How do I prepare for the DELF B1 listening exam?
The DELF B1 listening test uses everyday French at a normal speed, and every recording is played twice. You hear a short conversation and two radio programmes.
The best free way to get ready is to listen to a lot of real French at the B1 level. There is a free pack of 100 B1 videos below, at a speaking speed close to the test.
Reviewed by an expert
Certified DELF examiner · Founder and lead instructor at Fluent Academy, Paris
The listening advice on this page comes from Lily Chaar, founder and lead instructor at Fluent Academy in Paris, where she helps learners pass their DELF and French nationality exams and settle into life in France. As a certified DELF examiner, she has guided over 50 students through the same listening, speaking and writing challenges you are facing now.
From a DELF examiner
How should I prepare for the DELF B1 listening test?
Before anything else, make sure you are really at a B1 level, and not still at A2. You do not need to have mastered B1, but you should sit comfortably in the middle of it. If most videos and exercises feel far too fast, drop a level for a while, build your ear there, and come back.
In the test itself, you do not need to catch every word. It checks whether you followed the situation: who is speaking, what they want, the main message, and a few key details. You see the questions before each recording starts, so use that time. Read each one and ask what you are listening for. A reason? A number? A problem? Someone's opinion?
Match the videos to your level
The videos you practise with should sit right at your level. If they are full of slang and fast jokes, they will confuse you more than help. Here is what each level sounds like, so you can tell where you are and what to look for.
A1: you understand slow, simple sentences about everyday life, like family, friends, school, hobbies, and the things around you. You catch numbers, times, and clear announcements, like the times in a station announcement. At this level, choose videos with numbers and times, and practise picking out single everyday words, not whole sentences yet.
A2: you understand words and phrases about your immediate needs, like family, shopping, directions, work, sport, cooking, and eating out. Choose videos about family and the daily life around you.
B1, your level: you understand most of what happens, as long as people speak in standard French. Slang will not help you here, it only gets in the way. You can follow the main points when someone tells a story, explains a situation, or gives an opinion. Choose videos where people tell stories, explain things, or share an opinion about everyday topics, with a bit more detail than at A2.
B2, where you are heading next: you are almost independent and follow a wide range of topics, including arguments for and against something. When you are ready for more, move on to debates, documentaries, and discussions about real issues, plus longer, richer stories than at B1.
You hear every recording twice
Use the first listen for the general meaning. Who is speaking? Where are they? Do they sound happy, annoyed, or worried, or are they giving advice? If a word you do not know goes by, keep listening. Very often the answer comes from the whole situation, not from that one word.
Use the second listen for the details: names, numbers, times, reasons, and the small differences between the answer choices. Be careful with a choice that repeats a word you heard but does not match the meaning. The questions often check whether you understood the idea, not whether you recognised a word.
Listen for "not", corrections and linking words
This is where it is easy to lose points. The audio rarely says "Isabelle is a hairdresser." It says "Isabelle is not a hairdresser, she is a taxi driver." If you miss the "not," you pick the wrong answer with full confidence. Train your ear on the small words that flip a sentence: "ne... pas," "mais," "en fait," "pas du tout," and "au contraire."
The linking words matter just as much, and they are really what separates A2 from B1. They tell you why something happened, what it led to, and what someone was trying to do. Learn to hear "pourtant," "en revanche," "du coup," "en réalité" and "alors," and a long recording stops being a wall of words. You start to follow the shape of it: this is the cause, this is the result, and here the speaker turns and says the opposite.
Practise with the official DELF papers
Use the free DELF B1 sample papers from France Éducation International. You get the candidate paper, the audio files, the answer key, and the transcripts. Work in this order:
Read the questions.
Listen twice.
Answer.
Check the answer key.
Only then, read the transcript.
The transcript helps a lot, but nobody hands you one in the real exam, so do not open it before you have honestly tried the task.
Keep a mistake list
After each exercise, write down what went wrong, not just the new words. Did you miss the speaker's opinion? Mix up two similar answer choices? Hear a number wrong? Miss a "not" or a correction? Understand the words but not the situation? Ten exercises with honest notes will teach you more than thirty done in a rush.
