“What are the best books for Learning French?” We looked at 220 of the top French books, aggregating and ranking them so we could answer that very question!
The top 14 titles, all appearing on 2 or more “Best French Language” book lists, are ranked below by how many lists they appear on. The remaining 200 titles, as well as the lists we used are in alphabetical order at the bottom of the page.
Happy Scrolling!
One of the most popular and trusted introductory French programs available, CONTACTS: LANGUE ET CULTURE FRANÇAISES is renowned for its superior grammar sequencing, four-skills presentation and practice, vocabulary control, and supportive pedagogy. More learner friendly than ever, the new ninth edition features an all-new design while maintaining hallmark strengths like logical progression and clear organization, which have successfully served more than half a million CONTACTS users. The program reflects the realities of the contemporary French and Francophone worlds while effectively preparing readers for work, study, and travel abroad with its practical illustrations and activities.
A complete intermediate programme written in French based on the conviction that a solid knowledge of grammar is important. However, students are also given ample opportunity throughout to improve all four skills -reading, writing, listening and speaking. All readings are chosen to illustrate grammar points.
L’action se déroule à Paris, au pied de la tour Eiffel très exactement, et couvre une année. Ce livre raconte la rencontre puis les frictions, la tendresse, l’amitié, les coups de gueule, les réconciliations et tout le reste encore, tout ce qui se passe entre quatre personnes vivant sous un même toit. Quatre personnes qui n’avaient rien en commun au départ et qui n’auraient jamais dû se rencontrer. Un aristocrate bègue, une jeune femme épuisée, une vieille mémé têtue et un cuisinier grossier. Tous sont pleins de bleus, pleins de bosses et tous ont un cœur gros comme ça (non, plus gros encore !)… C’est la théorie des dominos à l’envers. Ces quatre-là s’appuient les uns sur les autres mais au lieu de se faire tomber, ils se relèvent. On appelle ça l’amour.
Entre amis is a performance-oriented program designed to expand students’ interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational communicative skills by presenting and rehearsing situations similar to those they will encounter in real life. Based on a progressive approach, Entre amis features thorough coverage of all four-language skills with a strong emphasis on oral communication. The language presented and practiced is always embedded in a French cultural context.
What do you do when you find a stranger in your closet; particularly when she’s surprised that you can even see her — and she can disappear and reappear at whim? What if she then tells you that her body is actually in a coma on the other side of town? Should you have her see a psychiatrist or should you consult one yourself? Or do you take a chance and believe in her, and allow yourself to be swept up in an extraordinary adventure? This is the beginning of the dilemma that Arthur, a young San Francisco architect, is faced with when he discovers Lauren in his apartment. Arthur is the only man who can share Lauren’s secret, the only one who can see her, hear her, and talk to her when no one else so much as senses her presence. So when doctors prepare to end Lauren’s physical care — which would destroy the magical bond she and Arthur cherish — he must find a way to save her. For, after all, it is only her love that can save him. “If Only It Were True” is a heartwarming love story impossible to forget, an adventure that is by turns breathtaking and hilarious — a captivating tale that evokes the essence of romance and our boundless capacity to believe.
This newly revised Larousse Concise Dictionary is ideal for the more sophisticated traveler, business person, student, and anyone interested in achieveing greater fluency in contemporary French and English. The clear typographical layout and style, together with detailed treatment of vocabulary allows the user to quickly grasp the important nuances of language and translate and comprehend accurately. Containing 250,000 words, phrases, and translations, it is an ideal companion for both general and professional use.
Moral allegory and spiritual autobiography, The Little Prince is the most translated book in the French language. With a timeless charm it tells the story of a little boy who leaves the safety of his own tiny planet to travel the universe, learning the vagaries of adult behaviour through a series of extraordinary encounters. His personal odyssey culminates in a voyage to Earth and further adventures.
This French word-power builder presents more than 5,000 words and phrases with translations into English. The feature that makes this vocabulary book distinctive is the way words are divided into themes, grouped together so that the foreign traveler or language student can find words related by subject. The subject themes include business terms, medical terms, household terms, scientific words and phrases, units of measurement, clothing, food and dining, transportation, art and culture:24 separate themes in all. The new second edition has been expanded and updated with increased vocabulary.
