Les Misérables

Les Misérables
Read the first chapter of Victor Hugo's classic French novel Les Misérables, in French and English.

   

LingQ

LingQ
Learn and practice French vocabulary and listening at any level with LingQ, an online learning system and language community.

   

Listening Tips

French listening tips
Understanding spoken French is harder for some students than others. But unlike speaking, listening can be done on your own - whenever and wherever you like. Even so, the best way to practice isn't always obvious - here are some tips.

   

Madame Bovary

Madame Bovary
Read the first few paragraphs of Gustave Flaubert's classic novel Madame Bovary, in French and English.

   

Mai 68

Mai 68French videoMay 1968 was a turning point in French history. Learn how students and workers revolutionalized France in this video.

   

Matisse

Matisse
Learn about Matisse, the painter and sculptor who launched the Fauvism movement, in this video visit of the Centre Pompidou exhibition.

   

MiVoca – Vocabulary App

MiVoca
Discovering, organizing, and remembering vocabulary is one of the foundations of language learning, yet it can be utterly overwhelming. You're constantly exposed to new words in lessons, conversations ... how can you possibly keep track of them all - not to mention remember them? Introducing MiVoca, an online app that tracks and tests all your words in a single location.

   

Ne littéraire

Ne littéraire - Formal French NegationIn formal, usually written French, there are certain verbs and constructions that can be made negative with just ne - the inclusion of pas or some other negative word is not required.

   

On ira, de Zaz

On ira, de Zaz
Challenge your French listening comprehension with this fast-paced song. Below the video, click any line in the transcript for English translation and related grammar lessons.

   

Optional Liaisons

French optional liaisonsSome liaisons in front of a vowel or h muet are optional, which means it up to you to decide whether to pronounce them. However, that decision matters: more liaisons means more formal speech, so obviously fewer liaisons means more informal, possibly even familiar speech.

   

Orthographe et expression écrite

Orthographe et expression écriteWriting in FrenchQue vous soyez français ou bien étudiant avec un niveau de français supérieur, vous pouvez améliorer votre orthographe et expression écrite en explorant l'univers de la Francophonie pendant 10 minutes chaque jour.

   

Pluperfect Subjunctive

French pluperfect subjunctiveThe rarest French verb form is the pluperfect subjunctive. It's a literary tense, meaning that it's reserved for formal, written French - mainly literature, but also history and journalism.