22 Best Apps To Learn French In 2023 (Tried And Tested)
Written byAdrien Renault- Read time33 mins
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As a French learner, you’re lucky to have some great apps to learn French and help you on your journey towards fluency.
In addition to French online courses and resources, as well as YouTube videos and podcasts, there are some really engaging (and fun) web and mobile apps worth mentioning.
Each app is different and unique, with a different skill emphasis.
With this range of French apps vying for your attention, how can you make sure you choose the right one?
Today, I’ve narrowed down your options somewhat.
If you’re unsure which French language apps are most suitable, take a look at the list below.
Table Of Contents
DISCLAIMER: The comments below are personal opinions.
Best apps for learning French
Rocket French
Rocket French is arguably the best structured course online for French and both the web and mobile apps are equally comprehensive.
The platform offers comprehensive courses that help you learn all language skills (speaking, listening, reading and writing). The app focuses on teaching you practical phrases and dialogues instead of isolated words and heavy grammar (a good thing!).
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- Content is varied between interactive audio lessons, language and culture lessons, writing lessons and survival kit lessons.
- Voice recognition tool (Rocket Record) that helps your pronunciation.
- Host of the course acts almost like a teacher, guiding you through dialogues and asking you to repeat certain phrases.
- Audio quality and dialogues are excellent, including expressions used in everyday life.
- The culture lessons are invaluable, giving you details about how people interact and what is expected of a French speaker in certain contexts.
- Includes a “My Vocab” tool in which you can search for specific phrases you’ve learned in the past and see them immediately in context with pronunciation.
- Clean, intuitive and user-friendly.
- If you purchase the French course and decide it’s not for you, you have 60 days to ask for your money back without questions.
What you might not like:
- Requires an immediate financial commitment and is quite pricey compared to other apps, but it’s for lifetime access rather than recurring.
- If you prefer immersion to constantly getting explanations and guidance in English, you’ll be better off with another option.
Pricing:
- $99.95 for the first level (beginner to low intermediate).
- $249.90 for levels one and two together (beginner to intermediate/low advanced).
- $259.90 for all 3 levels.
Join The Guild by clicking here, select French and I’ll send you a unique offer for Rocket French exclusive to my readers only.
See this Rocket French review.
Mondly
Mondly was launched in 2014 and has become quite popular since then. It’s modern and unafraid to experiment with technology, using augmented reality, virtual reality and chatbots to help people learn languages. This could be your platform if you enjoy playing around with different features or clicking around to discover more information. If you’ve enjoyed using Duolingo and Babbel in the past, Mondly could be your next bet, as it feels like a combination of these two with some extra visuals.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- Options to learn French with the support of languages other than English.
- You receive unique new lessons every day, rather than paying for content that’ll remain the same.
- One of my personal favorites was the ability to click any verb you see in context to open a small window with all conjugations of that verb (past, present and future), pronunciation included.
- Mondly actually creates daily lessons based on your previous learning, so some lessons will be adapted to you as an individual.
- The app has received great reviews for their chatbot and speech recognition features.
- Perfect if you like having the support of your native language to learn a new language.
- Wide range of topics covered for beginner courses, which is useful if you like learning vocabulary by category (travel, family, body parts, colors, etc).
What you might not like:
- You don’t get much for free - if you’re going to use Mondly, you’ll have to commit to a paid version.
- Sometimes the app can come across as a fancier version of Babbel or Duolingo, with similar translation exercises, match exercises (words-images or words-translation), which can get a little tiring.
- If you prefer a minimalist design or feel easily overwhelmed by platforms with a lot going on visually, you won’t like Mondly.
- You’ll have to pay more if you want access to more languages apart from French.
- The intermediate and advanced levels aren’t that challenging. In fact, they seem almost similar to the beginner level, except for the fact you get exercises instead of lessons.
- Not the best if you dislike relying on translation to learn a new language.
- Dialogues can feel stiff and artificial.
Pricing: 9.99EUR monthly or 47.99EUR yearly.
See this Mondly review.
Frantastique
Frantastique teaches French through immersive story, and offers a unique, personalized learning experience.
