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.
  • 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.

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'.

Easy reads

  • Vive Voix by Dr Kirk Anderson, French Department at Wheaton College, Wheaton, IL -- Listen to the French poetry online. Searchable by author or title. More than 50 authors. You will need QuickTime to listen.
  • We have a small number of easy books in French, such as fairy tales, children's books and short stories. Search by the Subject Heading 'French Language--Readers'. Here are some other suggestions:
     
    • Le petit prince, A. de Saint-Exupéry [print]
    • Contes fantastiques [print]
    • Le petit Nicolas, Goscinny & Sempé [print]
    • Diversité: La nouvelle francophone à travers le monde: An intermediate reader and francophone anthology [print]

Multimedia

Both SFU Library and the Vancouver Public Library have some multimedia items for learning and practising French. Browse search the SFU Library Catalogue by subject: 

  • French language--Sound recordings for English speakers
  • French language--Spoken French--Interactive multimedia
  • French language--Study and teaching--English speakers

Streaming videos and video clips

  • French in Action by Pierre Carpetz. A 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. Excellent!
  • National Film Board. Watch NFB's films and clips in French, including documentaries, animation and alternative dramas.
  • Phare Ouest. ICI Radio-Canada. Audio files.

Movies in French

To find a movie in French, search the Catalogue using Advanced Search. Select 'Audiovisual' in Resource Type and 'French' in Languages.

Suggested search terms are feature films, motion pictures, Paris, a director's name, or another keyword OR in Subject: Feature films--France, Motion pictures--France, French--Video recordings.

Selected French movies available:

  • À bout de souffle [DVD]
  • L'amour en fuite. Dir. FrançoisTruffaut. [DVD]
  • Beau travail. [DVD]
  • Cléo de 5 à 7 / Dir. Agnès Varda. [DVD]
  • Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain [streaming & DVD]
  • Les glaneurs et la glaneuse (The gleaners and I) / Dir. Agnès Varda. [DVD]
  • Les invasions barbares (Barbarian invasions) [DVD]
  • Les ordres / Brault [streaming & DVD]
  • Paris, je t'aime [streaming & DVD]
  • Pickpocket. Dir. Robert Bresson [DVD]
  • La régle du jeu [DVD]
  • Sans toit ni loi. (Vagabond). Dir. Agnés Varda. [DVD]
  • La vie en rose [streaming]
  • Thérèse. Dir. Alain Cavalier. [DVD]

Journals in French

To search for journal articles, see our how to find a journal articles guide. (Hint: limit your search to French in the Language field)

Newspapers and radio stations

Newspapers

Radio stations

Dictionaries and encyclopedias

French-English / English-French - bilingual

French - monolingual

Canadian French

Grammar

  • Le Bescherelle -- Conjugation (v.1), orthography (v.2), grammar (v.3) [print]
  • A Comprehensive French grammar [print]
  • Grammaire française [print]
  • Colloquial French grammar: a practical guide [print]
  • Toute la grammaire [print]
  • Le Bon usage : grammaire française [print]
  • Le Dictionnaire - A section on grammar

Verb conjugator and spelling checker

  • L'Obs la conjugaison Plus de 8,000 verbes Français conjugués! Also, provides synonyms and a list of other verbs with the same conjugasion.
  • BonPatron Spelling and grammar checker

Pronunciation and orthography

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

Internet resources

Cuisine and travel