Learn to read French
A short, active path into reading French: decode real words before revealing their sound, learn the silent endings and the joins between words, follow where the pieces of a sentence sit, and read a small story before opening your first book.
Reading
3 sectionsFirst reading with help: two animals on the road
- Read the French line first, then use the pronunciation and the English.
- Every word carrying the scene has appeared earlier; one new place word is explained first.
- The exchange is in the present, because the animals are talking rather than being narrated.
- Re-read it once without looking at the English.
One new word; everything else has appeared before
| sur le cheminsewr luh shuh-ma(n)“on the road” |
The in of chemin is one more nasal vowel — the vowel of bang; the n is not said.
Sur le chemin
Une souris et un renard sont sur le chemin.
ewn soo-ree ay u(n) ruh-nar soh(n) sewr luh shuh-ma(n)
A mouse and a fox are on the road.
« Bonjour », dit la souris.
boh(n)-zhoor, dee lah soo-ree
“Hello,” says the mouse.
« Bonjour », répond le renard.
boh(n)-zhoor, ray-poh(n) luh ruh-nar
“Hello,” answers the fox.
« Où est-ce que tu vas ? » demande la souris.
oo es-kuh tew vah ? duh-mah(n)d lah soo-ree
“Where are you going?” asks the mouse.
« Je vais dans la forêt, parce que j'ai faim. »
zhuh veh dah(n) lah foh-reh, par-suh kuh zhay fa(n)
“I am going into the forest, because I am hungry.”
« Au revoir ! » — « Au revoir. »
oh ruh-vwahr ! oh ruh-vwahr.
“Goodbye!” — “Goodbye.”
Two delayed recalls before the new story
- forêt
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forêtfoh-reh“forest” - arbre
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arbrear-bruh“tree”