You’re emailed a new lesson each day, which includes a personalized review. The course is deliberately designed not to be rushed through.
Platforms: Web and mobile.
What you’ll like about it:
- Includes dialogues in different French accents.
- Premium and Pro options offer support and a certified diploma upon completion
- Highly personalized.
- Unique story-based approach.
What you might not like:
- A little expensive.
- May feel overly restrictive for autodidacts who prefer to learn their own way.
Pricing: $24 per month, $36 per month (Premium), $48 a month (Pro)
Babbel French
The Babbel app offers a new approach to language learning — with its short, engaging, 15-minute lessons, you can learn new French verbs and vocabulary consistently, every day. As with many of the apps on this list, Babbel lets you get to grips with the French culture and language. The app covers many key areas you need to master to gain French fluency — speaking, listening, reading and writing.
The app works by offering you a range of approaches to learning. From flashcards to multiple-choice options and fill in the blanks, the app combines various learning styles. Each course is structured in different parts which include the key vocabulary, followed by a dialogue, then a grammar lesson and finally a review. And with a range of content that spans a wide range of contexts, this app is suitable for beginners as well as intermediate learners looking to put their knowledge into practice.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- Babbel offers lessons that apply to your level and knowledge of French.
- The structured lessons help you to organise your vocabulary, which can help you chunk information together and learn faster.
- The lessons are short, which means you can learn new French vocabulary even if you don’t have much time.
What you might not like:
- The French lessons offered by Babbel might seem repetitive and predictable after you have used the app for a while.
- You can’t download resources or materials from the Babbel app.
Pricing: It’s 12.99EUR to get access to Babbel for a month, and 71.88EUR for a year’s access.
See this Babbel review.
Memrise (French courses)
One of the keys to language learning is repetition. And another crucial element is memorising keywords. Memrise is an app that uses these two fundamental approaches to help boost your French language learning experience and build your French vocabulary.
With the help of videos and audio tracks that have been recorded by fluent and native French speakers, users of the Memrise app can immerse themselves in the French language.
Memrise is also a fun app. The various usage examples provided by this app are comic, which not only helps you to recall the key vocabulary but the contexts in which they should be used as well.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- Memrise has great visual aids that help you recall your French vocabulary more easily.
- The app offers a range of languages other than French if you would like to learn an additional language.
- Memrise is a good value for money, meaning you receive a range of resources and lessons to help you learn.
What you might not like:
- If you’re learning new vocabulary, learning it in context is often useful — which something which this app lacks.
- Other French-language learning apps might be more engaging and have other additional methods of learning that are more effective.
Pricing: The pro version of Memrise costs 8.99EUR per month. It’s also possible to gain lifetime access to the course for 139.99EUR.
FrenchPod101
FrenchPod101 is a highly popular podcast format courses for learning French.
There’s an app called ‘Innovative Languages’ which includes French among their other languages.
It primarily uses audio lessons but includes a fair amount of video content as well. Lessons are suitable for beginners right up to advanced levels.
The instruction not only includes listening skills but also incorporates essential vocabulary and grammar. All lesson content is downloadable and there are other features built in to the dashboard.
Platforms: Web and mobile
What you’ll like about it:
- Loads of content for lower levels
- Provides cultural insights throughout
- Less English used in higher levels
What you might not like:
- Could be more advanced level material
- Excessive English in lower level lessons
- Site can be slightly overwhelming with the amount of features offered
Pricing: Starts at $4 a month.
See this FrenchPod101 review.
French Today
French Today is the number one course resource for French audiobooks.
They have a large amount of products available for sale which are all superb, covering a range of important French topics (including French poetry).
Platforms:
Web, iOS and Android
What you’ll like about it:
- One of the best audiobook resources for French learners
- Speed variations
What you might not like:
- Expensive
Pricing: Prices vary widely depending on product.
Glossika French
Glossika revolves around the concept of spaced repetition of lexical chunks.
The app customizes content to your level and uses audio-based lessons to create an immersive environment and help you speak French from the get-go. The platform also uses dictation, multiple choice and fill-in-the-gaps for you to practice.
Platforms: Web app only.
What you’ll like about it:
- Take a placement test to see where you should start.
- Set a daily goal for yourself, so you adjust your expectations and measure your progress.
- The course introduces only about 5 phrases per lesson, so you never get overwhelmed and focus on perfecting your skills little by little.
- You can skip sentences that are too easy for you (or that you already know).
- You can favorite certain phrases you predict you’ll be using often.
- You start learning useful phrases right from the start, even if they wouldn’t be traditionally taught in a French course right from the start. For instance, in your first lesson you might learn how to say “Today is Wednesday”.
- Subscription includes access to all language courses, not just French. This can be an advantage if you want to learn multiple languages.
- No grammar explanations, which is great if you prefer immersive courses.
What you might not like:
- If you prefer a more traditional way of learning French or are an absolute beginner, Glossika might overwhelm you. You start learning entire phrases right from the beginning, sometimes learning to say “It’s clean now” or “You’re lazy” before learning how to say “What’s your name?“.
- Some reviews claim the content can get a little boring after some time.
- Subscription includes more languages than just French, which might be a disadvantage if you aren’t interested in learning other languages.
- No grammar explanations, which can be a disadvantage if you prefer having some support in that area.
- Content is the same across different languages, which can be a turn-off.
Pricing: 7-day free trial before you purchase the product. After that, you can pay $30 a month or $299.88 yearly for access to all languages offered by Glossika.
See this Glossika review.
Busuu
The Busuu app emphasises the importance of speaking French.
From the word go it encourages French language learners to practice their speaking skills by speaking out loud into its speech recognition tool.
But there’s more. Busuu guides you through the essential French vocabulary in each lesson and teaches you words and phrases specific to your level. You can use their flashcards to assist your learning and even choose to select personalised lessons that focus exactly on what you need to learn. Say you’re travelling through France and will be staying there for a couple of days — you can select a tailored lesson to learn the essential words and phrases for ordering food in a restaurant, or reserving a hotel.
The app also features its community of French language learners, which will help you broaden your learning experience and reach out if you’d like to get your grammar corrected.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The Busuu app lets you track your progress as you learn and set targets to help you improve.
- Learning offline is a possibility if you have a premium subscription.
- The French language learning community helps you to interact with fluent French speakers and gain clarity on confusing elements of French grammar or vocabulary.
What you might not like:
- Unfortunately, if you would like to branch out and study a range of other languages, there is only a small selection of 12 to choose from.
- Busuu might not be as engaging as some of the other available French language apps.
- The free version of Busuu is limited in various ways and to access additional perks a subscription is required.
Pricing: The monthly cost to use the Premium Plus version of the Busuu app is 6.66EUR. This gives you access to your course content offline and lets you keep track of your progress with an AI-powered review.
See this Busuu review.
Pimsleur
Pimsleur is based on an audio-based system which promises to eliminate noise and distractions to teach you French.
Using the principle of anticipation, graduated interval recall, context and limited amounts of information at a time, Pimsleur teaches you French with the guidance of a tutor in English, so you’ll get something similar to a traditional classroom experience with native speakers to provide examples.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- Before starting your free test, you’re introduced to Dr. Pimleur’s principles of memory and language learning, which can help you create a habit and become more consistent. For example, you’re invited to complete only one audio lesson per day, not more, which sounds quite doable.
- Some new words are broken down into parts, so you can perfect your pronunciation syllable by syllable and sound natural from the beginning.
- If you enjoy the guidance and explanations in English from a teacher who can lead you little by little, you’ll enjoy Pimsleur’s courses. You’re taken step by step through a dialogue and asked to repeat expressions. Shortly after that, you’re unexpectedly asked to recall expressions, which is a smart strategy.
- Something I have personally enjoyed is that intonation is also taught. This is especially important in a language like French, in which asking most questions and making a statement differ in nothing except intonation. (Tienes dinero. - Tienes dinero?)
- Vocabulary review options include reading, using flashcards, a quiz, a “Speak Easy” option (to practice rhythm, intonation and pronunciation) and my personal favorite: a speed round in which you match expressions as quickly as you can, forcing you to recall under pressure.
