Listen&Learn: The Little Prince

Posted by: Jaksyn Peacock

Learn about the famous book by French author and pilot Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Pre-listening vocabulary

• novella: a short novel
• narrator: a character who tells a story
• pilot: someone who flies a plane
• repair: to fix something
• allegory: a story with a hidden meaning
• wreckage: pieces of a destroyed object

Listening activity

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Gapfill exercise

The Little Prince is a novella written by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The narrator of the story is a pilot who has crashed in the . While trying to repair his , the pilot meets a young prince from another planet, who tells him stories about the people he has met on his . Each story is an allegory that makes fun of the way adults think and act. The Little Prince was originally published in 1943, in both French and English. It is likely that some parts of the book were by the author’s life. Saint-Exupéry was also a pilot, and he spent some time stranded in the desert after a plane in 1935. Only a year after The Little Prince was published, Saint-Exupéry disappeared while flying over France. The wreckage of his plane was not found until 2000.

Comprehension questions

1. The narrator of the story is

a repairman who fixes planes for a living

a pilot who has crashed in the desert

a young prince from another planet

Correct! Wrong!

The narrator of the story is a pilot who has crashed in the desert.

2. The book was originally published in

French only

both French and Spanish

both French and English

Correct! Wrong!

The book was originally published in both French and English.

3. A year after The Little Prince was published, Saint-Exupéry

decided to become a pilot

crashed in the desert

disappeared while flying over France

Correct! Wrong!

A year after The Little Prince was published, Saint-Exupéry disappeared while flying over France.

Discussion/essay questions

1. The Little Prince is a story about the way children view the world. What are some lessons that you think adults could learn from children?

Transcript

The Little Prince is a novella written by French author Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. The narrator of the story is a pilot who has crashed in the desert. While trying to repair his plane, the pilot meets a young prince from another planet, who tells him stories about the people he has met on his journey. Each story is an allegory that makes fun of the way adults think and act. The Little Prince was originally published in 1943, in both French and English. It is likely that some parts of the book were inspired by the author’s life. Saint-Exupéry was also a pilot, and he spent some time stranded in the desert after a plane crash in 1935. Only a year after The Little Prince was published, Saint-Exupéry disappeared while flying over France. The wreckage of his plane was not found until 2000.

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Written and recorded by Jaksyn Peacock for EnglishClub

© EnglishClub.com

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20 comments

• English Club Indonesia says:
  

  Don’t overthink too much. Enjoy life as if we were children. Take it easy with everything. When problems arise, consider it just a bad day, not a bad life.

• Silvio berlusconi says:
  

  Is good

• Bibi Maryam Niazi says:
  

  I’m very happy.Iam studying in this class.When will I learn mor
  English?

• louis says:
  

  thanks you so much. I learned so much from this story, it’s helpful with beginner student like me. easy for listening and writing

• Dilek says:
  

  I think there are lots of lessons. One of them is be true person. They can’t keep secret. Second one is everything can be a toy. Third one is life is a play. Just try to play.

• Inam Hussain says:
  

  I want to become a good native English speaker

• Claudia Ortiz says:
  

  I heard this with my kids

• Shelly says:
  

  The book was inspired by the author’s life.

• Dana says:
  

  I like the story

• Gul says:
  

  I like it.

• Janice says:
  

  Love it!!!

• Jose Luis Vilca Gomez says:
  

  This novella is very helpful for the beginning students, to listen and write.
  Thanks.

• Sead says:
  

  Interesting and helpful for comprehension

• Elise Grethel Järv says:
  

  Tere, saadan oma töö ära!

• Angela says:
  

  The story teaches a lot.

• sia says:
  

  thank you

• The King Of Love From IRAN says:
  

  Thank you for sharing it with us,

• Auxiliadora says:
  

  This is a book really beautiful,and very easy to read

• Joyce Yip says:
  

  Love the story

• Christine PENNEC says:
  

  Great!