Introduction

Reading in a foreign language is one of the most effective ways for you to improve language skills and expand vocabulary. However, it can sometimes be difficult to find engaging reading materials at an  appropriate level that will provide a feeling of achievement and a sense of progress. Most books and articles written for native speakers are too difficult for beginner language learners to understand. They often  have very high-level vocabulary and may be so lengthy that you feel overwhelmed and give up.
If these problems sound familiar, then this book is for you! Short Stories in French for Beginners is a collection of eight unconventional and entertaining short stories that are especially designed to help high- beginner to low-intermediate level French learners* improve their language skills. These short stories offer something of interest for everyone and have been designed to create a supportive reading environment by including:

• Rich linguistic content in different genres to keep you entertained and expose you to a variety of word forms, the new French spelling system, and the 1000 most common words in the French language! 

• Interesting illustrations to introduce the story content and help you better understand what happens.

• Shorter stories in chapters to give you the satisfaction of finishing the stories and progressing quickly.

• Texts written especially at your level so they are more easily comprehended and not overwhelming.

• Special learning aids to help support your understanding including:

• Summaries to give you regular overviews of plot progression.

• Vocabulary lists to help you understand unfamiliar words more easily. These words are bolded in the story and translated after each chapter. The vocabulary for the book also builds from Story 1 to Story 8 to help

you expand your vocabulary the more you read!

• Comprehension questions to test your understanding of key events and to encourage you to read in more detail. In addition, the passé simple (simple past) can be a source of frustration for new French learners  as it is a difficult verb form only found in literary French. This book instead chooses to use the passé composé throughout –the equivalent past tense used in spoken French. This editorial decision not only removes  a barrier to reading enjoyably in French, but also helps you perfect a verb form that will be immediately useful in your speaking.

So perhaps you are new to French and looking for an entertaining way to learn, or maybe you have been learning for a while and simply want to enjoy reading and expand your vocabulary, either way, this book is  the biggest step forward you will take in your studies this year. Short Stories in French for Beginners will give you all the support you need, so sit back, relax, and let your imagination run wild as you are transported to  a magical world of adventure, mystery and intrigue – in French!