Language Resources

French 111/112

• Online audio files for the Vis-à-Vis textbook

Oxford dictionaries

Access to the French Oxford dictionary is provided to Reed community members by the Library and requires a Reed login. This comprehensive dictionary includes audio and information about idiomatic phrases.

Le Grande Robert

Le Grande Robert gives comprehensive definitions in French, including the different ways a word could be used and literary examples for each. This is a good choice for students whose professors have asked them to use only fully French dictionaries for their readings.

Bon Patron

Bon Patron is an online grammar and spelling correction. Suggestions and guides are available in English as well as French, making this a good choice for students just beginning French composition as well as intermediate learners.

Reverso

Reverso is another online grammar and spelling correction tool. It lacks the linguistic references available in Bon Patron. Explanation for corrections are in French, so this tool might be best for advanced learners. Because Bon Patron and Reverso catch different errors or explain errors in different ways, it may be useful for a French language learner to check their work using more than one tool.

Mac users generally choose to use special characters on their US keyboard while typing in French. For users of Windows machines, it may be easier to switch to a French keyboard layout. 

Typing help for Macs

• It is especially easy to type characters with accent marks on a Mac.
• Set up your computer to type using an French keyboard layout.
• Use the keyboard viewer to view the French keyboard layout while you type. This may be especially useful as you are adjusting to the French keyboard layout.

Typing help for Windows 

• Use keyboard shortcuts to type characters with accents.
• Set up your computer to type using an French keyboard layout.