Mise en scene: Cinema et lecture uniquely motivates students to build and practice their French language skills through the study of film by balancing attention to content, culture, and communication. Using authentic films and readings created for French-speaking audiences, Mise en scene guides students to expand their capacity to use French as they engage independently with these materials and interactively with fellow students and native speakers.
Using a proficiency-oriented approach, Moments litteraires provides intermediate- to advanced-level French students with an excellent introduction to French and francophone literary masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the present day. The selections are carefully chosen for their popular appeal, student interest, and linguistic accessibility. An innovative pre- and post-reading apparatus allows students to increase their proficiency in the four skills as they develop a working knowledge of French literature.
Get up and running with French Easy French Step-by-Step proves that a solid grounding in grammar basics is the key to mastering a second language. You are quickly introduced to grammatical rules and concepts in order of importance, which you can build on as you progress through the book. You will also learn more than 300 verbs, chosen by their frequency of use. Numerous exercises and engaging readings help you quickly build your speaking and comprehension prowess.
The new, updated edition of this popular book of French verbs and general language guide is now printed in two colors for increased ease of reference. The most important and most commonly used French verbs are presented alphabetically in chart form, one verb per page, and conjugated in all persons and tenses, both active and passive. This thorough guide to the use of verbs features many additional references and tips, including a bilingual list of more than 1,250 additional French verbs, helpful expressions and idioms for travelers, and verb drills and tests with questions answered and explained. French language students will also find an index of English-French verbs, a section on verbs used in French idiomatic expressions, and more than 1,000 additional French regular verbs conjugated like the book’s model verbs.
| # | Books | Author | Lists |
| (Titles Appear On 1 List Each) | |||
| 15 | 1000 French Words in Context: A Self-Study Guide for French Language Learners (Essential Vocabulary Series Book 2) | Alex Forero | Goodreads |
| 16 | 1001 Questions to Test Your French | Elizabeth Allen | Goodreads |
| 17 | 101 French Idioms | Jean-Marie Cassagne | Goodreads |
| 18 | À L’Aventure: An Introduction to French Language and Francophone Cultures | Evelyne Charvier-Berman | Vista Wide |
| 19 | A plus d’un Titre | French Your Way | |
| 20 | A Short Course in Reading French | Celia Brickman | Goodreads |
| 21 | À votre tour! Intermediate French | Jean-Paul Valette | Vista Wide |
| 22 | À vous d’écrire: Atelier de français | Gisèle Loriot-Raymer | Vista Wide |
| 23 | Advanced French | Monique L’Huillier | Fluent U |
| 24 | Allons-y! Le Français par étapes | Jeannette D. Bragger | Vista Wide |
| 25 | Amulet: Le gardien de la pierre | Kazu Kibuishi | CBC |
| 26 | An Introduction to French Pronunciation | Glanville Price | Vista Wide |
| 27 | Après vous, M. de La Fontaine… (Contrefables) | French Your Way | |
| 28 | Astérix | French Your Way | |
| 29 | Autour de la littérature. Ecriture et lecture aux cours moyens de français | Peter Schofer | Vista Wide |
| 30 | Berlitz Self-Teacher for French | The French Post | |
| 31 | Better Reading French: A Reader and Guide to Improving Your Understanding of Written French | Annie Heminway | Vista Wide |
