Mission: catch the time on a phone message
Listening for the key detail. How to use two listenings, catch numbers and places, and not fall for corrections.
FrenchA1 · Exam skillsAbout 5 min: 3 reading, 2 practiceUpdated
- Prepare by reading the questions and guessing what you will hear
- Use the first listening for sure answers and the second to check
- Catch numbers, times, prices and places in announcements
- Notice when a speaker corrects themselves
A1 exam skills: lesson 3 of 3
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Level Level A1 (around the DELF A1 exam). Real French: a voicemail from the doctor's surgery and a station announcement.
What it is
Your mission: your neighbour Madame Petit finds a message from the doctor's surgery on her answerphone and asks you to listen to it. Catch the day, the time (careful: the speaker corrects herself) and the phone number.
The DELF A1 listening paper lasts about 20 minutes. You hear three or four short recordings (dialogues, announcements, radio extracts, phone messages), each one twice, and answer questions on them: tick a box, note a number or a name, match pictures.
The method:
- Before: read the questions. Underline the type of answer each wants: a time, a price, a place, a name. Guess the words you might hear.
- First listening: answer only what you are sure of.
- Second listening: check those answers and fill in the rest.
- After: read your answers again; make sure each fits its question.
Announcement words:
| French | Meaning |
|---|---|
| le train à destination de … | the train to … |
| en provenance de … | arriving from … |
| partira voie 3 | will leave from platform 3 |
| un retard de dix minutes | a ten-minute delay |
| les voyageurs sont priés de … | passengers are asked to … |
| à l'accueil | at the reception desk |
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
« Le train en provenance de Lyon arrive voie 2. » The train…
- To Lyon would be à destination de Lyon
- voie 2 is the platform
Show answer
comes from Lyon. en provenance de = coming from.
Why it matters
The listening paper is a quarter of the DELF A1 marks. The recordings are short and you hear each one twice, so a clear plan for the two listenings matters more than understanding every word. Numbers, times and places carry most of the marks.
Worked example
Madame Petit's phone message (our own example):
Bonjour Madame Petit, c'est le cabinet du docteur Blanc. Votre rendez-vous est jeudi à 10 heures… non, pardon, à 11 heures. Merci de rappeler au 01 45 67 89 10.
Questions: Quel jour ? À quelle heure ? Quel numéro ?
- Day: jeudi (Thursday).
- Time: 11 h. The speaker said 10, then corrected it: non, pardon, à 11 heures.
- Number: 01 45 67 89 10. French phone numbers are said in pairs: zéro un, quarante-cinq, soixante-sept, quatre-vingt-neuf, dix.
Common mistake
Writing the first number you hear when the speaker corrects it. Listen for correction words: non, pardon, plutôt, en fait (actually). The answer is what comes after them.
Real French: people speak faster than a recording, and swallow small sounds: je suis sounds like j'suis, tu as like t'as. Focus on the key words (numbers, days, places) and let the small words go by.
A second trap: hearing a number that belongs to something else (the platform instead of the time). That is why you underline the type of answer before you listen.
Quick check
Tap an answer to check it.
You hear: « Le cours commence à 9 heures… euh, non, à 9 heures et demie. » When does the class start?
- The speaker corrected it: non, à 9 heures et demie
- et demie is half past
Show answer
9.30. The answer is what follows the correction.
Key terms
- à destination de
- going to
- en provenance de
- coming from
- voie, quai
- platform
- retard
- delay
- non, pardon / plutôt / en fait
- correction words: listen to what follows
- deux écoutes
- two listenings
Practise the key terms
Tap a card to turn it over. 6 cards.
| Front | Back |
|---|---|
| à destination de | going to |
| en provenance de | coming from |
| voie, quai | platform |
| retard | delay |
| non, pardon / plutôt / en fait | correction words: listen to what follows |
| deux écoutes | two listenings |
Practice
Quick quiz
Tap an answer to check it.
How is the phone number 06 12 30 45 77 usually said?
- French says numbers in pairs
- Phone numbers are read in pairs, not as one big number
Show answer
zéro six, douze, trente, quarante-cinq, soixante-dix-sept. In pairs: 06 / 12 / 30 / 45 / 77.
What should you do in the first listening?
- You don't need every word
- Use the second listening for the rest
Show answer
Answer only what you are sure of.. First listening: sure answers; second: check and complete.
Sort it
Which kind of answer is the question asking for?
À quelle heure part le bus ?
à quelle heureShow answer
A time. à quelle heure
Où est le rendez-vous ?
oùShow answer
A place. où
Combien coûte le billet ?
combien coûteShow answer
A price. combien coûte
À quelle heure ouvre la piscine ?
à quelle heureShow answer
A time. à quelle heure
Practise speaking
Studyfern has no voice tools of its own. To practise out loud, copy this prompt into a voice-capable AI assistant and talk with it.
Mission role-play. You are Valérie, who announces trains at the station and takes phone messages at a surgery, helping me practise listening. Speak at a natural but clear speed. Use only these words and patterns: le train à destination de, en provenance de, partira voie, arrive voie, un retard de … minutes, à l'accueil, le rendez-vous est, à … heures, et demie, et quart, non, pardon, numbers 0 to 100, days of the week, city names. Say one short announcement or message at a time, sometimes with a correction (non, pardon, …). Then ask me one question about it in French: where, when, which platform, or which number. Say it again if I ask. After each answer, tell me if I was right and, if not, what I missed. When I have got 8 answers right, say « Mission accomplie ! » and give me one tip. Keep every reply under 3 sentences. Do 8 announcements. Explain in English.
Listen too. Listen to native speakers before and after: see the free listening and shadowing links.
Good to know. AI feedback on pronunciation is hit and miss, so check yourself against native recordings. Many assistants turn your speech into text first, so a vowel or liaison you got wrong may be silently “heard” as the right word. Don't share personal details: use a made-up name and town.
New to this? Read Practising speaking with an AI.
In short
- Each recording is played twice; read the questions first.
- Listening 1: sure answers. Listening 2: check and complete.
- Underline the answer type: time, place, price, name.
- After a correction word (non, pardon, en fait), the new answer counts.
- Phone numbers come in pairs; en provenance de = from, à destination de = to.
Mastery check
Answer without looking back. Score 80% or more and the lesson is marked done. Your result is kept only in this browser.
Check yourself
Answer in your head first, then open the answer. Nothing is saved.
How many times do you hear each recording in the DELF A1 listening paper?
Show answer
Twice.
What does « un retard de vingt minutes » mean?
Show answer
A twenty-minute delay.
A speaker says « mardi… non, mercredi ». Which day do you write?
Show answer
Mercredi (Wednesday).
Further reading
- RFI, Journal en français facile: a free daily bulletin with transcripts. Listen for numbers and times, and for corrections such as non, pardon.
- France Éducation international publishes the official DELF A1 sample papers, with audio, on its website.
Finished? Mark it done to fill in your leaf on the French map.