Are you eager to learn French but unsure where to start? Discover our top book recommendations that will set you on the path to fluency quickly and effectively. Here at Teach Me a Language, we recommend graded readers as one of the best ways to learn French fast.
Graded readers are like a flight of stairs for language learning. Instead of jumping from one level to another and getting stuck, graded readers guide you gradually, ensuring steady progress. This method has proven successful in my experience as both a tutor and a learner, helping me master languages such as Mandarin Chinese, Italian, Latin, and Spanish.
Graded readers start with simple sentences like Jean est un garçon.
(John is a boy). By the end of the book, you can understand more complex sentences such as Vous pourrez en faire tout ce que vous voudrez, Messieurs, jusqu’à les mettre dans l’eau bouillante, ils resteront comme neufs.
(You can do whatever you like with them, gentlemen, even put them in boiling water, and they’ll remain as good as new.)
While graded readers minimize the need for a dictionary, occasionally looking up words is helpful. Tools like WordReference and DeepL make this process quicker and more accurate than traditional dictionaries.
Many graded readers are available for free in the public domain. Websites like The Internet Archive offer a wealth of resources that can be downloaded as PDF files. Here are some excellent free French PDFs available on The Internet Archive to get you started:
Here are some of the best free books for learning French
- Le français par la méthode nature, Arthur Jensen
- Étude progressive de la langue française, Sigmon Martin Stern
- First French Book After the Natural Method, James Henry Worman
- Second French book after the natural or Pestalozzian method, James Henry Worman
I prefer diving into reading material at my level rather than starting with phrasebooks. This approach makes the learning process more engaging and rewarding, as you can see tangible progress. Later, I focus on speaking the language, which becomes easier with a solid foundation in reading.
Starting your French learning journey with graded readers is an effective and enjoyable method. Download these free resources and begin your path to fluency today!
John R.