| 32 | Big Things, Little Things, Skinny Things, Wide Things | Microsoft | |
| 33 | Bilingual Book in English and French: Mouse – Souris | Colin Hann | Goodreads |
| 34 | Bone | Jeff Smith | CBC |
| 35 | Bonne continuation: approfondissement à l’écrit et à l’oral | Nina M. Furry | Vista Wide |
| 36 | Bravo! | Judith Muyskens | Vista Wide |
| 37 | Business French. An Intermediate Course | Jean-Luc Penfornis | Vista Wide |
| 38 | C’est la vie! A French Reader | Evelyne Amon | Vista Wide |
| 39 | Can an Elephant Fit in a Box? | Microsoft | |
| 40 | Cas pratiques pour le Francais des Affaires | Salvatore Federico | Vista Wide |
| 41 | Ce Jour-Là | French Your Way | |
| 42 | Chagrin d’Ecole | French Your Way | |
| 43 | Chez Nous: Branche sur le monde francophone | Albert Valdman | Vista Wide |
| 44 | Classiques pour débutants | Raymond F. Comeau | Vista Wide |
| 45 | Collage: Révision de grammaire | Lucia F Baker | Vista Wide |
| 46 | Collins-Robert French-English, English-French Dictionary =: Robert-Collins Dictionnaire Francais-Anglais, Anglais-Francais | Collins | Goodreads |
| 47 | Comme Un Roman | French Your Way | |
| 48 | Communicating In French: Intermediate Level | Conrad J. Schmitt | Vista Wide |
| 49 | Communicating In French: Novice Level | Conrad J. Schmitt | Vista Wide |
| 50 | Complete French Grammar | Larousse | Goodreads |
| 51 | Complete Guide to Conjugating: 12,000 French Verbs | Bescherelle | Goodreads |
| 52 | Conquering Babel: A Practical Guide to Learning a Language | Claire Handscombe | Goodreads |
| 53 | Contrastes: Grammaire du français courant | Denise Rochat | Vista Wide |
| 54 | Contre-Courants: Les femmes s’écrivent à travers les siècles | Mary Ann Caws | Vista Wide |
| 55 | Controverses | Larbi Oukada | Vista Wide |
| 56 | Cosmétique De L’Ennemi | French Your Way | |
| 57 | Cyrano de Bergerac | French Your Way | |
| 58 | Débuts. An Introduction to French | H. Jay Siskin | Vista Wide |
| 59 | Deux mondes: A Communicative Approach | Tracy D Terrell | Vista Wide |
| 60 | Developing Writing Skills in French | Graham Bishop | Vista Wide |
| 61 | Dictionnaire Des Synonymes | Larousse | Goodreads |
| 62 | Diversité. La nouvelle francophone | James Gaasch | Vista Wide |
| 63 | Do You Know Shapes? Do You Know Sizes? Put them Together to Build the World – Baby & Toddler Size & Shape Books | Microsoft | |
| 64 | Drôles de Bêtes | French Your Way | |
| 65 | Ecouter pour s’exprimer | James Strancel | Vista Wide |
| 66 | Ensemble: Grammaire en action | Raymond F. Comeau | Vista Wide |
| 67 | Ensuite: Cours intermédiaire de français | Chantal Thompson | Vista Wide |
| 68 | Exercices De Style | French Your Way | |
| 69 | Exercises in French Phonics | Francis W | Fluent U |
| 70 | Explorations: La littérature du monde français (with Système-D 3.0 CD-ROM: Writing Assistant for French) | Susan Schunk | Vista Wide |
| 71 | Facile à dire: Les Sons du français | Annie Duménil | Vista Wide |
| 72 | Facon De Parler 2 Activity Book 4th edition | Angela Aries | Goodreads |
| 73 | Facon de Parler 2 Complete Pack 4th Edition | Angela Aries | Goodreads |
| 74 | Facon De Parler: Pt.1: French for Beginners | Angela Aries | Goodreads |
| 75 | Faisons le point! Discussion et reflexion | Karen Harrington | Vista Wide |
| 76 | First French Reader for Beginners: Bilingual for Speakers of English | Eugene Gotye | Goodreads |
| 77 | First French Reader: A Beginner’s Dual-Language Book | Stanley Appelbaum | Goodreads |
| 78 | French | Gaëlle Graham | Goodreads |
| 79 | French for Business: An Integrative Approach for Advanced Beginners | Dominique Van Hooff | Vista Wide |