A good week mixes the two. Watch real French at your level most days to train your ear, and do one full official listening exercise two or three times a week to get used to the exam. That gives you a stronger ear and the exam technique, which are the two things this test rewards. So choose your videos with care, be patient with yourself, and enjoy it.
Why this level
Why do people take DELF B1?
People commonly need French at the B1 level for:
The long-stay residency card (carte de résident), which since January 2026 asks for B1
Work and training, where B1 is a common minimum
A recognised proof of French that does not expire
Is your goal French nationality? Since January 2026 that asks for B2, so start with the DELF B2 listening page.
Free · 100 videos · 6 hours 36 minutes
Your free DELF B1 listening pack
Here are 100 short videos by real native speakers at the B1 level, at a speaking speed close to the exam (around 188 words a minute). They are standard French, not a regional accent. Most of the words are inside the 97% most common spoken French words, so they match the kind of language the test uses. Together they are about 6 hours 36 minutes of listening practice for the DELF B1. They are all free to watch below.
Atelier MIRA : les enfants font revivre les vieux films
France 3 Grand Est
What you'll practice
A news report on a kids' workshop that adds sound to old films gives clear standard speech, dates like "les années 50", and how people explain a step-by-step activity.
Nouvel an en Russie et traditions de fête
Gabrielle Duvoisin
What you'll practice
A vlog about New Year traditions in Russia brings dates, weather, and food words, plus how to compare habits with "comme nous" and "à l'inverse".
Bénévoles en action pour nettoyer les chemins ruraux
France 3 Centre-Val de Loire
What you'll practice
A report on volunteers clearing country paths, with nature words, real interviews, money amounts, and parce que to explain their choices.
Vos soirées du vendredi soir à Paris
Easy French
What you'll practice
Passers-by say what they will do on Friday night, with everyday plans, jobs, and 'parce que', close to the exam's street-interview style.
Une journée d’hiver à Aix-en-Provence pendant Noël
Adeline Talks
What you'll practice
A winter day in Aix-en-Provence, with a real shop request to print a document and a dated phrase samedi 21 decembre.
Visiter Munich en 2 jours : lieux incontournables
Reporteurs
What you'll practice
A travel guide to Munich fits the travel topic, with clear standard French, place words and ordinal facts like la deuxième ville la plus visitée.
Je prépare une soupe russe avec l’aide de ChatGPT
Gabrielle Duvoisin
What you'll practice
A cooking demo for Russian soup gives lots of food and shopping words, cooking times like "40 50 minutes", and steps joined with "ensuite" and "donc".
Préparatifs de l’opération une rose un espoir en Moselle
France 3 Grand Est
What you'll practice
A local news report on a charity rose sale gives you clear standard French, real numbers like prices and years, plus short interviews where people give their reasons with "parce que".
Découvrir la câlinothérapie avec des ânes
France 3 Grand Est
What you'll practice
A report on hug therapy with donkeys gives clear well-being words and people explaining an activity, with calm standard speech at a normal pace.
Rompre l’isolement des personnes âgées grâce au bénévolat
France 3 Centre-Val de Loire
What you'll practice
A report on volunteers visiting lonely older people, with real interviews, feeling words, and parce que and grâce à to explain reasons.
Collégiens à la découverte des métiers manuels
France 3 Centre-Val de Loire
What you'll practice
A report on pupils trying manual trades, with school and job words, real interviews, and figures like 15 to 20000 missing workers.
Les Français décrivent la dernière photo sur leur téléphone
Easy French
What you'll practice
Passers-by describe the last photo on their phone, so you hear real everyday French, the filler en fait and the connector parce que in short answers.
Les Français et leurs opinions impopulaires
Easy French
What you'll practice
People share unpopular opinions in the street, perfect for hearing j'aime and je déteste, the connector parce que and the filler enfin.
Cupcakes chapeaux de sorcière pour Halloween
Il était une fois la pâtisserie
What you'll practice
A clear cupcake recipe with steps you can watch, great for food words, instructions, time like 30 secondes, and ordering words.
Vlog en Provence et 14 juillet à Aix
Piece of French
What you'll practice
A holiday vlog in Provence about renting a house and the long drive south, with travel words like embouteillages and vacances.
Être heureux en France : passants répondent dans la rue
Easy French
What you'll practice
People in the street say what makes them happy, so you hear real opinions, the question est-ce que vous etes heureux and linking words like du coup.
