Bonjour à toutes et à tous ! Today, we are going to go through the best tools for learning French online, at home. As some of you may know, I am a French teacher. Teaching French to non-native speakers is part of my daily life. I teach my students how to read and speak French.
We go through French grammar and conjugation and I figured that I could maybe share my tips and best tools for learning French, which I also use with my students, or even for myself.
Feel free to bookmark this page and come back whenever you feel like it, as it could be updated from time to time. Vous êtes prêts? Allons-y!
Listen to the podcast in French
1. French Podcasts
Level: Intermediate / Advanced.
What for? To improve your listening and your pronunciation.
Podcasts are one of the best tools for learning French, especially if you would like to improve your listening skills.
To all of you intermediate or advanced French learners, feel free to look through this incredible podcast library right here or listen to France Culture’s amazing topics over here.
For beginners, I would advise you to browse into the categories of this French learning website here or listen to news updates in easy French over here.
No matter what your level is, the internet is a wild place with many areas that you still probably haven’t explored yet !
2. Online Conjugation Tools
Level: All.
What for? To master tenses and moods.
One of my most favorite tools. Mind you, I use conjugation tables (tableaux de conjugaison) on a daily basis. I also work as a proofreader-copyeditor in French and this tool is simply a must-have.
Here’s the one that I use : Le Conjugueur de Larousse.
How to use it: Simply type in the verb you would like to conjugate and you will come across different tenses and moods of that same verb. Here’s an example:
3. Forvo: A French Pronunciation Tool
Level: All.
What for? To listen to a word’s pronunciation.
4. Dictionaries
Level: All.
What for? To search for the meaning or translation of a word.
Reverso: English-French dictionary
Reverso is my go-to English-French (or French-English) dictionary. I use this tool all the time for work. I think that it’s one of the best bilingual dictionaries online (and one of the best tools for learning French as well!).
Larousse : French dictionary
The Larousse dictionary is a monolingual dictionary. It’s a wonderful resource if you want to search for the definition of a word in French only.
5. BonPatron.com
Level: All.
What for? To look for mistakes and correct a text.
Bonpatron is an online spellchecking and correcting tool.
Here’s a screenshot:
6. Google
A few of my best tools for learning French are the Google tools or apps. I use Google Keep for my notes, to do lists and I organize everything with color codes. By changing the background of my notes, I can easily find the categories and it’s better for me to visualize all the tasks or ideas.
Google Calendar is a tool that I use to plan my lessons with my students and all of the other tasks. I make sure to include my work tasks in Google Calendar so that it’s easier for me to plan my days.
As a French learner, you can use Google Calendar to place your French learning tasks in the week. French grammar, conjugation, conversations, or even French lessons. It’s definitely a simple way of keeping track of your time!
Google Classroom, on the other hand, is a tool that you can use if you already have a French teacher or a French class. It allows you to share files and updates easily with your teacher or your group.
7. Reddit
Subreddits can be very useful if you have some extra time on your hands. You can find tons of questions and answers about a specific topic, and of course, the French language. The best subreddits for French learners would be : r/learnfrench ; r/frenchhelp and r/french.
8. Facebook Groups
Some Facebook groups are precious for French learners ! Be careful though, some groups are way too large and can simply be a waste of time if you are looking for a more specific type of learners and teachers. If you are an intermediate learner in French, try not to go for the basic “learn french” groups, as they might be too easy for you.
Groups that I would recommend :
Learn to French’s Facebook Community
Beginners : French learning resources, French Learners.
Intermediate / Advanced : Ressources pour apprendre le français or Le monde du FLE and Parler français.
9. Lingodeer
Learning French with apps is a good way to improve your vocabulary and understanding if you are a beginner in French.
Lingodeer is an amazing app for that. It contains lessons and exercises to help you learn and improve your French. I like how it’s easy to use and the interface is user-friendly. You can download it on any App Store and test it today. It won’t hurt to try it out !
10. Free Resources
And lastly, I would like to introduce you to one of the best tools for learning French online : FREE resources ! Click here if you want to check out a list of free resources for learning French. I have organized some links and resources suitable for different levels.
You can also follow my Youtube Channel right here and listen to my LearnToFrench Podcasts over here.
Also, if you love reading and want to learn French with articles just like this one, you can continue browsing on my blog, I post articles and lessons about the French language, culture, and much more, on a regular basis.
The Best Tools For Learning French : Conclusion
Et voilà, chers lecteurs ! C’est terminé pour aujourd’hui. I hope you enjoyed this list of tools and resources, and that YOU have found the best tools for learning French in this article. Feel free to share your own useful tips if you have any, in the comments section down below !
