Reading French newspapers and magazines

Reading articles in French newspapers and magazines is one of the best ways to increase your vocabulary and to gain a perspective on current events. Young Americans are often surprised to find out how much their French counterparts know about current events, American history, and world politics. The ability to read a newspaper is within the reach of the secondary school student, and it is a necessary goal for anyone who wants to understand French culture and to someday function as an intelligent adult in a foreign culture.

Advice: Start with simple topics. Learn something about the topic in English before you attempt to read in a foreign language. You can read the newspaper or go to web sites such as CNN or Yahoo . There are many cognates in a news story, and you should be able to gain an understanding without looking up too many words. If you can't, try another article or a different paper or magazine. Articles in the magazine Paris Match have pictures and are written on a more basic level that a paper like Le Monde.

A word of caution: American media tend to assume you don't know much, and always start with an explanatory paragraph. Even the New York Times will start an article by saying: " Secretary of State Colin Powell stated yesterday that "Iraqui president Saddam Hussein..." Expect no such help in French, since they assume that you understand the basics. Similarly, the French also love acronyms, or sigles. These can be particularly frustrating when you read something like : « Prévoyant une réaction négative par les députés RPR à une hausse du SMIC et du RMI, le PCF a entamé une campagne publicitaire… » By going to a specialized online dictionary, you would get the general drift, that the leftists and the conservatives are arguing over a rise in the minimum wage and payments to the unemployed.

Following are some of the major French magazines. Click on French Language Magazines to see a master list with hundreds of publications in French around the world.

 

Elle was originally a French fashion magazine. It is now published in other languages as well. This is a very interesting interactive site that allows you, among other options, to watch the latest fashion shows.

(Weekly news magazine)

L'Express is similar in style and format to Time and Newsweek. It has an excellent web site that can link you to related articles from their archives without cost, as long as you begin by selecting articles listed on their home page

Another respected magazine, one less focused on obligatory coverage of current events. There are more opinion pieces and in-depth articles that often take a leftist (Socialist party) slant.

This is a fairly new magazine that has gained a reputation for frank opinions that are often critical of those in power. In particular, Nicolas Sarkozy has been the recipient of scathing criticism.

http://www.marianne2.fr/index.php

A large-format magazine that specializes in photo-journalism. The best coverage is of dramatic events, and they are famous for their graphic war photography. An advantage for the foreign reader is that Match is generally written in easier French on simpler topics, and there are lots of pictures to help you follow.

Another good weekly news magazine, similar to L'Express.

Le Nouvel Afrique/Asie is a monthly magazine whose readership is largely in the Third World. Articles on North/South issues, Third World concerns.