The word “newspaper” in French reminds you of popular names like Le Monde, Le Figaro, Libération, L’Equipe etc.
These daily French newspapers can be a boon for intermediates and advanced speakers but are too challenging for beginners.
In that case, one of the best ways to learn French news as an amateur is to read newspapers suited for your level.
Discover the best French newspapers to keep yourself updated in French with the world around.
Why news is a great learning resource?
News articles are written to inform and educate readers. With every story or article that is read, the reader acquires knowledge about the events taking place across the world.
There are plenty of reasons to incorporate news into your language lessons. Let’s unravel the top 3 reasons to read French newspapers every day.
1. Easily accessible: News is available in multiple forms nowadays. We can read or listen to it digitally via podcasts, radios, and news websites or watch it on television.
2. Strengthens your vocabulary: News sources have the potential to patch up the vocabulary holes. Consuming the language through news sources will allow you to see and recognize new words as well as give you a detailed context on how to use them.
3. Keeps you informed: By using the news as a resource, you are exposed to all the current affairs of the world associated with the French language and culture.
6 French newspapers for beginners
We have grouped a well-known list of newspapers for beginners to receive a mine of information that best reflects the French opinion on multiple topics.
1. Le Petit Quotidien
Le Petit Quotidien is the perfect newspaper for beginners to read the latest news. It is primarily aimed at 6 to 10-year-old children with its simplified length and content.
This fun and engaging daily newspaper provide a detailed description of the news in a concise manner.
The addition of engaging sections like stories, photos, and words arouse our interest to learn. Moreover, there is a comic page related to the theme of the edition to add some extra fun to the learning journey.
2. Mon Quotidien
Mon Quotidien targets readers between 10 and 13 years of age to help adolescents understand the world around them. Therefore, they use simple words to explain complex issues.
The news is composed of articles and games with a motive to help you learn while having fun. Difficult words are underlined and explained to facilitate your reading comprehension.
With numerous and extremely diverse themes, you will learn about the economy, sports, French and international culture, and much more.
Some of the common themes included in this edition are current affairs, ecology, history, culture, environment, society, astronomy, education, and history.
3. L’actu
L’actu is a daily newspaper adapted to young people from 13 to 18 years old. It features serious news with a touch of humor on subjects such as economics, science, and geography.
Plus, l’Actu issues special photos every Monday. Its contents are built around a common theme associated with its images.
It is a fantastic resource for novice learners to develop critical thinking and awareness of the outside world in 10 minutes.
4. 20 minutes
This daily newspaper has no particular political affiliation and claims strict neutrality in its reporting. Its fame comes from its accessibility and is mainly aimed at commuters in major French cities. It is usually found in Metro stations and other transport hubs.
Each edition covers local as well as national and international news. As the name suggests, it should take a minimum of 20 minutes to read this easily accessible newspaper.
5. 1 jour 1 actu
Un jour une actu translates to “one day, one news article”. As a beginner, this was one of my favorite sites to read because the articles are very interesting and insightful. It grants us the ability to easily understand the context.
The site features articles about the world, culture, science, sports, and our environment. It deciphers complex topics in a language accessible from a basic level and addresses the news through engaging videos, interviews, reports, and podcasts.
6. Le Parisien
It is one of the most widely read newspapers in France. The mission of Le Parisien is to provide unbiased and quality information to a broad audience covering a vast range of subjects, including complex issues and world news.
It has also launched an Early Access Edition wherein the readers gain access to read tomorrow’s news at 11:30 PM the night before on their website and app.
Learn something new every day
French newspapers are excellent resources for learning French. These informative sources not only boost your knowledge but also contribute in other ways to an individual’s language development.
Get a balanced picture of news stories by consuming different news sources with the help of the above list. This will give you a range of different perspectives on an issue while learning something new every day.