Biscuits vitraux de Noël à accrocher au sapin
Il était une fois la pâtisserie
What you'll practice
A step-by-step Christmas biscuit recipe, useful for food and quantity words, baking time of une heure, and clear ordering instructions.
Au marché chez le fromager dans le sud de la France
Français avec Pierre
What you'll practice
A real chat at a cheese stall in the market, giving you shopping phrases, polite questions like qu'est-ce que vous me conseillez and weights in grammes.
Ce que les francophones aiment à Barcelone
Dreaming French
What you'll practice
Street chats with French speakers in Barcelona, close to the exam dialogue, with polite questions, greetings and the filler en fait.
Préparer des crêpes françaises étape par étape
YourBestFrench
What you'll practice
Shopping for and making crepes, covering food, money and prices, with everyday words like farine and beurre and the connector parce que.
Prix en hausse au marché de Noël de Strasbourg
BFM Alsace
What you'll practice
A TV report on rising prices at a Christmas market, with prices in euros and shopper opinions, close to the exam radio format.
Tarte à la rhubarbe et fraise façon Amandine
M6 Info
What you'll practice
A chef explains a rhubarb tart step by step, full of food and cooking words plus temperatures and times to practise numbers.
Châteaux et jardins incontournables sur la Loire
Pépites Insolites
What you'll practice
A tour of Loire castles for the travel topic, with clear description and the connector mais to compare two places.
Les routines du matin des Français dans la rue
Easy French
What you'll practice
People on the street describe their morning routines, a core exam topic with everyday verbs and natural answers to simple questions.
La brioche des rois dans le sud de la France
Karambolage en français - ARTE
What you'll practice
A clear explainer on a southern French cake, with food and regional words, a date, and the contrast word en revanche to compare two cakes.
Une journée dans la peau d’une réceptionniste d’hôtel
HappyCulture Academy
What you'll practice
A hotel receptionist describes her workday, a job topic close to the exam, with clear words like arrivees, depart and clients.
Le métier insolite d’audio-naturaliste en Lorraine
France 3 Grand Est
What you'll practice
An interview about an unusual job explains what an audio naturalist does in clear standard French, which matches the exam part where a radio show covers a job.
Avis sur Shein et la surconsommation en France
French With Panache
What you'll practice
A street interview where a shopper gives her opinion on fast fashion, with clear opinion phrases and "en fait", ideal for the exam.
Parcours d’un boulanger primé et de sa famille
La Seyne-sur-Mer
What you'll practice
A baker talks about his job, his hours and opening shops, so you practise work vocabulary, ages and prices at a calm, normal pace.
La maison de Roland, père Noël du Poitou
France 3 Nouvelle-Aquitaine
What you'll practice
A local TV report on a man's Christmas house, close to the radio formats, with opinions and the date vingt-cinq décembre.
Road trip à vélo aux châteaux de la Loire
TwoDreamers
What you'll practice
A bike road trip to Loire castles for the travel topic, with distances like 6 kilomètres and the connector donc.
Quitter Paris pour s’installer à Châteauroux
Paris, je te quitte
What you'll practice
She explains leaving Paris to settle in a smaller town, with housing and daily-life words and "en fait", a perfect everyday exam topic.
Une semaine entre Paris, Barbizon et la Provence
Adeline Talks
What you'll practice
A calm vlog about breakfast and a trip to Barbizon, rich in daily-life and food words with "donc" and "parce que" to link ideas.
Idées de dîners simples pour toute la famille
Anibellie
What you'll practice
Easy family dinner ideas like salmon lasagne, full of food and cooking words with the everyday filler 'en fait'.
Une journée dans mon assiette de Française
Français avec Nelly
What you'll practice
A day of French meals with a real bakery scene, strong for food words, prices, and polite requests like 'je vais prendre une tradition s'il vous plaît'.
Un week-end à Deauville avec mes grands-parents
Piece of French
What you'll practice
A weekend trip to Deauville in Normandy, strong for travel words, distances in kilometres and the linker 'donc'.
Entorse au pied et consultation improvisée entre amies
Un si grand soleil - France Télévisions
What you'll practice
A friend who is a doctor checks a sprained foot, giving health words, advice with "il faut que", and how long it will take to heal.
