BEGINNER LEVEL/NIVEAU DEBUTANT

in back of the newspaper stand just across from our DVD collection. Here you can find reference dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries (ex. French/Spanish), resources for verb conjugation, grammar, pronunciation and more.<br><br> Newspapers/Journaux French newspapers: Le Figaro Le Monde Study guide for newspapers : Language : Reading newspapers at your level may prove difficult, but try to read the keywords, the major headlines, use the photos and pictures and their captions, read the first paragraphs; note the vocabulary and expressions. Try reading the headlines out loud. Culture : Observe the layout of the pages, the format of the publication, choice of subjects, how they are treated, and compare with an American newspaper of the same date: in what order are the news stories presented?<br><br> Are they the same, treated in the same way? This is an excellent way to discover an important part of the civilization of France: how they look at the world. Newspapers may be read onsite in the Library, or online (ask the librarian for a list of the French newspapers on the Internet).<br><br> Magazines/Périodiques General information on France: France Guide Prestige France Magazine (Titles in English) France Today A selection of French general interest magazines: Art press (bilingual) Art et décoration Cuisine et vins de France Détours de France Les Inrockuptibles Paris Match Phosphore Rock & Folk Santé Maison française Marie-Claire Modes et travaux Femme actuelle Elle Vogue J:\Texts for public\Study guides\CURRENT GUIDES 2009\lang-debutant.doc 2 Study guide for magazines : Language : Magazines are an accessible way to the French language, as the style is less complicated and the number of photos and advertisements lighten the text. Choose a page of an article that has caught your eye: study the titles and the subject words; try to get a global understanding of the article; note useful vocabulary, idiomatic expressions and slang. Culture : Study the lifestyle topics treated: are there hypotheses to be made on the way the French live, their concerns, their obsessions, and their mentality?<br><br> Could the same be true in comparison with the American press? Another tip: selecting articles relative to your interests or hobbies will be easier and more enjoyable for you. Even at your beginner level (A1 or A2), don 9t be shy about looking at the other magazines on display.<br><br> All magazines (except for the current issue) may be borrowed for a period of 2 weeks. We encourage you to take advantage of this resource. Books/Livres Books may be borrowed for four weeks.<br><br> At your level, books may appear intimidating, but there are many in the Library that can be accessible to you (Dewey number in parentheses, or check the online catalog for details): Découverte de la France (FRANCE): located in the main reading room, this new collection brings together travel guides and other works about France, Paris and the various regions. Discover the charms that each region of France has to offer and the characteristics that distinguish them as a tourist destination. Many books in English are available.<br><br> Books in English on France in all subject areas will help you learn about France and its culture. Our new collection, Vive la différence: Regards Croisés , located in the main reading room, aims to present a selection of titles that investigate the cultural comparison of family, religion, nationality, humor, love, business style, etiquette, ethics&an d pets! O ne particular favorite is c All You Need to Be Impossibly French d by Helena Frith Powell (VIVE/POW).<br><br> Just search ccultural comparisons d as a subject in the online catalog to have a complete list. Cookery books : although in French, you may find it fun to take a recipe, look up the vocabulary and give it a try! BD 9s : a true French (and Belgian) art form, bandes dessinées and graphic novels are for both adults (Moebius, Régis Loisel, Jacques Tardi, David B., Gotlib) and children ( Tintin , Lucky Luke , Astérix & Obélix , Boule & Bill ).<br><br> Familiarize yourself with this production not only for its linguistic style but also for its cultural interest. Literary anthologies (840.8): many have introductory chapters in English (Bishop, Levy); others not (Lagarde et Michard, Bordas): try to familiarize yourself with the major movements and authors of French literature. Art books (729).<br><br> Que Sais-je? Books : these small, handy books cover all types of topics in 124 pages each. They are an excellent way to get a general overview of the subject.