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The Best French Lessons

Who Offers the Best French Lessons?

When we think of someone speaking French, we think soothing and seductive, as it's simply dreamy to hear. We think of the romance of Paris with the Eiffel Tower, of Southern France with the rolling lavender fields, of the Alps with the snow-capped mountains, of the coast with the warm sandy beaches. And of course there's the decadent French food and wine.

Learning French allows you to more fully enjoy French culture. When you learn French, it opens the door to learning phrases that the French speakers use in conversation, manners and mannerisms, how the French live and interact in everyday situations, and perhaps gaining an appreciation and insight into their art and history. There are so many doors to be unlocked once you take the first step.

Tuesday, March 19th

2024 French Lesson Reviews

Busuu Review Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award 5 Star Rating

Busuu

5 Star Rating Top Consumer Reviews Best-In-Class Blue Ribbon Award

Want to learn French on your own terms? Busuu's got you covered. They'll help you figure out where you're at with a placement test, and then create a personalized learning plan just for you. You'll get reminders when it's time to schedule your lessons, and they'll even have native speakers give feedback on your writing and speaking. Because Busuu's got it all, it easily ranks as our #1 pick for French lessons online.

Rosetta Stone Review 4.5 Star Rating

Rosetta Stone

4.5 Star Rating

Not only will you get the tried-and-true immersion method to learn French with Rosetta Stone, you'll learn to read and write in French as well. If you want to mix things up a bit, hop in on a live French lesson or even get a tutor. It might not be the right fit if you don't love the jump-right-in immersion approach, so take advantage of Rosetta Stone's three-day trial if you're not sure - because these French lessons are effective and well-loved by many learners.

Babbel Review 4.5 Star Rating

Babbel

4.5 Star Rating

Babbel is an excellent online course for learning French, especially for beginners and intermediates. Right away you'll learn conversational phrases, the lessons are fun, and there's a tab to review previously-learned material. If you want unlimited, live classes, choose Babbel Live.

Italki Review 4.5 Star Rating

Italki

4.5 Star Rating

Wouldn't it be great to learn French with a real, French-speaking person? You can. You can sign up with italki, choose your teacher, let them know what you'd like to learn, and just start. It's that easy - mais oui. You'll have to do a bit of work to find a teacher that offers lessons the way you want them - super-structured or casual conversation - but italki makes it worth it.

Memrise Review 4.5 Star Rating

Memrise

4.5 Star Rating

Memrise takes an old, crusty, flashcard concept and blows it out of the water. Choose lesson topics that are interesting to you and watch a video of a native French-speaking person saying your new word. Watch silly or interesting fifteen-second videos putting these words into context. Memrise gives you the taste of speaking with someone and makes you want more. Give the free, limited access a try because we think you'll love Memrise.

Mondly Review 4 Star Rating

Mondly

4 Star Rating

Mondly knows what you're looking for in learning a language, and it's not stuffy and dry. You want to learn French with proven methods and envelop it in the latest technology like AR and VR and other interactive software. With Mondly, you'll not only learn, but be entertained and get helpful feedback all along the way with their state-of-the-art technology.

Rocket Languages Review 4 Star Rating

Rocket Languages

4 Star Rating

Want to hear French and start speaking, even at the beginning of the lesson? With Rocket Languages you can. What's more is that when you speak into the microphone, the program will give you feedback on what you said. You can have a free trial to dabble in some lessons before you purchase a course. Rocket is a great way to learn French if you're a beginner or have had a few classes already.

French Pod 101 Review 4 Star Rating

French Pod 101

4 Star Rating

Isn't it beautiful to listen to French? French Pod 101 has around 2,000 audio and video files, so listen until your heart's content. A unique feature is that you can slow down the audio for better understanding. Pay for one of the subscriptions and you'll have access to more vocabulary lists, notes, and practice to help you improve your French skills. French Pod 101 is great for all the audio, but keep in mind that you may find it lacking in traditional course format, lessons, and feedback.

Pimsleur Review 3.5 Star Rating

Pimsleur

3.5 Star Rating

With Pimsleur, you know that their method is a good one when it's created by a linguistics professor. Listen to French with each 30-minute lesson, then practice. If you are on the go, don't have time to sit to learn, and you love listening to podcasts, this method should fit right into your schedule without missing a beat. Still, Pimsleur could take it up a notch to earn our highest rating: we wish they had a better free trial opportunity and it would be great if they had lessons and practice for the advanced learner.

Ouino Review 3.5 Star Rating

Ouino

3.5 Star Rating

If you have been in a traditional foreign language classroom and like that routine, try Ouino. You'll get lessons on vocabulary and grammar, can practice with dialogs, flashcards, and written exercises. The technology is a bit outdated, but they have good intentions. You will get to choose the order of your lessons, which is a nice flexibility benefit. Although the price for these French lessons is reasonable, it's just that Ouino is not that much fun or motivating.

