This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the French nationals imprisoned in Iran. There’s “On This Day”, “The Listener’s Corner” with Paul Myers, and Erwan Rome’s “Music from Erwan” – all that, and the new quiz and bonus questions too, so click the “Play” button above and enjoy!

Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner's names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.

The RFI English team is pleased to announce that Saleem Akhtar Chadhar, the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, won the RFI / Planète Radio ePOP video contest, in the RFI Clubs category. Bravo Saleem! Mubarak ho!

Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your music requests, so get them in! Send your music requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!

Facebook: Be sure to send your photos to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr for the RFI English Listeners Forum banner!

More tech news: Did you know we have a YouTube channel? Just go to YouTube and write “RFI English” in the search bar, and there we are! Be sure to subscribe to see all our videos.

Would you like to learn French? RFI is here to help you!

Our website “Le Français facile avec RFI” has news broadcasts in slow, simple French, as well as bilingual radio dramas (with real actors!) and exercises to practice what you have heard.

Go to our website and get started! At the top of the page, click on “Test level”. According to your score, you’ll be counselled to the best-suited activities for your level.

Do not give up! As Lidwien van Dixhoorn, the head of “Le Français facile” service told me: “Bathe your ears in the sound of the language, and eventually, you’ll get it.” She should know – Lidwien is Dutch and came to France hardly able to say “bonjour” and now she heads this key RFI department – so stick with it!

Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!

In addition to the news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts that will leave you hungry for more.

There’s Spotlight on France, Spotlight on Africa, The International Report, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We also have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis.

Remember, podcasts are radio, too! As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Please keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website; you’ll see “Podcasts” at the top of the page. You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show.

Teachers take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.

Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books that were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.

Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!

This week’s quiz: On 18 January, I asked you a question about our article “'Exhausted' Frenchman held in Iran since 2022 reveals identity in plea for help”. It was about Olivier Grondeau, a 34-year-old French national, who was arrested and sentenced to five years behind bars for "conspiracy against the Islamic Republic".

In the article, you learned that there are two other French nationals currently in Iran’s prisons. You were to send in their names, as well as the crime with which they’ve been charged.

The answer is, to quote our article: “The other two French nationals – teachers Cécile Kohler and Jacques Paris – were detained in May 2022 on charges of seeking to stir up labour protests. Their families strongly deny the accusations.”

In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question, suggested by Sabah binte Sumaiya from Bogura, Bangladesh: “Which profession do you find is the best, and why?”

Do you have a bonus question idea? Send it to us!

The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member John Yemi Sanday Turay from Freetown, Sierra Leone. John Yemi is also this week’s bonus question winner. Congratulations John Yemi, on your double win !

Also on the list of lucky winners this week are M. N. Sentu, a member of the RFI Amour Fan Club in Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and RFI Listeners Club members Habib Ur Rehman, the president of the International Radio Fan and Youth Club in Khanewal, Pakistan; Sharifa Akter Panna from Kishoreganj, Bangladesh, and Rahematun Nesan from Odisha, India.

Congratulations, winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: “Slap Bass” by Paul Mottram; “Rose of Tehran” by E. Dozor; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and the traditional Kanak chant “Lue ixoe wael qa kiki”, sung by the Wetr Dance Troupe.

Do you have a music request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myer’s article: “Namibian independence leader Sam Nujoma dies aged 95”, which will help you with the answer.

You have until 10 March to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 15 March podcast. When you enter be sure to send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

Susan Owensby

RFI – The Sound Kitchen

80, rue Camille Desmoulins

92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux

France

Click here to learn how to win a special Sound Kitchen prize.

Click here to find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club.

The French prisoners in Iran