| 80 | French for Oral and Written Review | Charles Carlut | Vista Wide |
| 81 | French for Reading | Karl C. Sandberg | Vista Wide |
| 82 | French Grammar and Usage | Roger Hawkins | Vista Wide |
| 83 | French Phonetics | Trudie Maria Booth | Vista Wide |
| 84 | French Stories/Contes Francais: A Dual-Language Book | Wallace Fowlie | Goodreads |
| 85 | French Verb Drills | R. de Roussy de Sales | Goodreads |
| 86 | Friday or wildlife, | Michel Tournier | ILA France |
| 87 | Get to Grips with French Grammar | Elizabeth Allen | Goodreads |
| 88 | Graded French Reader: Deuxième Étape | Camille Bauer | Vista Wide |
| 89 | Graded French Reader: Première Étape | Camille Bauer | Vista Wide |
| 90 | Grammaire En Clair | Paul Rogers | Goodreads |
| 91 | Grammaire Progressive du Français | Maïa Grégoire | Goodreads |
| 92 | Grammaire Progressive Du Francais Textbook + CD-ROM | Various | Goodreads |
| 93 | Grammaire Progressive Du Francais: Corriges | Odile Thiévenaz | Goodreads |
| 94 | Grammmaire Française | Jacqueline Ollivier | Vista Wide |
| 95 | Grand Dictionnaire Allemand-Francais Francais-Allemand =: Grosssworterbuch Deutsch-Franzosisch Franzosich-Deutsch | Pierre Grappin | Goodreads |
| 96 | Great French Short Stories of the Twentieth Century: A Dual-Language Book | Jennifer Wagner | Goodreads |
| 97 | Great French Tales of Fantasy/Contes fantastiques célèbres: A Dual-Language Book | Stanley Appelbaum | Goodreads |
| 98 | Hide This French Book | Eve-Alice Roustang-Stoller | Goodreads |
| 99 | Horizons | Joan H. Manley | Vista Wide |
| 100 | I Don’t Have to Change At All | Microsoft | |
| 101 | I Want to Look and Feel My Best | Microsoft | |
| 102 | INSIGHT GUIDES – PARIS | French Crazy | |
| 103 | Introduction to French Poetry: A Dual-Language Book | Stanley Appelbaum | Goodreads |
| 104 | Invitation au monde francophone | Gilbert A. Jarvis | Vista Wide |
| 105 | Je veux bien! | Jeannette D. Bragger | Vista Wide |
| 106 | Jean De Florette | French Your Way | |
| 107 | Journal Infime, Lou! By Julien Neel | CBC | |
| 108 | L’Art de Lire: Le Récit | Geoffrey Hope | Vista Wide |
| 109 | L’Enfant des Neiges | French Your Way | |
| 110 | L’Essentiel de la grammaire française | Leon-Franco Hoffmann | Vista Wide |
| 111 | L’Or Sous la Neige | French Your Way | |
| 112 | L’élégance du hérisson | Francai Simmersion | |
| 113 | L’étranger | Francai Simmersion | |
| 114 | La civilisation française en évolution I – Institutions et culture avant la Ve République | Ronald St.Onge | Vista Wide |
| 115 | La civilisation française en évolution II – Institutions et culture depuis la Ve République | Ross Steele | Vista Wide |
| 116 | La délicatesse | Francai Simmersion | |
| 117 | La fille de papier | Francai Simmersion | |
| 118 | La France contemporaine | William F. Edmiston | Vista Wide |
| 119 | La Gloire De Mon Père | French Your Way | |
| 120 | La Grammaire à l’oeuvre Text | John Barson | Vista Wide |
| 121 | La Part de l’Autre | French Your Way | |
| 122 | La Première Nuit | Francai Simmersion | |
| 123 | La Sorcière de la Rue Mouffetard et Autres Contes de la Rue Broca | French Your Way | |
| 124 | La Vénus d’Ille | French Your Way | |
| 125 | Langenscheidt Praktisches Lehrbuch Französisch | Braco Lukenic | Goodreads |
| 126 | Langenscheidts Handwörterbuch, Französisch Deutsch | Manfred Bleher | Goodreads |
| 127 | Langenscheidts Volkswörterbuch Französisch. Französisch-Deutsch / Deutsch-Französisch | Langenscheidt | Goodreads |
| 128 | Larousse Advanced Dictionary, Grand Dictionnaire French/English English/French | Larousse | Goodreads |
| 129 | Larousse Dictionnaire Des Difficultes De La Langue Francaise | Adolphe V. Thomas | Goodreads |
