Lilata > Free French courses online – detailed review (2024)

Free French courses online – detailed review (2024)

Mia Lopez

Looking for a good free course to learn French online? Whether you’re a total beginner or want to brush up on your skills, there are tons of free resources out there that can help you improve your French. I know it can be overwhelming to choose, so I’ve done the digging for you and rounded up the best places to find video and audio lessons, as well as some useful apps.

Sidenote: If you’re interested mostly in apps, check out this comprehensive review of the best apps to learn French.

Table of contents

Best free French courses by category

As much as I’d like to pick a single best course, there just isn’t one. All online French courses are different and excel at different things. One is better for grammar, another is better for vocabulary; one has short and casual lessons, while another does serious deep dives; you get the point. So I’ve selected the options that look the strongest in certain cases, but I recommend trying at least one lesson from a few courses that catch your eye. This way, you can find the best course for you personally.

Anyhow, here are the top picks:

Free video courses

Most free video courses are hosted on YouTube as playlists. You’ll find that often they are simpler and shorter versions of paid courses offered by the channels’ owners. In addition to covering more material, premium courses typically are supplemented by textbooks or exercises. With free courses, however, you’ll almost always need to find ways to practice your new language skills on your own.

Let’s look at the best free options out there.

Learn French with Alexa

Learn French with Alexa is a popular YouTube channel created by Alexa Polidoro, a native French teacher with decades of experience. The channel offers a number of courses for beginners and early intermediate learners, with a wide range of lessons that cover vocabulary, grammar, and more advanced topics in a fun and approachable way. In addition to the free videos, Alexa also provides premium courses through her website.

Courses:

The perfect French with Dylane

The Perfect French with Dylane is a YouTube channel run by French teacher and author Dylane Moreau. It features hundreds of French lessons for beginner and intermediate learners, including several specialized courses on grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary. In addition to videos, each course has a textbook with exercises, which you can buy for a modest amount of money if you want to practice your new skills, but it’s optional. You can see the full list of courses and supplementary materials on Dylane’s site.

Courses:

Learn French with Vincent

Learn French with Vincent is one of the oldest French learning channels on YouTube. Vincent Lefrançois, a native French speaker and experienced teacher, created a huge number of lessons that cover everything from basic vocabulary and grammar to advanced topics. His teaching style is serious, thorough, and visual, making complex concepts easier to grasp (as long as you have the patience). The channel is related to the French4me platform, where learners can buy access to premium courses, e-books, and quizzes.

Courses:

FrenchPod101

FrenchPod101 is a popular language platform primarily aimed at early-level French learners. It offers a wide range of audio and video lessons covering essential vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation. One of its strengths is the inclusion of cultural insights, helping you not only understand the language but also the French way of life. In addition to the free lessons, FrenchPod101 has a learning app with premium access to all courses and extra features like flashcards and quizzes. It might not be the best app out there, but it does enhance the learning experience.

Courses:

Easy Languages

Easy Languages is a non-profit project aiming to help people learn languages through videos with authentic conversations. In each episode, the host chats with native French speakers on the street about a specific topic. There are subtitles in both French and English so regardless of your level, you will be able to hear, read and “see” the language in its local habitat. While these videos aren’t a comprehensive course taking you from A to Z, they’re a great resource to add to your learning routine, helping you practice listening, discover new words, and get comfortable with the way natives speak. In addition to the main channel, there is also a secondary channel called Easy French.

Lessons:

French in Action

French in Action is a classic French course created at Yale University in the 1980s. It’s known for its immersive approach, teaching entirely in French through a storyline that follows the lives of two characters, Mireille and Robert. This method helps learners get accustomed to spoken French in context, without relying on English explanations. The course includes 52 video lessons, along with a supplementary textbook, workbook, and audiotapes, all designed to provide additional grammar and vocabulary practice. While the course is beloved by many learners, it can feel a bit outdated and escalates in difficulty quickly. So even though it’s intended for beginners, it might be helpful to learn some basic vocabulary before starting.

Course:

French by the Nature Method

A narrated video course based on the classic book Le Français Par La Méthode Nature. The book focuses on teaching French in a natural way, similar to how children learn their first language. It gradually introduces vocabulary and grammar through fully French stories and dialogues, without relying on translation or rote memorization. Despite some outdated language and several dull chapters, the course provides a strong grammatical foundation and can significantly improve your ability to read and understand spoken French.

Alice Ayel

Alice Ayel is a French educator who teaches French through comprehensible input, which is a method that emphasizes understanding and intuition rather than memorization or traditional drills. On her channel, Alice tells stories accompanied by simple drawings, in slow, clear French to help learners absorb the language naturally. These lessons are best suited for beginners and early intermediate learners. If you find it difficult to follow along, try turning on subtitles. In addition to the free videos, Alice offers premium courses on her website.

Courses:

French Comprehensible Input

French Comprehensible Input is a YouTube channel that helps people learn French in context without relying on translations. Teacher Lucas tells stories using simple language, gestures, and images, making them accessible to everyone, from beginners to advanced learners. If you have trouble understanding something, you can always turn on subtitles.

Courses:

Français Authentique

Français Authentique is a YouTube channel that helps learners improve their French through a natural, immersive approach. The content is entirely in French and is best suited for those who already have some foundational knowledge. While the lessons aren’t part of a cohesive learning course, they cover many useful topics and can be a valuable tool in your language-learning toolkit. In addition to the free YouTube videos, Français Authentique offers premium courses through its website.

Lessons:

Wandering French

Wandering French is another YouTube channel focused on providing comprehensible input, in this case in Quebec French. The host, Hélène, uses her extensive teaching background and love of travel to create bite-sized, French-only lessons that are engaging and easy to follow. Her videos are mostly aimed at learners that already know some French.

Lessons:

Latinum

Latinum is a YouTube channel that teaches languages using the Manesca method. It focuses on acquiring language skills through listening, repeating, and responding to simple questions in a series of structured exercises known as “mouvements.” This approach is geared toward naturally increasing proficiency over time. Latinum’s French courses are a solid choice for anyone looking to learn French using traditional, tested methods.

Courses:

Free audio courses

Most free audio courses are published as podcasts on various platforms. They aren’t always perfectly organized, but you can usually sort the episodes from oldest to newest to follow them in a logical order. If that’s not the case, you can track the correct order by episode numbers. Like video courses, these podcasts are often a free version of a premium course that can be purchased on the publisher’s website, along with supplementary learning materials such as books and exercises.

What are these courses, you ask? Well, let’s take a look.

Coffee Break French

Coffee Break French is a popular free podcast that offers well produced and easily digestible lessons designed to fit into a coffee break. The course is divided into 4 seasons, each targeting learners at different levels – from absolute beginners to advanced. Every season features 40 lessons, each lasting 15-20 minutes. For those looking to deepen their learning, Coffee Break French offers premium courses for each season, including bonus audio materials, video episodes, and lesson notes. Although, the price is quite steep. Also, some learners find that the later seasons have a bit too much English.

Course:

Learn French by Podcast

A well-structured series of French lessons designed for beginners and early intermediate learners, focusing on practical language use. Each episode begins with a dialogue or scenario in French, which is then broken down and explained by the host, covering key vocabulary, grammar, and usage. If you wish to delve deeper into the material, you can buy PDFs on the official website.

Podcast:

Language Transfer

Language Transfer is a free beginner-level course that teaches French in an interactive and exploratory way, referred to as “the thinking method.” This approach emphasizes understanding the structure of the language over rote memorization of vocabulary and grammar rules. It’s similar to the Michel Thomas method. The course is relatively short, with 40 lessons lasting about 10 minutes each, and doesn’t teach too much vocabulary. Nevertheless, it can be a valuable supplement to more structured learning resources.

Course:

French Made Easy

French Made Easy is a free podcast by Mathilde Kien that helps beginners master French through simple, bite-sized lessons. Each lesson focuses on practical vocabulary, pronunciation, or grammar, and makes complex topics easy to understand. In addition to the audio lessons, on her site Mathilde provides free cheat sheets and exercises.

Course:

The FSI French Courses

In the 1970s, the Foreign Service Institute developed several language courses to train U.S. diplomats for overseas assignments. These free courses offer extensive audio drills and detailed written lessons aimed at quickly building language proficiency. While considered classics by generations of learners and highly effective, they are demanding, repetitive, and somewhat outdated. However, if you can get through one, you’ll learn a ton.

Courses:

  • Introduction to French Phonology
    This course focuses on helping learners develop accurate pronunciation. It spans a little under 10 hours and covers various topics, including vowel and consonant sounds, intonation, and rhythm. It’s suitable for learners at any stage.
  • French Basic Course
    This course is designed to build conversational proficiency through dialogues, drills, and exercises. With about 90 hours of audio and detailed written materials, it focuses on grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation.
  • French Fast Course
    This course focuses on the rapid acquisition of practical language skills, emphasizing essential phrases and everyday dialogues. Unlike the more comprehensive FSI courses, it includes less than 4 hours of audio, intended only to supplement the textbook and classroom practice.

Learn French With Alexa

A podcast hosted by the popular teacher Alexa Polidoro. It offers 20-30 minute lessons for beginners that cover various aspects of the French language and culture. While the total number of lessons is relatively small, each lesson is fun and engaging, making it a great intro to learning French.

Podcast:

InnerFrench

InnerFrench is a great podcast designed to help intermediate French learners enhance their comprehension skills through full immersion in the language. The host, Hugo Cotton, speaks clearly and slightly slower than natural speed, making the content accessible while still challenging for listeners. Each episode, which runs about 30 minutes, delves into a variety of topics, from French culture to personal insights, without relying on any English translations. If you struggle to follow along, full transcripts are available on the official website. Additionally, InnerFrench offers paid courses for those looking to take their French to the next level.

Podcast:

News in Slow French

News in Slow French offers free weekly lessons designed to help you improve your listening and comprehension skills by presenting current events and cultural content at a slower pace. This format makes learning more interesting and helps intermediate learners transition to content for native speakers, although they have some episodes for beginners too. Each episode comes with interactive transcripts, vocabulary flashcards, and pronunciation guides. To get access to older episodes and to be able to filter them by level, you’ll need to buy a subscription through their site or apps.

Podcast:

Learn French by Dailyfrenchpod

A free podcast offering short, story-based lessons. Each lesson begins with a brief news item or cultural fact, which is then broken down into its key vocabulary and grammatical elements. The host, Louis, explains the usage of new words and phrases, often providing examples and occasional English translations. Primarily in French, the podcast is well-suited for intermediate learners looking to build their comprehension, but won’t help much with grammar or speaking.

Podcast:

Learn French in Your Car

This repetition-based audio course by Henry N. Raymond is designed for learners who already have some knowledge of French. It focuses on practical phrases and conversational skills, featuring clear pronunciation from native speakers. However, it doesn’t cover grammar in depth, making it not ideal for complete beginners.

Course:

Vocabulearn French

This is a simple audio course designed to help you learn basic French vocabulary through repetition. Organized into themed lessons, each word or phrase is first presented in English and then in French. While the course is useful for practicing pronunciation and reinforcing vocabulary, it’s best used as a supplementary resource rather than a standalone learning tool.

Course:

FrenchPod101

This podcast offers bite-sized audio lessons for beginners and intermediate learners. You can start from older lessons that teach French from the very basics (although there aren’t many of them available for free), or listen to frequently published new lessons, that are available for the first few weeks before being removed. For those seeking access to the whole course, FrenchPod101 offers a paid app that also provides extra learning tools like flashcards, quizzes, progress tracking, and detailed lesson notes.

Podcast:

French Survival Phrases

A podcast designed to equip travelers with vital French phrases for an upcoming trip to France. Each episode focuses on a practical topic, such as ordering food, asking for directions, or checking into a hotel, with clear explanations of key phrases and their usage. If you have not studied French and simply want to master basic phrases without getting into the details, this is the series for you.

Podcast:

Frenchclasses.com

FrenchClasses.com is a website offering a structured course across three levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. It features 36 beginner lessons that gradually lead to full immersion at higher levels, with a strong focus on listening skills through over 30 hours of audio content. Each lesson includes a transcript, contextual notes, grammar explanations, and exercises.

Free apps

Unlike video and audio courses that are often created by one person with expertise in French, apps are much more complex and costly to develop. This is why the majority of free apps are heavily restricted versions of paid apps or are of lower quality in terms of lessons and user experience. However, there are still apps that offer a lot of value for free.

