Top 30 French Textbooks and Books in French for Beginners to Advanced Learners

1. “Collins Easy Learning French Grammar” by Collins Dictionaries, Harper Collins UK (grammar book from beginners to intermediates)

Collins Easy Learning French Grammar by Collins Dictionaries is a standard and one of the greatest French grammar books in English, for from beginners to intermediates.

This book is arranged by order of grammatical subjects in chapters and sections. Authors comment rules of grammar and differences to English, then present example sentences, charts, exceptions and comparisons to English. This book compiles essential basic points of French grammar you must know, and rather higher-level points. Comments of this book is simple and helpful. And, the features of this books are rather close explanations, and accounts of detailed usages and exceptions than other French grammar books for beginners. There’re plenty of tips and example sentences in this book.

I recommend this book to all French learners from beginners to intermediates. If you are a beginner to French, I recommend this book as the second or first book of French learning. You can master basic essential knowledge of French grammar by this book. (You must have basic French vocabulary to read this.) Also intermediate learners can use this book as a reference of grammar.

2. “Living Language French: Complete Edition”, Living Language (total solution for complete beginners to intermediates)

Living Language French: Complete Edition by Living Language is the best organized total French learning material or course of 3 textbooks (Essential, Intermediate and Advanced) with 9 CDs.

Even if you read a grammar book, but you can’t understand words of example sentences. Besides, you can’t memory and gain your vocabulary by each of words. Even if you read a reader book, but you can’t understand correct pronunciations of words and sentences. And you can’t memorize expressions on a idiom book by only examples and their translations… However, this best organized total learning material, it integrated grammar, vocabulary, conjugation of verbs, expressions, idioms, conversations, pronunciation, listening and tips on French and Canadian culture. It takes into account the combination of elements of learning foreign language. Besides, this learning material also is designed as you can learn and memorize French by only listening to CDs repeatedly. So another advantage of this product is you can learn hands-free French words, expressions, conjugation and grammar by CDs. (CDs of Essential Level include explanations of grammar.)

You can master ‘intermediate level of French’ or ‘all basic elements of French’ by only this great product!!!

3. “Easy French Reader” by R. de Roussy de Sales, McGraw-Hill Education (reader for beginners)

Easy French Reader by R. de Roussy de Sales is an very plain and a first French reader for beginners. This book consists of three parts ordinary conversations, French concise history and French short stories. You can learn effectively and enjoyably French by reading aloud these texts again and again. This book doesn’t contain English translations (Important words and expression of French translation are wrote.) and comments of grammar. Nevertheless, you can learn French by heart to read sentences while referring to your dictionary. And you can download MP3 files of first and third parts (120 minutes). That are very useful to confirm pronunciations and to memorize texts. I recommend this excellent reader to every French beginners.

4. “French Verb Drills” by R. de Roussy de Sales, McGraw-Hill Education (verb drill for beginners to intermediates)

French Verb Drills by R. de Roussy de Sales is the best book to review and memorize exclusively ‘verbs and conjugations in all tenses’ by writing answers. It contains all conjugations in every tense. Part 1 entries regular verbs (-er, -ir, -re verbs, and être and avoir), and part 2 entries irregular verbs (such as vouloir, aller and faire and so on). The order is from the present tense to complicated conjugations such as the simple past and the subjunctive, reasonable from easy to difficult. Each chapters consists of comments, charts and examples of verb, tense and conjugation system, and questions. You read comments and examples, then on question parts you fill in blank with French or English words or phrases.

This book is really helpful for French beginners to learn and memorize verbs, their conjugations and means of tenses by practise.

5. « Le petit prince (Folio Junior) » de Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Editions Larousse (children’s story & audiobook for begginers and intermediates)

The most efficientive learning foreign languages I think, is reading in practice. I think French leaners should read book by French from children’s stories while referring to your French dictionary or the English edition, rather than to keep ‘studying French’ endlessly. Reading books by French makes you memorize and learn words, phrases and grammar in contexts and contents. There are multiple language translations, German, Spanish, Italian and so on.

Le petit prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the most famous French children’s story has a deeper insight than other average children’s books, also be suitable for adults. And another good point is there’re the audiobook and the English edition of this book. Reading the book with audiobook, hearing the audiobook makes you learn correct pronunciation of French and grasp the story profoundly. A only difficult point of this book is past sense described by the simple past tense…

This story is a beautiful, cherish and precious but painful story from the viewpoint of a child. It was described by the sensibility of a child, but therefore the little prince’s words resonate your heart.

