French course

Lesson 215 of 240

New here? This is lesson 215 of a free 240-lesson French course.

Start hereHow this works

A short presentation in French

Claire asked for a short run-through of the museum visit, not a speech. Sam stands in the small office and keeps it to three points.

You will open a talk, name first, next and last, then close and invite questions.

D'abord, ensuite and enfin keep the order clear. Claire wants plain words, and she gets them.

By the end of this lesson

Open a short talk, present three points, and close.

  • Je vais vous présenter trois points.I'm going to present three points.
  • D'abord, le public visé.First, the target audience.
  • Ensuite, le déroulé de la visite.Next, the flow of the visit.
  • Enfin, le ton qu'on vise.Finally, the tone we're after.
  • Voilà pour le fond.That's the substance of it.
  • Vous avez des questions ?Do you have any questions?

Scene — three points, no speech

Same small office two metro stops from rue des Tilleuls. Claire has a laptop on the desk, courtyard light on the glass.

Museum-guide kits sit in a crate. Sam stands, as if a group were already waiting for the visit.

A wide view of Claire’s courtyard office with Sam standing over a blank page while Claire works at a laptop and a colleague sits close on a pulled-up chair.

Learn — open, first, next, last

Six lines open a short talk, name three points in order, close the substance, and invite questions.

D'abord, ensuite and enfin keep the path easy to follow.

  1. Sam stands in the office holding a blank page and raising three fingers toward Claire.

    Je vais vous présenter trois points.

    I'm going to present three points.

    When to use it: Use this to open a short talk and say how many points you will cover.

    Vous here is for the people listening to the talk, even if you use tu with them afterwards.

    Say it: The s in vais is silent; vous starts with its usual v sound.

  2. A close-up of Sam leaning in with one finger lifted as she starts with the target audience.

    D'abord, le public visé.

    First, the target audience.

    When to use it: Use this to name your first point after you open the talk.

    D'abord marks the first step in a set; it is not the same as already.

    Say it: The last d in D'abord is silent.

  3. From behind Claire, Sam sweeps her hand in a line to mark the flow of the visit.

    Ensuite, le déroulé de la visite.

    Next, the flow of the visit.

    When to use it: Use this to move to the second point, after the first.

    Ensuite is the next-step word; keep it between first and last.

  4. In profile, Sam makes a small measured gesture as she settles on the tone they want.

    Enfin, le ton qu'on vise.

    Finally, the tone we're after.

    When to use it: Use this to name the last of your three points.

    Enfin here means the last point, not that you are finally free to leave.

    Say it: Qu'on is pronounced in one syllable, with the nasal vowel /ɔ̃/.

  5. Sam lays the blank page on the desk and opens both hands to close the substance of the brief.

    Voilà pour le fond.

    That's the substance of it.

    When to use it: Use this when the content is done and you wrap the talk.

    Fond here is the substance of the talk, not the back of a room.

    Say it: The d in fond is silent.

  6. Sam turns toward the seated colleague with open palms, waiting for questions.

    Vous avez des questions ?

    Do you have any questions?

    When to use it: Use this after the talk to invite the listeners to ask something.

    This vous is for the listeners as a group after a short talk.

Story — claire wants it short

Sam runs the museum visit in three short points. Claire sits with her laptop and waits for plain words.

The highlighted lines are the ones you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. Claire closes her laptop halfway and looks at Sam. The courtyard is grey behind her.
  2. ClaireAllez, vas-y. Trois points, pas un discours.Go on. Three points, not a speech.
  3. SamJe vais vous présenter trois points.I'm going to present three points.
  4. ClaireNickel. Tu restes court, c'est bien.Nice. You keep it short, that's good.
  5. He stands as if a small group were already in the room.
  6. SamD'abord, le public visé.First, the target audience.
  7. SamDes familles et des scolaires, pas des experts.Families and school groups, not experts.
  8. ClaireC'est noté.Noted.
  9. SamEnsuite, le déroulé de la visite.Next, the flow of the visit.
  10. SamDouze minutes, trois salles, pas plus.Twelve minutes, three rooms, no more.
  11. ClaireOui. Court, et ça tient éveillé.Yes. Short, and it keeps people awake.
  12. SamEnfin, le ton qu'on vise.Finally, the tone we're after.
  13. SamCalme, clair, sans grande phrase.Calm, clear, no long sentence.
  14. ClaireBonne idée.Good idea.
  15. SamVoilà pour le fond.That's the substance of it.
  16. ClaireÇa marche pour moi.That works for me.
  17. SamVous avez des questions ?Do you have any questions?
  18. ClaireNon, c'est clair.No, that's clear.
  19. SamJe t'envoie le script ce soir.I'll send you the script this evening.
  20. ClaireParfait. Pas un discours, pile ce qu'il faut.Perfect. Not a speech, exactly what we need.
  21. She opens the laptop again. No long meeting. The kits stay in the crate.

Practice — keep the order

You'll hear the opening, fill gaps in the order of the points, and pick the right close.

A few items mix the new lines with ones you already know from work talks.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    D'abord, le public visé.Drop the English here
    Ensuite, le déroulé de la visite.Drop the English here
    Enfin, le ton qu'on vise.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. Fill the gap

    First, the target audience.

    D'abord, le public ____.

  4. What do you say?

    You already named the first point. Now name the second: how the visit will run.

  5. Swap the word

    You are on the last of three points: the tone you want.

    ____, le ton qu'on vise.

  6. Build the line

    That's the substance of it.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  7. What does it mean?

    Vous avez des questions ?

  8. True or false?

    You say this when you have taken someone's point down.

  9. Pick the reply

    Claire says:

    Trois points, pas un discours. Ça te va ?

    Three points, not a speech. Does that work for you?

    And you reply with:

  10. Put the chat in order

    1. SamWhat comes first?
    2. Claire…
    3. Sam…
    4. Claire…
    5. Sam…

    Tap the line that comes next, or drag it into the chat.

  11. What do you say?

    Claire wants the visit kept short so people stay awake. You agree that is a good idea.

Say it — run the talk

Now you're Sam in the office. Claire wants three points and no speech. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. ClaireAllez. Trois points, pas un discours.Go on. Three points, not a speech.
  2. Sam (you)Open the short talk and say you will cover three points.

    Je vais vous présenter trois points.

    I'm going to present three points.

0 of 6 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
Je vais vous présenter trois points.I'm going to present three points.
D'abord, le public visé.First, the target audience.
Ensuite, le déroulé de la visite.Next, the flow of the visit.
Enfin, le ton qu'on vise.Finally, the tone we're after.
Voilà pour le fond.That's the substance of it.
Vous avez des questions ?Do you have any questions?
Next: lesson 216Sound natural

Save your progress — it’s free

Keep your place in the course and see which lines you’ve learned.

Want the next lesson in your inbox?

Get the next lesson by email, one a day.

Where should we start?
Join the newsletter

Daily lesson emails are coming soon. Newsletter subscribers get them first.

Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these talk frames handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A short round with the Yak Cards keeps the three-point order ready for the next briefing.

Open Yak Cards