<br><br> In French, but very clear and direct. No pictures. Search the series title cQue sais - je d in the online catalog for a complete list.<br><br> Children 9s and young adults books : although not recommended because you will soon be frustrated by their intellectual level, certain vocabulary books, simple stories and history books can be used, especially in the young adults section of the Kids Room. DVDs The majority of the films are in French with subtitles; non-subtitled versions are clearly indicated on the box. DVDs allow you to turn off the English subtitles.<br><br> There are also some DVDs that have a both English and French subtitle options. Many films come with a complete transcript of the film, published by Avant-Scène Cinema magazine (791.43). You can read the French dialog while watching the film.<br><br> To get a complete list of DVDs available, consult the webpage video list ( http://www.fiaf.org/library/cinema.shtml ) or the catalog online (DVD/ in the search box and ccote d in the index box, browsing search mode). You may also consult the notebooks on the circulation desk. There is a DVD/video player in the Library for onsite viewing, as well as portable DVD players.<br><br> J:\Texts for public\Study guides\CURRENT GUIDES 2009\lang-debutant.doc 3 Films are shelved by the last name of the director (author) of the film, NOT by title. Learn these people 9s names! They are some of the most famous people in France .<br><br> You may reserve any title: we will call you when it comes in. Study guide DVDs: Language : Try to listen and then read the subtitles, work in small segments if need be. Observe regional accents, language patterns according to social class, era.<br><br> Many students prefer to find DVDs that have a French subtitles option here. Read the subtitles in French and listen to pronunciation. Culture : The following list has been prepared to give you an idea of the type of films the French produce.<br><br> Try to pay attention to style, camera technique, pace, subject matter, lighting, etc. Observe the differences with American cinema: more or less dialog? Relation between the characters: how expressed (physical contact, eye contact, proximity, gestural)?<br><br> Literary works on film: Cyrano de Bergerac , La bête humaine , Germinal , L 9armée des ombres , Madame Bovary , Le Comte of Monte Cristo, La gloire de mon père, Le château de ma mère,Un long dimanche de fiançailles . A full list is on our site http://library.fiaf.org:4101/img/literatureonfilm.doc . Historical dramas: Indochine , Sade, La passion de Jeanne d 9arc, La Reine Margot , Balzac, Monsieur N, Molière Light contemporary comedies: Les poupées russes , L 9Auberge espagnole, Fauteuils d 9orchestre , Le fabuleux destin d 9 Amélie Poulain , Le Dîner de Cons, Le Placard, Tanguy, Paris je t 9aime, Un air de famille, La doublure.<br><br> New Wave classics: Les 400 coups , Jules & Jim , Cléo de 5 à 7 , Pierrot le Fou , Ascenseur pour l 9é chafaud , Bob le Flambeur , Les Diaboliques, Baie des Anges . Other specific titles : A bout de souffle (Jean-Luc Godard): Cult cineast of the 60's. Marius, Fanny, et César (Marcel Pagnol): beloved classics of the 30's; note the distinctive accent of Marseille, but which may be difficult to follow.<br><br> Les aventures de Rabbi Jacob et La folie des grandeurs (Gérard Oury), Playtime, Trafic, et Les vacances de M. Hulot (Jacques Tati): Classic French comedies. Jeux interdits (René Clément): WWII as seen through the eyes of children Audio books Listening activities are an integral part of second-language acquisition.<br><br> The FIAF Library has a large collection of audio books: novels, essays, humor, literature, interviews, history, poetry, plays, biography, social sciences, music, etc. Check the list of audio books on our website http://www.fiaf.org/library/audiobooks.shtml . Listen to any of them to familiarize yourself with the sounds of French, but for your level, the most useful products will be the language learning multimedia found in the CRFLE.<br><br> Audio book novels are grouped together on the shelf at the end of the novels section. Bring up the jewel case to the circulation desk and we will give you the CD. Compact discs of popular music The Library has a collection of popular music, classical music and jazz on CDs.<br><br> French popular music is quite different than American and is an accessible way to familiarize yourself with the sounds of French. Try to consider its cultural and linguistic meanings. Listen to the sounds and try to isolate words.