Have you ever tried to learn French with the news? Some would call this an unconventional way to learn French, but, sometimes even the simplest things are the most efficient. And learning French with the news is just like that.

So how to learn French with news? It is simple: when you read or watch the news, you are directly in contact with everyday vocabulary, as well as popular words and phrases.

Moreover, the vocabulary used in news is clear and precise so you can practice your pronunciation and listening skills, too.

So where to start? In this post, we’ve gathered the 10 useful places on the internet you can use to polish your French skills.

How Can The News Help You Improve Your French Skills?

Reading, listening, watching. All these actions are helpful. No matter which one you choose, your French skills improvement is guaranteed. 

But here’s how you can improve your French language skills.

• Listening skills improvement. No matter if you listen to the news on the radio or watch it on the tv, you listen in French. This way, your brain learns to recognize words and phrases the next time they appear.
• Help with pronunciation. When you listen to the news, you can notice that the speakers tend to speak clearly and with proper pronunciation so that anyone can understand what they are talking about. This is a great opportunity for students who struggle with the French pronunciation.
• Boosting vocabulary. In the news, you can hear words and phrases that are used in everyday life so you can remember the most common French phrases in no time. Moreover, you can also hear some specific phrases that are related to the theme you are listening to.
• Preparing for real conversations. Reading or listening to the news is a great starting point for the shy ones out there. After listening to the news for some time, you will want to share the information you’ve heard with others. And what better way to practice your French speaking skills than talking about the latest info you’ve got from the news?

9 Practical French News For Every Proficiency Level

20 Minutes

Suitable for: Beginners/Intermediate

In French, it is pronounced as ‘vingt minutes’ which is an ideal time for beginners to stay concentrated to read or watch the news. You can find plenty of different and yet quite interesting topics here, from the serious ones to the light topics, ideal for entertaining.

And here’s another fun fact: according to some research studies, 20 minutes is the time every reader can read the newspapers from cover to cover! Even though it is labeled as suitable for beginners, we would argue that it is better for students between beginner and intermediate proficiency levels.

BBC Learn French

Suitable for: Beginners and intermediate students

The popular network BBC developed a useful foreign languages program for everyone who wants to learn languages with news.

Before you dive into the world of news and fresh information, BBC offers you a test that shows your proficiency level. Then, you can choose to either listen to or watch French news from French-speaking countries.

This network is great because it also offers you grammar and vocabulary sections, so when you get a bit tired of listening to the news, you can turn to practice.

Le Monde

Suitable for: intermediate and advanced students

For those who prefer reading the printed version, the worldwide-known French newspaper 'Le Monde' is a perfect solution.

'Le Monde' can be translated as 'the world' so like its name, it contains practically everything you need to know from the world's news.

If you want to take it a step further, in the online version, there are available different videos from the movies, series, tv shows which you can also find on YouTube.

L'Obs

Suitable for: advanced students

Once known as 'Le Nouvel Observateur,' this magazine is a great way to improve your reading skills and pay attention to the spelling as you're reading something that interests you.

Moreover, they also have a French app available where you can practice grammar and keep your mind occupied with French.

Le Parisien

Suitable for: upper-intermediate and advanced students

If you've decided to immerse yourself in the language and spend some time in Paris, you should read the local newspapers 'Le Parisien.'

Established during World War II, Le Parisien remained the leading local reading newspaper because people could find out everything they wanted to know about the world.

Improve your vocabulary and reading skills with these Parisian newspapers which are one step closer to your French fluency.

Tv5Monde Apprendre le Francais

Suitable for: from beginner to advanced students

Depending on your level of proficiency, this worldwide-known French network has something to offer for everyone.

If you are a beginner, you can take a slow path and learn French using materials based on the interviews or the latest updates. Many exercises are available as well, so you can practice what you've learned.

Dictation and pronunciation exercises are one more thing Tv5 Monde can offer so besides French tongue twisters, here's another way to practice your pronunciation and improve your writing skills.

Mediapart

Suitable for: upper-intermediate and advanced students

Besides French, the Mediapart is also available in English and Spanish. It is divided into two parts: news and report investigations.

The reason why you should use this website to improve your French is that it offers news to watch in French and also read related articles. This way, you get the whole comprehension skills to boost in one place.

News in Slow French

Suitable for: from beginner to advanced students

This service has something to offer for any level of proficiency. Even though you have to be subscribed to use it, it pays off in the long run.

You can catch up on the news in the audio form, and along with worksheets for the grammar and vocabulary available, the whole package is enough for improving your language skills.

RFI Savoirs

Suitable for: intermediate students

You've surely heard of this brand name. It is one of the popular names because it also created radio programming for the whole Francophone world.

Here, you can find a lot of great news about different things such as geography, nature, culture, history, politics, etc. Not only do the news use simplified language where learners can clearly understand the context but there is also a community part available where you can post, ask something or recommend some useful language learning tool.

Final Thoughts

These 9 mentioned French news and newspapers for learning French should be useful enough for every proficiency level for beginners to the advanced students.

Students who already use this way of learning French claim that it helped them with their vocabulary a lot, as well as perfecting their reading and writing skills.

If you're looking to enhance your vocabulary and improve your language skills, consider exploring these exciting options: Dive into Babbel for engaging, interactive lessons that seamlessly fit into your daily schedule. For a more comprehensive understanding of French, enroll in an extensive course on Udemy that covers from beginner to advanced topics. Or, if personalized instruction resonates with you, Lingoda offers live classes with native speakers to sharpen your speaking abilities.

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How can the news help you improve your French skills?

Reading, listening, watching. All these actions are helpful. No matter which one you choose, your French skills improvement is guaranteed. But here’s how you can improve your French language skills. Listening skills improvement. No matter if you listen to the news on the radio or watch it on the tv, you listen in French. This way, your brain learns to recognize words and phrases the next time they appear. Help with pronunciation. When you listen to the news, you can notice that the speakers tend to speak clearly and with proper pronunciation so that anyone can understand what they are talking about. This is a great opportunity for students who struggle with the French pronunciation. Boosting vocabulary. In the news, you can hear words and phrases that are used in everyday life so you can remember the most common French phrases in no time. Moreover, you can also hear some specific phrases that are related to the theme you are listening to. Preparing for real conversations. Reading or listening to the news is a great starting point for the shy ones out there. After listening to the news for some time, you will want to share the information you’ve heard with others. And what better way to practice your French speaking skills than talking about the latest info you’ve got from the news?

Where can I read/listen to news in French?

20 Minutes, BBC Learn French, Le Monde, Le Parisien, Le Figaro, Tv5Monde Apprendre le Francais, Mediapart?, News in Slow French, RFI Savoirs

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