Dictionary Purchasing Information

All of my students will need a small, pocket-sized French-English dictionary. Save the money you would spend on a nicer, larger one for a little bit down the line in your French-learning career. At this point, you shouldn't spend more than $15 dollars for a nice, solid dictionary that will definitely get you through your first year or so of your French career.

My favorite brand is "Le Robert & Collins" because those are the two definitive dictionary providers for each language. As they work together, they produce a great translation dictionary. It looks like this:













However, it is not always easy to find in the US, even online, and when it is available, it costs more (around $30) because it is imported. If you can find that specific brand combo for a reasonable price, great.

Otherwise, just purchase the Collins brand at any Barnes & Noble.

I have a feeling that the Collins editions available in the US have the same entries as the one I mentioned earlier.

In general, though, any dictionary will do. However, try to avoid brands that aren't either English or French! Lagenscheit, for example, makes really cool looking dictionaries (yellow plastic cover), but they are the result of a German person translating something from English to French or vice versa...not a good idea!

Great English and French brands are: Larousse, Webster, and Oxford.

Level 2 students will also want to invest in a Verb Conjugation book. Ask me for details.