Améliore ton français! Improve your French!

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This guide lists selected print and electronic information resources in the Library and on the Internet that will help you better enjoy studying the French language. 

If you need help, please contact Ivana Niseteo, Liaison Librarian for English, French, French Programs (FASS), Global Humanities, Linguistics, and World Languages & Literatures at 778.782.6838 or iniseteo@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian.

"Le verbe 'aimer' est le plus compliqué de la langue. Son passé n'est jamais simple, son présent n'est qu'imparfait et son futur toujours conditionnel." -- Jean Cocteau

Recommended

  • Journal en français facile by Radio France Internationale - News in simple French. Three bulletins a day with a script.
  • French in Action by Pierre Carpetz. A free series of 52 half-hour video programs that uses active participation to increase fluency in French, while introducing French culture. It is free, but you will have to register.
  • Merci professeur! from TV5Monde. Bernard Cerquiglini, a well-known linguist and the French language specialist, explains every day a new French word or an expression. Great for expanding your vocabulary!
  • Lapresse.ca.  Searchable news, arts, blogs, videos.
  • Le Trésor de la langue française informatisé. A great online dictionary.
  • Wordreference -- Dictionary, grammar & usage, language forum, verb conjugator.

Practice French in Vancouver

French books, CDs and streaming videos

  • Books on the French language (e.g. grammar, dictionaries) are located in the call number section PC 2001-3761 (Bennett Library, 5th floor).
  • French literature, in French and in English, is located in the PQ 1-3999 section (also on the 5th floor).

If you want to find books in French, search the SFU Library Catalogue in advanced mode. From the drop-down menu in 'Language', choose 'French' and enter a keyword.

Easy reads

Movies in French

Selected French movies available in the collection:

  • À bout de souffle [DVD]
  • L'amour en fuite. Dir. FrançoisTruffaut [DVD]
  • Cléo de 5 à 7 / Dir. Agnès Varda [DVD]
  • Les glaneurs et la glaneuse (The gleaners and I) / Dir. Agnès Varda. [DVD]
  • Les invasions barbares (Barbarian invasions) [DVD]
  • Les ordres / Dir. Michel Brault [streaming & DVD]
  • Pickpocket. Dir. Robert Bresson [DVD]
  • La régle du jeu [DVD]
  • Sans toit ni loi. (Vagabond). Dir. Agnés Varda [DVD]

Netflix series (with French subtitles):

  • L'Agence
  • Plan Cœur
  • Le Bazar Charite
  • Dix Pour Cent

Newspapers and radio stations

Dictionaries

French-English / English-French - bilingual

French - monolingual

Canadian French

  • USITO -- Quebec French dictionary
  • Le dictionnaire pratique des expressions québécoises [print]
  • Dictionnaire québécois français [print]
  • Vitrine linguistique -- from the Office Québécois de la Langue Française

Grammar

Spelling checker and verb conjugator

Pronunciation and orthography

  • Forvo: the pronunciation dictionary
  • L'orthographe et la prononciation française : dialogue [print]
  • Dictées -- Le français facile
  • 50 dictées commentées (Avec CD audio pour s'entaîner) [print]

Vocabulary

Podcasts, YouTube videos, blogs

Cuisine