Day 29: Conversation day

restaurant · hotel · shopping · self-intro, all together · 40 min

Tomorrow is the last day. Today is pure practice, nothing new. Get through all four scenarios end to end — this is the dress rehearsal for the final challenge.

1. Thirty-second pre-flight check

If those eight don't come out, today's scenarios will stall. When one doesn't, go back to that day's file before continuing.

2. Scenario ① — restaurant (15 turns)

Scene: a Paris bistro. No reservation, dinner for one.

Two new phrases: la carte (la KART, the menu) · Qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ? (kess kuh voo muh kohn-say-YAY, what do you recommend?)

⚠️ FAUX AMI: la carte is the menu; le menu is a fixed-price set meal. Ask for "le menu" and you will be offered today's three-course deal, not the list of dishes.

3. Scenario ② — hotel (12 turns)

Scene: check in, solve one problem, confirm the check-out time.

New phrases: au nom de (oh nohn duh, under the name of) · le mot de passe (luh moh duh PASS, password) · l'eau chaude (loh SHOHD, hot water) · les bagages (lay ba-GAHZH, luggage)

★ Step 5 is the real test today. Complaining in French is far harder than ordering, and the English instinct — soften it into a long apologetic paragraph — does not translate. French complaints are short and factual. Two patterns cover almost everything: Il n'y a pas de… (there isn't any…) and Ça ne marche pas. (it doesn't work).

4. Scenario ③ — shopping (10 turns)

Scene: buying a present in a clothes shop. Change the size, ask for gift wrap.

New phrases: un cadeau (uhn ka-DOH, a present) · un paquet cadeau (uhn pa-keh ka-DOH, gift wrapping)

5. Scenario ④ — self-intro + small talk (15 turns)

Scene: a party, talking to a French person for the first time. Today's real rehearsal.

Must include:

• ☐greeting + name + nationality + where you live + age + job (Day 3)
• ☐at least 3 questions to them (Days 4 and 24)
• ☐a preference + a reason (Day 13)
• ☐what you did yesterday (Day 26, past)
• ☐what you'll do tomorrow (Day 25, future)
• ☐sentences joined with connectors (Day 28)
• ☐at least 3 agreement noises (Ah bon / Vraiment / Moi aussi)
• ☐at least one "say that again" when you miss something

Model flow

— Bonjour ! Je m'appelle Alex, je suis américain. Et vous ?— Enchanté ! Moi, c'est Thomas. Vous habitez à Paris ?— Non, j'habite à New York, mais je suis à Paris pour deux semaines.— Ah bon ? Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans la vie ?— Je suis entrepreneur. Je travaille dans une start-up. Et vous ?— Je suis professeur. Vous aimez Paris ?— J'adore Paris parce que c'est très beau. Hier, je suis allé au Louvre.— C'était comment ?— C'était magnifique ! Demain, je vais visiter Montmartre.— Super ! Bon courage avec le français !— Merci ! Je parle un peu seulement, mais j'apprends tous les jours.

6. Today's checklist

• ☐Scenario ① restaurant — all the way through
• ☐Scenario ② hotel — including the complaint
• ☐Scenario ③ shopping — all the way through
• ☐Scenario ④ self-intro — all 8 items
• ☐Write down where you stalled → reread only those day files tomorrow morning

If you can't do all four, prioritise ② and ④. Those two are the backbone of tomorrow's final challenge.

7. Today's 10 sentences

1. Vous avez une table pour une personne ? — A table for one? (voo za-vay ewn TA-bluh poor ewn pair-SUN)
2. La carte, s'il vous plaît. — The menu, please (la KART seel voo PLEH)
3. Qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez ? — What do you recommend? (kess kuh voo muh kohn-say-YAY)
4. J'ai une réservation au nom de… — I have a booking under… (zhay ewn ray-zair-va-SYOHN oh nohn duh)
5. Quel est le mot de passe du wifi ? — What's the wifi password? (kell eh luh moh duh pass dew wee-FEE)
6. Ça ne marche pas. — It doesn't work (sa nuh marsh PA)
7. Je voudrais changer de chambre. — I'd like to change rooms (zhuh voo-DREH shahn-zhay duh SHAHM-bruh)
8. Je peux laisser mes bagages ici ? — Can I leave my bags here? (zhuh puh leh-SAY may ba-GAHZH ee-SEE)
9. Je cherche un cadeau. — I'm looking for a present (zhuh SHAIRSH uhn ka-DOH)
10. Vous pouvez faire un paquet cadeau ? — Could you gift wrap it? (voo poo-vay fair uhn pa-keh ka-DOH)

8. 📲 Upload to LangNote

Today is four role-play runs and nothing else. You don't even need to upload a new file — just note where you stalled and prepare for tomorrow.

langNote is a paid subscription and this course recommends it. The 30 lessons are free and complete either way.