15 Ways to Learn French Faster Online
Learning a new language can be difficult, especially when your goal is to master the language quickly. People often think that learning a language means memorizing hundreds of words and grammar rules, but this isn’t the only way to learn French.
In this article we will take you through the following:
- 15 tips on how to learn French faster online
- Key methods you need to use in order to learn french quickly
- Which factors you need take into account when learning French
1. Sign up to an online French course
You won't be surprised to know that the internet is full of French language resources to help keen linguists like you to learn the language online.
If you’ve never taken a French course before, take the time to explore your options and find out which style will work best for you!
There are many different types of online courses. These range from short, daily language drills to full-length university degrees.
Find a service with interactive material that will prevent you from becoming board.
There are many online courses to choose from, but these four offer the best quality and value for money:
The Berlitz Connection Online Course
The Berlitz Connection Online Course provides you with freedom and flexibility with professional support. You can take the course at your own pace and check your progress as you go.
French Together
French Together claims to teach you 80% of the French you'll need for daily conversations through 20% of the French language. It claims to simplify French grammar in a unique way, making the process of learning French more enjoyable.
italki
italki is an online language learning platform that connects language learners and teachers through video chat. The site allows students to find online teachers for 1-on-1 tutoring, and teachers to earn money as freelance tutors.
2. Sign up to FluentU to watch videos in French that are engaging, interesting, and culturally relevant
FluentU is an immersion language learning platform that lets you learn French from videos in the real world.
These range from film snippets and journalist material to cartoons and stand-up comedy. FluentU's "Learn Mode" takes your proficiency level into account, and automatically selects content for you based on a dynamic difficulty curve.
FluentU offers all users a free 2-week trial which you can cancel at any time. Note that FluentU is not to be confused with its main competitor, Lingopie.
3. Take advantage of YouTube's free channels - find one with content that interests you
YouTube is a truly excellent resource for learning French. What's more, it's completely free!
There are different channels to choose from with a range of topics so you can find one that interests you and suits your level in the language.
Search YouTube for videos on how to learn french, or take advantage of the suggested related content after watching something new.
Some of our favourite Youtube channels to learn French faster include:
👍 Learn French with Vincent
👍 Easy French
👍 Learn French
4. Find a tutor on Preply to help you learn the language
It's not always easy to find a French tutor in your local area. The pandemic has definitely increased online language learning and French is no exception.
Preply is an online educational platform that will pair you with a private tutor in order to learn French online.
You can chat with your tutor in French via an online chat function, upload your work and receive feedback from qualified French teachers. You can read tutor profiles and ask tutors questions about how they teach before accepting classes with them.
5. Watch TV shows or movies with subtitles instead of dubbed audio tracks
Subtitles will help you to study the language and pick up vocabulary. French is not a phonetic language, so subtitles are also a great way to familiarise yourself with the spelling of French words.
A great way to find French videos with subtitles that don't require you to watch whole films is through sites like Yabla and FluentU.
Both of these platforms are very similar and provide thousands of French videos with subtitles. You can even speed up or slow down the pace of the speakers, and look up individual words in order to improve your French vocabulary.
6. Join an online community where people speak only in French
It can be hard to find friends who speak French, so an online community is a great way to practice the language.
There are many communities on social media that help people learn languages in this manner and they usually have moderators who make sure participants only speak in the required language. Some of the best online French communities can be found on sites like Facebook, Reddit, and Quora.
7. Watch sports with French commentary
It sounds like a strange idea, but listening to French commentary during sports games is actually one of the best ways to learn French faster. Spoiler alert: French commentators get pretty animated when the national team is playing!
Listen to French commentary whenever you can and you will hear how many words are pronounced in French. You'll also become familiar with more unusual French vocabulary.
This technique is particularly useful because you can connect what's happening on screen with the spoken French. It enables you to listen and understand natural French more quickly.
8. Listen to French music
Listening to French music is a great way to learn French and can be done anywhere. There are lots of songs in different styles that will help you improve your listening comprehension skills, pronunciation accuracy, vocabulary range and more!
Listen online or download the tracks onto your mobile device for offline use.
Some of our favourite French speaking artists include:
👍 Édith Piaf (of course - a true classique!)
