LibGuides: French: French Language Resources

SPOTLIGHT: Go beyond Duolingo with Language Learning in Context!

Use a combo of free to you tools from Holman Library and online to learn a language in context!

You can apply the structured lessons from services like Rosetta Stone (GRC) and Mango Languages (KCLS) with real life examples from news (TV5Monde), streaming video (YouTube) to practice your language comprehension.

Rosetta Stone This link opens in a new window
Language learning software. Create an individual account to track your progress.

KCLS/GRC Student Login
Learn how to log in with your FREE GRC/KCLS student account to use any of KCLS' online resources.
King County Library System (KCLS): Databases
'Mango Languages' is a language-learning service available through your GRC KCLS student account. French is available!
Learn French with TV5Monde
You can access lessons and exercises for French language learning connected with live news content from one of France's major TV stations. Note - includes some premium (not free) content.
Language Learning with YouTube (BETA - Chrome extension)
17 languages supported (April 2021), incld. French, Japanese, and Spanish. "Subtitles are shown in two languages, allowing you to compare the original audio and text with a translation in your language."

Note - requires a Windows or Mac OS computer and the Chrome web browser.

Resources for Studying French

Francais Interactif: A French Program
Free, online textbook, from U of Texas, Austin.
Le Littéraire dans le quotidien
"Open textbook for French reading/writing," by Joanna Gay Luks, of Cornell U.
Liberte
Free, online textbook for first-year college French. By Gretchen Angelo, of California State University, Los Angeles.
Liberte: French 1002: 2nd Edition
"Revised 2018: Addition of audio, video, and written activities. This open textbook for Elementary French II is a web-based remix of the open-source Liberte by Gretchen Angelo."
Tout un Monde: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Intermediate French
"This book is intended for use with intermediate level college French classes. Its multidisciplinary approach introduces students to topics and vocabulary associated with fields such as medicine, advertising, travel, business, agriculture, and relationships." By Alicia Soueid, University of Texas.

French I (MIT)
French II (MIT)
Elementary French I
Low-cost ($25, as of 4/21), online course from Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative.
Elementary French II
Low-cost ($25, as of 4/21), online course from Carnegie Mellon's Open Learning Initiative.
French in Action (video course)
"A video instructional series in French for college and high school classrooms and adult learners; 52 half-hour video programs." Please see "Ebooks" tab on this page for related book.
Free French Lessons Online
From the Foreign Service Institute.
Learn French (edX) The edX learning platform was founded by Harvard and MIT and offers courses from universities around the world.

A Short Course in Reading French by Celia Brickman
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: :0231527454
Publication Date: 2012
French in Action PART 1: A Beginning Course in Language and Culture: the Capretz Method. by Pierre J. Capretz; Barry Lydgate; Béatrice Abetti; Marie-Odile Germain
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 0300204043
Publication Date: 2012
Practice Makes Perfect French Sentence Builder by Eliane Kurbegov
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 9780071600385
Publication Date: 2009
French All-In-One for Dummies by Consumer Dummies
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 1118286936
Publication Date: 2012
Jump into French
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 1282756842
Publication Date: 2010
French Verbs Made Simple(r) by David Brodsky
Call Number: Ebook
ISBN: 0292795599
Publication Date: 2009
Streetwise French Dictionary/Thesaurus: The User-Friendly Guide to French Slang and Idioms by Ian Pickup; Rod Hares
Call Number: 443.21 P597s
ISBN: 0658004174
Publication Date: 2002
In Main collection

Journal en français facile
"A real news [French] bulletin that uses simple vocabulary to explain the latest news."
French Tutorial
"The French Tutorial is a web-based step by step lesson covering basics, pronunciation, but also grammar, vocabulary and everyday French. It offers audio support for better oral comprehension, a table of contents and an index for faster searches."
French Grammar Central
Links to "grammar guidance, with thousands of verb conjugations, research and hundreds of activities." From the U of Tennessee.
Tex's French Grammar
From U of Texas.
Enhancing French Skills
"Enhancing French skills includes authentic language videos from French websites such as TV5 Enseigner.tv, France.fr, and RhôneAlpes.tv (Média) as well as interviews of French speakers on cultural topics (Rencontres). Videos and activities are organized into five broad themes and tagged by communicative language function with links into Tex’s French Grammar for specific grammar explanations and interactive exercises." From U of Texas.
Conjuin French Verb Conjugator
Les Conversations Mises à Jour
"Les Conversations Mises à Jour is a collection of authentic conversations in French that targets mostly intermediate and advanced learners of French." Videos and vocabulary lists.
French - Open Resources
Links to various resources, from U of Texas.

Learn French with TV5Monde
You can access lessons and exercises for French language learning connected with live news content from one of France's major TV stations. Note - includes some premium (not free) content.
Learn French with TV5Monde - listening level test
Take this free assessment from TV5Monde to find out the best lesson level to begin with on their site.

Looking for More Language Study Help?

Explore our full collection of French language resources through the library's One Search! You can find both online (streaming video; audio; ebook) resources, as well as additional print handbooks and study guides available for checkout--

Not sure what to search?

Try these ideas:

French
French language
French grammar
French language video (for video tutorials)

You can also use the limiter options to the left after a first search to help you narrow your results: