French Language Resources

This page is a work in progress. Please feel free to suggest resources that have worked for you in the comments.

French language learning resources

Ah, French. One of these most popular foreign languages for native English speakers. There’s no surprise there considering it’s one of the most spoken languages in the world and the official language of several countries. It’s also one of the languages I speak at home.

I’ve had the opportunity to tutor in French for a few years and so I’ve worked with a variety of resources with my various students learning what works and what doesn’t (and that it’s different for everyone). Based on my personal experience, I’ve assembled this guide to share some of the books and language learning materials I have used and found to be effective.

The French Language

The French language, français, is an official language in 29 countries with close to 75 million native speakers. It is a romance language, and a descendent from Latin.  French was the official language for diplomacy and international relations for centuries before it was replaced by English (although it is still used in several cases and holds importance as one of the languages of diplomacy still).

So why would you want to learn French? Well, that’s entirely up to you. I believe don’t that choosing languages for “practical” reasons is as effective for learning as choosing a language because you want to learn it. I suggest the same for you. For me, French is the only language I can use to communicate with a large part of my family and so it’s a very important language for me to maintain and use on a regular basis.

Hear the French Language

So, let’s look at a few resources you can use to help learn French.

How to Decide Which French Language Resources to Pick

Language learning texts and resources can get real expensive real quick. So rather than going at it randomly or by trial and error (which you’ll probably have to do some of anyway), I’d like to make a suggestion first.

The ability to use and understand a language is based upon four basic abilities: reading, writing, speaking, and comprehension. Depending on what your goals are, all four may not be necessary.

Let’s say, for example, you hope to take a trip to Montreal or Paris in six months. What language skills will you need? Basic communication and comprehension and basic reading (street signs, etc). You probably won’t ever have to write in the language. So, in this case, you might focus on developing your speaking and listening skills. If this sounds like you, I suggest checking out the audio or audio/text resources and the online resources below.

On the other hand, maybe your goal is to read French literature or poetry. In that case, learning to speak and understand the spoken language aren’t necessary and you can dedicate your energy to text. If this describes you, I suggest checking out the text and online resources below.

Ideally, you should probably develop some skill in each area, but the areas you focus on need to align with your goals regarding the language and how you plan to use it. I highly suggest picking resources based on this alone. Don’t get distracted with the temptation of shiny, new books (like me) and only buy materials you think you’ll actually use. You’ll save yourself a headache and a lot of money. Money that you can put aside for that trip to France!

A Few Things To Consider Before Taking on Any Language

  • What is your motivation behind learning French? Take a moment to write down your language learning goals. It increases the odds of you achieving them. You can also join us as part of our Clear the List goal setting linkup!
  • How many hours a day are you willing to study a language? Set realistic expectations for your progress.
  • How do you plan on studying French? Are the methods that work for you available?
  • You should setup up the French language keyboard on both your computer and your phone. It will help you with spelling and make chat easier on Skype/HelloTalk/etc.
  • Be accountable. I keep my blog to help me be more accountable and use other apps to keep track of my daily study.

Audio Resources

  • Conversations // Want to learn a new language using audio conversations recorded by native speakers? Look no further. This is exactly what you’ll get with Olly Richards’ Conversations course.
  • Pimsleur French // try a free lesson.
  • Speechling // Record audio in Chinese and have it corrected by a native speaker. Read the review. Sign up using code FFDEBF and get 10% off for life.
  • Librivox // get audiobooks read to you in your target language for free!
  • TuneIn // French language radio (also try their Belgian station).
  • News in Slow French // A podcast.
  • Coffee Break French // A podcast.

Audio & Text Resources

  • French Uncovered // Olly Richards has a fantastic and thorough course available to French language learners. It includes audio and reading lessons from native French speakers and it covers the essentials of the language.
  • Assimil
  • 21 French Words You Might Be Mispronouncing // With audio and text.
  • TV5 Monde // Learn French with TV5 Monde news reports created with various levels in mind.
  • France Culture // A podcast about French culture with accompanying written articles. (Advanced)
  • FrenchPod101 // Also an online resource, but it provides you with both audio recordings, text transcriptions and more.

Text Resources

Online Resources

  • The Fluent in 3 Months Bootcamp // The last few years, I’ve done the Fi3M Bootcamp for every new language I’ve studied. I’ve also participated in several of my other languages. It’s a 90-day program that helps you get to a 15-minute conversation in your new language as a part of a community with personal coaching. 
  • Grammar Hero // Master French Grammar with Grammar hero by Olly Richards.
  • 30DC French // Dive deep with French Grammar in a monthly challenge with Olly Richards. Each month features a different theme or topic.
  • FluentU // Read our review here.
  • Speak in a Week // Another great resource from Benny Lewis that gets you speaking your target language quickly.
  • iTalki // A great site where you can find language tutors or language exchange partners.
  • BonjourdeFrance // A free cyber-magazine designed to help you improve your French vocabulary. Beginning to advanced lessons are available.
  • Drops // Interactive, visual language learning with tons of fantastic, well-curated vocabulary lists.
  • Clozemaster // A fun game where you use cloze, or fill-in-the-blank, to learn new vocabulary.
  • Games for Language // I have yet to actually demo these games, but I like the concept behind them.
  • DuoLingo
  • Comme Une Française
  • Watch French TV
  • Tatoeba // sentences translated from any language in French
  • MIT Open Courseware // French
  • Learn with Oliver (formerly Antosch & Lin) // A flashcard based system with audio and a variety of exercises to help you learn your target language.

Music

One of the best ways to learn a language is to listen to music in the language. It not only helps with improving one’s accent, but it also can increase overall comprehension. Plus it’s fun to translate the lyrics of your favorite songs. Here are a few artists I enjoy.

Culture

Learning about the culture that is tied to the language you’re learning is so important – the more you love the culture, the more you’ll love the language and vice versa. Discovering a new culture also enriches your life, particularly if it’s one quite different than your own. I highly recommend it if you haven’t started already!

Here are a few books on the history of France and it’s culture. You can also check out television shows or movies. I don’t suggest cartoons or films for kids because a lot of the language is often invented and you won’t get as much from it as you might from a drama geared towards an older audience. But if cartoons are your thing, go for it!

Recipes

A Quick Note

If you’ve been learning French, I’d love to hear about your experience and some of the language learning tools you’ve found helpful. Please leave me a note in the comments! The same goes for if you have any questions. I will be more than happy to respond and I look forward to hearing from you!

French language learning resources

Follow Eurolinguiste (language + travel)’s board Let’s Learn French // Language Learning on Pinterest.