There are a lot of French audio programs out there, but most of them focus on cramming phrases into your head rather than helping you understand how the language actually works. The best audio courses teach you enough grammar alongside the vocabulary that you can construct your own sentences rather than being limited to pre-packaged phrases. Here are the ones worth your time.
Pimsleur French
The Pimsleur French audio course is consistently one of the best-selling French audio programs, and for good reason. It’s designed for travelers and anyone who needs basic conversational French quickly, assuming no prior knowledge of the language. Grammar and vocabulary are taught with enough explanation that you understand what you’re saying and why, and the 16 lessons progress at an efficient pace without feeling rushed. There’s no written component — this is a pure listen-and-speak course. For what it’s designed to do, it does it very well.
Michel Thomas Method French
The Michel Thomas Method is a 10-CD course that takes you to near-intermediate spoken French. Grammar and pronunciation are clearly explained, vocabulary is introduced naturally throughout, and the course is structured around building your ability to create your own sentences from the start. The pace is quicker than Pimsleur, and for learners with absolutely no French background it can feel fast — if that’s you, Pimsleur is the better starting point. For most beginners, especially those with some prior exposure to French on the reading and writing side, this is one of the most thorough and instructive audio courses available.
Behind the Wheel French
Behind the Wheel French is the most comprehensive of the three, designed for learners who want to seriously commit to the language rather than get quick conversational basics. It comes with transcripts and a workbook to practice what you hear, and will take you from no knowledge to advanced beginner comprehension and speaking ability. Each lesson introduces an English phrase or word, followed by the French from a native speaker, with time to repeat. The vocabulary moves quickly, so using the workbook and transcripts alongside the audio is important for getting full value from the course.
