what book should I read to improve my French?

It’s true that as adults, I’m sure we would prefer books for adults. However, there are plenty of kids books (and the collection of Martine is a classic from my youth) that could increase your French vocabulary and your overall level of French.

Some French vocabulary

If I take this book I’ve just mentioned as an example, you will find a nice little story that includes most of the terms that are link to horses. I’m just noted a few of them from the book. Do you know these words?
- le cheval
- la jument
- le poulain
- la selle
- les étriers
- la sangle
- l’écurie
- le manège
- le fer à cheval
- l’équitation
- le gallop
and many more.

Why learning French with kids books?

There are many advantages to use kids books to learn French:
1. It’s usually a short story, so it’s easier to follow and to learn from
2. It’s aimed at kids, so the sentences are short and simple but brings good vocabulary
3. It’s usually in the present tense
4. You can (and should) read them many times to make sure you remember most of the vocabulary
5. You always find good expressions to use in every day situations

So, if you ever wonder what books you should read as a complement to your French conversation lessons, whether you have a beginner or an intermediate level, check out the kids sections of your French book shop!

How to take your French to the advanced level?

Grammar is crucial!
Invest time learning French grammar. Start learning conjugation, the differences between the tenses, prepositions. Once you have a good basis in grammar, it is easier to move on to more complex sentence structures.

Increasing your vocabulary
Learn French vocabulary according to a context. Some words are more used in a particular area than others. Learn synonyms, antonyms. There are usually several ways of saying the same things, but at a different level.

Reading in French
Classic French literature might still be difficult, even for an advanced student. They should start with 20th or 21st century authors, read French newspapers or magazines.

Traveling to France and/or speaking with native-French people
Learning a language is mainly used to communicate. Spending time in France and speaking with locals are probably the most effective way to learn French idioms and get more familiar with the language.

Take some French lessons to help you
Even if you spend time in France or another French speaking country, make sure to take French lessons to reinforce what you’ve learned and to progress more quickly.

What to do once you’ve reached the advanced level?

Practice is the key. A lot of my students complain that they used to speak French perfectly and that now it’s very difficult for them to have a conversation in French. Don’t let this happen to you if you have reached the advanced level. Practice at least once a week with a friend, a teacher, watch French programs on TV or on the Internet, regularly read news in French.

Some of you might even want to prepare for a French exam like the DALF C1 or C2. This have several advantages. First, it will structure your learning around the different requirements of the exam. Then, you will get a recognized diploma to prove your level to employers or universities. Eventually, it will motivate you do go even further with your French.

Identify your needs

First, learning French online depends highly on:
- your level: you won’t use the same resources if you’re a beginner or if you have an advanced level. For advanced levels, watch French TV programs on YouTube or other video websites, read the leading French newspapers, immerse yourself in the French culture. For beginners, look for simple dialogs to work on.
- your motivation: why do you want to learn French, is it for work, for traveling, just for pleasure? If it’s for work, look for articles that talk about your industry
- your ability to study by yourself: you can use the free resources of French from different grammar website or take an online French tutor to guide you.

Find the right resources and stick to them!

It’s not worth spending a lot of time looking for resources on the Internet. There are so many, you could easily waste a few hours just doing that! Therefore, find resources that correspond to you and try to use them until you understand everything. You can also check out our resources page to get a variety of relevant resources to learn French online.

Identify your problems with the French pronunciation

Depending on your mother tongue, some consonants might be difficult for you to pronounce. Example: je, ballon, haricot, route, vélo
For most of you, the French diphthongs are difficult to pronounce the right way, for example try to differentiate ON and AN, maison, grand.

Practice your French accent

Two aspects are involved when you want to improve your French pronunciation. The first one is to listen to French (preferrably from a French tutor or a French radio/TV program). Then, you need to repeat the words correctly.

Expand your scope

Once you’ve done that, you need to make sure to apply the rules you’ve learned about French pronunciation and apply it to full sentences. Don’t forget the liaisons, use the right intonation. In general, the last syllable of a rhythmic group is pronounced at a higher pitch than the rest of the sentence. Thing about punctuation, pause when it’s necessary, use your voice to show it’s a question, etc.

In any case, watching French TV, immersing yourself in France for a few months, and taking French conversation lessons are probably the best ways to improve your French pronunciation. Listen and talk as much as you can! That’s the fastest way to change your habits with your French pronunciation.

Most of my students take French conversation lessons because they have difficulties in that field.

Different exercises can be done to improve French conversation skills:

First exercise: prepare a topic about every day life

A lot of conversations are small talks that are easy to prepare. Some of the most common questions are:
- how was your weekend?(Comment s’est passé ton week-end ?)
- the weather (le temps qu’il fait)
- what are your plans for … (Quels sont tes projets pour…/ Que penses-tu faire …)
- talk about your family (parler de sa famille)
- etc.
All these topics are recurring questions when you meet someone, so they are informally rehearsed during the lessons. For lower levels, it’s usually good to prepare the answers beforehand and to write them down. Slowly slowly students get more comfortable and are able to answer without looking at their notes.

Second exercise: pick a text as a basis of a French conversation

- first we read and try to understand a text in French about a certain topic
- then we learn some helpful vocabulary for this topic
- eventually, I ask the student’s opinion on the matter, bring some more vocabulary, correct his mistakes.
We usually share interesting opinions, but above all we learn how to have a conversation in French about the topic and work on both sides of the problem: understand and speak or react.

Third exercise: listen to a video

The Internet allows us to get access to a lot of resources online. Therefore, it’s easy to find a 1-2min video to watch (once or a few times if need be) to improve your listening comprehension. Then, find a friend or a French teacher to talk about it.

Obviously, the most important if you want to improve your French conversation skills is to practice. You can talk in front of your mirror if you want, otherwise you can rehearse with a friend (a French friend is even better), but the best solution will always be to have a French tutor who can spend time with you to concentrate on your mistakes in order to help you.

Speaking French fluently without leaving the country?

It’s not always possible to devote 6 months or more overseas just for the purpose of speaking French fluently.
That’s why at Live-French.net, we developed the idea of taking French conversation lessons with native-French teachers by telephone or by Skype who would focus on the vocabulary and topics that are good for you. It’s flexible, personalized and fun!

Can I learn French if I’m a beginner?

Following the program from the European framework, Live-French.net has developed a special course for beginners in order to learn basis grammar and vocabulary (A1 level) allowing them, by the end of the course, to understand simple sentences and interact in French.

>>More about French for beginners course

French for beginners video