French Uncovered Review (By a Language Teacher)

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I'm James, a lover of travel and languages. 

So much so that I blog about them on this site. 

I hope you find this information useful! 😊

French Uncovered offers you, as an absolute beginner, the chance to build your French skills until you are comfortable using written and spoken language to communicate and have a good level of comprehension with listening and reading.

The course claims that by the end it will have you talking at an intermediate level.

⚠️ ATTENTION: You will not be speaking fluent French by the end of the course. HOWEVER, this is a massive stepping stone and a great point to begin your language learning journey or develop your French.

This is one of the most unique beginner courses for learning a new language that I have ever come across.

The story learning methodology is an innovative way to teach languages and immerses complete beginners in a new language.

The Modules: What You Will Learn

Each module of French Uncovered is designed to teach you some specific vocabulary or grammar naturally.

This includes:

👍 How to tell the time in French and explain basic plans
👍 How to introduce yourself and others.

Each module is broken down into the following structure:

Chapter Syllabus

At the very beginning of each chapter, there is a chapter syllabus.

This is a very brief description of the chapter’s contents and what you will learn. In other words, this is where the target language for the module is set out.

Listening and Reading

This is where you listen to the audio recording of the chapter in French and then read the transcript in French.

You can also read the transcript in English afterward if you feel the need for clarity.

A great feature of French Uncovered is that you can choose to listen to the chapter in regular French or in French Canadian.

You can do this depending on which is more suited to your language learning and personal situation.

Vocabulary

In the vocabulary lesson, you will watch a video lecture and then do exercises that are designed to help you retain the vocabulary you have learned in this chapter.

Cognates and Translation

Cognates are words in different languages with the same roots, such as the French word créatif and the English “creative” or banque in French and “bank” in English.

In fact, sometimes two languages use the same words, like the French and English word ‘secrets’. Spoiler alert: the English language is made up of thousands of French words. But I digress…

Anyway, cognates can be very helpful when you are learning a foreign language. But look out for false friends! There are many false friends in French and English that you need to be aware of.

In language learning, false friends are words that you would think mean the same thing but do not.

For example, the French word joli(e) does not mean “jolly”, but “pretty”. Another example would be the French journée, which means “day”, not “journey”.

In the cognates and translation lessons, you will first identify the cognates in the chapter and then read the English translation.

This is a useful activity, as you will see that even before you read the English transcript, there are many words that you can understand.

French Grammar

The grammar section is important, even though it might not be a favorite aspect of learning a language for many French students.

But grammar rules are the building blocks of a language. The better you understand them, the easier you will be able to learn French.

French grammar is similar to Spanish and Italian.

So, if you have studied one of these languages before, this will be an asset. If not, don’t worry, Olly makes grammar lessons accessible and straightforward for language novices.

Each French Uncovered module has target grammar points to learn. In addition, the French Uncovered lessons reference the text and explain why grammar works the way it does in context.

French Pronunciation

This is a key aspect of learning French for when you start speaking.

In the course, you will view a video lesson and hear a native French speaker, Diane, going over the pronunciation of key sounds and words.

Hearing someone speak their native language is a brilliant way to get comfortable with the sounds in a language.

By doing so, you will learn how to use these sounds naturally.

Diane says in her first pronunciation video that seeing her face while she speaks is an important part of learning the sounds in French for a complete beginner.

Review Section

Finally, there is a quiz to end each chapter and a comprehension check. Moreover, chapter 5 has a progress report to ensure you are on track and moving forwards.

If, at any point, you find that you have forgotten a grammar point or you are struggling to comprehend the story, use the reviews and revise previous modules.

French Uncovered Review: What the Course Includes

The first modules ease you into the course by introducing you to your first basic words in French, and the very important verbs être (to be) and avoir (to have).

You will also learn how to use articles in French.

As the lessons progress, you will cover many other aspects and nuances of the French language, such as:

French Grammar Basics

•  Verbs in the present tense and how to make a negative sentence
•  How to form the past tense in French
•  Words indicating the future and how to form the future tense,

And finally, that all-important…

•  The subjunctive mood in French

Useful French Vocabulary

•  Numbers and colors, and telling the time,
•  Question words, like the English words who, what, where, when, and why,
•  Describing a face, talking about your interests, and asking someone to do something

French Uncovered Course Materials and Exercises

The video lessons

Video lessons are a big part of the French Uncovered online course.