<br><br> For intermediate beginners, try to transcribe some of the verses of songs that you like. Below is a list of popular music artists who may be of interest for you, as their songs are straight- forward cpoetic d works; and should be easy to follow (rock and rap music is not included as it is of more difficult linguistic accessibility). Music CDs are located in the bins in the CRFLE, organized by genre (chanson française classique, rock, rap, etc).<br><br> You may consult a complete list in the binder in the CRFLE or online at http://www.fiaf.org/library/music.shtml . Bénabar Benjamin Biolay Calogero Pauline Croze Raphaël Dionysos M Renan Luce Génération française compilations Amadou et Miriam Jacques Dutronc Thomas Dutronc Tété Olivia Ruiz Etienne Daho Zazie Language-learning CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs, videos, books and magazines This material is geared for independent study, and includes titles for pronunciation, vocabulary building, oral comprehension and grammar. Some come with texts, study guides or books.<br><br> They are all classed by learning level (A1 green stickers; A2 blue stickers, B1 yellow stickers) on the shelves as you enter the CRFLE. All material may be borrowed (1 week DVDs, videos, and CD-ROM; 2 weeks for CDs and audio tapes, 4 weeks for books). These are very popular items, so you must check every week to see what is on the shelf.<br><br> You can also reserve any title. We are constantly adding to this collection, so keep on checking out the shelves! Note: materials with a red stripe on the spine are for onsite use only.<br><br> Champs-Elysées is an excellent radio program on CD. It comes with complete transcript/study guides. It is, however, for the advanced intermediate level, but this does not mean you cannot listen to them to hear excellent, clear-spoken French.<br><br> Bien-Dire is an outstanding magazine for learners of French that comes with an accompanying CD. The difficulty level of each article is noted: 1+, 2, 2+, 3, etc. Students are wild about Bien-Dire!<br><br> Easy-readers : these books simplified yet sophisticated texts and stories often come with annotated vocabulary lists (FF). You will find classics, mysteries, biographies and civilization readers in three levels, with yours being the beginning level of (500-900 words). Easy readers that are bilingual or that come with CDs have been labeled with special stickers for easy identification.<br><br> Read, understand and enjoy! (see below for the Cercles de Lecture) Television TV5Monde, the worldwide 24-hour television channel, is available for onsite viewing in the CR-FLE. TV5 is an excellent window onto the francophone world, offering a wide range of commercial-free, high-quality programs, including subtitled films, news, sports, and documentaries.<br><br> French language students will be especially interested in the program c Sept Jours sur la Planète d , a 26 minute news program aimed at A2, B1 and B2 students, with activity sheets available for downloading. You may view the program live on Saturday mornings at 9:20 or on the website at http://www.tv5.org/TV5Site/7-jours/ . And don 9t forget the fun cjukebox d of popular French songs, along with lyrics and study guides.<br><br> Pathfinders The Library has prepared a series of thematic guides, called Guides thématiques/Pathfinders , to help you answer your most frequently-asked questions about France. A complete list is available in the Guide du Lecteur across from the Reference desk, online in the catalog (in browsing search mode, type GT/ in the search box and cCote d for the in dex) or on the library webpage (http://www.fiaf.org/library/pathfinder.shtml). Online versions may be printed for your use.<br><br> Of particular interest to you will be the pathfinder entitled Language-Learning Resources on the Web . Internet The Internet is a gold-mine of information about France: dictionaries, newspapers, exercises, games, live audio! Please check the pathfinder of French internet search engines .<br><br> In addition, each individual pathfinder contains numerous sites for the subject treated. The online versions of the major French newspapers and Radio-France live audio are also a click away! Visit our website to find sites of interest: Cercles de Lecture A special reading group at your level (A2) is hosted by our favorite French guy, Yann Carmona of the Library.<br><br> For details, see our web page ( http://www.fiaf.org/library/bookclub.shtml ). Faites vos jeux! Team up with other students at this a monthly program where you can practice your French while playing fun games like Scrabble or Taboo en français .<br><br> Games are moderated by Ronda Murdock of the library staff and refreshments are served. See our website for more details: http://www.fiaf.org/library/faites-vos-jeux.shtml

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