What you might not like:
- Pimsleur only allows you to test one free lesson, which is not enough, especially if you’re not an absolute beginner.
- If you’re bothered by the guidance or explanations of a teacher in English separating you from full immersion, this is not the product for you.
- Because the course requires speaking out loud and repeating words as you hear them, it is not the best option if you’re learning French in public places or during small breaks, like returning home from work.
- You’ll have to make quite the investment if you want to purchase the entire course (all levels) straight away.
- Recent reviews claim the app is not working well technically, with frequent crashes and difficulty downloading lessons.
Pricing: $575.00 for a full course (levels 1-5). You can also choose to purchase 30 lessons at a time (one level) for $150.00 each. If, instead, you prefer a subscription type of payment, this is also available. The Pimsleur Premium App subscription costs $19.99 a month.
See this Pimsleur review.
French Translator Dictionary +
Looking for the ultimate dictionary to help you on your journey to becoming a fluent French speaker?
The French Translator Dictionary + is one of the most accurate dictionary apps that will not only give you translations but will provide you with a range of examples of each word in use.
The app is even ideal for learning a range of slang or colloquial phrases, which can often be a challenge with some dictionaries. But that’s not all!
The French Translator Dictionary + features a conjugator tool that offers more than 400,000 verb conjugations, so you can gain confidence and easily check whether you’re using the right verb form when speaking or writing.
It also includes a selection of flashcards and quizzes, so you can test your knowledge.
This app is good for putting your knowledge into practice and revising your French skills. It’s best used alongside other apps to strengthen your fluency.
Platforms: Web and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The app goes beyond a simple dictionary, providing examples of French vocabulary and their uses in context.
- It’s great for learning slang, unlike several other language translators out there.
- The conjugation tool is a bonus that can support your learning.
What you might not like:
- This app lacks structured lessons that some of the others on this list feature.
- The French Translator Dictionary + might not be suitable for upper-intermediate or advanced French learners who already know the basics.
Pricing: The French Translator Dictionary + is free to access and offers in-app purchases.
HelloTalk
The best way to learn French is to completely immerse yourself in the culture, which can be difficult if you don’t live with native speakers.
Thankfully, the HelloTalk app can help you meet and communicate with native French speakers.
This language exchange app is great for helping you express yourself in French, and along the way, you’ll gain some accurate corrections from those who you speak with. But its benefits go further than that.
Not only can you use voice recordings and video calls to actually interact with native speakers, this app has a few essential tools that will help you correctly interpret those who you are speaking with.
Within the app, you can take notes and translate specific unfamiliar French words and phrases.
Platforms: Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The HelloTalk app is one of the best apps for cultural immersion as you can learn all about French culture with native speakers.
- The translation tools are really useful, helping you to fully understand French phrases that you might not have heard before.
- HelloTalk emphasises the importance of conversation and speaking and also lets you listen to voice recordings to hone your listening skills.
What you might not like:
- The HelloTalk app lacks a lesson structure which is beneficial if you’re just beginning to learn the French language.
- Your success with this app depends on other users who might not always be dedicated or available.
Pricing: The HelloTalk app is practically free. If you want a VIP membership, which will enable you to communicate with a wider range of French speakers, it will cost 6.99EUR per month.
italki
If you want to learn French with a native speaker, the italki app is what you’ll need.
You can select a native French teacher who will tailor your lessons by considering the speed at which you learn and your interests. Whereas some teachers might focus on grammar, others emphasise the importance of speaking.
But the great thing about italki is that, regardless of your motive for learning French, you will find the most suitable teacher to guide you.
All of italki’s French-language teachers are experienced and professional and you can learn at your own pace.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- You will be taught by a native speaking French teacher who will correct you and point out where you need to improve.
- The lessons you receive from italki’s teachers consider your learning interests.
What you might not like:
- Although available on a range of platforms, to access certain resources shared by your teacher you’ll need the web version of italki.
Pricing: You can access the italki platform for free, but the cost is determined by how often you’d like to study and which teacher you opt for.