| 130 | Le Bon Usage | Fluent U | |
| 131 | Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme | French Your Way | |
| 132 | Le Château de Ma Mère | French Your Way | |
| 133 | Le Comte de Monte-Cristo | French Your Way | |
| 134 | Le confident | Francai Simmersion | |
| 135 | Le Coupeur De Mots | French Your Way | |
| 136 | Le Fils de la Lumière (Ramsès, part 1) | French Your Way | |
| 137 | Le Gentil Petit Diable et Autres Contes de la Rue Broca | French Your Way | |
| 138 | Le Mystère de la Chambre Jaune | French Your Way | |
| 139 | Le Père Goriot | Francai Simmersion | |
| 140 | Le Roi Salami | Nick Bland | CBC |
| 141 | Les Aventures De Cosmo | Patrice Racine | CBC |
| 142 | Les Femmes Savantes | French Your Way | |
| 143 | Les Fourmis | French Your Way | |
| 144 | Les Francais | Laurence Wylie | Vista Wide |
| 145 | Les Malheurs de Sophie | French Your Way | |
| 146 | Les misérables | Francai Simmersion | |
| 147 | Les P’tits Diables | Olivier Dutto | CBC |
| 148 | Les Schtroumpfs | French Your Way | |
| 149 | Les Trois Mousquetaires | French Your Way | |
| 150 | Les Vacances du Petit Nicolas | French Your Way | |
| 151 | Lettres de Mon Moulin | French Your Way | |
| 152 | Looking Good in the Skin I’m In | Microsoft | |
| 153 | Mais oui! | Chantal P. Thompson | Vista Wide |
| 154 | Manon des Sources | French Your Way | |
| 155 | Merriam-Webster’s French-English Dictionary, newest paperback edition | Anonymous | Goodreads |
| 156 | Mini French Phrase Book | Elizabeth Allen | Goodreads |
| 157 | Modern French Grammar | Margaret Lang | Vista Wide |
| 158 | Mommy Says I Can Do It! A Shape and Color Book for Children | Microsoft | |
| 159 | Monsieur Ibrahim and the Flowers of the Koran, | Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt | ILA France |
| 160 | Montage: Deuxième niveau | Lucia F Baker | Vista Wide |
| 161 | Motifs: An Introduction to French | Kimberly Jansma | Vista Wide |
| 162 | My Ball is a Circle and My Table is a Square! I Know My Shapes for Kids – Baby & Toddler Size & Shape Books | Microsoft | |
| 163 | MY FIRST FRENCH BOOK | French Crazy | |
| 164 | Ni d’Eve Ni d’Adam (French Edition) | French Your Way | |
| 165 | Nos Amis les Humains | French Your Way | |
| 166 | Oscar Et La Dame Rose | French Your Way | |
| 167 | Ouvertures: Cours Intermédiaire de Francais | H. Jay Siskin | Vista Wide |
| 168 | Oxford-Hachette French Dictionary | Marie-Hélène Corréard | Goodreads |
| 169 | Panaché littéraire | Mary J. Baker | Vista Wide |
| 170 | Parallèles: Communication et culture | Nicole Fouletier-Smith | Vista Wide |
| 171 | Parlons affaires! Initiation au français économique et commercial | R.-J. Berg | Vista Wide |
| 172 | Paroles: Introductory French | Sally Sieloff Magnan | Vista Wide |
| 173 | Pas à pas French: Listening | Speaking | Vista Wide |
| 174 | Personnages. An Intermediate Course in French Language and Francophone Culture | Michael Oates | Vista Wide |
| 175 | PONS Kompaktwörterbuch Französisch | Frédéric Auvrai | Goodreads |
| 176 | PONS-Wörterbuch für Schule und Studium: Französisch – Deutsch | Frédéric Auvrai | Goodreads |
| 177 | Quant à moi … – Témoignages des Français et des Francophones | Jeannette D. Bragger | Vista Wide |
| 178 | Que serais-je sans toi ? | Francai Simmersion | |
| 179 | Rapports. An Introduction to French Language and Francophone Culture | Joel Walz | Vista Wide |
| 180 | Raymie Nightingale | Kate DiCamillo | CBC |
| 181 | Reading French in Arts and Science | E. M. Stack | Vista Wide |
| 182 | Rendez-vous | Judith A Muyskens | Vista Wide |
| 183 | Sans détour: A Complete Reference Manual for French Grammar | Priscilla Gac-Artigas | Vista Wide |
