©John Bailey/Fotolia.com

HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF IT

Practical Resources for Learning French

There’s no better way to get ready for a trip to France (or keep in touch with France) than to brush up on your language skills. The Internet makes it cheap and easy to access a plethora of French multimedia, but you can also tap into the French network in the United States. Here are a few resources for learning the language of Molière.

France-Amérique (www.france-amerique.com)

Founded in 1943, France-Amérique is America’s largest French-language publication. France-Amérique serves as an integral link between France and the United States. Each issue provides readers with a review of current events, culture and art-de-vivre, plus exclusive profiles of personalities and coverage of French life in the U.S. from coast to coast. France-Amerique.com is an indispensable and up-to-date online resource for Francophones and Francophiles alike, who want to stay on top of news about France and French culture and community across the US.

TV5 Monde (www.tv5.org)

TV5monde is the French-language cable channel in the United States. Broadcasting news, television series and French films (with English subtitles for films and fictional series), TV5 is an excellent way to practice listening skills. The website also offers resources such as a dictionary, thesaurus and web exclusive video, making TV5 an inclusive community for French speakers and learners alike.

Alliances Françaises (http://www.afusa.org/neighborspage.php)

To connect with your local French community, nothing beats the Alliance Française network of chapters. These chapters organize events and classes where you can meet native speakers and perfect your French. Follow the link for an interactive map of chapters in the United States.

France Today Bookstore (http://www.francetoday.com/store/ )

In partnership with Amazon, France Today now offers a bookstore where you’ll find titles dedicated to French travel, culture and language. With a section dedicated to books in French, you can find plenty of ways to immerse yourself.

Podcasts

Podcasts are a great way to practice your listening skills on the go.

www.podcastfrancaisfacile.com
Taught by a French speaker who either reads a text or focuses on grammar points, and offers online exercises and answers. For beginners: www.podcastfrancaisfacile.com/debutant

www.dailyfrenchpod.com
A good choice for beginners. This podcast offers vocabulary lists to memorize and includes dialogues.

http://webcast.univ-paris3.fr/podcasts/accueil.html
The famed Sorbonne University offers a variety of podcasts suitable for advanced listeners. These audiofiles range from lectures on philosophy and history to political debates.

www.bbc.co.uk/languages/french/
The BBC offers 24 interactive videos called Ma France, available online. Each video includes grammar points, vocabulary words and quizzes to test your knowledge.

www.youtube.com/user/imagiers
If you have a visual learning style, these vocabulary videos can be very useful. Each has a different theme such as numbers, letters of the alphabet or names of animals, and every word is pronounced slowly so you can try it yourself.