• Dico en ligne, gratuit
• ARTFL project, University of Chicago online dictionary, free.
• Don't forget to check our own library's databases and online dictionaries (free for students and staff, you only need your gt info)...

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• ARTFL conjugation
• General grammar links for French
• Interactive practice for conjugation.
• Practice designed specifically for our 1st and 2nd year students.

What should I read?

You often ask us what you should read and it depends on your own interests and preferences. Here are some suggestions of books that are not too difficult, not too long, and yet extraordinary works. Bonne lecture!

20th-21st centuries

• Annie Ernaux, La Place. Simple sentences, themes: homage to her father, social classes, education.
• Marie Ndiaye, Mon Coeur à l'Etroit. Sentences are more complex but very imaginative, suspenseful. Warning: much deeper than you may see at first...
• Jean Echenoz, Je m'en vais. You won't be able to put the book down. Also very playful writing.
• Marie Nimier, La Reine du Silence. Recounts the life of her father who died when she was a child. Very moving.
• Maryse Condé, Tituba. Recounts the life of a slave from Barbados, who was involved in the trials of the witches of Salem. Here again, you won't be able to put the book down. Eventful, moving, historical, great writing.
• Jean-Philippe Toussaint, La Salle de Bain. Playful, light.

Before that (can be downloaded for free)...

• Maupassant, Boule de Suif
• Balzac, Le Père Goriot
• Maupassant, Le Horla
• Flaubert, Un Coeur Simple in Trois Contes.

 

 

• IFOP: sondages d'opinions/opinion surveys and marketing intelligence.
• TNS-SOFRES: sondages d'opinion, études de tendances sociales. Select "Société" to read interesting dossiers such as "Les Français et la relgion," "Les Français et certains lieux communs en matière économique et sociale", etc.
• La France de A à Z, publication de l'Ambassade de France.
• Site de l'Elysée (équivalent de la Maison Blanche/White House aux US).
• Site de l'l'Hôtel Matignon (premier ministre français, qui peut être d'un parti politique différent de celui du Président).
• Site de l'Assemblée Nationale, ou encore du Palais Bourbon.
• Site du Sénat, qui siège au Palais du Luxembourg.
• Consultez la catégorie Média: lisez le monde, en particulier la section Société, regardez les actualités sur TF1 our France 2, promenez-vous sur le site de Canal +.

• AFP: Agence française de Presse
• Le Monde: quotidien
• TF1: chaîne de télévision, select the Video tab and then "JT" (journaux télévisés) to watch the news on your laptop.
• France 2. Idem.
• Canal +: also a TV station, click Video to view interesting content such as Les Guignols de l'Info.
• Links to radio stations so that you can listen to French radio from your laptop.
• Words for French songs.

Order from France

You can order French books from a variety of providers. The main providers located in France are:

• Fnac.com
• alapage.com
• amazon.fr

Order from Canada

Because shipping and handling can be quite expensive, you may want to group your orders, order with others or order from Canada. Be aware though that French books are more expensive in Canada than they are in France (they had to be imported). Provider in Canada:

• amazon.ca

Download for free

The cheapest method is to download books with no copyright, and to download them for free. Of course, it also means that they are at least 100 years old... Here are the main online national libraries:

• ABU
• Gallica