9 Best Resources to Get News for French Learners
As a French language learner, there will come a time in your language learning journey where you want to find more resources. One great way to do this is by reading the news in your target language and for French, you have a lot of different options.
Reading the news in French is a great idea for multiple reasons, not just for language learning reasons. You'll stay updated on current events, learn more about the world, and discover cultural aspects you may not have realized existed. For French language learners interested in getting their news in French, here are some of the most well-known news resources to look into.
News Resources in French
#1. France24
France24 provides international news. You can search for region-specific news under the heading "Par région" and find information about events in France, Africa, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and the Asian-Pacific. News topics covered include culture, breaking news, business, and sports.
France24 doesn't just offer written news. They also provide direct streaming from the site and video on demand services available to all visitors. As a French language learner, this is a great way to expose yourself to professional, yet easy-to-understand spoken and written French.
#2. Le Monde
Le Monde is a newspaper that many French people read and listen to everyday. They have a podcast on Spotify that recounts that day's headlines in 20-25 minutes, making news accessible and quick for anyone. On their website, you can also read breaking news articles, listen to radio streams, and read le journal.
Le Monde is a relatively recent newspaper that was started after the second World War, yet it is one of the most widely recognized and consulted news sources in all of France. They primarily cover French news, but they do still have world news, economics, culture, and politics.
#3. Le Figaro
Le Figaro, unlike Le Monde, is the oldest source of news in France. It's a conservative paper and has been since 1846, and is more or less the conservative French version of the Wall Street Journal. Le Figaro isn't just about news, though. It has two sister-publications: a magazine that's called Madame Figaro that is equally well-known, and FigaroVox which is a space for opinion columns, debates, and discussion about French news.
Le Figaro is unique in that it offers local news for Lyon, Bordeaux, Nice, and Nantes, so if language learners are interested in any of those four cities, Le Figaro is a great resource to consult. In addition to local and national news, it also covers world news, politics, culture, sports, economics, travel, style, and much more. In fact, here's a rubrique of all the sections and headings le Figaro has to offer:
As you can see, it's really all-encompassing. No matter what interests you, le Figaro will most likely have something that caters right to you.
#4. Mediapart
Calling all investigative French learners! Mediapart is an independent, investigative journal that plays a huge role in revealing political scandals. For French language learners that like a good scandal, Mediapart is the news source for you.
Mediapart doesn't just cover French political scandals. It also covers international issues and news, but often in a way designed to anger or provoke readers. It's still considered a very reputable journal, but as an independent resource, Mediapart doesn't try to tame down their headlines.
#5. Les Echoes
French learners with a special interest in finance will enjoy Les Echoes. Founded in the early 1900s, Les Echoes was the first ever newspaper dedicated to finance. It's a liberal-leaning paper, but has interesting information that French learners of all political stances will enjoy reading.
Les Echoes is primarily focused on finance, but they also publish science and innovation news. For those who want regular updates or need a little reminder to practice their French comprehension, Les Echoes offers a newsletter mailing list that you can sign up for. To find a newsletter that interests you, check out their page here and sign-up!
#6. Radio-Canada
For those who want to work on their Canadian French, Radio-Canada is a fantastic source to look into. They offer various radio programs that run 24/7, direct streaming on their website, and written articles.
Canadian French is quite a bit different from the French spoken in France, so language learners shouldn't be surprised if it's harder to understand what's being said. However, exposing yourself to different French accents, especially Canadian French, during your French language learning journey is a great way to help you improve and expand on vocabulary.
Radio-Canada offers a huge variety of material. From regional Canadian news to world news and music, there's a lot to choose from. Here's a list of all their available sections and headings:
#7. Le Monde Diplomatique
As an analysis and opinion-based journal, Le Monde Diplomatique is a news source that's read by millions all around the world. They publish news in 27 languages and offer French, English, and international news. If you're a French language learner that enjoys reading the opinion columns of local papers, then you'll love Le Monde Diplomatique.
It's a monthly paper and offer magazine subscriptions on a variety of topics, but all the information you read will be opinion-based or an analysis. Nevertheless, it's still a great resource for practicing your reading comprehension and exposing yourself to what's going on in the world.
#8. Le Gorafi
Le Gorafi is for those language learners that enjoy papers like The Onion. It publishes simple news and articles, but don't take it too seriously.
Le Gorafi focuses on politics, world news, culture, science, and sports as well as national French news. You'll also find a horoscope section, for those of you who want to learn what your weekly horoscope is in French.
#9. Le Journal de Montréal
This is another Canadian French resource for French language learners interested in Canadian sources. Le Journal de Montréal is based both in Canada and in France, but you'll still have great access to Canadian French, which does sometimes differ from the French spoken in France even in written-form.
Most of the articles published in Le Journal de Montréal are interesting and in simple, easy-to-read language, making this a great paper for language learners who are just beginning to dip their toes in the world of French news. There are a variety of sections to explore including world news, sports, opinion columns, and even your daily horoscope.
Why Read the News in French?
When you're learning a language, it's important to expose yourself to it as much as possible. When you aren't living in a country where your target language is spoken, this is much harder. This means that finding unique and interesting ways to practice your language is vital. Reading, listening, or watching the news is one such way to do so.
Some French language learners aren't all that interested in the news, though, and that's understandable. Fortunately, there are still other ways to expose yourself to the language! Listening to a podcast in French is one way that many people choose to do this. Other great ideas include reading a book in French or watching a new TV show in French.
Much of the time, language learners forget that it's important to practice listening comprehension as well as study vocabulary and grammar. However, instead of listening to boring French audio tapes, try to make your listening comprehension fun by incorporating something you like. Whether this is the news, podcasts, or watching a movie, making time for listening practice is important and should not be overlooked.