| 184 | Savoir dire | Diane Dansereau | Vista Wide |
| 185 | Savoir-Faire. An Advanced French Course | Elspeth Broady | Vista Wide |
| 186 | Schaum’s Outline of French Grammar | Mary Coffman Crocker | Goodreads |
| 187 | Se retrouver, pour mieux se séparer… | Francai Simmersion | |
| 188 | Sept Jours Pour Une Eternité | French Your Way | |
| 189 | Short Stories in French: New Penguin Parallel Text | Fluent U | |
| 190 | Skills and Techniques for Reading French | Louise C. Seibert | Vista Wide |
| 191 | Small Hands, Big Hearts | Microsoft | |
| 192 | Souris! | Racine Telgemeier | CBC |
| 193 | Specialized CLE International publisher | ILA France | |
| 194 | Standard French-English, English-French Dictionary | Larousse | Goodreads |
| 195 | STUFF PARISIANS LIKE: Discovering the Quoi in the Je Ne Sais Quoi | French Crazy | |
| 196 | Stupeur et tremblements | French Your Way | |
| 197 | Sur le vif | Hannelore Jarausch | Vista Wide |
| 198 | Système-D 4.0 CD-ROM. Writing Assistant for French | James S. Noblitt | Vista Wide |
| 199 | Tâches d’encre. French Composition | H. Jay Siskin | Vista Wide |
| 200 | Teach Yourself French Grammar | Robin Adamson | Goodreads |
| 201 | Teach Yourself French Vocabulary | Noel St. Thomas | Goodreads |
| 202 | Teach Yourself Improve Your French Package (Book + 2 CDs) | Jean-Claude Arragon | Goodreads |
| 203 | The French Experience | Isabelle Fournier | Goodreads |
| 204 | The French Experience 1. Authors, Marie-Thrse Bougard, Danile Bourdais | Anny King | Goodreads |
| 205 | The French Experience 2: CD’s 1-5 | Jeanine Picard | Goodreads |
| 206 | The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | ILA France | |
| 207 | The New Penguin French Reader: Dual Language | Simon Lee | Goodreads |
| 208 | The Penguin Book of French Poetry: 1820-1950; With Prose Translations | William Rees | Goodreads |
| 209 | The Queen Who Ruled for 44 Years – Biography of Queen Elizabeth 1 | Microsoft | |
| 210 | Thinking French Translation | Sándor Hervey | Vista Wide |
| 211 | Tintin | French Your Way | |
| 212 | Tout Ensemble: A Complete Intermediate French Program | Raymond F. Comeau | Vista Wide |
| 213 | Transition: découverte du texte littéraire | Madeleine Hage | Vista Wide |
| 214 | Trésors littéraires: Initiation à la littérature française et francophone | Anne-Marie Bourbon | Vista Wide |
| 215 | Un style certain: Les Mots pour l’ecrire | Monique Fol | Vista Wide |
| 216 | Vagabondages littéraires: Initiation à la littérature d’expression française | Scott Carpenter | Vista Wide |
| 217 | Vis-à-vis: Beginning French by Evelyne Amon | Judith A. Muyskens | Vista Wide |
| 218 | Voilà! An Introduction to French | L. Kathy Heilenman | Vista Wide |
| 219 | Voyage au pays des arbres | Francai Simmersion | |
| 220 | Webster’s New World French Grammar and Exercises | Anonymous | Goodreads |
| Source | Article |
| CBC | 8 Books Your French Immersion Student Won’t Be Able To Put Down … |
| Fluent U | The 13 Best French Textbooks for French Learners of Any Level |
| Francai Simmersion | Top 15 French Books to Learn French Fast! – Français Immersion |
| French Crazy | The Best French Books – FrenchCrazy |
| French Your Way | Recommended French Reading List – French Your Way |
| Goodreads | French Language Learning Resources (52 books) – Goodreads |
| ILA France | The most popular recommended books in French for beginners | ILA |
| Microsoft | Buy A Kid’s Guide to Learning French | A Children’s Learn French Books |
| The French Post | Best Learn French Books | The French Post |
| Vista Wide | French Textbooks – Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced French |
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