New Additions to French Learner Resources

The main library (la médiathèque) at Jordan center has a full section dedicated to French learners: la bibliothèque de l’apprenant (BDA). It should not be new to our students and is indeed one of the most frequently consulted categories. Resources are organized according to French level and difficulty, for A1, A2, B1 and B2+ level learners, as well as materials for exam preparation. For each level, there are three types of books:

• Civilisation, culture et arts (Special selection of books in these fields)
• Lecture Facile (Easy reads tailor-made for learners, including simplified editions of many French literary masterpieces. Many contain an audio CD)

• Exercices (Exercise books pertaining to different areas of French learning: grammar, vocabulary, listening and speaking, reading and writing, orthography and professional French)

Grammar explained in English

One of the feedbacks from our beginner level learners is that our collection of exercise books are most of the time written entirely in French. True, it is the prevailing style of this type of exercises. We do however admit that this might pose a problem to total beginners. That's exactly why we acquired several exercise and grammar books written in English. Each provides clear explanation, in English of course, on essential grammar concepts, always followed by reinforcement drills and practices. Most of these books are for beginner and intermediate level learners, with one exception designed for more advanced users. (B1).

More Easy Reads

They are fiction books designed for French learners. Language is largely a habit and one essential way to forming this habit is to get used to reading in this foreign language. What better way to start than with these simple stories? Some are indeed very simple and others are not as simple. Among them one will find simplified version of great French literature, books with accompanying CD providing audio narration and stories with little comprehension drills at the end.

More exam preparation books

Many French learners would like to have their language level recognized by international standards, aiming at the DELF/DALF or TCF certification. To help them prepare these exams, we regularly renew our collection of relevant materials. Familiarize yourself with the format and improve the relevant skills in order to excel in these tests. The recent renewal mainly concerns the more advanced levels, but more titles will be added to the beginner and intermediate levels.

To have a look at all the new titles, you may consult our online catalogue. Choose "New acquisition" in the filter to narrow your search.