⭐ Raconte-moi une histoire — Tell Me a Story ⭐

⭐A special event where curious minds meet and French learners shine. ⭐

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We are hosting a French presentation featuring a remarkable student who is learning French alongside you. This event centres around a passionate speaker who presents on a topic he loves — entirely in French — for 30 to 45 minutes.

These sessions are free and open to everyone, whether you are a member of The French Club, or simply looking for a supportive environment to practice and improve your French.

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Who is the guest speaker?

Djordje Nesic

Bio: Djordje Nesic’s performances have been described as intricate, artful, assertive, sensitive and quietly virtuosic, and his career highlighted by recital, concerto, chamber, and collaborative performances, both in the U.S. and internationally. He strives to promote music addressing contemporary, social justice, and human rights issues.
This season, Djordje led and conducted the production of Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht’s Seven Deadly Sins. Recently, he conducted the productions of Handel’s Alcina at the Opera Seme Festival in Arezzo, Italy; Jack Perla and Jessica Murphy Moo’s An American Dream, Mozart’s La finta giardiniera, Ullmann/Kien’s Der Kaiser von Atlantis, as well as Ana Sokolovic’s Svadba.
Other venues include Carnegie Hall, Kolarac Hall, Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, the United Nations General Assembly Hall, the Mann Performing Arts Center in Philadelphia, FUJI TV in Japan, the Aspen Music Festival, Tanglewood Festival, Glimmerglass Opera, Houston Grand Opera, the Greenwich Music Festival, and the Phoenicia Voice Festival.

Titre: L'Empereur d'Atlantis

Summary: Depuis 1999, je travaille régulièrement sur l'opéra « L'Empereur d'Atlantis » du compositeur Viktor Ullmann et du librettiste Peter Kien. J'ai toujours connu la tragique histoire de sa création. Enfin, en préparation de ma dernière représentation en 2024, j'ai décidé de me rendre au musée du camp de concentration de Terezin, en République Tchèque, afin de découvrir de mes propres yeux le lieu de création de l'opéra. Cette présentation est le récit de cette visite.

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Practical Details :

• Duration: 60 minutes. (7 pm - 8 pm NY time)
• Date: August 22, Saturday.
• The zoom link is: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5456313643
• The password is: galaxy

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During the Presentation:

• Please keep your microphone muted to maintain the flow
• Cameras are optional throughout the entire meeting
• If you choose to participate in discussions, we encourage turning your camera on for a more engaging experience

After the Presentation:

We open the floor for casual, respectful group discussion in French, where you can ask questions, exchange ideas, and share experiences related to the topic.

While our guest speakers may occasionally accommodate questions in English, we encourage you to stretch yourself by using French — even if it feels challenging. Growth happens outside our comfort zone, especially in language learning!

Who Should Attend:

• Low-intermediate speakers (or a higher level) who can participate in simple conversations are warmly encouraged to join the discussion
• Beginners or shy learners are equally welcome to attend, listen, and absorb the French exposure

This is an excellent opportunity to hear spoken French and connect with fellow learners on the same journey.

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Our Community Values: Every opinion is respected and everyone is welcome. We maintain a positive environment by avoiding divisive topics like politics, religion, and sexuality.

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About The French Club

The French Club is a global French-learning community focused on real, practical fluency. Founded in September 2024, it has grown into 24 international Meetup chapters across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, with 35,000+ members and a structured curriculum built in-house (200 modules, from A1 to B2, about 4,000 pages).

Here on Meetup, you’ll find our FREE live events including the full 10-week A1-B1 courses, A1-B1 homework sessions, student-led events, and occasional special events.

You’ll also see free learning events hosted by members of our teaching team, community leaders, and student collaborators.

If you’re looking for a more guided experience, we also offer paid options on our website (https://www.frenchclub.net) such as semi-private group classes (A1 to B2), the 'Atelier de Conversation', the 'Atelier de Prononciation', the Momentum Lab, various other workshops for different language skills, and French immersion experiences (Nice in Dec. 2026, Quebec city in 2027, etc.).

Our long-term home is our website https://www.frenchclub.net.
Free events are still featured on Meetup but the above mentioned paid options are only available on our website. Come and take a look!

See you at an event soon! ⭐

— François Normandeau
Founder, The French Club

The French Club — Academic Program Summer 2026
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1niv8-hAcyjR1YAiuzHWmBp-RdsM3JWO9lKy6i29cmSo/

Our MeetUp hub:
https://www.meetup.com/pro/learning-speaking-french/

Our language learning platform:
https://www.frenchclub.net/

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