6 Tips on how to read in French like a boss
Having trouble reading in French? Improve your French reading skills with awesome tips & guidelines without much effort & hassle free learning process.
Hey, you. Yes, you awesome person hovering over this page.
How do you feel about reading?
….in French?
Ha! Gotcha! I know that the majority of you readers were about to say yes but froze halfway through. If you’re one of the 58.9% French learners (a totally made up percentage) who looks like this while reading French texts:
…read up until the very end because this article has something awesome for you.
So you want to read in French like a boss, huh? Good for you.
Not only is being able to read in French an incredibly useful skill which will open massive new doors of knowledge and entertainment for you, it will also make travelling to French-speaking countries a pleasurable experience.
Just imagine the convenience of being able to read French signs, restaurant menus, and even newspapers. But even more important, reading will help you improve your French faster. We’ll help you figure out how to read French to boost your French language learning.
Why Should You Read in French?
- It will help you expand your French vocabulary
- Reading will familiarize you with French syntax
- The more you practise reading in French, the more you’ll gain access to a wide variety of French resources to help you improve even further!
And of course—because READING IS FUN!
In an earlier article, I discussed the importance of reading comprehension .
But for now, we will talk about how you can become better – or even phenomenal — at reading in French.
Useful tips on how to read in French
1. Start small
Let’s face it. Reading in a foreign language, particularly French, can be quite a daunting task. As with any other ambitious venture in life, it is best to take small steps first.
After all, before you can dive head-first into the Olympic-size pool, you should wade through the kiddie pool first. So start with reading materials for your level and put off that thick novel for now.
More tips below.
Read with translations
When reading a French text, make sure to have a dictionary or translation app nearby. This one is a no-brainer but will help you nonetheless, and will spell the difference between getting overwhelmed with French words and slogging on further.
A word of caution though: checking your dictionary to look up a word you don’t understand can be frustrating and could suck the enjoyment out of reading. To remedy this, try online translation tools such as web browser extensions or a built-in dictionary for your Kindle. Just keep reading until you gradually become able to recognize French words and will need the translation apps less and less.
Browser dictionary extensions can help. Google Dictionary is listed below; the other entries are older tools, so check their current availability and browser compatibility before trying them.
- Google Dictionary Chrome extension
- Language Immersion for Chrome
- Dictionary Tooltip for Firefox
Read bilingual books
Whenever you can, try to find and read bilingual or “how to read French” books. Several books have a French text on one page, and an English translation on the opposite page. These kinds of reading materials will boost your reading comprehension, but remember that French to English translations shouldn’t be taken word for word.
Read simple French stories
You’ve probably heard over and over again how beginners should read children’s stories in French. Sure they’re cute and fun, but I beg to disagree on this.
My advice: opt for simple stories instead of children’s books.
I mean, unless you’re planning to talk to a magic turtle or go adventuring with an ant fairy ninja princess anytime soon, the narrative and words used in children’s books are often not applicable for daily use.
No offense, magic turtle.
But with simple “how to read French” stories that talk about everyday themes – you can actually put to use the vocabulary and dialogue into your daily conversations. You’ll get the same simplified vocabulary and grammar as children’s stories but with topics that are more relatable and applicable for daily use. Win-win, right?
2. Take notes as you read
Taking notes is a tried-and-tested method of absorbing information. So when you’re reading French articles or simple stories, consider taking notes of the following:
- Vocabulary that you want to explore further later on
- Interesting sentence structures
- New word conjugations
- Fascinating thoughts you come across
- Topics you want to learn more about
- Difficulties you experience or any troublesome areas you encounter
Taking notes is also a good way to keep track of what you’ve learned and you can review your notes later on and marvel at how far you’ve gone.
3. Build your vocabulary
Your vocabulary is your foundation to building awesome reading skills in French. So of course, to be great at reading, you have to work on your vocabulary as well. When you have stored a sufficient amount of vocabulary, you’ll be able to recognize those words by sight and you would be able to read more efficiently and with fewer interruptions from all those dictionary look-ups.
Some ways Talk in French can help you build your vocabulary:
- Subscribe to the social media accounts of Talk in French. You’ll get different vocabulary words every day on Facebook (facebook.com/talkinfrench), Instagram (@talkinfrench) and Twitter.
- Check out the vocabulary section in this website HERE.
You can also boost your vocabulary using apps such as Duolingo, Memrise, and many others.
4. Read with audio
The tricky thing about French words is that, they look nothing like how they’re supposed to sound. All those scary-looking diacritical marks, silent letters, liaisons, and enchaînement can make anyone’s head spin.
But you already know this, I’m sure. So to maximize your reading exercises, do it with audio.
When you combine your visual learning skills with listening, it will enhance your French on so many levels. You will be able to see the relationship between how the words look as well as how they sound, linking all the different elements in your mind and mixing together to form an awesome sauce inside your brain.
The result: reading comprehension skills that rock!
Make sure to check out books or stories which include an audio version (clue: I talked about it earlier!)
5. Read with images
Just like reading with audio, reading with images jogs your brain and helps promote memory association. This is why flash cards often come with images because having pictorial representations is a tried-and-tested way to recall vocabulary faster.
A couple of ways that you can make use of this method:
- Create your own illustrations and use them to supplement your reading.
- Download apps such as Babbel or Memrise
And finally…
6. Read what you enjoy
Reading in French takes time and effort, and for you to spend a lot of time doing it, you should be interested in what you’re reading. Would you like to waste your time reading about the history of vegetable gardening when you have no interest in tinkering in your garden? Of course not. You’d probably be nodding off to sleep just a few paragraphs in.
If you like current events, read 20 Minutes orMetro.
If sports is your thing, check out L’Équipe.
If you like funny articles, go to https://www.demotivateur.fr.
If you’re a radio fan, go read Radioactu.
There are so many things you could read that won’t make you tear your hair out in sheer boredom and misery. Don’t force yourself to be interested in reading something you don’t enjoy — just because it’s in French. Trust me, you’ll learn faster when you’re having fun.