See this italki review.
Lingodeer
Lingodeer is a grammar-based platform.
From this list of apps for learning French, it might be the one that most closely resembles a traditional course, because it relies on grammar explanations alongside vocabulary study to help you understand the complexities of French from the get-go.
Apart from that, Lingodeer offers some side tools to help you learn French, such as quizzes and tests, cultural stories and flashcards.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- Simple design, perfect if you like a clean platform that doesn’t feel visually crowded.
- Great option if you’re a grammar lover and enjoy understanding the structure of a language as you go, rather than just being exposed to the language.
- Lingodeer might be better for you if you’re an absolute beginner who likes having a structured, objective explanation of how things work before you dive in, pretty much like you would in a traditional school.
- Linear curriculum with suggested categories, which can be an advantage if you like having order and structure in your learning.
What you might not like:
- At least for beginner lessons, some vocabulary is introduced in isolation (not in the context of a dialogue or sentence).
- If you like learning through immersion and not having to deal with grammar explanations, Lingodeer is not for you. The very foundation of the app relies on the importance of grammar to understand a language.
- Might be a little too easy for intermediate and advanced learners.
Pricing: $11.99 per month, $29.99 per quarter, $79.99 per year or $99.99 for lifetime access to Lingodeer.
See this Lingodeer review.
Lingvist
Lingvist is a flashcard app organized by courses, or flashcard decks, to help you learn French by growing your vocabulary.
A main course on Lingvist includes the 4,000-5,000 most frequent words in your target language, with the possibility of adding extra vocabulary for particular goals (business, travel, a holiday in Spain, object pronouns, etc).
The design of the app is simple and pleasant on the eye, which is always a plus in a market that praises overcrowded apps.
Platforms:
- Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- There’s a placement test at the beginning, so all materials adapt to your needs.
- The app determines your level based on how many words you’d be able to understand in any given text. For instance, after taking the placement test, the app might tell you you’d understand about 33% of any given text in French. The goal? 100%, of course! This is exciting because it gives you a much clearer, specific reference. It’s much easier to decide you’re ready to face real-world French after knowing you can understand about 80% of a text than if somebody tells you you’re a “B2 level”.
- Lingvist provides decks with different themes (love, environment, food, body parts…) so you can get a wide range of vocabulary and decide what topics mean the most to you.
- You can create your own decks.
- The app teaches you vocabulary in context, rather than teaching you words in isolation.
- The cards and decks are highly-customizable. You don’t have to stick to what the app suggests.
What you might not like:
- If you tend to be bored by flashcards, this app is definitely not for you. Its entire concept is based on learning flashcards organized by decks (courses).
Pricing
- One-week free trial (no credit card or payment method required).
- $9.99 monthly, $199.99 once (lifetime subscription), $79.99 yearly.
Read this Lingvist review.
FluentU
The FluentU app is engaging and suitable for all levels.
It completely avoids scripted content and instead gives you the huge advantage of listening to recordings and audios that are spoken by native French speakers.
Added to that, FluentU’s content is wide-ranging and includes various types of contexts such as interviews and recipes. You’ll also find that each native video has subtitles which you can click on to find out the meanings of each individual word.
FluentU lets you keep track of all the vocabulary and phrases you learn and, along the way, you’ll receive tailored recommendations for videos that you might find interesting. This further supports your leaning.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The recordings and videos spoken by French natives help you to dive into the culture and focus on a wide range of contexts.
- FluentU is challenging and supports your learning with the option of using subtitles for each video.
- The element of personalised recommendations for its French videos is appealing and helps to maintain your interest.
What you might not like:
- Unlike some of the other courses on this list, FluentU lacks a particular course structure.
- FluentU might show the gender of French adjectives, but it fails to show their opposite equivalents.
- The app’s quizzes might feel slightly boring and repetitive.
Pricing: After your 14-day free trial, accessing the FluentU app costs $30 per month, or $240 for a yearly subscription.
See this FluentU review.
Rosetta Stone
Rosetta Stone is possibly the longest-running and most famous language learning tool available, and it includes French!