6. « La grande histoire du monde » de François Raynaert, Livre de Poche (world history book for intermediates)

La grande histoire du monde is a present highly reputed world history book in France. It describes the entire world history includes culture and thoughts, Asia, Africa and America concisely and neither too much nor too little. Also the audiobook version is easy to listen and useful for French learning.

7. « Histoire mondiale de la France » de Patrick Boucheron, Éditions du Seuil (world history book for intermediates)

8. « Toute l’histoire du monde: de la préhistoire à nos jours » de Jean-Claude Barreau & Guillaume Bigot, Le Livre de Poche (history for intermediates to advanced learners)

My recommended way to learn and grasp foreign languages is reading world history and European history books. The descriptions on history books are plain, essential and easy to understand. You should have the knowledge of history learned by schools and heard by any books or TV programs. So you would read history books in foreign languages easily. In a history book, you can partially grasp and understand descriptions in a paragraph or a chapter, rather than a novel or a philosophy book. Besides connecting knowledges among some languages are exciting and enjoyable. And… history seems to be the root and essence of story. In French, the word ’histoire’ has the means of both ’story’ and ‘history’.

Toute l’histoire du monde: de la préhistoire à nos jours by Jean-Claude Barreau and Guillaume Bigot is the plain, interesting and instructive world history book. The title is ’whole world history’, in fact this book is chronological digests of major events in world history. So you can read easily and understand.

A flaw of this book is that is described by a francocentric view. Descriptions of some incidents and great persons of French is very long! For example, Charles le Grand, Jeanne D’arc, Louis ⅩⅣ, the French Revolution, Napoleon and the French Empire, and Charles de Gaul in the Second World War. Undoubtedly France has played a principal role in the world history… Despite there are any disappointing points, this book is a great read for French learners.

9. « Petite Histoire de France, De Vercingétorix à nos jours » de Jacques Bainville (french history Book for begginners)

Petite Histoire de France is a highly evaluated french history book for children written by french. Also, there is audiobook edition, so you can use them as a french reader and a listening learning material.

10. “Barron’s 501 French Verbs” by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris, Barron’s Educational Series (verb and conjugation book with MP3 CD and CD-ROM for beginners to intermediates)

Barron’s 501 French Verbs by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris is a big French verb book, contains many common French verbs in fully conjugations in all the tenses. The former part explains the system of verbs, tenses and their conjugations. The later part entries fully conjugated 501 French verbs in all tenses. It’s very helpful for from beginners to intermediates. If you finished learning French, it could be a reference book of verbs.

The true value of this book for beginners is the attached MP3 CD. The MP3 CD contains explanations of tenses and conjugations by English narrations, pronunciations of French verbs. It’s really useful for beginners to memorize by heart basic conjugations of verbs, and usages and means of tenses!!!

11. « Le petit Nicolas » de Jean-Jacques Sempé & René Goscinny, Editions Flammarion (children’s story & audiobook for intermediates)

I recommend this children’s story to French beginners by the same reason above. There’re the audiobook and the English edition of this book which useful for beginners. There’s also the movie. This book is consists of 19 short stories and a good read for French beginners. You can increase your vocabulary and ability to read French. Also you can learn the real ordinary colloquial French expressions.

Le petit Nicolas by Jean-Jacques Sempé & René Goscinny is the stories of ordinary life of French schoolboys. They are funny and charmed but sometimes bitter. Experiences of boyhood are common to the all over the world!!! You’ll remember your sweet memories of boyhood! My favourite episode is the last episode, ‘Je quitte la maison’ which describes a common boy’s dream and ambition you also might have.

And also I recommend following series of Le Petit Nicolas, especially Les vacances du Petit Nicolas.

12. “Drive Time French: Beginner Level” Living Language (audio CD with booklet for intermediates)

Drive Time French: Beginner Level by Living Language is a audio French learning material for beginners to intermediates. The CDs are a important stuff, so the booklet is a attachement.

This learning material contains useful words and expressions for traveling and staying French speaking countries and talking with French speakers. And this entries basic useful words and expressions in various scenes and situations such as salutations, self-introduction, appointment, train station, restaurant, pharmacy, driving, shopping, telephone, bank and everyday talking. The advantage of this book is you can learn hands-free French words, expressions and grammar by only listening to CD repeatedly while you are driving, walking in town and commuting by train. But, at least one time, you must read the booklet with listening to CD. Out of the first CD, the pace is faster. So you can learn more things. But complete beginners can’t catch up… This learning material is very helpful for beginners and intermediate leaners of French to gain their French vocabulary and ability of French listening and talking.

