B2 Reading

Upper-Intermediate French Practice

Literature

20.000 Lieues sous les mers

Read the first few paragraphs of Jules Verne's fantastical tale 20.000 Lieues sous les mers, in French and English.

Literature

Candide, de Voltaire

Read the first chapter of Voltaire's classic (and grammar-packed) French novel Candide, in French and English.

Literature

Delphine

Read the first few paragraphs of Madame de Staël's epistolary novel Delphine.

Literature

Émile, ou de l’Éducation

Read the first few paragraphs of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's classic treatise on education, in French or English.

Literature

Germinal

Read the opening paragraphs of Émile Zola's 1885 masterpiece, Germinal.

Listening Practice

Jean de La Fontaine : Portrait

Jean de La Fontaine is one of the most beloved French poets and is famous in particular for his fables. Learn more in this bilingual audio article.

Listening Practice

Jeanne d’Arc

Learn about Joan of Arc, one of the most famous French women in history, in this bilingual article.

Literature

La Dame aux camélias

Read the opening paragraphs of Alexandre Dumas fils's classic French novel, La Dame aux camélias.

Listening Practice

La main dans le sac / Red-handed

Practice listening and reading while learning some new French expressions in this fun bilingual text.

Literature

Le Comte de Monte-Cristo

Dive into the opening paragraphs of the fascinating 19th-century novel Le Comte de Monte-Cristo.

Literature

Le mystère de la chambre jaune

Ce n'est pas sans une certaine émotion que je commence à raconter ici les aventures extraordinaires de Joseph Rouletabille. Celui-ci, jusqu'à ce jour, s'y était si formellement opposé que j'avais fini par désespérer de ne publier jamais l'histoire policière la plus curieuse de ces quinze dernières années.

Literature

Le père Goriot

Start reading Le père Goriot, one of Honoré de Balzac's greatest masterpieces.

Literature

Le Rouge et le Noir

Read the first few paragraphs of Stendhal's classic 19th-century novel Le Rouge et le Noir, in French and English.

Listening Practice

Le XVIIIe siècle : le siècle des Lumières

The Age of Enlightenment is a key part of France's history, starting with the death of Louis XIV and ending in the French Revolution. Learn more in this bilingual audio article.

Literature

Lettres de mon moulin

Read the opening paragraphs of Alphonse Daudet's delightful Lettres de mon moulin, in French and English.

Reading Practice

Montpellier

La huitième ville française, Montpellier est aussi l'une des plus jeunes, en ce qui concerne la population.

Current Events

Obsolète : Attestation de déplacement dérogatoire

When France was on lockdown due to the spread of COVID-19, anyone leaving their home was required to show a signed copy of this document (which went through various iterations) upon request. I turned it into a reading comprehension exercise with side-by-side translation.

Holidays and Celebrations

Poisson d’avril – Un deuxpartement caraïbe

April Fool's! Upon returning to Guadeloupe from Paris, I was surprised to learn of negotiations currently underway to create a Caribbean "duopartment." Read my exclusive coverage, in French and English.

Literature

Traité sur la tolérance

Read a chapter of Voltaire's Traité sur la tolérance. It was originally written in 1763 and resurged in popularity after the 2015 Charlie Hebdo attack.

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