Like many of the language learning tools on this list, Rosetta Stone encourages you to practice speaking French from the very beginning. What’s more, Rosetta Stone adopts the typical approach used by top French language teachers — this app doesn’t feature English translations at all.
Focusing entirely on French words, expressions and phrases, it helps you hit the ground running straight away and begin to absorb French culture, grammar and vocabulary.
The app works by requesting you to match French vocabulary and phrases with their corresponding images which helps you to recall and retain new vocabulary faster.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- Offline learning is possible as you can download the lessons you require.
- The Rosetta Stone French course is all in French and doesn’t use translations. This means you can fully immerse yourself in the French language.
- The course uses a TruAccent(R) speech tool that can help you pronounce new French words and vocabulary.
What you might not like:
- Rosetta Stone is an expensive app.
- The app might become boring as the main way you develop your knowledge is through matching images to words.
Pricing: After your free 3-day trial the Rosetta Stone app costs 35.97EUR every three months.
See this Rosetta Stone review.
LingQ
LingQ, by Steve Kaufmann, is one of the most popular platforms for French learners who love reading and building up vocabulary as they discover it in context.
It is basically a library of content from all over the web which helps you learn new words through exposure to texts in French. You get to interact with the text and mark the words you don’t know, so you can build your own flashcards and study the vocabulary later.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- LingQ is all about learning in context and leaving grammar as an afterthought, which speaks to many language learners who love learning through entertainment.
- Ability to import your own content and automatically turn it into an interactive lesson, just like the ones already available on the app.
- Includes content from other popular entertainment and news platforms, such as Netflix, Medium, YouTube, Quora and more.
- Option to learn more than 19 different languages, if you’re interested in other languages apart from French.
- Dictation exercises to help you improve your listening skills.
- Browse library by level and topic.
What you might not like:
- Content library feels a little unorganized.*
- It can take a little while to be able to use the platform with all of its features comfortably, as there’s a lot to learn.
- The flashcard load can become quite overwhelming after a certain point, as words keep accumulating.
- Premium options can feel quite costly compared to similar apps.
Pricing: Premium option costs 12.99EUR per month, EUR71.94 every 6 months, 107.88EUR yearly or 191.76EUR every 24 months. Premium Plus gives you access to all Premium features and extra points for live tutoring, writing corrections and premium lessons at 39.99EUR per month, 233.94EUR every 6 months, 419.88EUR yearly and EUR815.76 every 24 months.
Tandem
Tandem has become a go-to platform for practicing French and other languages.
Here, you can meet people from all over the world and agree to help each other improve. You start by looking for speakers from your favorite French-speaking country and get in touch through writing.
The app is quite easy to use and provides huge value for free.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- Opportunity to practice French without having to pay for expensive lessons.
- Define interesting topics or prompts to get the conversation started.
- Chat includes a “correct” feature which compares what you wrote with your partner’s correction. You are also invited to correct your partner’s writing.
- You can define your learning preferences to find your best match.
What you might not like:
- Complaints about Tandem resembling a dating app are common.
- It’s a little difficult to find a French conversation partner who is willing and available to commit to consistent practice. Quite often, a friendly conversation in a chat will not lead to much afterwards.
- The very nature of French language exchange means you’ll have to spend time teaching the other person your language, rather than focusing 100% on your own development (like you would with a teacher or coach).
Pricing: Mostly free of cost. Pro membership includes unlimited translations, insights regarding your profile (and who visits it), no ads and profile verification at a cost of $3.99 a month for a 3-month subscription, $6.99 per month for a monthly subscription and $2.92 per month for a year of acess.
See this Tandem review.
Duolingo French
Not only is Duolingo fun, it is an engaging app that can assist your French learning with useful grammatical exercises. From breaking down essential French vocabulary with usage examples in each unit and sub-unit to helping you learn new adjectives, verb tenses and nouns, Duolingo makes learning the French language simpler and faster.
A key advantage of using Duolingo to learn French is that it lets you track your daily progress and evaluate the intensity of your daily learning. You can set your daily goals to motivate yourself and aim to learn new words and phrases at a constant rate each day.