It’s very disappointing to me this learning material releases “beginner level” only…

13. “Barron’s French Grammar” by Christopher Kendris & Theodore Kendris, Barron’s Educational Series (grammar book for beginners)

Barron’s French Grammar by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris is a handy basic grammar reference guide, comments by many short example sentences and phrases, charts and comparisons to English, rather than explanation sentences.

This book is a concise and informative grammar guide for English speaker, composed by many examples, charts and comparisons. It entries many explanations, short example phrases and sentences, charts, exceptions, comparisons to English and definitions of grammatical terms. You can learn French grammar in this book from pronunciation of French sounds and French rules of writing and speaking (capitalization cases in French, kinds and names of punctuation marks, and word division rules) to tenses, moods and definitions of grammatical terms. The explanations in this book are short, essential and concise. In many parts, authors comment grammar by examples, phrases, charts, exceptions and comparisons to English.

I recommend this grammar book to French beginners to brush up and solidify their knowledge of grammar.

14. “French Phrase Book & CD (Eyewitness Travel Guides Phrase Books)”, DK Publishing (phrase and vocabulary book for beginners)

French Phrase Book (Eyewitness Travel Guide) by DK Publishing is A little handy book contains short everyday basic words and expressions for traveling and staying French speaking countries, also useful for compelete beginners of French.

This book is a little handy book contains useful words and expressions for traveling and staying French speaking countries. This book entries very basic elemental words (months, seasons, numbers, time and directions) and basic everyday short phrases in various scenes and situations (salutations, self-introduction, telephone calling and in hotel, driving, restaurant, store, post office, hospital, pharmacy and emergency). This also useful for leaners and beginners of French, not only traveller, to learn French everyday language and expressions.

You must get the CD. The CD contains most of phrases on this book in English and French. The narrator speaks each English phrases, then he speaks French translations one time or two times. It makes you learn words and phrases by heart quickly and good for your pronunciation.

15. “French for Dummies Audio Set” by Zoe Erotopoulos, Dodi-Katrin Schmidt, Michelle M. Williams & Dominique Wenzel, For Dummies (vocabulary book with 3 CDs for complete beginners)

I recommend French for Dummies with CD by Erotopoulos, Dodi-Katrin Schmidt, Michelle M. Williams and Dominique Wenzel the 3 CDs and a booklet set learning material for complete French beginners as the first french learning material. I think one of important points of learning foreign languages is pronunciation. To know correct pronunciation is the key to understand and gain your abilities to read, speak and listen foreign languages. To start learning French by this audio learning material is the best choice I think.

In each chapters of this material, entries words and phrases in various situations of ordinary life, travel and working. The CDs contain an english voice and two times of French voices of each words and phrases. Also some chapters consider to learn very basic French grammar automatically. You pronounce French words and phrases with CDs, you learn pronunciation and basic French vocabulary and grammar effectively. Also you can learn hands-free by listening CDs while walking, commuting, cooking and driving.

16. « Bescherelle La grammaire pour tous » de Nicolas Laurent and Bénédicte Delaunay, Édition Hatier (grammar book for advanced learners)

Bescherelle La grammaire pour tous by Nicolas Laurent and Bénédicte Delaunay is an excellent French grammar book in French comments by ’la grammaire moderne’ (modern grammar). This book entries necessary grammatical elements to comprehend and practice French, and review and brush up your French grammar knowledge. The explanations are clearly, instructively and not difficult, but deal with all rules and grammatical informations from very basic structures in detail. The descriptions are reasonable, practical and essential.

This book wasn’t written as a beginners’ (of foreigners) guide book. It’s for advanced learners want to brush up and perfect their knowledge and skill. I recommend it to advanced French learners who want to acquire collect usage of French and improve their practises and expressions.

17. “Practice Makes Perfect French Verb Tenses” by Trudie Booth, McGraw-Hill Education (verb drill for intermediates and advanced learners)

Practice Makes Perfect French Verb Tenses by Trudie Booth is useful to memorize conjugations of verbs and correct usase of them in various tenses and sentences. The content of this is a guide of close step by step approach to French verb and conjugation. It curries the wide range of information about verb, conjugation and tenses. You read the explanations, then fill in verbs and sentences on the exercises. So you can gain the ability to write French verbs and sentences, also your vocabulary and knowledge of grammar. Then you would master French verb and conjugation by this drill.

