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11 Great Free Online Courses for Learning French

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free online french courses

If you want to learn a foreign language, look no further than the internet. And if you’re going to learn French, you’ve got a wealth of options available to you. From full courses that last several weeks, to short classes that take only a few hours, there are resources available for those at any learning level or any age to master the French language.

To begin this article, we will introduce you to some of the top free online French courses we have found. They have all been ranked using a specific methodology we developed that helps us choose the best options. The courses are listed in descending order, with our favorite picks at the top of the list, but each of these resources deserves a look. 

Featured Programs

1. Basic French Language Skills for Everyday Life

Offered by Alison

In this basic French course offered on the Alison platform, students will learn over six to ten hours the fundamental French language skills used in everyday life. It is intended to help students increase their vocabulary, learn the verb tenses, and be able to use conversational French in a wide range of situations.

There are five modules plus a course assessment. Students who pass the assessment with a grade of 80 percent or above are eligible for a free digital certificate of completion that can be posted to a resume, CV, LinkedIn profile, or even hung on the wall.

The course is entirely free, and the Alison platform makes it easy to progress sequentially with its user-friendly interface. As one of the only free online French courses on our list where students can earn a certificate, it is one of our top choices for beginners.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Six to ten hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by an engaging and experienced instructor

•Perfect for those who want to learn basic conversational French

•The course comes with free certification

Cons:

•None

2. Learn French

Offered by Duolingo

Duolingo is one of the world’s largest free platforms for foreign language learning, and even its paid access competitors pale in comparison to this top-rated app. The interface is enormous, covering over 23 languages, and it does so interactively and engagingly.

The French courses on the site are intended to be completed sequentially, and beginners will start at the basics 1 level. However, advanced users can test out of the beginner levels to move on to more challenging modules. The app keeps students motivated with games, quizzes, colorful graphics, and a points system, and can be accessed on desktop or mobile for learning anywhere.

When you sign up, you choose the amount of time you are willing to commit each day, and the app will remind you to study your lessons. Although the platform covers vocabulary exceptionally well, the tool does seem to lack more complex grammar lessons, so students at advanced levels may have to look elsewhere for this.

All in all, this free online platform for learning French is highly useful. We recommended it for anyone who wants to use it on its own or in conjunction with other courses on our list.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory to Intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Interactive lessons

•Excellent user experience

•Great design

Cons:

•Lacking in more advanced grammar concepts

3. French Language Studies-Introduction

Offered by Alison

In this short two to three-hour course offered on the Alison platform, students will gain an overview of the French language and how to make basic conversation. Ideal for beginners, travelers, and those who simply want to brush up on their conversational skills, the class is completely free and can be taken at your own pace. Upon completion, you should be able to:

• Say hello and goodbye

• Introduce yourself and ask someone else their name

• Say where you are from and what you will do on vacation

• Talk about family and friends

• Talk about your hobbies, seasons, and the weather

• Recognize different types of transportation

• Pronounce the letters of the French alphabet

• Pronounce the French accents correctly

• Read the time

• List numbers

• Recognize days and months

That’s a lot of learning packed into a few hours! The free online French course even features an assessment and a certificate of completion. This is one of our top choices when it comes to online French courses due to the excellent user interface and extra perks.

Cost: Free

Certificate: Yes

Time to Complete: Two to three hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Offers a downloadable digital certificate

•Excellent user experience

•Easy-to-follow modules

Cons:

•None

4. French I

Offered by Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MIT Open Courseware provides this advanced French course at no cost to users. It features the same lectures, exercises, and lessons as those taught on campus, and offers one of the best online courses in learning French for those who have already passed introductory levels. You don’t need to be an MIT student to participate, and the course does not count toward credit.

Intended to be taken at your own pace, this course is taught entirely in French, which is why you need some measure of proficiency in the language before embarking on it. Intermediate to advanced students of the language will find it challenging and useful as this is one of the only online courses available at this level.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: One semester

Curriculum: Intermediate to advanced

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Very good

Pros:

•Offered through MIT

•Challenging and engaging

•Taught entirely in French

Cons:

•No certificates or hands-on work offered

5. TV5Monde Get Started for Free in French A1

Offered by TV5Monde

TV5Monde’s A1 French learning course features 500 exercises to help students learn French via an extensive video library. Vocabulary, cultural information, grammar, pronunciation aids, and more make up this vast repository of French lessons designed for beginners.

The lessons can be completed in any order, and those who already have some French language learning may want to jump in with some of the more challenging lessons. There are no signups or certification with the free online course in French. When you visit the website, don’t forget to utilize google translate to convert it to your native language. You may need to continue to do this on each page you visit.

While the user experience for this resource is a bit challenging, the videos themselves are excellent, covering hundreds of topics.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Fair

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

•Huge selection of lessons

•Exercises and assessments in each module

•Go at your own pace

Cons:

•Navigation takes some getting used to

6. Talk French

Offered by BBC Languages

Offered by the BBC, Talk French is a video-based course designed for complete beginners but can also help those who need to brush up on their skills. There are 12 topics covered, each featuring a video, word game, and printable worksheets. You can start from the beginning of this free online French course and follow them sequentially or jump in anywhere you like.

The website can be used in conjunction with the Talk French tv-series, and there are many other resources offered too, including vocabulary lists, teachers’ resources, transcripts, games, tutors guides, and more. No signup is necessary, you can proceed at your own pace, and there are no paywalls or hidden fees involved.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

•Many complementary resources available

•Self-paced

•No sign up is necessary

Cons:

•The course is somewhat dated

Featured Programs

7. Ma France: French Video Course for Post-Beginners

Offered by BBC Languages

Ma France is ideal for those who are returning to study the language or need to brush up on their skills. It is a free French course online taught via 24 interactive videos and is offered by BBC Languages. Although the site is no longer updated, it is still relevant, and there are many excellent resources available to users on the French learning homepage.

Filmed in the Alps, Province, and Lyons, the breathtaking scenery combined with Stéphane Cornicard’s expert instruction will help students learn with ease. Interactive games and activities help to make the course more engaging. There is no cost, and there are no signups necessary. Students can jump in at any time and work the lessons around their respective schedules.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Intermediate

User Experience: Good

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

•No hoops to jump through, you set your own schedule and go at your own pace

•Perfect for those who want a class with no commitments or restraints

•Entirely free learning resource from the BBC

Cons:

•No certificates are offered

8. Three Minute French Free Taster Course for Beginners

Offered by Udemy

This excellent 1.5-hour course on Udemy will teach students how to be more than just tourists when traveling to a French-speaking country. Taught in three-minute chunks, It is intended to touch upon the basics of the language so you will have a general overview of everyday conversation including:

• How to master basic phrases

• Understand what is being said to you

• Build a robust vocabulary of words you can use right away

• Understand the grammatical and linguistic features of the language

• Understanding the pronunciation and structure of the language

The online French course is free to take in audit mode. Students who choose to upgrade are eligible for a completion certificate and the ability to direct message the instructor with questions.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: 1.5 hours

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught by author and language tutor Kieran Ball

•Easy-to-use platform

•Well-reviewed by over 70,000 students

Cons:

•Too short

9. You Learn French

Offered by independent instructor Joella Andriantsivohony

This offering is less of a course and more of a massive repository of online video courses taught by independent instructor Joella Andriantsivohony. While the user experience leaves much to be desired, the quality and quantity of the content are superb, offering hundreds of video lessons and tutorials as well as free PDFs.

The website is hosted on Blogspot, and no signup is necessary. Users can jump in at whatever level they feel comfortable with to begin mastering the French language right away. This is one of the most content-rich resources we have found when it comes to free online French courses.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory to advanced

User Experience: Fair

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Go at your own pace with no fees or signups

•Taught by an experienced instructor of the language

•Hundreds of topics to choose from

Cons:

•The platform is a bit dull

10. Improve Your French Now

Offered by Udemy

This top-rated free course from Udemy has been taken by over 30,000 students and is a short and easy-to-follow offering given entirely in French. Intermediate users will find this to be a helpful resource that covers listening and comprehension skills, French culture, and increasing your vocabulary.

The course takes just 1.5 hours and is taught by its creator, Français avec Pierre. Pierre is an instructor with over 15 years of teaching the language.

Students enrolled in the free version can access the entire online French course but will not earn a certificate. An upgrade will allow students to obtain certification and also direct message the instructor with questions. 