  • If you’re a beginner looking for a simple way to learn and practice the basics, try Busuu or Duolingo. They offer a fairly comprehensive learning experience, though not without restrictions.
  • If you’re an intermediate learner, try TV5Monde. It’s a completely free app that teaches French through real-life videos from French TV shows, news, and documentaries.
  • For learning vocabulary, the most popular free option is Anki. It’s a highly customizable flashcard app with an active community that creates all its learning content. There is one caveat: the app is free on Android, but on iOS, you’ll have to pay a small one-time fee.
  • For improving grammar, Wlingua is a great choice. It is very thorough in explaining the rules and making you practice them. The free version of the app has some restrictions.
  • If you prefer to learn via audio, check out Language Transfer. It’s a simple, free app for beginners that teaches you to understand the structure of the language rather than specific rules.

This is a brief overview of the current app landscape. To see more apps and learn in detail about their pros and cons, check out these in-depth reviews of all the best French apps and the best free apps.

Frequently asked questions

Is French hard to learn?
French can be challenging to learn, but it’s definitely doable with the right resources and dedication. Like any language, it has its tricky aspects, such as pronunciation and grammar, especially with verb conjugations and gendered nouns. However, French shares many similarities with English, making it easier for English speakers to pick up vocabulary and sentence structure. The key is consistent practice and exposure, whether through courses, French content, or real-life conversations. With time and some effort, you can make steady progress.

How to learn French by yourself?
Start by choosing a good mix of resources, like courses, apps, and books, to cover different aspects of the language – vocabulary, grammar, listening, and speaking. Set realistic goals and create a regular study schedule to keep yourself on track. Immersing yourself in the language as much as possible is key – try watching simplified content in French, listening to podcasts, or reading children’s books. Practice speaking by recording yourself or using language exchange platforms to converse with native speakers. Most importantly, stay patient and persistent, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes – they’re a natural part of the learning process.

What is the quickest way to learn conversational French?
Focus on immersion and practical usage. Start with basic phrases and everyday vocabulary that you’ll use in real-life conversations. Use apps or courses that emphasize speaking and listening, like Pimsleur or Language Transfer, which teach you how to think in French from the start. Practice speaking regularly with native speakers through language exchange platforms or online tutors to build confidence and fluency. Surround yourself with French as much as possible – watch French shows, listen to French podcasts, and try to think in French during your daily routine. The more you practice in real-life scenarios, the faster you’ll become comfortable speaking French.

Can I learn basic French in 3 months?
You can learn basic French quickly, but it requires a strategic and focused approach. Start by identifying the most essential aspects of the language – like greetings, common phrases, numbers, and simple verb conjugations. Prioritize speaking and listening skills over grammar rules, as these will be most useful in everyday situations. Use apps to practice daily and reinforce what you learn. Additionally, immerse yourself in French as much as possible by listening to French podcasts for beginners or watching videos providing comprehensible input. The key is consistency and practical application, by concentrating on what you need for basic conversations, you can make significant progress in just a few months.

Can I become fluent in French in 3 months?
No. Fluency requires time and consistent practice, as it involves not just understanding and saying basic phrases but also using thousands of words naturally in countless different situations. However, you can make significant progress in 3 months if you fully immerse yourself in the language. This means studying intensively every day, practicing speaking with native speakers as much as possible, and surrounding yourself with French media like movies, podcasts, and books. With dedication and focus, you can quickly build a strong foundation and become conversationally proficient.

Which university offers free French online courses?
Several universities offer free French online courses through platforms like Coursera, edX, and their own websites. One notable option is The Open University, which provides a variety of free language courses, including beginner French, through its OpenLearn platform. Additionally, MIT OpenCourseWare offers some free French materials, although they are more focused on cultural and literary studies.

Wrapping up

Learning French doesn’t have to be expensive or overwhelming. With the wide range of free resources available online, you can find the tools that best fit your learning style and goals. From beginner-friendly apps and podcasts to more advanced courses and immersive content, there’s something out there to help you at every stage of your journey. Remember, consistency is key – regular practice and exposure to the language will take you far.

Explore the options highlighted in this article, and don’t hesitate to mix and match different resources. The journey to fluency is a personal one, and finding what works best for you will make the process more enjoyable and effective. Happy learning!

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