Research Guides: French and Francophone Studies: Getting Started in French

Best Bets for French and Francophone Studies

Oxford Reference Online: Bilingual Dictionaries This link opens in a new window
An excellent online French-English dictionary.
MLA International Bibliography This link opens in a new window
A very good database of peer-reviewed and scholarly articles on modern literature, language, linguistics and folklore, including from the French speaking world.
Oxford Bibliographies This link opens in a new window
Offers excellent annotated bibliographies on subjects across the humanities and social sciences. Search for French or Francophone to find well-researched sources in both English and French.
Oxford Bibliographies offers peer-reviewed annotated bibliographies on specific topics in a growing range of subject areas. There are at least 50 specific topical bibliographies in each subject area. Each of these features an introduction to the topic. Bibliographies are browsable by subject area and are keyword searchable.

Topic Overviews in French

Encyclopedia of Contemporary French Culture by Alexandra Hughes (Editor); Alex Hughes (Editor); Keith A. Reader (Editor); Keith Reader (Editor)
ISBN: 9780203003305
Published: 2002-03-11
More than 700 alphabetically organized entries by an international team of contributors provide a fascinating survey of French culture post 1945.
Encyclopedia of Modern French Thought by Christopher John Murray (Editor)
ISBN: 1579583849
Published: 2004-02-12
In this wide-ranging guide to twentieth-century French thought, leading scholars offer an authoritative multi-disciplinary analysis of one of the most distinctive and influential traditions in modern thought.
A Critical Bibliography of French Literature
Location: REF Z2171 .C3
A multivolume series covering French literature from the medieval period to the present.

Article Databases for French and Francophone Studies

JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Humanities, social sciences, and science full text journals, you can use a language limiter to find articles in French, while also searching for materials on French/Francophone subjects.
Project Muse This link opens in a new window
Full-text scholarly journals, including French and Francophone topics and subjects.
Humanities & Social Sciences Index Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Citations with links to full-text articles from across the humanities and social sciences, a very good source for French and Francophone Studies.

News Sources in French

Le Monde
One of the most respected and widely read newspapers in France. It covers national and international news, politics, culture, and more.
Le Figaro
Another influential French newspaper known for its conservative editorial stance. It covers a wide range of topics, including politics, business, culture, and lifestyle.
Libération
Often referred to as "Libé," is a left-leaning newspaper known for its progressive and socially conscious reporting. It covers politics, social issues, and cultural topics.
France24
France 24 is a major French international news channel that provides news coverage in French, English, and Arabic. It offers a global perspective on news and current events, particularly helpful if you are interested in comparing and contrasting translations of new events between English and French.
BFMTV
BFMTV is a 24-hour rolling news based in France and available online.
Radio France Internationale
State-owned French international radio news network, broadcasting 24 hours a day.

News Archives in French

Are you looking for an archived news article? Were you searching for a news article and hit a paywall? The Library provides access to newspaper articles from around the world in French, as well as excellent news coverage from international and regional newspapers across la Francophonie.

Global Newsstream This link opens in a new window
Global Newsstream has access to over 60 international news publications in French, including Le Monde, Radio France Internationale, and Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Nexis Uni has access to L'Humanité, Libération, Le Figaro, L'express, Le Point, among many other current publications in French.

French Librarian

Marianne Williams

she/her

Contact:

Ladd Library 131
(207) 786-8323
mwillia8@bates.edu

I am usually at the Research Desk Mon. 6-9, Tues. 1-4, and Wed. 10-1

Subjects: Art and Visual Culture, Classical and Medieval Studies, English, European Studies, French, Gender and Sexuality Studies, German, Greek (Ancient), Hispanic Studies, Languages and Literatures, Latin American and Latinx Studies, Russian