18. « Discours de la méthode » de René Descartes, Editions Flammarion (philosophy book for advanced learners)

Discours de la méthode by René Descartes is a great introduction to philosophy by the greatest philosopher, a masterpiece and the milestone of the modern philosophy and science. It’s also a starting point and milestone of modern French language like Martin Luther’s Bible. There’re some important notions and topics, common sense (part 1), the principal rules of the scientific method (part 2), the rules of moral (part 3), the method of doubt, the proof of God and the soul, ‘Cogito ergo sum.’ (I think, therefore I am.) and the Cartesian dualism (part 4).

To read book is useful and valuable for all people especially students, including considering and criticizing the Descartes’ thinkings. And you can learn and memorize important terms of philosophy, religion and science. And this book is the Descartes’ autobiography of his intellectual career like an adventure. So you read this book enjoyably.

The description of this book is not particularly the way of thinking and the style of writing of French language. The paragraphs and sentences are long as for French. I think the style of thinking of this book is from Latin language. Despite this book is very worth for the people of today and interesting, so I recommend this book to all French advanced learners. Also there’re audiobook and the English edition.

19. « Mythologies » de Roland Barthes, Édition du Seuil (criticism, sociology book for advanced learners)

Roland Barthes was a French critic, semiologist or ‘écrivain’ (writer). His one of the representative works is Mythologies. The former part of the book is a collection of essays taken from a magazine, in which the essays appeared serially. The essays introduce and examine modern cultural myths in France and modern societies. Barthes picked up various things from French daily things (wine, beef steak, soap and detergent), products (Citroën, toys and plastic), music, social effects of photography, sports (wrestling and Le tour de France), political symbolism to ways of criticism (Critique muette et aveugle and La critique Ni-Ni). You will experience the vivid and keen écriture and analysis by Barthes. Each essays are very short (2 to 5 pages, except Le monde où l’on catche and Le Tour de France comme épopée).

The later part Le myths, aujourd’hui is a brilliant essay of general social mythology analysis applying Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of semiology. The good point of this essay is a criticism to signs and the system of daily life, which resulted in a criticism or mention to the latent cultural ’politics’ in/by a entire social system.

I recommend this book to French advanced learners. Because it’s exciting and you can feel way of thinking by French language (sticky argument and keen logic, neither syllogism or paragraph writing) by it. And there’re the audiobook and the English edition.

20. “Berlitz Phrase Book & Dictionary French (Bilingual dictionary)”, Berlitz Language (phrase and vocabulary book for beginners)

21. “French Grammar and Usage (Routledge Reference Grammars)” by Roger Hawkings & Richard Towell, Routledge (grammar reference for intermediates to advanced learners)

This book is a 450 paged large book, but it’s easy to read. The spacing leaves margins. And the descriptions and editing are accessible and clear. Despite its scale, comments in this book are short, but the authors explain French grammar by many lists, examples, charts and comparison to English. The authors comment differences to English many times, especially the points English speaker are apt to make mistakes. I recommend this book to intermediates and advanced learners who want to brush up and complete their knowledge of French grammar.

22. « Pensées » de Blaise Pascal (thought, philosophy)

23. “Barron’s Complete French Grammar Review” by Christopher Kendris & Theodore Kendris, Barron’s Educational Series (grammar book and drill for intermediates)

Barron’s Complete French Grammar Review by Christopher Kendris and Theodore Kendris is a grammar book to review the points and to solve your weak points of French grammar. This reference book for brush up your ability of French grammar, designed for the leaners already have basic knowledge. You’ll reconfirm the points of French grammar by reading explanations, examples and charts, and answering questions. The descriptions are clear and easy to understand and well organized. I recommend this to the beginners want to become intermediates.

24. « Bonjour Tristesse » de Françoise Sagan, Presse Pocket (novel)

25. « La nausée » de Jean-Paul Sartre, Éditions Gallimard (novel)

26. « Bescherende La conjugaison pour tous », Hatier (guidebook about conjugation and verbs for advanced learners)

Bescherelle La conjugaison pour tous is a guidebook for French verb conjugation. The former part is ‘Les tableaux de conjugaison’ is a verb reference entries conjugation tables of essential and most know verbs. And the design is compact and visible. There’re tables of 104 verbs, but they are connected with almost all French 9600 verbs in the index.

The later part ‘Les regales de conjugaison et d’accord’ comments the rules of conjugation. The comments includes verb and tense system and their usage from their foundation, not only conjugation. It’s helpful for you to grasp the French verb and conjugation system deeply.

This book is compact to carry and place on your desk than 501 French Verbs, and the cover is sturdy. So you can use a portable reference of conjugation.