They function like classroom lessons with a real teacher. Instead, you have the luxury of pausing and repeating sections that you need to hear again.

Each cognate, vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation lesson is in video form, followed by exercises.

For instance, a grammar lesson will ask you to use the digital flashcard game provided to test yourself and familiarize yourself with the grammar learned in the video.

The pronunciation lessons are followed by worksheets.

Vocabulary and Grammar Exercises

When you complete the vocabulary and grammar lessons, you are presented with a fun pop-up game called “make everything disappear!”

You have a short amount of time to match up the French phrases on digital flashcards with their English translations.

This game helps you to think fast and trust your language-learning instincts. It is a great confidence booster.

Additional Resources

Audio files

After chapter 10 there are several additional resources.

These include audio files for listening to the story in standard French or Canadian French. The first option is a single audio file that plays all 20 chapters of the story without stopping.

The second option is a zip file that contains each chapter, so you can download all 20 chapters at once, but play them individually.

French Grammar Worksheets

For each chapter and its corresponding module, there is a worksheet for the target grammar and a separate sheet for the target vocabulary.

These PDFs are very detailed and thorough.

Speaking Activities

For each chapter, there is a PDF of speaking exercises that involve conversation prompts and useful conversational phrases relevant to the language learned in that module.

As this is an online French course, and you work solo, these speaking activities are a great way to make up for the lack of conversation practice.

Olly recommends that you find a language exchange partner or a personal tutor online, on sites such as iTalki.

How Much Does French Uncovered Cost?

As stated above, you can access a 7-day free trial and cancel any time within 7 days at no cost.

If at the end of the free trial you decide that you would like to continue with the course, you will be billed $297.

This deal comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

This guarantee means that you can try the course for a month, and if for whatever reason you don’t like it, you will get a full refund, no questions asked.

Once you have paid for the course, you have lifetime access, unlike many online language learning courses which require a continued subscription in order to access course materials.

French Uncovered Review: The Best Features

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this course and the available course materials. I had studied French briefly in high school but was essentially a beginner.

The story learning methodology was something I had never experienced before and it was a welcome change from textbook learning.

These were my favorite features of the French Uncovered language learning course:

Comprehensive and Thorough Lessons

On French Uncovered, there are over 100 hours of language lessons that cover all aspects of language learning.

These range from French grammar and pronunciation to useful phrases in different contexts and how to write, read, listen and speak with confidence.

This really helped my confidence as I progressed through the course content. I felt I was getting a thorough immersion into the language and its uses.

Detailed Course Materials

The worksheets and exercises provided for practicing the target language for each module offered me ample opportunities to work on my vocabulary acquisition and understanding of grammar.

It is down to each learner to put the work in. However, the resources are there for those who want to get the most out of the course and learn French.

If you’re like me, you’ll want to get the most out of your money and use all the available materials!

A Unique and Fun Way to Learn a Language

The story learning method was a refreshing change from the traditional methods of rote learning. These include long lists of vocabulary and dull memorization. Instead, it felt like a much more natural way to learn French.

On top of that, it was actually fun and engaging.

A bonus of the story is that it gives a little insight into French cultures, such as French food etiquette, dialects spoken in different regions of France, and which iconic buildings are in which French towns.

Lifelong Access to Materials

One of the best features of this course is that you can keep all of the resources, lessons, and activities for future studying.

There is no need to pay again to re-access the course in the future, as with other courses online.

I know that I will continue to use the French Uncovered course as I continue on my language learning journey.

If you want to try out another language after you have completed French Uncovered, you can try the Spanish version, Spanish Uncovered, for instance, and it will be added to your account’s courses. Be sure to check out my Spanish Uncovered Review.

While you are learning Spanish you can continue to look back over the French course to avoid confusion between these similar languages.

Neither course will expire or disappear.

Areas for Improvement for French Uncovered

No teacher-student back and forth

An obvious downside of learning through pre-recorded video lessons, rather than with an in-person teacher, is that you cannot ask questions throughout the lesson or ask for something to be explained in a different way.

Moreover, the French Uncovered lessons obviously are not personalized to your learning journey but are general and the same for everyone.