Je prépare mes valises pour un long voyage
Piece of French
What you'll practice
Packing for a trip at a slow pace, with travel words like aller simple and valise cabine, plus parce que and donc to give reasons.
Étudiante en médecine et autrice, le quotidien de Célia
Sorbonne Université
What you'll practice
A medical student describes her day and her writing, useful for study and work words plus the filler 'en fait' you hear in real speech.
Dispute en cuisine autour d’un cake maison
Plus Belle la Vie
What you'll practice
A kitchen argument about a homemade cake gives you food words and everyday phrases like "parce que", plus how people disagree politely and not so politely.
Découverte du magnolia remarquable de l’abbaye de Trois-Fontaines
France 3 Grand Est
What you'll practice
A calm report about a famous tree teaches nature words and uses dates and measurements like heights, with "c'est pour ça que" to explain why it flowers early.
Ce que j’aime dans la campagne française
YourBestFrench
What you'll practice
A teacher shows what she loves about the French countryside, so you practice nature and farm words and short opinions like why people make efforts "parce que" they are married.
Odyssée lumineuse au parc floral d’Orléans
France 3 Centre-Val de Loire
What you'll practice
A light show in a city park, good for leisure and nature vocabulary, visitor numbers like 60000, and the connector parce que in short opinions.
Journée vélo à Tours et visite du technicentre
France 3 Centre-Val de Loire
What you'll practice
A local cycling event with safety rules and short interviews, useful for travel and leisure words, ages and numbers like 64 ans or 2 kilomètres.
Bûche glacée poire chocolat facile pour Noël
Il était une fois la pâtisserie
What you'll practice
Clear cooking demo for a Christmas dessert where you practice food words, kitchen steps, and time amounts like "4 heures au congélateur" with "donc" linking the steps.
Recette rapide de kimchi maison à la française
France Inter
What you'll practice
A quick kimchi recipe you can watch, with food words, weights and times like 120 grammes and une heure, and ensuite to order the steps.
Layer cake fraise chocolat avec mousse au chocolat
Il était une fois la pâtisserie
What you'll practice
A clear layer cake recipe gives food and baking words, times like "5 voire 10 minutes", and "du coup" to link the steps as she works.
Dernier entraînement du PSG avant la finale contre Arsenal
M6 Info
What you'll practice
Former players give their view before a football final, with sport words, big numbers for the crowd, and parce que to back up opinions.
Un week-end romantique à Paris, lieux incontournables
Manon World Traveler
What you'll practice
A weekend trip to Paris in clear French, with travel and sightseeing words, the metro, and 'parce que' to give reasons, useful for the travel topic.
Mes résolutions pour une année 2022 plus sereine
Learn French with Elisabeth - HelloFrench
What you'll practice
Clear talk about New Year resolutions like sport and saving money, with everyday habit words and the linker 'donc'.
Visite à Costco et découverte des formats XXL
Les bons plans de Razika
What you'll practice
A store walk-through with lots of prices like '8 euros 49' and food and shopping words, good practice for numbers and the shopping topic.
Trois lieux incontournables du marché de Noël à Strasbourg
Strasbourg Europtimist
What you'll practice
A guide shows three spots at the Strasbourg Christmas market, naming places and products, though the speaker talks quite fast in parts.
Nouveaux arrivages et trouvailles chez Action
les Vlogs de Linda
What you'll practice
A store walk through new items and prices, good for shopping and money, with many numbers like 2 89 and colours.
Un après-midi romantique resto et spa près de Paris
Leparisfoodalex
What you'll practice
A date day out in Paris with a spa and a restaurant, giving you leisure and travel words plus en fait and parce que in relaxed speech.
Douze lieux incontournables pour voyager au Portugal
Partir.com
What you'll practice
A travel guide to Portugal in clear French, with place words and numbers like the seven hills, good for travel topics on the exam.
Courir et vivre l’hiver en Russie
Gabrielle Duvoisin
What you'll practice
A runner shows winter life in Russia, useful for weather and daily-life words, with 'parce que' to explain why she likes it.
4 expos gratuites à découvrir en ce moment à Paris
Leparisfoodalex
What you'll practice
A guide to four free Paris exhibitions, with leisure and culture words, numbers like 50 sculptures and ordering words like ensuite and je termine.
