Learn useful vocabulary French people use in normal, everyday conversations. The posts are divided into easy-to-learn "chunks" of about a dozen contextually-related words.
Whether you're brand new to French or an advanced student, check out these easy but informative French grammar lessons, taught in an understandable, casual way (and in English all the way).
There are dozens of methods to learn French, both online and offline. These comprehensive reviews, from DVDs to audio courses to software, will help you pick the best learning materials to improve your French.
How to Learn French Online for Free
Bienvenue and welcome to The French Post, where we cover everything you need to know about learning French online in easy-to-learn mini-courses.
This website is divided between mini-courses covering different lessons on French grammar and vocabulary, as well as reviews of other methods to learn French.
What Native English Speakers Need to Know about French
Learn French Pronunciation
Get Started with French Grammar
French Vocabulary Lists
Other French Program Reviews
Books
One of the most convenient ways to quickly understand the basics of learning French, there are a variety of popular texts that will teach you the structural basics of the language and help you construct simple sentences quickly. However, books are obviously not great at teaching pronunciation or oral comprehension, and you may need an audio supplement if you will be traveling to a French-speaking country or otherwise need to interact with native speakers.
Speaking
If you will be traveling or living in a French-speaking country surrounded by people who do not speak English, your first priority will probably be able to speak and understand basic conversational French. It is arguably more important in that case to use learn French audio CDs for basic sentence structure and common phrases, and then watching French movies without subtitles to pick up on more “natural” phrases, as well as intonation and pronunciation. Podcasts are also good for teaching you French as you do other activities. Advanced software like Rosetta Stone can test your speaking and understanding ability to some extent, but verbal interaction with a native French speaker is ideal.
Games
In general, you get what you pay for, but there are several quality French courses available online, that go into varying degrees of depth on teaching French to beginners. There are some free vocabulary and matching French games online that teach at a beginner to intermediate level. In general, the more advanced you are in the language, the more difficult it will be for you to find a good course that doesn’t regurgitate basic vocabulary and grammar that you already know.
Online courses
If you want all the resources for learning French available in one comprehensive online course, FrenchPod is one of the best portals for learning French online. Membership includes audio podcasts to download, as well as web courses and learning strategies.
General Tips for Learning French
Academic books, especially textbooks, can be a little dry, but there is a good reason they are still used from primary school students to doctoral students: they are efficient at teaching a high volume of information at a quick pace. The best books for you will be a French learning guide aimed at those teaching themselves. Many are less than $20.
In many ways, French spelling and grammar are easier than English, and usually have some sort of reasoning behind them. Try to understand why the French language behaves the way it does (this website will help with that), because if you understand something instead of just memorizing it, you will retain the information much better.
As you grow comfortable with beginner French, you need to search for content and conversations that real French people have. You might read a French forum in a hobby you are interested in, or listen to YouTube videos by French speakers. Write down words and phrases you don’t understand, and review your notebook or .txt file every day, and delete the word when you have it memorized without a doubt.