This series is produced by the makers of the language-learning app, but unlike the app, there is no direct instruction involved; it’s a content-based podcast that seeks to provide exposure to spoken French in manageable chunks.

The podcasts are free and you can download a free transcript and study materials from Duolingo’s website as well. You can also simply download the podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Each podcast is a profile on a real person - baker Mahmoud wants to win a baguette competition, surfer Eric sets new goals after surviving a shark attack, etc. - but it plays out like a short story that switches back and forth between a narrator and the person telling their story. The narration is done in English, but the first-person account is told in French. There isn’t direct translation for the parts in French, but mixing English and French this way does help learners follow the story. The podcasts generally last around 20 minutes, are generally geared towards intermediate-level learners, and are individual stories that don’t need to be listened to in any particular order.