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: 1.5

Curriculum: Intermediate

User Experience: Excellent

Quality of Instruction: Excellent

Pros:

•Taught all in French for intermediate users

•Great for those who are looking to challenge their French language skills

•Taught by an experienced and highly rated instructor

Cons:

•Too short

11. The French Experience

Offered by BBC Languages

In this BBC Languages course, students will take a practical approach to learning by following along with video lessons covering various day-to-day activities. Suitable for beginners as well as those who want to brush up on their skills, the 10-part series is intended to help individuals navigate common words and phrases and is ideal for travelers. Some of the basics of this free online French course include how to:

• Find a campsite

• Locate a museum

• Talk to a doctor

• Order at a restaurant

• Shop for clothing

• Purchase a train ticket

The course is entirely free, and there are no signups necessary. Students can take it at their own pace using only the information they need or go through each lesson in sequence.

Cost: Free

Certificate: No

Time to Complete: Varies

Curriculum: Introductory

User Experience: Fair

Quality of Instruction: Good

Pros:

•Perfect for those getting ready to travel abroad

•Practical information

•Offered by the BBC

Cons:

•User experience could use some updating

Frequently Asked Questions About Free Online French Courses

Learning a foreign language like French through a free online course gives users the structure of a classroom, the benefits of technology, and the ability to learn independently all-in-one. In fact, we can’t imagine why anyone who wants to learn French wouldn’t try out this modality. For those who are hesitant or have questions, this next section is for you.

Why Should I Take Free Online French Courses?

Great Free Online Courses for Learning French

If you are a native English speaker living in an English speaking country, it’s pretty easy to go your whole life without ever learning a foreign language. Even while traveling abroad, the tourism industry generally caters to English speakers, so tourists can still get by fairly well without needing to know a single word in another tongue.

This failure to learn a language other than one’s own means you could be missing out on some of the most enjoyable and fascinating experiences of life. When you think of those who are unable to read, you’ve probably imagined how profoundly their lives and worldviews would open up if they embraced literacy. This is how bilingual and multilingual people often feel about those who only know one language. You are missing out.

More than 220 million people on five continents speak French. It is the world’s second most commonly spoken language. That’s reason enough right there to learn. But consider this: French is also considered the language of romance and culture. Learning French can open up incomparable cultural opportunities in literature, art, music, and more.

The ability to speak French can offer career advantages, too. Bilingual speakers are typically in high demand across a wide range of industries, and those who speak more than one language will command higher wages than those who do not.

French is also the official language of the United Nations, the International Olympic Committee, NATO, The International Red Cross, UNESCO, and the European Union. Are you seeing the advantages of learning French yet?

What Are the Requirements and Prerequisites?

Academically, students interested in pursuing French learning should have some basic English skills. That’s it. Anyone, at any level, can start taking French courses online right away with no age, geographic, or educational requirements.

As long as you are interested and excited about what you are doing, there are plenty of opportunities and resources for learning French online.

Will I Earn College Credits by Taking a Free Online French Course?

Typically, no. All of the courses on our list are offered through platforms that may provide certification, but they are not accredited. You could check with your college or university if you have questions about transferrable skills, which can sometimes count toward credit.

How Long Do Free Online Courses Take?

The courses on this list are all designed to be taken at your own pace so you can work them into your schedule however you choose. They can be started any day of the week at any time— day or night. The time for completion ranges from a few hours to a few months, depending on the course and your level of motivation and commitment.   

Can Learning French Help Improve My Career Options?

Absolutely! When you develop skills in a non-English language, you have the opportunity to establish more connections with diverse communities, and this can help you with everything from making new friends to gaining new business connections.

No matter what industry you are already in, whether it’s financing, publishing, retail, education, or something else, a second language can serve you well with new opportunities, inspiration, and sources of information that you’ve previously not had.

If you love to travel, roles in the airline industry or travel writing are ideal career choices for multilingual individuals. If you enjoy helping people, you can consider a career as a travel guide or in the hospitality industry.

At more advanced levels, careers in translation, localization, interpreting, and globalization are highly lucrative and can take you all over the world. Many of these jobs are remote, meaning you can work from the comfort of your own home or on a beach somewhere. The choice is yours.

Those who have mastered more than one language also may find themselves in a career in politics, law, public speaking, or intelligence.

Finally, some people are just born with a love for language, and if this is you, you may be content to study as a linguist, analyzing the structure of the language, and enjoying it for what it is.

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