If you are planning to move to France, it can be extremely beneficial to try to learn French fast. It is true that if you are moving to Paris or another major city, you may be able to get by without speaking any French. However, if you’re planning on living in a rural area in France, there is an even greater need for you to speak passable French.
Most residents in rural communities will speak no English at all. Although French students do learn English as a foreign language in school, many feel uncomfortable being ‘put to the test’.
Speaking basic conversational French will make a huge difference in your life in France, as you will be able to communicate with everyone – including notaries, government officials and the police, if need be.
There are a number of ways to learn French fast and you should definitely take the first steps towards learning the language when you are still in the planning stages of your move to France.
If you learned French in school in your home country, you may have had an excellent teacher, and to your surprise and delight, you will find that all you’ve learned is still there. With a little coaxing, you may be able to recall much of it when you arrive in France.
The trouble is that if you did not have a French person teaching you, your spoken French may not be so great. If you are mispronouncing a word or not emphasizing the correct syllables, a French person will find it hard to understand you. Likewise, the elision made when you join two words together is important if you want to learn how to speak the French language well.
Why learn French?
The main reason to learn the French language is to make your life in France richer and easier. It is very difficult to go into a local shop or restaurant and ask for the basics if you speak no French at all.
There will be many occasions when it will definitely be an advantage to speak some French. This includes visiting the doctor or dentist as well as going to appointments for your immigration paperwork.
How to learn French
There are a number of different options to learn French for free or inexpensive. Importantly, when you are considering which method you are going to use, it must be one where you will hear French people talking so that you can learn how the words are pronounced perfectly.
The other point to consider is choosing a teaching method that suits you best, as it needs to hold your attention and make you really feel that you are progressing.
Written French and spoken French are very different and a good blend of both is best.
Unfortunately, the only way to learn how to read and write French is to learn all the basics of French grammar – and this isn’t easy!
Spoken French is easier in many respects, because once you have remembered the pronunciation, the verb endings don’t matter so much anymore. The trouble is that many French lessons focus on the grammar, which can be very dull and frustrating. Unfortunately, if the learning method is not one that you enjoy, it is possible to take a number of French lessons and still not be able to ask for a baguette in the boulangerie!
Best websites and apps to learn French online
Learning French online is a good and convenient way to get your French off to a flying start. A bonus to learning French online is that if you find a particular lesson tricky, you have the ability to listen to it a second or third time.
Courses to learn French online offer tuition by level. Most students like to start at the beginner level, even as a refresher for those who studied French before, to ensure that they have the basics firmly in place.
1. Babbel
Babbel is one of the market leaders in learning foreign languages and it offers an affordable French language learning platform (plus 13 other languages). Babbel is a little cheaper than many of its competitors and offers lessons that match your level of French. If you prefer, you can subscribe to join a live virtual class with an instructor.
Babbel also offers a free blog and podcast about languages. There is the opportunity to try Babbel for free to test it out and see if it’s a fit for you.
2. Mondly
Mondly is a fun online tool to learn French as it teaches words and phrases like they are a game. You can start with one daily lesson that’s free and then progress at your own pace. There is the opportunity to practice your French using a chatbot. Periodically, their courses have special price offers.
3. Duolingo
Duolingo is a popular app that can help you to improve your French with bite-sized lessons that take just a few minutes everyday – which are fun, effective and free. Duolingo can be an efficient way to learn French online thanks to its game-like features that are scientifically proven to help improve reading, listening and speaking skills. If you want to boost your learning power Super Duolingo is a subscription platform with two complementary weeks for new students.
4. Français avec Pierre
Another increasingly popular course to learn French online is Français avec Pierre. There are a variety of videos at different levels available on YouTube. Pierre Babon is a lively teacher who is from Bordeaux, but teaches French at the Spanish Official Language School in Madrid, Spain.
Pierre has been teaching French for more than 15 years and loves it – and it shows! He often gets his wife Noemi to join in the lesson. He believes that both theory and practice are important.
Self-study vs group study to learn the French language
The self-study methods described above, using online courses, are definitely a great way to learn and develop French – as long as you are self-disciplined and ensure that you diligently complete a module every week.
Group study methods can be effective for those who prefer the discipline of an organized group setting.
If you like the convenience of learning online, just not by yourself, there are online courses available on platforms such as zoom where students can meet and interact during the lesson. This adds an extra dimension to learning French. Plus, it can be reassuring if you find yourself completely unable to grasp a certain phrase, as the chances are your fellow students are encountering similar problems.
Before you move to France, you may be able to complete a French language course at your local college or school. If you have the opportunity to do this, you should, as it will definitely prove an advantage after you relocate abroad.
Many towns and cities in France do offer group and individual French lessons to foreigners and these cover a wide spectrum. There are one-to-one tutors available as well as traditional group French lessons held in local halls.
A popular concept in France is the Anglo-French club, where French speakers and English speakers meet weekly over a cup of coffee. This idea is that everyone has the chance to practice their French or English in a relaxed atmosphere. This proves to be great fun and a good way to learn about new restaurants, local events and even French politics. Most of these groups meet with no membership fees or if there is a charge, it is a modest one.
How to learn French for free offline
Immersing yourself in the French language and culture is one of the best ways to learn or improve your French.
A great way to supplement your structured lessons is to spend time watching French television as this gives a great boost to your vocabulary. Journal de Treize Heures is a particularly good TV program to watch when learning French. It is broadcast every weekday at 13:00 in the afternoon on the French TV channel TF1. This entertaining TV course features local stories and events and is a great way to give your French a boost and to learn about what is going on in your part of France.
Likewise, listening to the French news on television or radio will help to develop your understanding of French as well as knowledge of current local affairs. Trying to understand the lyrics of French pop songs is a challenge.
Watching movies with French subtitles or dubbing can be beneficial. Check out your local cinema in France to watch popular new releases in French. Another way to help you learn the French language is by listening or watching quizzes on television or to try following a printed French recipe.
Possibly the best way to improve your French speaking at no cost is to get to know your French neighbors – especially if they are elderly and lonely. This is a fun and practical way to learn French for free.
Your neighbors may feel embarrassed at first and not want to correct your French, but with a little encouragement, they will gently help you figure out your verbs and nouns.
This certainly can be a win-win situation, as they will look forward to your visits and your French vocabulary will improve at an amazing speed. You will soon realize that this is the very best way to learn French fast.
Explore more great guides for moving, living and retiring in France.
