Experts Tell Us the Best Books To Learn French For Beginners
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This article showcases our top picks for the Books To Learn French For Beginners. We reached out to industry leaders and experts who have contributed the suggestions within this article (they have been credited for their contributions below).
We are keen to hear your feedback on all of our content and our comment section is a moderated space to express your thoughts and feelings related (or not) to this article This list is in no particular order.
This product was recommended by Alex Alexakis from PixelChefs
The best way to learn I believe is through stories and narration, and that is why this book is perfect for learning French in a way that is easy to understand. The adventures you hear about help to put the words together in a simple way, without it just being a random phrase or word. You can start to tell your own new stories in French, all becuase of this wonderful book. I would recommend it to beginners, or those who want to pick up the language again.
This product was recommended by Olivia Tan from CocoFax
Whenever you are learning any language, it is important that you have a good dictionary of that language with you. Oxford Dictionaries need no introduction and are equally popular for a number of languages. This dictionary contains over 40,000 words and over 60,000 translations to and from both the languages. It even contains pronunciations to help you in knowing new words with their meanings in the other language along with how they are pronounced
This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors
French is a beautiful language but quite difficult to learn. You just need to study the language for a French class, or you travel overseas for business or leisure, this will enhance the edition of French for Dummies can help. Written in an easy-to-follow format with audio clips, and gives you just what you need for primary communication in French.
This product was recommended by Shiv Gupta from Incrementors
This book is a complete introduction to French that includes structured courses and plenty of writing practice. If you’re studying French on your own, this is the best digital alternative for an instructor you’ll find. It also includes connections to a companion app that gives more assistance. If you wish to progress beyond beginner’s French, you’ll need a French dictionary and grammar guide in addition to this book.
This product was recommended by Harriet Chan from CocoFinder
It is a comprehensive book giving the best explanations about the language to beginners. You can enjoy this book as a complete compilation of a new language, French. It aids you in mastering the four skills in French, namely reading, writing, speaking and listening. Undoubtedly gives you practical knowledge of this language and helps you express your words clearly in a precise way. After completing this book, you can communicate in French confidently with proper grammar and sentence formation flawlessly.
This book covers all of the basics of French grammar and vocabulary. There are lesson pages as well as workbook pages that come with an answer key to check your work. I like that the examples used in the grammar section are practical sentences that one might use when traveling to France or speaking with a native French speaker. The exercises can feel repetitive, but practice makes perfect when learning a new language.
Rick Steves is a world-class traveler. He has been all over the world, so he has a very good understanding of which phrases are useful and needed when traveling. While this book won’t teach you French vocabulary and grammar, it will teach you how (and when) to say and use common expressions that are necessary when traveling to a French-speaking country. There is also a dictionary included in the book for convenience.
This product was recommended by Cathy Mills from Net Influencer
This book is an excellent guide to learning this language as it is divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced levels. This makes studying the language have a structure and in your mind, there is an order in the learning process. The problem with some French books is that they only provide some specific topics regardless of the level. But with this book, you will be able to keep track of your progress and feel much more motivated to learn.
This product was recommended by Angel Pretot from French Fluency
As a French coach, I recommend this book to all my students as part of their French study. They are actually a series of grammar books, used in schools in France to teach French children, and range in difficulty from A1 to C1. The books are entirely in French, which gives my students a chance to practice their reading comprehension skills, as well as get a grammar lesson.
This product was recommended by Geninna Ariton from Trendhim
This book is not your typical instruction manual. It contains 15 French short stories for beginners and intermediate learners with a vocabulary list to improve your listening and speaking skills.
This product was recommended by Cindy Corpis from SearchPeopleFree
This is another excellent French book for beginners who want to brush up on their French grammar and see how far they’ve progressed in the language. This book is also useful for people who want to test their skills on a regular basis in order to keep their grasp on the French language. This is the updated edition of the book, which includes flashcards and audio recordings to help you learn the language quickly.
This product was recommended by Charles Cridland from YourParkingSpace
It’s a perfect textbook for beginners without any previous knowledge of the French language who prefer to learn using a less academic approach. The information is organized in manageable and easy-to-read chunks, and everything is explained in simple words. Grammar explanations are clear and concise, and all concepts and structures are illustrated with good examples and short dialogues translated into English. There are plenty of useful words and expressions organized by topic and exercises with answer keys.
This product was recommended by Dianne Birtley from Cargearguru
This book actually makes it fun to learn even though I’m a slow learner when it comes to languages. The audio and text work together to help with conversational, reading and writing French. It comes with 5 French dummies books in 1, plus the audio set. I found it very helpful, easy to read, listen and follow. I like it because it’s a great all-in-one resource and great for the beginner.
This product was recommended by Lynda Fairly from Numlooker
This book is a fun and easy way for native English speakers to learn the most popular language in the world, French. In this book, you will learn how to speak French from an American perspective, with an accent that’s more authentic than any other. It is a surefire way that anyone can reach fluency in less time than it would take others using traditional methods or when they spend months abroad in France. You will learn French in a fun and engaging way, and best of all – you’ll be speaking in no time!
This product was recommended by Thomas Dalsgaard Clausen from AutoLingual
In 2009 I started teaching myself French as a challenge. It took me around 3-4 years before I was comfortable enough in the language to call myself fluent, but today I’m speaking French on a daily basis. When I first started, I bought a number of different books, signed up for classes, and watched different videos, but I found that most of this content wasn’t effective for me. I recommend that a self-student always approach the French language (or any language, really) from multiple fronts, but the best way to get started (in my opinion) is with Assimil: New French With Ease. The book is NOT new, fresh, adapted for smartphone apps or Tiktok, but it teaches you French through exposure, one step at a time. It has NOT got a specific focus on grammar and exercises, but you’re learning through actually reading. Once you’ve finished with Assimil, you should slowly start learning by reading real-life French content. Tweets, short news articles, or children’s books can be a good next step. Read them with an online instant-lookup dictionary and pick up the audiobook aswell!