Has it been your dream to learn the French language? Maybe it’s one of your new year’s resolutions to learn a new language. With French being the second most popular language English speakers wish to learn, you can bet that every language app offers some sort of French course. This makes it difficult to tell what the best apps to learn French may be.
With more than three dozen French learning apps, you could spend months, years, and potentially lots of money to find the best app. Unless you live in a French-speaking country or take French lessons in person, apps are a great alternative to learning any language.
That’s why we reached out to our language experts, and they passed on some pro tips about how to choose a French language app. You first want to consider the skills you want to learn. Here are some skills related to learning French:
- Listening skills
- Conversational skills
- Grammar
- French vocabulary
- Writing skills
- Reading skills
- Pronunciation skills
On top of skills, the next thing to investigate is the ultimate offering and goal of the language learning app. Ask yourself what level of French you feel you’re at; beginner, intermediate, or advanced. The best French learning apps will offer all three levels, but unfortunately, most French language learning apps only target beginners.
The third consideration is how the app engages and teaches learners. The best apps will aim to make you sound just like native French speakers. These are some tools to look for in a great French app:
- Flashcards
- Quizzes
- Listening comprehension tasks
- Conversational French tasks
- Games – Memory, Fill in the Blanks, etc
- Pronunciation to practice speaking
- French culture inclusion
- Correction of mistakes
- Video and audio clips
Finally, let’s investigate if learning French with an app is the right choice for you. Learning with a device can be rather impersonal and lonely, and only the best apps to learn French have recorded the voices of native French speakers. But that being said, there are many advantages to learning on your own.
Pros Of Using Apps To Learn French
Learning a language using apps is often more convenient and efficient than traditional methods because they can be accessed on various devices and allow learners to practice at their own pace.
Still not convinced? Here are a few more pros that will help you out!
- You can usually try apps for free
- Study and practice can happen anytime, anywhere
- You’ll save tons of money not hiring a tutor
- You’re not locked into a deadline to learn
- Learning is fun!
- You’re learning progress is often tracked
Cons Of Learning French With An App
- Not all apps are built using native speakers’ knowledge or expertise
- Apps could have a lot of grammatical errors
- They require users to be good at time management and self-motivation
- Languages apps are not adaptive to your learning needs, as a French tutor would be
- It’s challenging to test learning in real-life contexts or within French culture
Why Should You Learn The French Language?
Did you know French is spoken by more than 300 million people worldwide? French culture is prevalent in many places worldwide, from Africa to the Caribbean, South East Asia, and Europe. Learning some essential French words will help you on your travels worldwide.
French language learners are also at an advantage in quickly learning Spanish and Italian. All three languages have similar grammatical structures and language rules.
So let’s dive into the best French language apps. Remember, each app is suitable for different reasons and is not presented in any particular order.
5 Best Apps For Learning French
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone has adapted and survived the stone age era of language learning. It’s a fantastic tool for learning French vocabulary and basic French skills. Rosetta Stone is now available on desktop and mobile devices, which most other language apps do not offer.
All French lessons have been planned, recorded, and reviewed by native French speakers. It also offers a range of lessons for all abilities. Rosetta Stone also incorporates learning French grammar in a fun way where you have to spot the mistake.
One of the best things about this app is that you will build on previous knowledge, and the app will continually review previous skills learned throughout so you don’t forget new French skills.
Reasons to try:
- Very easy to sign up for
- Fun and easy to use
- All activities are interactive, game-like play
- Chance to gain mastery in pronunciation and listening comprehension
- Tracks progress
Available on: Desktop, iOS, and Google Play
Pricing: $11.99 USD per month (when you sign up for a 3-month plan). There is NO free version or free trial
Babbel
Babbel offers interactive lessons to focus on conversational speaking. It’s one the best French learning app to become a French native speaker as it uses voice recognition technology. How it works is you choose to watch a video or listen to the recorded audio. Afterward, you’re tasked with responding to comprehension questions or repeating phrases to help you retain and learn new skills.
There are also grammar explanations and tips, along with review activities. Within the app, you can also track your progress.
Lessons on Babbel are only 10- to 15-minutes long, meaning you don’t need to dedicate much time. To try it out, the first lesson is free!
Reasons to try:
- Fun and interactive way to learn French vocabulary
- Easy to learn conversational French
- Tracks your progress
- Free to try
- Learn through video and audio
- Get your pronunciation and accent perfect
- Offers courses for all language levels
Available on: iOS and Google Play
Pricing: Free to try. After that, an annual subscription costs about $7.45 per month.
Duolingo
Duolingo is the best free app to learn French for absolute beginners. Lessons are primarily vocabulary based and include some listening and French grammar activities. There are many interactive lessons, and people love learning with this French app.
That being said, it’s a great app to get your feet wet, so to speak, to find out if learning French is for you. Besides learning basic language skills, Duolingo doesn’t offer much beyond that, meaning it’s a good jump starter. Then you should consider investing in one of the other apps mentioned in this article to take your French language skills to the next level!
Reasons to try:
- 100% free
- Very fun and engaging
- Excellent for beginners
- Audio recorded by native French speakers
Available on: iOS and Google Play
Pricing: 100% free
Pimsleur
The Pimsleur app offers a much more in-depth study of the French language. Each lesson lasts about 30 minutes, and you’ll learn listening and speaking skills, French vocabulary, grammar, conversation, and much more.
The app teaches using the theory of the Pimsleur method, which is said to be more effective at teaching new languages. This indicates that Pimsleur is meant for beginner or intermediate learners.
Reasons to try
- Build conversational skills fast
- Audio lessons
- The courses make it easy to recall what you’ve learned
Available on: PC, iOS, Android, Mac, and Amazon Echo
Pricing: $150 for 30 lessons or $575 for the entire French course
FrenchPod101
FrenchPod101 is the best listening tool for learning French through osmosis. Of course, you’re encouraged to be actively involved, and there are quizzes and plenty of opportunities to speak aloud.
Each lesson involves using one or more tools: video clips, audio clips, audio transcripts, lesson notes, vocabulary, and comments. The app provides training at four difficulty levels: Absolute beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.
Reasons to try
- Podcast driven learning
- Focused on listening skills and conversational French
- Authentic real-life context
- Content updated constantly
- Relevant learning
Available on: Desktop, iOS, and Google Play
Pricing: $8-47 USD per month
Bonus App! Ling – The Best App To Learn French Like A Pro
No other language app covers all language skills in one package. Learn to read, write, speak, and listen… also learn basic vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar.
See? Ling has it all in one cute but powerful package. We can guarantee Ling will help you master French in no time, and it’s the most interactive language app on the market.
Using games, audio lessons, quizzes, puzzles, listening, and speaking activities, you’ll be able to develop your French skills, and your progress will be tracked. Our app also uses AI and speech recognition technology to ensure your learning needs are met and that you sound like a native French speaker.
The best part is our learning program isn’t time demanding. Start learning French in as little as 15 minutes per day.
Furthermore, we also have a French language blog filled with relevant topics such as:
- Learn about how to ask how are you
- How to give directions in French
- How to talk about sports.
Download Ling App on iOS and Google Play and have a free go!
