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My DELF B2 Preparation Blog – Listening & Writing Practice
🎧 Learning French Through Real Topics: “C’est quoi un lanceur d’alerte ?” – 1jour1actu
As part of my DELF B2 preparation, I watched short video from 1jour1actu that explains the role of whistleblowers (lanceurs d’alerte). In this post, I will summarize what I learned, share the useful vocabularies, grammar tips, and give my own opinion about this topic!
What is a lanceurs d’alerte (Whistleblower)?
In French, “lancer d’alerte” means “to sound the alarm”. So “un lanceurs d’alerte” is someone who reveals hidden dangers, injustice, usually discovered through their work.
📘 Useful Vocabulary:
| French | English | Comment |
| un lanceur d’alerte | whistleblower | Gendered: une lanceuse d’alerte (f.) |
| révéler une vérité | to reveal a truth | Verb: révéler = to uncover, to expose |
| cacher des information | to hide information | cacher = to hide, often used in passive voice: est caché |
| l’intérêt général | public interest/common good | Common DELF these: ethics, responsibility |
✅ Grammar Tip:
French often uses “l’agir dans intérêt de…” (to act in the interest of…).
Example:
Ils agissent dans l’intérêt général.
-> They act in the interest of society in general.
🟠 Real-Life Examples from the Video
Frances Haugen (ex-Facebook employee)
Elle a révélé que Facebook cachait des informations sur les dangers pour la santé mentale des enfants.
-> She revealed that Facebook was hiding information about the dangers to children’s mental health.
Edward Snowden
Il a dévoilé un programme d’espionnage illégal.
-> He disclosed an illegal spying program.
Irène Frachon
Elle a prouvé qu’un médicament mettait en danger la vie de milliers de personnes.
-> She proved that a drug endangered the lives of thousands.
📘 Grammar Focus – Que / Qui Clauses
French often uses relative clauses to connect ideas:
- Elle a prouvé qu’un médicament mettait en danger… → “that a drug endangered…”
- This structure is common in B2 writing tasks, especially when justifying your opinion.
🟠 Why Are Whistleblowers Important?
They act for the benefit of everyone, not for personal revenge or money. They bring awareness to public dangers and help create a more transparent society.
Ils agissent dans l’intérêt général, c’est-à-dire pour protéger la société tout entière.
(They act in the public interest, that is, to protect society as a whole.)
📘 Vocabulary Breakdown:
- c’est-à-dire = that is to say / in other words (very useful in B2 writing)
- la société tout entière = the entire society (tout entier(e) = whole, entire)
- protéger = to protect (conjugated like manger: je protège, nous protégeons)
🔑 DELF Strategy Tip:
Use phrases like:
- C’est une démarche courageuse. (It’s a brave action.)
- Cela montre un vrai sens de responsabilité. (It shows a true sense of responsibility.)
These expressions show moral reasoning, a key skill at B2 level.
🟠 The Price of Telling the Truth
Many whistleblowers suffer serious consequences:
- Ils peuvent être harcelés. (They can be harassed.)
- Ils risquent de perdre leur travail. (They risk losing their jobs.)
📘 Vocabulary + Grammar:
- être harcelé = to be harassed (passive voice: être + past participle)
- risquer de + infinitif = to risk doing something
→ e.g., Elle risque de perdre sa carrière.
(She risks losing her career.)
However, en France, there are laws to protect them:
Il existe des lois spéciales pour les protéger.
→ “There are special laws to protect them.”
This is a classic B2 structure:
- Il existe + [noun] = There is/are…
→ Very useful to start an argument or paragraph.
🟢 My Personal Opinion
This video made me reflect on the value of truth and the courage it takes to speak out. In my view:
À mon avis, il est essentiel de soutenir les lanceurs d’alerte.
(In my opinion, it is essential to support whistleblowers.)
Even though they take great risks, their actions protect democracy, public health, and justice. We should create a system that protects and respects them.
In science, journalism, or public service, people must sometimes choose between silence and justice.
I hope I will have the courage to choose truth, too.
✏️ DELF B2 Vocabulary Recap
| Expression | Translation | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| un lanceur d’alerte | a whistleblower | person who reveals hidden truth |
| agir dans l’intérêt général | act for the public good | useful in argumentative essays |
| dénoncer une injustice | report an injustice | dénoncer = to denounce, reveal |
| être harcelé / intimidé | be harassed / threatened | passive voice |
| révéler une vérité cachée | reveal a hidden truth | often used in news and ethics topics |
| un citoyen éclairé | an informed citizen | use in conclusion to show reflection |
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