Liu Shishi is 24.
Olivier —Et vous êtes étudiantes ? And are you students?
Liu Shishi —Oui, nous sommes étudiantes en littérature. Yes, we're literature students.
Olivier —Eh bien, bonne journée mesdemoiselles, et bonne chance ! Well, have a nice day, ladies, and good luck!
Bailu & Liu Shishi —Merci, au revoir, monsieur Olivier ! Thank you, goodbye, Mr. Olivier!

Olivier says goodbye to Bailu and Liu Shishi — Scene 4 Goodbye — "Bonne journée, à bientôt!" Saying goodbye

3

3 new words

Just three to learn

The rest of the vocabulary comes from Lessons 1 to 4. Here are the 3 new words to remember:

enchanté(e) adj. pleased to meet you Said while shaking hands when meeting someone for the first time. The closest English equivalent is "Nice to meet you."
Ex.: — Je m'appelle Pierre. — Enchanté!
la langue n.f. language; tongue Same word for "language" (French, English, Chinese…) and the body part "tongue".
Ex.: J'aime la langue française.
bonne chance ! phrase good luck! To wish someone success — exam, interview, anything.
Ex.: Tu as un examen demain ? Bonne chance !

4

Comprehension

Did you follow?

Pick the right answer Choisissez la bonne réponse

What is Olivier's job?
Where are Bailu and Liu Shishi from?
What word does Olivier say when meeting them?
How does Olivier say goodbye?

5

Why Strasbourg?

A bridge city

🏰 A bridge city between France and Germany

Strasbourg is the capital of the Grand Est region in France, right on the German border. It's famous for:

Its gothic cathedral in pink sandstone (12th–15th c.)
Its historic centre "Petite France", a UNESCO World Heritage site
Its role as a European capital: home of the European Parliament
Its Alsatian cuisine: choucroute, bretzel, kouglof…

It's also a very international student city — many students from around the world come here to study French.

At a café, in Strasbourg