This is where it can be beneficial to get your French-speaking partner lined up, so you have someone who can correct you when you speak French, or answer questions you have that aren’t covered in the video lesson.

Minimal speaking practice

This takes me to a possible area for improvement. French Uncovered does not offer a lot of opportunities for speaking practice while you learn French.

It is down to the learner to make the effort to find a speaking partner and work on this language skill.

While I understand that it is hard to incorporate speaking practice into this kind of online course, perhaps the French Uncovered platform should help to facilitate speaking practice by putting learners in touch with online tutors.

Repetitive exercises

After grammar and vocabulary lessons, you are presented with the “make everything disappear!” flashcard activity.

This game was quite enjoyable for me, particularly at first, but did become a little repetitive.

Some variety in exercises might have been nice.

Nonetheless, this is a great way to test your language acquisition and get competitive with yourself.

Once you complete the game, the course prompts you to try again and beat your previous time.

Would I Recommend French Uncovered?

The short answer is yes, I would recommend French Uncovered.

I found the entire story engaging, and even enjoyed the grammar exercises and accompanying worksheets. It was a rewarding way to begin to learn French.

Each day I spent with French Uncovered, I found that I could see myself learning French slowly but surely. This is not something I can say for other courses I’ve tried online.

Learning a foreign language is not a linear process, and there are days where French learners will feel more or less confident.

However, with French Uncovered, the continued exposure to natural French really allowed me to immerse myself and go from a (near) complete beginner who had all but forgotten his high school-level French, to someone able to understand simple words and phrases very quickly.

Language Learning and Commitment

It is worth noting here that learning French does not only come down to the learning materials, courses, and teachers but to the language learner’s commitment to the journey.

French Uncovered will only take you as far as you are willing to go. It is not a magical tool that will fill your brain with learned French while you are busy concentrating on other things.

For French Uncovered to be a great language-learning software, you have to commit to using it daily and engaging in the story and activities.

Only then will you learn French and get the most out of the online French course.

How long does the French Uncovered course take to complete?

Generally, the French Uncovered beginner course is expected to take between 100 and 150 hours to complete. This will depend on how many minutes each day you set aside for the French course and how often you repeat lessons.

Due to the independent study nature of French Uncovered, you can progress through it as quickly or slowly as you would like.

Remember, there is no point in trying to power through the entire course too quickly with only a rough idea of every aspect of each lesson.

When you start to struggle, you should revisit past modules and give yourself the time you need to get comfortable with the new language.

Will I be able to speak french at the end of the course?

As I have noted, French Uncovered does claim to get you to an upper-intermediate level by the end of the course.

Would I say I feel that I am upper-intermediate in French? Probably not, but I can definitely express simple thoughts and questions and communicate on a basic level.

With further study and a commitment to looking back over my French resources from the course, I do believe I will reach a higher level of French and continue to progress at a good rate.

Just remember…

It is very challenging and rare to study a language to the point where you sound like a native speaker.

When you are traveling in France or communicating in French, locals, and natives will not expect you to sound like a native speaker.

The goal is to be understood and be able to express yourself. And to have fun, of course.

Fluency is an end goal for very high achievers but is not necessary for being understood and able to communicate very effectively.

Is French Uncovered suitable for every language learner?

This depends on the type of learner you are and the language level you have currently.

Type of learner

If you are an auditory learner who benefits from conversations and a lot of speaking and listening practice, this might not be the ideal course for you.

Language level

This course is designed for French learners at the beginning of their language journey. This means you do not need to know any French before beginning.

If you are an intermediate learner already, French Uncovered is not designed with you in mind. However, Olly Richards does offer intermediate French courses as well.

Whether you know some basic French or you are an absolute beginner, this course is designed to lead you by the hand through simple French vocabulary and grammar.

Are there better ways to learn French?

If you are not living in France, this is one of the best ways that you can still immerse yourself in the French language.

However, you can also try taking part in language exchanges, in person if they are available in your area, or online.

Any chance you get to speak to a French speaker, you should absolutely take it.

Moreover, listening to French music and podcasts, watching French TV and movies, and reading French books, or even news sites, are all great ways to keep your brain accustomed to the language and also pick up on some French culture and current events.

Try to use a mixture of these techniques and you should find that your French language acquisition improves significantly.

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