Fluenz Review 3 Star Rating

Fluenz

3 Star Rating

Fluenz has a good concept, they just need to execute it better. They teach you French with English explanations, and they want you to be fluent in French, which is good. But there are details, and not small ones, that we feel they're missing: there's no free trial and they should update their software to correct your writing samples.

Unforgettable Languages Review 3 Star Rating

Unforgettable Languages

3 Star Rating

If you or your child find that traditional language-learning methods just don't work for you but still want or need to learn French, Unforgettable Languages might be for you or them. They use mnemonic devices related to sometimes silly English images to help you remember. It's not as robust or adult-oriented as many rival French lessons, but it could be the right fit for a small percentage of learners.

LingQ Review 2.5 Star Rating

LingQ

2.5 Star Rating

If you've tried learning languages in a traditional way and are excited to see what's happening in French-speaking countries or want to listen to French podcasts or learn through French YouTube videos, definitely give LingQ a try. You'll get access to thousands of articles and videos, most created by native speakers. LingQ builds vocabulary words and grammar to supplement when needed. It's a free-form program tailored to your interests and not for those who want more structured lessons. However, these French lessons can be pretty spendy, and that flexible approach will be a turn-off for more than a few students.

Strokes International Review 1 Star Rating

Strokes International

1 Star Rating

Don't waste your time with Strokes International. To see a sample lesson you have to spend time downloading an older version, and it's so frustrating to try and find information about the method when you have to keep clicking "English" or it defaults to German. And we couldn't find pricing, even when we did have pages in English. It's no wonder why these French lessons get our lowest possible rating.

Compare the Best Reviews

Continued from above...

Naturally, when we think French we think of France. Yet French is actually a global language and the official language of 29 countries, so you can practice your French language skills in more than one place. French is also a heritage language in all or part of Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, and even the US - like Louisiana.

Picking up the French language may be easier than you might think. Some of us are intimidated by the unusual sounds and the silent letters, but did you know that there are many words that look like English? We'll bet you know these French words: table, responsable, ambiance, brilliance. There are about 1,700 words in French that look like the English word, so there's a good start.

When choosing among the several options for online French lessons, here are some things to consider:

  • Free trial. Look to see if there's a chance to try out the lessons before you buy them to see if this is how you want to learn and to see if you'll stay motivated. Most options include at least a free trial, and some have free access to a limited amount of lessons so you might be able to get all of what you want for free.
  • How they teach. Today there is such a variety of teaching methods in the various online French lesson companies. You can learn individual words with flashcards first and then build to speaking or reading. Some teach by where you hear conversational phrases and build on those. Some build their lessons around grammar and vocabulary while others don't teach grammar specifically - you'll innately catch on the more you practice. Some cut to the chase like textbooks and some use AR and VR to keep you hooked and motivated.
  • How much French you may already know. If you're a beginner, the French lesson world is your oyster - there's so much for you to choose from. If you are at the advanced level and want to polish your skills, most online programs don't teach to your level; though there are a few that could work for you.
  • Your budget. There are some programs where you should be able to get quite a bit of practice for free. Others have a reasonable cost. Some have options for you to have a one-on-one instructor, and those will cost a bit more.
  • One-time purchase or monthly subscription. There's the good, old fashioned way of purchasing a course, and that's where you keep the lessons, learning at your own pace, guilt-free if you need to take a long break. The subscription method is where you pay per month or year to use the product and it automatically renews at the end of that subscription time. You'll be motivated to not take a long hiatus from lessons if you know that your subscription auto renews whether you use it or not.
  • Satisfaction guarantee. Most have a period of time where you can try out the courses to know if you really like them and want to continue. If you're not happy within that time, simply ask for a full refund

Top Consumer Reviews has researched and ranked the most popular French courses available today, to make it easy for you to choose how you'll want to learn French. Whether you're thinking of learning French for the first time or brushing up on what you may have taken in high school, now is a great time to learn French online as there are such a variety of French lesson programs out there. We're sure you'll find at least one that you'd like to try.

The Best French Lessons Compare French Lessons Compare French Lesson Reviews What are the best French Lessons Best French Lesson Reviews

