Best Ways to Learn French

French is a fantastic language to learn. But which method is the best one to help you become fluent? With so many ways to learn a language, choosing one can be daunting. Our advice: Simple, easy-to-stick-to methods are the best. In this article, you’ll learn all about the simplest way to learn French and why you should even bother, with some basic phrases you can start using today.

Read on to discover why Busuu is the easiest and most convenient way to learn French.

Discover the best ways to learn French

An easy-to-stick-to study habit

Learning a language takes consistent practice and discipline. So it’s vital you have an easy and convenient way to do it. That’s where Busuu comes in—with a handy app and easy-to-squeeze-into-your-schedule lessons and videos, it’s a whole lot harder to skip studying. Busuu makes it easy to be consistent.

A worldwide community of language learners

Learning a language is all about communicating and building connections with other people. But what if there are no French speakers near you to talk to? There are millions of language learners and native French speakers in the Busuu community. You meet people to practice with, getting feedback and support.

All the French courses you could possibly need

Busuu Premium has French courses that meet your goals. Complete French takes you from beginner to advanced. French for Travel gives you the basics for your next trip. French for Business gets you ready to join a French-speaking workplace. French Pronunciation helps you speak with confidence. And Inclusive French guides you through using French in a modern, diverse society.

What are the best ways to learn French?

Here are five of the best ways to learn French.

1) A mobile app

Language learning is more convenient than ever before, thanks to mobile apps like Busuu. They’re convenient, flexible, and accessible ways to learn a language. They go where you go. And allow you to study French when it suits you. Even if you’re super busy, spend just five minutes per day studying on the Busuu app, and you’ll make progress. You can build a sustainable study habit. And you have fewer reasons to skip French study.

Progress from just five minutes per day sounds like a bold claim. But it’s true. Of course, the more you can do, the more progress you’ll make. But choosing an amount of study that suits your life is important. If you have few responsibilities, thirty minutes to an hour a day will lead to impressive results. If you have more responsibilities, like caring for family members, five or ten minutes daily is a great achievement. A mobile app means you have total control of your studying. With Busuu’s bite-sized French lessons and videos, you can build a sustainable study habit that fits your life and responsibilities. 

2) Reading and listening

Because input is so vital for language learning, reading and listening are some of the best things you can do to make progress. Supplement the Busuu Premium French courses with books, articles, and podcasts. Watch dramas and movies. Listen to music and the radio.

To really master a language, you need lots of input. Our advice: Find French content you’re interested in. If you’re a hip-hop fan, listen to French rappers and watch documentaries about French hip-hop. If you love literature, read Les Trois Mousquetaires (The Three Musketeers), Le Comte de Monte-Cristo (The Count of Monte Cristo), and Les Misérables.

When you read and listen to content you’re interested in, it stops feeling like studying. It’s fun. And you’ll want to keep doing it again and again.

3) Communication

Output is just as important as input. So you need to be out there communicating with people. Practice your French speaking and writing skills. Find French speakers to connect with. Travel. Join language exchange groups. Find practice partners. And be a part of Busuu’s worldwide community of millions of language learners and native French speakers.

4) Feedback and support

Let’s be honest: It could take years to master French. There are no silver bullets. So, it’s important to have guidance, feedback, and support during this long — and sometimes bumpy — process. You need people who’ve got your back when you get stuck on French spelling and pronunciation (those pesky silent letters!), tricky verb conjugations, and gendered nouns (who knows why ‘garden’ is masculine but ‘flower’ is feminine!).

By joining the Busuu online community, you can meet French speakers and other language learners happy to give you feedback and support on your journey. With millions of members in the Busuu Community, you get the support and feedback you need to get over the bumpy parts of your French learning.

5) Advanced language learning tools

Mobile apps aren’t only good for making learning convenient. They also personalize it. Using advanced features, the Busuu app knows what words and grammar you’ve studied and reminds you to review them. And it does this at the perfect time to stop you from forgetting it. Words and grammar you are confident with appear less frequently in reviews. Words and grammar you need to work on appear more frequently. With Busuu, you get personalized learning that addresses your weaknesses.

Why Busuu is the best app for learning French

Become fluent in French

Busuu Premium French courses will get you from beginner to advanced. Whether you’re looking for well-rounded skills and knowledge or want French for your next trip, there’s a Busuu course for you. Learn general French, business French, and travel French. Get help with pronunciation. And navigate the tricky world of inclusive French. You can do all of this on your mobile device with Busuu Premium.

Personalized learning at your fingertips

Busuu’s advanced learning tools personalize your learning, so you memorize vocabulary and grammar. The spaced repetition algorithms remind you to review language at the perfect time to stop you from forgetting it. By tracking what you learn, what you know, and what you struggle with, Busuu gives you personalized learning experiences. All automatic. All on your mobile device.

Take part in a worldwide community of language learners

What’s the reason people learn languages? To communicate. That’s the end goal for most language learners (unless you want to learn French, so you can read classical literature or watch Lupin, which sounds like a lot of fun, too). But where can you meet people to practice French with? Take a look at the Busuu community. There are millions of language learners and native French speakers ready to give feedback on your speaking, pronunciation, and writing skills. You don’t need to take the challenge of mastering French alone. Do it with a supportive and friendly community instead. 

Why you should learn French

Here are the top four reasons you should learn French.

1) A global language

Over 200 million people around the world speak French natively. It’s the (or one of the) official languages in 29 countries. French is truly a global language. Mastering it gives you an edge in international communication: Make friends worldwide. Work in international diplomacy (French is also the official language of many of the world’s most important organizations). 

2) Travel

Know why around 40 million tourists visit Paris every year? Because it’s awesome. France is one of the most visited countries in the world. Learning French will make your trip there even more fun. Sure, sitting in a cafe on the Left Bank is great anyway. But imagine how much more fun it’d be if you could talk to the interesting people there in their own language. 

You can also use your French skills when traveling to Canada, many countries in Africa, the Caribbean, and some Pacific islands. Getting ready for a trip is a fantastic reason to learn French. 

3) A head start with other Romance languages

Maybe you won’t be satisfied with learning just one more language. If you want to be a

polyglot

4) French culture

France has been a culturally, scientifically, and philosophically important country for centuries. Learning French allows you to experience French literature, art, music, food, scientific discoveries, and philosophies in their original language. 

Basic French phrases

Here are 15 basic French phrases that you’ll encounter in Busuu’s Complete French course.

15 basic French phrases you need to know