Découverte des châteaux de la Loire en montgolfière
France 3 Toutes Régions
What you'll practice
A short report on visiting Loire castles by hot-air balloon, good for travel words and opinions like 'c'était incroyable'.
Une journée à Lyon entre brioche, resto et shopping
Aventuriere Du Monde
What you'll practice
A day in Lyon with food and shopping, useful for the travel topic, with the past tense (on a commencé) and the connector donc.
Sur les toits de Paris, entre risque et liberté
imineo
What you'll practice
A documentary on climbers on the rooftops of Paris, with clear narration, directions like 'main gauche', and 'parce que', plus strong visuals.
Visite guidée du Musée canadien de la nature
Musée canadien de la nature
What you'll practice
A guided museum tour with clear narration, measurements like '9 mètres', and lots to see, though the dinosaur topic is a bit niche for the exam.
Décorations de Noël dans un immeuble malgré le Covid
France 3 Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
What you'll practice
A local news report on neighbours decorating for Christmas, with everyday words, short interviews and the link word parce que.
Découverte du jardin des serres d’Auteuil à Paris
Leparisfoodalex
What you'll practice
This garden tour of Paris uses clear standard French with dates and numbers, helpful for getting used to figures in a recording.
Découverte du jardin des serres d’Auteuil à Paris
Leparisfoodalex
What you'll practice
A short tour of a Paris garden with clear speech, dates like 1771 and big numbers, good for practising listening to figures.
Découverte du jardin des serres d’Auteuil à Paris
Leparisfoodalex
What you'll practice
A walk through a free Paris garden in clear French, with dates and numbers such as 6000 plants to practise hearing figures.
Organiser sa cuisine avec bocaux et boîtes
Il était une fois la pâtisserie
What you'll practice
A home tidying vlog about jars and boxes, with kitchen and storage words and the linker donc to walk through each useful tip.
Aventures extrêmes en Namibie entre désert et océan
Les coulisses de la télévision
What you'll practice
A trailer about desert and ocean wildlife in Namibia brings nature words and times like "21 heures 5", but it sells a TV show more than it tells a full story.
Vivre à Ottawa : loyers, salaires et coût de la vie
Mahisha-Chris TV
What you'll practice
Rent and salaries in Ottawa, good for the housing and money topic, with numbers like 4000 dollars and the connector donc.
Comprendre vraiment votre chat en quelques minutes
Le Monde De Jamy - France Télévisions
What you'll practice
An explainer about cats clears up common myths in clear standard French, with linkers like parce que and figures such as 70 percent of their life asleep.
Que gagnent les ramasseurs de balles à Roland-Garros ?
slash
What you'll practice
A short report asks what ball boys at Roland-Garros earn, giving real numbers, clothing words and the everyday topic of money and work.
Une éolienne géante à Cap-Chat expliquée
ericgall23
What you'll practice
A short report on a giant wind turbine fits the environment topic and gives big numbers like 110 mètres and 4 mégawatts in clear speech.
Choisir sa vie ou suivre ce que veut la société
Alexis J.
What you'll practice
People are asked whether their life reflects their own choices, giving opinions and work words, good practice for exam-style questions.
Trois conseils pour se lancer dans l’entrepreneuriat
U.S. Embassy Nouakchott
What you'll practice
An entrepreneur shares three tips about starting a business, a work topic with clear advice and ordering words like premier and deuxieme.
Strasbourg, capitale du marché de Noël
Strasbourg Tourisme
What you'll practice
A guide tells the story of the Strasbourg Christmas market with clear dates and centuries, useful for history and listening to longer numbers.
Un hôpital pour animaux sauvages près de Paris
AP Archive
What you'll practice
A worker at a wildlife hospital explains the busy season, giving you numbers, dates and reasons with parce que and donc on a clear everyday topic.
Présentation d’Héloïse, tutrice de conversation en français
Français avec Fluidité
What you'll practice
A French tutor introduces herself and talks about travel and teaching, with clear slow speech, past tense stories, and connectors like "car" and "surtout".
Une tasse anti-procrastination pour se motiver en français
YourBestFrench
What you'll practice
She explains making an anti-procrastination mug, using past-tense daily actions and "parce que" and "donc", a clear everyday topic for the exam.