The Duolingo team is constantly coming up with additional content for their French language course, and with its online community, language learners can get answers to their grammatical queries and widen their French language learning experience.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The content and lessons are frequently updated, giving you an enriched French learning experience.
- Each topic is categorized and various subjects are included, providing you with a range of vocabulary.
- The majority of Duolingo’s features are practically free to use.
- You can access the Duolingo French learning community to clarify any grammatical confusion.
What you might not like:
- French learners using the Duolingo app will find it difficult to immerse themselves in the language because the app uses translations from French to English and vice versa.
- The app is fairly limited in terms of its scope, meaning completing the entire course will only help you reach a lower intermediate level.
- The usage examples are not practical and often don’t sound very natural.
Pricing: It’s free to access the whole French course on Duolingo. If you want to reap its full benefits, such as access to offline content, it costs $6.99 each month.
SpeakEasy French
SpeakEasy is the perfect phrasebook app specifically created to facilitate the process of learning French vocabulary. Covering a selection of the crucial French phrases for topics like eating in restaurants and ordering food, getting around the city, shopping in France and sightseeing, this app was designed with English-speakers in mind.
Also included in this app are various audio recordings of a native French speaker. With phrases such as “I have a reservation” and “How much does it cost”, you’ll soon be able to make yourself understood when communicating with native speakers in a wide range of contexts.
Platforms: Web, Android and iOS
What you’ll like about it:
- The SpeakEasy app is ideal if you are just beginning to learn some French words and phrases or are learning the language just to travel.
- The recordings make it easy for you to practice your pronunciation of French words and phrases.
What you might not like:
- The app is quite limited and many of the basic phrases can be found in other free apps.
- SpeakEasy is meant to be a phrasebook. This means it’s not suitable or ideal for upper-intermediate or advanced French language learners.
- There are no structured lessons, meaning developing writing skills is difficult with SpeakEasy.
Pricing: The SpeakEasy French phrasebook is available for 3.99EUR. The app also offers in-app purchases.
Beelinguapp
Beelinguapp is a clean, user-friendly app that focuses on reading French.
It places English and French side by side using different stories so you can build awareness of how the language works, listen to a native speaker read your favorite stories and build a glossary.
You can favorite stories, choose different text genres and create flashcards to keep track of everything you learn.
Platforms: Android and iOS.
What you’ll like about it:
- App allows you to choose your favorite type of media before you begin (famous stories, novels, news, children’s stories, science, culture…).
- Read stories and other materials in both languages side by side, sentence by sentence. This allows you to develop some awareness of how French works in comparison to another language you know, such as English.
- Option to hear a native speaker narrate each text.
- Learn and switch between 14 different languages (only with Premium).
- Perfect if you need a challenge after you’ve learned some French basics.
What you might not like:
- You have to pay to be able to switch between languages or learn more than one language at a time.
- You must pay to be able to access all content offline.
- You must pay if you want to see no ads.
- Access to stories is limited and the only way to get more access is by paying for a Premium option.
Pricing: Mostly free. You can choose to upgrade to Pro (3.99EUR monthly, 19.99EUR yearly), All Access (4.99EUR monthly, 19.99EUR yearly) or Gold (5.99EUR monthly, 29.99EUR yearly).
How to find a good app for learning French
Selecting the right French app is a challenge, but bear in mind two things:
- The app you choose is generally determined by how you learn and what your aims are.
- You can always opt for more than one app.
If your goal is to travel through France for a couple of days, you’re less likely to need a comprehensive app that offers in-depth, structured lessons. Learn some common French phrases and you’re good to go.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to gain knowledge of the French culture, ways, customs and language, you might need an app that offers more detail.
Selecting more than one app can be useful as each app serves a different purpose. In the beginning, you might find that a free app is sufficient.
But as your journey to learning French continues, you’ll probably want to invest in a premium app along with a quality French textbook.
Whatever your requirements are, this list of French language apps should be a good starting point.
Know of an app for learning French that I didn’t mention?
Share it below in the comment section.
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