Décoder les nouvelles : Reading a French News Article

Imagine you pick up a French newspaper. You have not studied every word in it — but you understand more than you think. News articles follow a predictable pattern in every language: a headline that grabs attention, a first paragraph that answers who, what, where, and when, and then extra detail in the body. This structure is your secret weapon. Before you read a single French word, ask yourself: what do I expect a news article to do? Knowing the answer already puts you ahead.