La renaissance du marché de village pendant le confinement
France 3 Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur
What you'll practice
A local report on a village market reopening mixes a reporter with shoppers, giving opinions, shopping words and reasons with parce que.
La carrière de Camille Combal en quelques minutes
Télé 7 Jours
What you'll practice
A clear story of a TV host's career gives work and media words, dates like "en 2006", and time markers such as "ensuite" and "avant de".
6 habitudes pour un rituel matinal sain
#1 France 24h Novelless
What you'll practice
Six morning habits for a healthier day, clearly numbered and full of health and routine words you can reuse.
Mélanie annonce qu’elle quitte l’appartement familial
Plus Belle la Vie
What you'll practice
A daughter says she is moving out, giving housing and family words plus pleading phrases like "s'il te plaît" and the connector "mais".
Encaisser un chèque et embarquer comme un colis
Netflix France
What you'll practice
A scene about cashing a cheque at a hotel, useful for money words, amounts like 100 or 300 dollars, and polite requests such as ça vous ennuie si.
Bénabar raconte ses débuts, ses études et ses idoles
Vivement Dimanche - France Télévisions
What you'll practice
A singer talks about his school years and a trip to the United States, so you practice study and travel topics with past tenses and "parce que".
Qui est Hugo Décrypte et que fait-il ?
Info ou Mytho ?
What you'll practice
A clear explainer about a news YouTuber, useful for media words, dates like 2015 and 2017, and how someone built a career step by step.
Blanche encourage Gaspard à sauver son entreprise
liliathena
What you'll practice
Two people talk about saving a business and a green boat project, good for the dialogue format, opinions and the linker donc at a steady pace.
T'choupi, 20 ans d'évolution avec ses lecteurs
Nathan Jeunesse
What you'll practice
An author explains how a children's book changed over 20 years, with everyday words about family and the linker "parce que".
Témoignage d’une ancienne étudiante en reconversion médicale
Université Paris Cité
What you'll practice
A woman explains why she left her job to study medicine, good for study and work words and talking about choices.
Ma routine matinale en 7 étapes inspirée du miracle morning
Au top de la forme
What you'll practice
A morning routine in seven steps gives you daily life vocabulary and clear ordering words like premiere etape, ensuite and donc at a normal pace.
Julia Vignali raconte ses débuts comme miss météo
Vivement Dimanche - France Télévisions
What you'll practice
A TV guest tells how she began as a weather presenter, with work and career words and the linker "mais", like an exam interview.
Inside Lego, le monde secret de la petite brique
Les coulisses de la télévision
What you'll practice
A trailer for a Lego factory documentary gives clear speech about creativity and a workplace, but it is short and sells a show.
Apprendre une langue en voyage grâce à l’immersion
aurelia-tête en mains
What you'll practice
Practical tips on learning a language by travel, with study words, a shop exchange, and 'parce que', tied to the study and travel topics.
Une journée 100 % parisienne avec Moka
Moka
What you'll practice
A day-in-Paris vlog shows breakfast and sights, giving food and place words and quand meme, but the casual style drifts from clean exam French.
Rendez-vous au restaurant et débat sur le 50 50
YourBestFrench
What you'll practice
Ordering at a restaurant and asking for the bill, with polite phrases like puis-je and s'il vous plaît, plus a short opinion about sharing the cost.
Mes projets et rêves pour dans dix ans
Emma's Learning Lab
What you'll practice
Someone talks about her plans for the next ten years, giving you the future tense, study words like master and memoire and the phrase a court terme.
Retour sur YouTube et avis sur l’application Busuu
Emma's Learning Lab
What you'll practice
A creator explains why she paused her channel, clear and standard, with moving house, exams and the filler en fait.
Activités en français dans les bibliothèques de Toronto
Radio-Canada OHdio
What you'll practice
Library programmes in French are described with figures like 100 libraries and the word "parce que", close to an exam radio item on services.
Visite guidée de notre petite coloc étudiante
Charles Schiele
What you'll practice
A tour of a student flatshare covers housing words like chambre, jardin and salon, though some casual swearing makes it less clean.
Avis détaillé sur Duolingo pour apprendre des langues
Emma's Learning Lab
What you'll practice
A calm review of the Duolingo app on the topic of learning, with dates and clear linking words like donc and tout d'abord to follow an argument.
