Anybody learning a language nowadays is spoilt for choice when it comes to resources. While you can still learn languages in class, there are so many other resources you can also use to learn more quickly and effectively.
There are more resources for some languages than others, but if you've chosen to learn French, then you're in luck as there are plenty of amazing resources out there.
You can learn French online through websites, apps, and other digital resources, but when you can't look at a screen or write anything down, you'd be surprised how good podcasts can be for studying French, learning new vocabulary, and training your ear.
Nowadays, there are so many great podcasts out there that it's difficult to just choose a few. However, these are the podcasts we think you should check out first.
Naturally, as your French advances, you can move on to more complex material and eventually, you'll want to listen to podcasts that are just for French speakers rather than focusing on learning French.
The French Podcasts and French Lessons We Like the Most
As we mentioned previously, French is a popular language, which means you'll be able to find plenty of amazing French resources and apps for learning French.
When it comes to learning a language, you need to work out which resources match your preferred learning approach so that you get the most out of every minute you spend studying.
Hopefully, some of the podcasts that we've chosen here will be a good fit.
FrenchPod101
We need to make things clear that the people behind these podcasts also make a number of podcasts for other languages, too. We still recommend it, but you should know that it isn't fully dedicated to French-language podcasts.
You wouldn't think this at first glance, though, as each language has its own dedicated website.
If you're as interested in languages as we are and were wondering why they're called "podcasts", it's because they were initially exclusive to the Apple iPod. Nowadays, you can listen to podcasts on almost any smart device with an internet connection.
One of the huge advantages of podcasts is that you can always pause them and go back over anything you didn't understand. If you're listening to them at home, you can also make notes, look up vocabulary and grammar, and actively study as you listen.
That isn't to say that you can't get a lot out of podcasts by also just passively listening to them. It's still better than not listening to them!
With FrenchPod101, lessons are organised into levels. If you've never studied French before, you can always just start at the beginning. Other students may want to take a level test and skip some of the lessons that are too easy for them.
While there is an order to the lessons, you can always skip lessons or listen to them out of order if that would work better with your learning plan. If you're learning with a private tutor, for example, you might want to listen to podcasts and audio lessons that cover what you're doing in your lessons.
News In Slow French
Novice or intermediate speakers of a language tend to struggle with how quickly native speakers talk. News in Slow offers news that's delivered at a pace relative to the listener's level in said language.
Not only is this a great way to practise listening and learn new vocabulary, but it's also a great way to make your language learning more interesting by covering current events rather than the typically generic or out-of-date material that you find in textbooks.
The News in Slow website is excellently organised into levels, grammar, expressions, and by series. You shouldn't have any problems finding content that's appropriate to you and what you want to learn.
If you want to revise vocabulary, there are also flashcards that you can download.
Start by choosing your level. The good thing is that even if you get your level wrong at first, you can always just simply shift to a higher or lower level as needed. As the content is current events, too, you can test your understanding of the French content by later looking up the same story in English.
News in Slow takes a different approach to FrenchPod101 and both could be used when you study French. FrenchPod101 tends to offer conversational material so that you grow more familiar with how French is spoken whereas News in Slow has a greater focus on grammar and the more formal uses of the French language.
News in Slow also comes with some great accompanying materials like an entire page dedicated to each lesson where you can explore the grammar used in what you've just listened to.
If you like going back over the content when you study, News in Slow is a great resource. Just remember that podcasts and audio materials should just be one of the resources you use and that there are plenty of great websites for learning French.
Talk in French
The Talk in French podcast is more like a traditional podcast than the others we've seen so far and it's a resource that's really designed for advanced French speakers as there's less structure to the material than FrenchPod101 and News in Slow.
With Talk in French, you won't get a transcript, extra grammar resources, or anything like that. Instead, you'll get a great podcast in French that covers a range of interesting topics. That said, there is a downloadable grammar notebook for you when you subscribe.
If you speak French at an upper intermediate level and are looking for more advanced materials, the Talk in French podcast is a great idea. If you feel completely lost when you first listen to it, though, you may need to wait a bit before you dive into it.
Even if you don't understand everything, though, it can be useful to hear French being spoken and even if you just get bits of the conversation or the gist, you'll be picking up and learning vocabulary and grammar.
As you need a subscription for Talk in French, it's worthwhile checking out the free samples before you pay for it, especially if it's far too advanced for your current level.
Don't forget that you can also get real French lessons remotely with an online French teacher.
How the Best French Podcasts Can Help You
We've mentioned a few of our favourite French podcasts, but let's have a look at how podcasts can help language learners in general.
If you were taught a language in school and hated it, part of it may have been down to just how useless you felt the language was. It's far too common for classroom teaching to present the language as its component parts, boring us with grammar drills, conjugations, and other activities that hardly make French seem like a living language.
With podcasts, you can hear the language being used and listen to French speakers using their language to communicate; exactly how languages are supposed to be used and experienced. Not only does this show you how useful the language can be, but it also brings the language alive, rather than making it feel like verb tables and glossaries.
Aside from this, there are also another number of amazing benefits to learning French through podcasts and audio:
- You can take podcasts with you almost anywhere
- You can listen to French podcasts while doing other things
- Podcasts are mostly free or available for way less than the cost of a French course
- You can listen to podcasts pretty much whenever you want because they're on-demand
French lessons have to occur at a certain time and place (even online lessons), but podcasts being on-demand is arguably one of the best things about them.
The French podcasts designed for those learning the language mostly come with lots of other useful resources like transcripts, grammar notes, accompanying lessons, vocabulary lists, learning objectives, etc.
The Best French Podcasts We Haven't Mentioned Yet
Daily French Pod covers a huge range of fascinating topics from lighter topics to geopolitics. The segments come with transcripts, vocabulary lists, and exercises for you to do. This is a great choice for beginners, but you do need a subscription to enjoy it.
Podcast Français Facile is an obvious choice for absolute beginners, but there are various levels offered in accordance with the DELF French proficiency exam levels and structures. Everything here is in French so it can be quite difficult for novices to navigate, but that's also a useful way to learn.
French etc. is a podcast series that's in English but topics are discussed in French. They come with a grammar lesson and will likely feel more like a French lesson than a podcast, but it's still a great resource. Get the most out of them by following along with the transcript and the other resources they offer.
France Info News offers fun and entertaining news and is a great resource for the more advanced speakers of French. As culture and language are inseparable, it always helps your language to be au fait with the culture, history, and news of the countries where your target language is being spoken.
Podcasts are just one of the resources you'll use during your language-learning journey. Don't forget that when you get really stuck, you might want one of the best French dictionaries on-hand to help you.
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