👍 Stromae (Belgian creator of electro, hiphop/pop)
👍 Lefa (French hiphop artist)
9. Find a language partner online through Tandem
We already mentioned Tandem in the article. It's so good (and free) that we thought we'd mention it again!
Tandem a great way to find a language partner who lives nearby, or even anywhere else in the world!
You can chat and text with them through their website, like any other social media platform.
Whilst this service is free of charge, don't expect a qualified tutor. It's an informal way to learn French online. If you would prefer to track your progress than you'll be better off opting for tutor sites like Preply or italki.
10. Read French news articles online
Reading the news in French is a great way to stay up-to-date with current events and topics.
You will be exposed to many new words that are used in everyday life, as well as increase your vocabulary range.
The best website for reading the latest articles from all over France (and also other countries) is Le Monde.
This will be too challenging if you are a complete beginner. However, reading the news in French is one of the best ways to learn French faster than you would otherwise if you already have an intermediate level.
11. Don't be scared to make mistakes in French
This point is not exactly a resource suggestion, but rather a tip. When you're learning how to speak French, it's important that you don't get discouraged when making mistakes.
Learning the language is a gradual process and there will be times when things go wrong. Accepting you are going to make mistakes is one of the best ways to progress your French from beginner to intermediate level, or from intermediate to advanced level.
Accept that you will make mistakes and you will progress your French much more quickly in the process!
12.Listen to French podcasts
If you're looking for a good way to learn French, podcasts are an excellent tool.
Despite how this may seem difficult at the start it's actually one of the easiest ways to improve your French pronunciation and listening skills.
French podcasts for all levels
- French Pod 101 (all levels and great for beginners)
- Learn French with Sara and Maxime (great for all levels)
- Le débat du jour (advanced)
13. Start learning French with easy words
It's often the easiest words that get neglected.
For those who want to learn French quickly, starting with easy words will help you better understand how the language works and how it sounds.
If you are a complete beginner, take time to learn basic French vocabulary that you'll come across regularly. If these are verbs, learn how to conjugate them in the present tense so that you feel comfortable using them.
14. Use French Grammar books to supplement your learning
If there's one thing all languages have in common it's a requirement for reading comprehension.
French books can be expensive, but the good news is that you can buy them online for a fraction of the price either second hand or in a digitalised format.
Reading French books will help you to learn important spelling and boost your vocabulary.
Best French books to learn French faster
The best French grammar books are inexpensive and ideal for all levels. Here are 3 of our most recommended French grammar books for beginner, intermediate and advanced learners.
👍 Practice Makes Perfect: Complete French Grammar, Premium Fourth EditionThis grammar book is the best for beginners and covers all of the basics. If you find that this book isn't enough, it can easily be supplemented with another one to suit your needs. The explanations are clear and concise, which makes understanding them much easier than other books in this category.
👍 Aspects de la grammaire française - Jacqueline Guichard
A great resource for beginners and even lower intermediate learners, this book provides explanations that are clear and simplify French grammar. It has a great range of exercises too.
👍 Easy French Step by Step by McGraw-Hill Education
This is an excellent book for beginners to learn how to read, speak and write French because it's visual and interactive. Furthermore, there are also audio files that you can listen to and download to use offline.
15.Sign up for an intensive French course
Finally, last but not least, we recommend you to sign up for an intensive online French course. One of the best ways to learn French online is through a course that throws you out of your comfort zone and challenges you.
Many French learners wondering how to learn French faster than normal choose to exhaust all the free online resources that the internet has to offer.
The truth is, if you want to learn French quickly then intensive courses are one of the best ways to do so.
And there you have it! 15 steps to learn French faster
If you’ve found yourself wishing for a way to learn French faster than the average person, it's important that you know this is only possible through hard work and trial and error.
You have to be willing to try different resources at your disposal, see what works best for you, and stay committed in order to accomplish your goal of learning French quickly.
That being said, don't give up! It will take time but with perseverance there are plenty of people who've learned their second language as an adult well enough to speak fluently without any detectable accent.
Start now by using these tips when deciding which resource(s) might help accelerate how fast you learn French!