Un Américain achète un ballon géant du Mondial
M6 Info
What you'll practice
A short news item about an American buying a giant World Cup ball gives clear narration and big numbers, but it is too brief for the exam format.
Bande-annonce du monument préféré des Français 2025
Les coulisses de la télévision
What you'll practice
A clear trailer about France's favourite monument, with heritage vocabulary, a date and time, and the verb form je vous emmène for guiding people.
The test
What does the B1 listening test look like?
The listening part (compréhension de l'oral) has three recordings and takes about 25 minutes. Every recording is played twice, with a short pause between the two plays. Here is what you hear:
Recording 1
A short everyday conversation or message, for example two people making plans or asking for information.
Twice
Recording 2
A radio programme on a work or study topic, like an interview about a job or a course.
Twice
Recording 3
A radio programme on a general, everyday topic, where people share facts or opinions.
Twice
The French is standard French, not a strong regional accent.
It is spoken at a normal everyday speed. Many learners are surprised by the speed after slow textbook audio.
Each recording is played twice, so you get a second chance to catch the details.
Level and words
What level and how many words do I need?
Listening needs far fewer words than reading. Research shows that about 3,000 common words cover roughly 95% of normal speech, and the first 1,000 words cover most of what people say.
Video is the easiest way to understand, because the pictures help you guess the meaning. So you do not need a very large vocabulary. You need the common words and a lot of listening practice at your level.
Watch videos with visual cues, on YouTube or here on Reelang.
Based on research
Nation (2006) About 3,000 common word families cover roughly 95% of everyday spoken English; reading needs far more.
Webb (2021) The most frequent 1,000 words alone cover most of what people say in speech.
Durbahn et al. (2024) Video is easier to understand at a given vocabulary size, because the pictures help you guess.
Ways to practice
Common ways people practice
There is no single right way. People use a mix of these, and the free pack above works as a companion to any of them.
A class or a teacher
Slow and clear French podcasts, like InnerFrench or the News in Slow French
French radio and news, like France Info or RFI
Watching real French videos at your level
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Explore every B1 French video in the catalog
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
How was this DELF B1 pack chosen?
We did the searching for you. We check thousands of French videos and measure each one: its level, how fast it is spoken in words a minute, and how many of its words are common. For this pack we kept videos at the B1 level in standard French, at a speed close to the test (around 188 words a minute), where about 97% of the words are among the most common in spoken French. Then we read the transcripts by hand to keep the everyday topics the test uses, and we put the clearest, most visual videos first. About 3,000 common words already cover roughly 95% of normal speech (Nation 2006), so this kind of content matches the test well.
What kind of videos should I practice with for DELF B1 listening?
Use real French that is spoken at a normal everyday speed, in standard French rather than a strong regional accent. Pick the everyday topics the test uses, like leisure and social life, travel and transport, food, daily life, study and education and money and shopping. You do not need rare words. About 3,000 common words cover most of normal speech (Nation 2006), so content built from the most common spoken words matches the test well. A good mix is an everyday conversation, a short radio report about work or study, and a programme on a general topic, because the test uses all of these. That is exactly how the free pack of 100 videos above was put together.
Does the DELF B1 listening audio play once or twice?
Twice. In the DELF B1 listening test every recording is played two times, with a short pause in between, so you get a second chance to catch the details. That is different from some other exams, where the audio plays only once.
Is B1 enough for French residency or citizenship?
It depends which one you need. Since January 2026, B1 is the level asked for the long-stay French residency card (carte de résident). For French nationality the level went up at the same time, from B1 to B2, so if that is your goal you should aim at the DELF B2 instead.
How long does it take to reach B1 listening?
It depends on how much you listen and how close your first language is to French. There is no single number. The most useful thing you can do is listen to real French at your level often, a little every day.
Can I prepare for free?
Yes. The most exam-like free practice is the official DELF B1 sample papers, where you can try the real listening tasks. After that, the best free thing you can do is listen to a lot of real French at your level. Start with the 100 videos above, or watch more on YouTube or here on Reelang.
How is video different from textbook audio?
Textbook audio is often slow and very clear, with actors who speak carefully. Real video uses normal speed and real voices, which is closer to the test. The pictures also help you guess words you do not know yet.