{"id":86852,"date":"2020-01-24T10:47:22","date_gmt":"2020-01-23T23:47:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/?p=86852"},"modified":"2020-01-30T18:35:31","modified_gmt":"2020-01-30T07:35:31","slug":"learning-french-how-to-master-reading-in-french","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theproject.com.au\/myfrenchlife\/2020\/01\/24\/learning-french-how-to-master-reading-in-french\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning French: How to master reading in French!"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"
French is a beautiful language, but like any foreign tongue, it can be intimidating. I remember the first time I was in Paris and a local spoke to me. I froze because I had no idea what she\u2019d just said! It was so embarrassing. Let me tell you how reading in French can help you, as it helped me, no matter what your level.<\/strong><\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t begin studying French in earnest until I was in my late 40s.<\/p>\n

I improved little by little and today, a dozen years later, I can speak the language comfortably. <\/strong><\/p>\n

I subscribe to a French newspaper and watch French news. And one of the things that has helped me learn French is reading.<\/p>\n

When I first started, I could only read the short handouts I got from my French teacher. Eventually, I tried newspapers and magazines, and finally made it to simple books\u2014my first one is very popular with 12-year-olds!<\/p>\n

Now I\u2019ve enjoyed a number of French novels, including some of the classics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

How reading in French can help you breakthrough…<\/span><\/h2>\n

Spoken French can sometimes be too fast to understand, but reading allows you to go at your own pace.<\/p>\n

Reading helps you improve your vocabulary as you learn the new words you come across. And it can help your pronunciation if you read out loud. I find that when speaking French, I\u2019m so focused on what I\u2019m saying that I can\u2019t also focus on pronunciation. But when I read out loud, I\u2019m able to pay attention to how each word sounds.<\/p>\n

Learning French: find your level<\/span><\/h2>\n

Reading in French can help you no matter how accomplished you are, whether you are a d\u00e9butant<\/em> or an expert. The important thing is to find reading material that matches your level.<\/p>\n

\"\"A beginner might start with classroom materials or newspaper articles of just a few paragraphs, while an expert might enjoy the challenge of a French novel<\/a>. For every level in between, there are plenty of interesting things to read, from magazines to <\/span>bandes dessin\u00e9es<\/em> (graphic novels<\/a>).
<\/span>I refer you to an article that provides you with an extensive list of resources<\/a> to support your reading in French effort.<\/p>\n

If you have a friend who is also learning French, consider working together.<\/strong> You can read separately and then get together to discuss what you\u2019ve read. Buddying up<\/a> with someone always helps you stay motivated. And reading out loud can improve your pronunciation, as you each correct and encourage the other.<\/p>\n

Reading in French: follow your interests<\/span><\/h2>\n

With reading as with most things, if you are interested in something you will spend more time on it. So be sure to read about things you enjoy, be that cooking, history, politics, sports, or whatever. Not only will enjoy it more, but you will also bring to it your existing knowledge about the subject. That, in turn, will make it easier to understand what you are reading.<\/p>\n

For example, I like to follow international news.<\/p>\n

\"\"When I read an article in French, it is often on a subject I already know something about, which makes the article easier to follow. For example, when I first started reading Le Monde <\/em>and saw an interesting-looking article, I would look for an English-language article on the same subject and read that first. Having \u201cpre-read\u201d the article made it easier to understand.<\/p>\n

Using your dictionary: when to look it up and when to put it away<\/span><\/h2>\n

When you read in French, you will surely come across unknown words.<\/p>\n