French Lesson FAQ

That can be a tricky question! It's estimated that there are about 76 million people who speak French fluently as their first language. But, there are another 235 million individuals that use French daily and fluently without it being their native tongue, plus up to 110 million who use it as a second language with varying levels of proficiency. Beyond France itself, you'll find speakers throughout Africa, India, the Caribbean, and Canada.
There are many different French dialects, depending on where it's spoken, but for the most part they're all mutually understandable. If you learned French from a Parisian and then traveled to Montreal, you would still be able to use the language without much of a problem - though you might need to pick up new vocabulary and train your ear to hear it a little differently. It's similar to the regional accents you'll find within the US - think of how English is spoken in New York vs. Texas, for example - or how English differs depending on whether you're in Canada, England, or Australia.
According to the US State Department, French is a Category I language. That means that French is closely related to English, making it easy to learn! (Spanish, Italian, Swedish, and Romanian are some of the other languages in that category.) Most students of French find the language to be somewhat familiar, which makes it more comfortable to study and to retain the vocabulary.
Start by learning some basic vocabulary. If you've got plans to use French in a specific context, like an upcoming vacation or a business meeting, choose some words and phrases that you'll need there. And, as with any language, the more you can expose yourself to the way it's used by native speakers, the more you'll pick up without even trying. Many students swear by watching TV shows and movies in French (with or without subtitles)!
You won't find a way to learn French that's more convenient or affordable, that's why! While French is one of the most commonly-taught languages in American schools, it can still be hard to find a class that fits your busy schedule. Even if you can find one that works, you may pay a lot of money for a semester of coursework; for that same investment, you could access years of online French lessons.
One reason French is easier to learn than some languages is because it uses the same alphabet is English - mostly. There are a few different characters that you'll need to know how to produce. Fortunately, they're not hard to make: on a smartphone, you can usually hold down the base letter (like c, e, or a) and accented options will pop up. On a desktop pc, there are shortcuts you can use when typing.
Not at all. You could pay under $300 for three levels of French coursework, or study as long as you like on a subscription plan that ranges from $4 to $23 per month. That's much more affordable than in-person lessons!
Each language platform has different policies regarding satisfaction guarantees and refunds. For subscription-based French lessons, you can probably cancel future payments but might not get your money back for what you've already spent. If you've paid a one-time fee for a language program, there may be a 30- to 60-day refund period. We recommend utilizing any trial options offered by a French lessons program before committing to it: you can usually find sample lessons or a one-week all-access pass, and that will help you get a feel for how the platform teaches French.

Compare French Lessons

Select any 2 French Lessons to compare them head to head

best-french-lessons
  • Busuu
  • Rosetta Stone
  • Babbel
  • Italki
  • Memrise
  • Mondly
  • Rocket Languages
  • French Pod 101
  • Pimsleur
  • Ouino
  • Fluenz
  • Unforgettable Languages
  • LingQ
  • Strokes International
Busuu vs Rosetta Stone Busuu vs Babbel Busuu vs Italki Busuu vs Memrise Busuu vs Mondly Busuu vs Rocket Languages Busuu vs French Pod 101 Busuu vs Pimsleur Busuu vs Ouino Busuu vs Fluenz Busuu vs Unforgettable Languages Busuu vs LingQ Busuu vs Strokes International Rosetta Stone vs Babbel Rosetta Stone vs Italki Rosetta Stone vs Memrise Rosetta Stone vs Mondly Rosetta Stone vs Rocket Languages Rosetta Stone vs French Pod 101 Rosetta Stone vs Pimsleur Rosetta Stone vs Ouino Rosetta Stone vs Fluenz Rosetta Stone vs Unforgettable Languages Rosetta Stone vs LingQ Rosetta Stone vs Strokes International Babbel vs Italki Babbel vs Memrise Babbel vs Mondly Babbel vs Rocket Languages Babbel vs French Pod 101 Babbel vs Pimsleur Babbel vs Ouino Babbel vs Fluenz Babbel vs Unforgettable Languages Babbel vs LingQ Babbel vs Strokes International Italki vs Memrise Italki vs Mondly Italki vs Rocket Languages Italki vs French Pod 101 Italki vs Pimsleur Italki vs Ouino Italki vs Fluenz Italki vs Unforgettable Languages Italki vs LingQ Italki vs Strokes International Memrise vs Mondly Memrise vs Rocket Languages Memrise vs French Pod 101 Memrise vs Pimsleur Memrise vs Ouino Memrise vs Fluenz Memrise vs Unforgettable Languages Memrise vs LingQ Memrise vs Strokes International Mondly vs Rocket Languages Mondly vs French Pod 101 Mondly vs Pimsleur Mondly vs Ouino Mondly vs Fluenz Mondly vs Unforgettable Languages Mondly vs LingQ Mondly vs Strokes International Rocket Languages vs French Pod 101 Rocket Languages vs Pimsleur Rocket Languages vs Ouino Rocket Languages vs Fluenz Rocket Languages vs Unforgettable Languages Rocket Languages vs LingQ Rocket Languages vs Strokes International French Pod 101 vs Pimsleur French Pod 101 vs Ouino French Pod 101 vs Fluenz French Pod 101 vs Unforgettable Languages French Pod 101 vs LingQ French Pod 101 vs Strokes International Pimsleur vs Ouino Pimsleur vs Fluenz Pimsleur vs Unforgettable Languages Pimsleur vs LingQ Pimsleur vs Strokes International Ouino vs Fluenz Ouino vs Unforgettable Languages Ouino vs LingQ Ouino vs Strokes International Fluenz vs Unforgettable Languages Fluenz vs LingQ Fluenz vs Strokes International Unforgettable Languages vs LingQ Unforgettable Languages vs Strokes International LingQ vs Strokes International
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