Whether you’re just getting started or brushing up on your language skills we share our pick of the best ways to learn French at home - and fast!
As one of the most widely-spoken and taught languages, French is always a popular choice when it comes to learning a new language. But for those of us who are looking to learn, the question of where to start can often seem a daunting one.
Handy tips like learning along with audio accompaniments, prioritising and tackling manageable chunks of new phrases and words - as well as all-important repetition - are sure to help you. Evening classes are another sure-fire way to help build your confidence and vocabulary in a sociable setting.
Is it possible to learn French at home?
Yes, it is possible to learn French at home and to learn French by yourself too - instead of with a class or tutor.
If you’d prefer to take the first steps to learning French from the comfort of your own home, or simply add to your experience, there are plenty of options on offer.
One of the best ways to learn French at home is online. There are many different sites now that offer courses or tutorials. Plus, you can use sites like Youtube to listen to how words and phrases should be pronounced in French, so you can practice.
What is the best method to learn French at home?
Here we share our pick of the best ways to learn French at home, whatever your fluency level...
Memrise
If audio accompaniments suit you best when it comes to learning a new language, then Memrise is the perfect choice for you. This language learning app prides itself on being as fun as it is effective and their courses have thousands of video clips of native speakers conversing in their language in their hometowns. Thisto help users understand authentic accents and also get more of a cultural insight. With courses that range from basic French to Introductory French Vocab and Intermediate French, there’s plenty to choose from, whatever your focus. Above all, Memrise delivers variety - helping you to use what you’ve learnt in a range of ways, helping to keep your brain focused and active.
Rosetta Stone
With over 25 years of experience delivering bite-sized lessons, Rosetta Stone offers an immersive approach that focuses on contextualising everything users learn. Introducing new words and concepts in sequences, as users progress, they are able to use the words and phrases and understand new vocabulary introduced more intuitively. Their lessons can be accessed via their website or app to help its users learn French anytime and anywhere. This active approach also helps you to retain the language skills you’ve built up. And if you’d prefer to take active learning one step further, their Rosetta Studio™ LiveStudio gives users online sessions with native speaker language coaches.
RocketFrench
Get conversational fast with RocketFrench by learning the most useful French first, before moving on to their comprehensive French course. Helping users with their interactive audio course, each lesson offers practical language skills as well as giving a good understanding of grammar. Users can also record themselves and match their voice to words and phrases. Rocket French’s voice recognition tool provides instant pronunciation feedback. Each lesson also comes with a variety of testing tools to ensure that users retain all their new information. With free content to get you started and options to take on more difficult courses as you go along, if you’re just starting out with French, this could be the one for you.
Babbel
With lessons featuring real-life scenarios and interactive dialogues, Babbel might just be the best choice for you. They employ cognitive techniques like spaced repetition to help your brain retain your newly-learned vocabulary in your long-term memory. So once learned, never forgotten! Babbel also builds their grammatical teachings around those shared with your native language and teaches through conversation with their speech recognition tool. This builds from typical greetings to practical phrases. If you’re looking to gain confidence and hone your French pronunciation, then these easy steps can help you get there.
Busuu
Why not practice your French skills directly with native speakers worldwide with language-learning site and app, Bussu? Users decide when and for how long they wish to learn their chosen language. They then receive notifications and progress reports to help you stay on track. Users can also send off their writing exercises to a native speaker of their chosen language for personalised feedback. And if you find your confidence growing, users can choose to add to their learning journey. Have a look at their Grammar Review and Vocabulary Review and let your language skills reach new heights.
Best way to learn French for free: DuoLingo
Ideal for those with limited time, users can learn French in just 5 minutes a day with DuoLingo’s game-like lessons. Practicing reading, writing and speaking is made brilliantly manageable and DuoLingo adapt their lessons to your learning style. Exercises are tailored to help users learn and use vocabulary most effectively. And for those whose learning journey flourishes with the added motivation of rewards, DuoLingo’s interactive exercises provide instant feedback and you can earn virtual coins and unlock new levels as your fluency scores rise. So if you have a moment to spare, why not give it a try?
Fancy learning another? Check out our pick of the best resources and books for learning a new language online. And find out what else you can do in your free time, with the hobbies you can do at home.
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