Looking to improve your reading abilities in French to become more advanced?
Learning how to be an advanced learner of French is a noble pursuit since being fluent in another language is a valuable skill that will last a lifetime!
Even after hundreds of hours of study and practice, you may still have more to learn about the intricacies of the French language. But, what books can actually help you learn more than what you already know?
Check out these books for more information about enhancing your reading and writing abilities.
Textbooks and Formal Learning
Fortunately, French is a high-demand subject throughout the English-speaking world, so there are a lot of resources available to learn more about it!
Here are some textbooks that contain the same amount of information you might find in a college course that you can effectively teach yourself in your own time. Others present more practical and theoretical ideas for you to simply appreciate and learn.
1. Le Bon Usage by Maurice Grevisse
One of the most classic tomes one can use to learn about French, this book has been trusted and used since its original publication in 1936.
It has been updated and republished many times, so try to find the most recent edition if you intend to purchase a copy. It is often referred to as “the bible of French grammar,” so of course it’s a must-read!
2. Le Petit Grevisse by Maurice Grevisse
Grevisse works hard to bring another regularly-updated textbook for French learners to reference heavily in their studies. As of 2023, the current edition of this book is the 31st edition. Clearly, it is updated regularly and methodically!
Inside, you can find current step-by-step grammar lessons and plenty of examples showcasing each concept. Keep in mind, language changes over time, both in how it's built and how it's used.
3. Bescherelle: La Grammaire Pour Tous
Interested in learning more about how French works on a technical level as a language?
This grammar text is perfect for anyone looking to gain more meta-knowledge about the French language. Inside, there are more than 1,000 examples with commentary on various grammatical situations, as well as other valuable information. Emphasis is placed on the interaction between language and the impact specific language choices have on the connotations and implications of the message you want to convey.
4. The Ultimate French Review and Practice by David Stillman and Ronni Gordon
If you are looking for a self-paced French course in a book, this textbook is perfect for you. It contains more than 400 exercises meant to help you improve your grasp of French and convey intricate ideas more easily through word choice.
The material covered within is complete so that after reading, you’ll have a strong foundation in even the lesser-known elements of writing and speech, like Pluperfect, Future Perfect, Past Conditional; and Conditional Sentences.
5. A-level French Writing Skills: Essays, Translations and Summaries by Karine Harrington
The exercises and lessons contained within this book are meant to allow learners to be able to manipulate language effectively by rewording, reordering, and using complex grammar.
Learners will also be able to plan and structure their writing to express the points they intend to address with a sophisticated vocabulary.
You can find lots of exercises and prompts to help you learn various concepts throughout.
6. Advanced French Conversation by Lucy Martin
This unique book comprises 120 pages filled with questions and responses in French, covering the subjects recommended by major exam boards. It equips students with concepts, data, and figures that serve as a foundation for crafting their own answers to intensive French exam questions, making it the sole resource of its kind.
7. Speaking Better French: the Key Words and Expressions You’ll Need Every Day by Saul H Rosenthal
Chock full of useful information like widely-used expressions, this book is a perfect resource to learn casual, daily phrases that might not be explained in more formal settings. It’s an enjoyable and entertaining read that imparts real wisdom to its readers.
8. The French They Never Taught You: Tips for Teachers & Advanced Students by José J. Binamé and Paul G. Socken
This valuable resource gives a fresh approach to differentiate between passé simple, passé composé, and imparfait tenses in grammar. Clear explanations are provided for various causal conjunctions like parce que, car, comme, and puisque. The proper agreement of past participles in pronominal verbs, such as "Elle s'est coupée au doigt," is also elucidated. The revised vocabulary section aids in distinguishing between pouvoir and puissance (power), while the style segment addresses topics like letter composition and language levels.
9. Savoir-Faire: An Advanced French Course by Catrine Carpenter and Elspeth Broady
Just as the title implies, this textbook is meant to be taught as a course in an educational institution. You don’t need a teacher or professor in order to read this book and complete all the exercises, however! It may be easier when you have a professor to guide you, but you can effectively lead yourself through an advanced french language lessons on your own with all the exercises contained within this book.
10. Un Style Certain: Les Mots Pour L’Ecrire by Monique Fol, Paul Barrette
Delivered exclusively in French, this text combines a vibrant selection of literary works with insightful stylistic analyses. This presents proficient French learners with a chance to refine their writing abilities.
Readers can expect to learn about how to recognize as well as how to use literary styles and devices that are present in a lot of French writing.
If you want to be able to understand higher-level French books or even try writing your own, you’ll learn a lot of what you need to know from this book.
11. The Ultimate French Review and Practice by David M. Stillman
Another book that contains a course-like structure, you’ll be taught about everything from verb tenses to an extensive vocabulary. The interactive features of the book mean there are more than 400 exercises as well as tests and quizzes you can take to verify your progress with the accompanying app.
Novels for Improving Your Reading Ability in French
While you can seek out novels in any genre you’d like (just the same as you would in English), here are two recommendations to get you started in the world of French creative writing.
12. Candide by Voltaire
Meaning “Optimism” in French, this book was originally published in 1759 and promptly banned for blasphemous descriptions, among other themes that were considered highly unacceptable at the time.
While not a text designed as a course in French, the contents have been repeatedly praised by many over the centuries since its publication for inspiring readers and artists. It touches on many historical events and is a commentary on the human condition as well as things like politics. It’s a fantastic insight into French philosophy at the time, and the lessons can even be applied to the modern day.
13. Vernon Subutex by Virginie Despentes
Looking for a modern fiction novel to read and improve your French with while simultaneously learning about a social commentary of modern-day events? Look no further.
Jeffrey Zuckerman from World Literature Today has described the novel series as such: "Despentes effortlessly slips in and out of these various lives, deftly switching styles each time (one chapter is as harsh as Bukowski, another as precise as Ernaux), and in so doing creates a new Comédie humaine depicting the various social milieux of the early twenty-first century."
Ready to learn more? Discover effective French online classes when you search for a private tutor on Superprof!
Learn How to Improve Your French Writing Skills
With the resources here, you can teach yourself a lot about French writing that you may not have known!
But if you want to dive even deeper into learning so that you can appreciate more complex French writing and even begin to learn how to write your own novels or academic papers, you can seek out a private tutor to help you!
Learn French online with your choice of a tutor who can meet your needs as a student.
Do you want to learn about fantasy writing in French? Or perhaps you want to be able to recount a historic event? Any style of writing can be discussed and learned due to the availability of tutors who specialize in different aspects of French writing.
If you’re here and you’re looking for books such as these, you likely possess French level C1 or higher. At this level, it can be difficult to teach yourself more, since the remaining aspects of French you want to learn are very high-level.
With a tutor who is at the level you strive to be, you’ll have more guidance to take your fluency up an even higher notch.
Utilize these resources today to boost your level of reading and writing in French!
Enjoyed this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
