Are you looking for the perfect method to learn the French language? Well, there are two methods available. You can have the support structure of a class and the freedom of independent study. You can have textbook-like organization and the benefits of technology. You can have convenience, quality, and a French-language learning program that suits your specific needs.
If you are wondering how to learn French with an online course, the good news is that you can have it all.
Whether you’ve reached the end of your self-study materials and you’re looking for a next step, or you’re just jumping into online learning, you may need a little help choosing the right course for you.
Here are a few of the best sites for Online French Courses to try:
1. FrenchClasses
FrenchClasses offers three online courses for three levels of French: beginner, intermediate and advanced. You can start your course from here at any level because FrenchClasses has all the options for you.
The courses at FrenchClasses are primarily based on lessons that feature an audio conversation. Each audio conversation revolves around a particular topic pertinent to French learners. Accompanying notes focus on the grammar and vocabulary in the audio conversation to reinforce the concepts that were introduced in the lesson.
And the best part is, each lesson is also followed by online exercises.
Each course on FrenchClasses has over 30 hours of audio that you can download as MP3 files so that you can have access to them at any point of time.
2. Babbel
Babbel is probably one of the most known and widely-used online language learning platforms worldwide. The courses on Babbel are paid courses, but instead of a set fee per course, there’s a monthly subscription fee that gives you access to a number of online courses.
Speaking of those online French courses, Babbel offers them to learners at the beginning of their French journey and at the intermediate level. In addition to those, Babbel has a number of courses that focus on advancing a learner in a specific French skill area such as listening and speaking, grammar or idioms.
In terms of the structure of Babbel’s lessons, the specific layout varies for each course, but most beginner and intermediate courses feature a dialogue with audio coupled with grammatical and vocabulary-building opportunities. As with the other courses described so far on this list, Babbel’s lessons are followed by exercises to reinforce learned concepts.
3. Athabasca University
Athabasca University is a real university in Alberta, Canada. Being primarily an online university, Athabasca offers a wide range of degrees and courses, and lucky for us, they typically have nearly 20 courses offered for French. And you guessed it, all of those courses are offered online.
While technically you’re paying a university-course price, you’re also technically getting a university course. That means that each course is set up like a real university course. Most include online interactive classes complete with lessons, exercises, and quizzes as well as audio and speaking components. Furthermore, the courses offer students interaction with the professor and other students.
Athabasca’s advanced courses maybe a little less interactive, but they focus on the material that you might not find in other online French courses. For example, you can fine-tune specific French skills, like writing and reading, and even take courses in French literature or culture.
4. Alison
Alison offers a number of courses for those wondering how to learn French, starting at the beginner stage and offering a few options for more advanced learners. The Basic French Language Skills for Everyday Life course has six modules for students to begin their French adventure. For more advanced learners, Alison offers Improving Your French Language Skills and even a Diploma in French Language Studies to prove your competency in basic French.
For each course, each module includes a video dealing with a specific topic. Afterward, the video leads to the exploration of a particular set of vocabulary or grammar explanations. Such grammar topics include the present, past, and future tense in basic courses.
The online French lessons offered on Alison are fairly academic in nature. Each module includes an assessment, and learners need an 80% in all assessments to pass the course. You get more than one tries, though, so fear not!
5. Click on French
Click on French is a single course for beginners that’s available on the website or as an app for phones and tablets. Interactive lessons allow students to build vocabulary as well as see authentic French in natural settings through video and audio recordings. Each lesson also includes grammatical explanations with in-depth examples to help you understand the basic workings of the French language.
The best feature of this course is its interactivity. To help students speak French naturally, the course includes audio files as well as online teachers, so learners get immediate feedback. It’s also jam-packed with assessment tools such as tests. These tests are inspired directly by the DELF A1 exam, so once you finish, passing it should be a piece of cake!
6. Learn French Online for Free
Learn French Online for Free offers two courses for beginners that learners can follow chronologically to get a good basis in the French language. Each course includes 12 lessons, and there are two tests per course for learners to test their understanding.
The lessons themselves are based on the Foreign Service Institute’s (FSI) audio course developed by the United States government for military personnel and diplomats stationed in French-speaking countries or regions.
Lesson topics include the city, hotels, and food, and there are in-depth explanations for all lessons explaining crucial grammatical information. Each lesson also has extensive practice drills based on vocabulary and grammar.
With the above sites, you can basically attend a French class without leaving your home, but how much that class resembles a traditional one is entirely up to you.
So, click away, and say hello to the best French courses the internet has to offer!