Coucou tout le monde,
French with Timo has been around for two years now, and more than 5,000 of you are already receiving this newsletter.
C’est ouf !
Two years of podcasts, articles, verbs we never quite remember on the first try, and messages from you telling me that something finally clicked — or that it still hasn’t!
And now, we’re moving on to something new.
Nothing is changing for what already exists. Free subscribers will keep getting what they always have, and Premium members will still have access to everything: the blog, podcasts, monthly workshop, and app.
1:1 coaching and Le Cercle conversation groups are still available too.
But for Season 3, I’m adding something new: L’Apéro Club
If you understand French but still hesitate when you speak, translate in your head, or feel like your French sounds a little too much like a textbook, this is for you.
You probably already understand more French than you’re able to use. L’Apéro Club is about closing that gap, with relaxed live sessions designed to help intermediate learners speak more naturally and confidently.
And yes, come with your favourite drink. It’s called L’Apéro Club for a reason.
How did I get the idea?
Actually, the idea came from a conversation with my good friend — mon pote — Florent last year, when I was in Paris.
I was about to teach a class, and we were having a drink at a bar together.
Florent looked at me and said:
« Pourquoi tu ne ferais pas simplement un cours à l’apéro ? Tu restes ici, au bar, et tu fais ton cours comme si c’était un apéro. »
Of course, I didn’t do it.
But later, I thought… why not?
The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.
Because learning French doesn’t always have to feel like learning French.
Sometimes, the best conversations happen around a table, over a drink, when you forget you’re in a class and simply start talking.
So that’s basically where L’Apéro Club came from.
There will be three types of Apéro:
Apéro Grammaire — the grammar you understand on paper but somehow forget when you speak.
Apéro Spoken French — real French, based on videos and other material I’ll send you beforehand.
Apéro Choc Culturel — the cultural differences that surprise you, confuse you, or make you laugh once you understand them.
But this isn’t another traditional French class. No textbook, no curriculum to rush through — just relaxed conversations, interesting topics, and plenty of opportunities to speak.
The goal? To help you turn the French you understand into the French you actually use.
And this is where you come in.
I’m currently in the pre-launch phase, and L’Apéro Club will be launching this autumn.
For the first edition, I want to keep things small — a little group where everyone gets plenty of opportunities to speak, and where we can shape the experience together, including finding a schedule that works for the group.
If the idea sounds like something you’d enjoy, just reply to this email with “Apéro” or leave a comment below, and I’ll get back to you personally with more details.
I just want to see who’s interested before putting the group together.
Thanks for being here since the beginning, or since yesterday.
Either way, it counts.
À bientôt,
Timo
Hey, I’m Timothée.
I write about the French language the way it’s actually lived: through cafés, music, awkward conversations, old expressions, cultural rituals, and all the small things textbooks usually forget.
If you enjoy learning French through stories, culture, music, and the hidden meaning behind words, you’ll probably enjoy the premium version of this newsletter.
Become a premium member and get access to full podcasts, translations, vocabulary notes, interactive exercises, and live workshops — all for about the price of a coffee each month.
I’m nervous but interested