Beyond Bonjour: Regional French Expressions Across France
Every French learner knows bonjour [hello], bonsoir [good evening], and merci [thank you]. These phrases are useful,…
French LANGUAGE LEARNING GUIDE
Becoming bilingual is a long-term investment that brings about endless benefits ranging from travelling all around the world with ease to getting a promotion at work. And these benefits are even better if you decide to study French, which is spoken by more than 270 million people around the world. Expand your social circle, discover more than 40 UNESCO sites in France, look for a new job at a French-speaking company and visit many other countries with French as an official language such as Canada, Cameroon or Seychelles.
Moreover, learning French as an English speaker is not as hard as you may think. These two languages are similar in terms of vocabulary and intonation patterns. Of course, some other linguistic structures differ widely, such as pronouns or verb tenses, but they are not difficult to acquire if you have patience and motivation (and a professional tutor to help you every step of the way). So, if you are looking to become fluent in French quickly and easily, take a look at the following guide where we have compiled the best resources and tips on how to learn French today.
Moreover, learning French as an English speaker is not as hard as you may think. These two languages are similar in terms of vocabulary and intonation patterns. Of course, some other linguistic structures differ widely, such as pronouns or verb tenses, but they are not difficult to acquire if you have patience and motivation (and a professional tutor to help you every step of the way). So, if you are looking to become fluent in French quickly and easily, take a look at the following guide where we have compiled the best resources and tips on how to learn French today.
Latest Articles for French
How to Speak French in Business Meetings: Complete Phrase Guide
Business meetings in France have a distinct rhythm. They are structured, formal, and intellectually driven. Ideas are…
What Are the Best French Courses in London?
Are you looking for the best French classes in London? In this guide, we’ll explore four of…
Top 12 Most In-Demand Languages of the BPO Sector
Sean Hopwood, MBA is the founder and President of Day Translations, Day Interpreting, and Day Impact. He…
The Best French Films to Watch on Netflix
If you ask a cinephile about their favourite film directors, you will surely get at least one…
Italian vs French for Business: Which One Should You Learn Next?
Italian vs French… What a formidable battle! Being the language geeks that we are, there’s no more…
1. Why Learn French Today?
There are many reasons why learning French today is a brilliant idea. From communicating with family abroad to broadening your professional horizons, you won’t regret your decision! Explore some of the reasons below why learning French is the perfect choice for you.
To Boost Your Career
While learning French is, of course, essential for careers like interpretation, language teaching, or translation, being fluent in this fascinating language will give your CV a boost regardless of the field you are working in. For example, total trade in goods and services between the UK and France reached £102.5 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q2 2025. France was also the UK’s 5th largest trading partner, accounting for 5.5% of total UK trade, which means being fluent in French can open countless business opportunities. Plus, many companies like Givenchy or Renault have subsidiaries in the UK and value fluency in French when hiring new talent.
Want to feel more confident using French at work? Read our complete phrase guide for speaking French in business meetings and learn useful expressions for introductions, updates, opinions, questions, and professional discussions.
To Communicate With Family Abroad
The Eurobarometer Report 2020 shows that around 25 million people living in France are fluent in English. This means that, if you have family in France, chances are you can communicate using English.
But even if they do, speaking their native language will help you connect with your French family on a whole new level. Plus, acquiring French will be taken as a sign of goodwill and respect, which is great if you want to impress your in-laws, for example.
To Pursue Higher Education
Learning French to a fluent level will also open up study opportunities abroad, at world-class institutions such as La Sorbonne or ESSEC, which are ranked among the best universities in Europe and in the world. Moreover, learners with a high level of French are eligible for scholarships to enrol on graduate and postgraduate courses in France. Being a student in France has a great number of benefits, such as working part-time, being able to apply for a housing subsidy, pay low monthly rent and access free public transport.
Take into account that, to be accepted into one of these establishments, you’ll need to prepare for a French language entrance test. If you need help to get ready for this important examination and improve your skills, you can always contact us. One of our expert native teachers will prepare a personalised programme just for you!
To Travel Around the World
Learning a different language is also an amazing way of opening up to new cultures and enjoying your trips on a whole new level. France, with over 40 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, is one of the most visited places in the world and receives over 85 million tourists a year. Learn French and discover these landmarks without any type of language restriction!
Additionally, fluency in French will give you access to many other French-speaking countries, such as:
Château in the Loire Valley
Mont Saint Michel
Avenue des Champs- Élysées in Paris
Lavender Fields in Provence
The French Riviera
And many others! Marvel at the beauty of Grote Markt, in Belgium, enjoy the spectacular beaches in Madagascar, or explore the Old Quarter in Luxembourg City and never worry again about not understanding what locals are saying!
Belgium
Canada
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Monaco
Seychelles
Togo
Just for the Fun of It!
Advancing in your career or travelling the world are not the only reasons why studying French is a great idea. Maybe you’d like to learn just for the fun of it, and this is a great idea! French has many aspects that can pose a good challenge to English speakers, namely:
- Difficult pronunciation. French and English pronunciation are worlds apart and things become even more complicated when you take a look at the differences between written and spoken French. But don’t be spooked: French has a lot of fixed and consistent rules that dictate when an ending is silent or how to pronounce a certain combination of vowels. You just need to sit down and study them!
- Accents and diacritics. You’ll also have to sort the minefield of accents and diacritics when learning French spelling. Some examples are the grave and acute accents, the cedilla, and the circumflex accent. While these can be nightmarish to acquire at first, soon you’ll realise they are very helpful when learning pronunciation.
- False cognates. French and English have had a long-standing relationship since the 11th century, so you’ll find that many terms are exactly the same in both languages. However, there are many more that seem to be similar but are not. Confidence in French means a secret while librairie means bookshop. Focus on these words when learning vocabulary to avoid confusing or even embarrassing situations!
”I would highly recommend Language Trainers to anyone wanting to learn another language. They are extremely professional and have lived up to everything they promised. I am especially satisfied with my instructor. She is a native French speaker, very knowledgeable, and a pleasure to work with. I look forward to my lesson each week.”
Cathy Tamraz - French course in London
2. How to Learn French
Now that you are convinced that you should start learning French today, you need to choose whether you want to learn with an expert tutor or if you can manage to do it alone. In case you are a beginner and don’t know where to start or if you are an advanced learner who needs to polish certain aspects of your competence, choosing a native tutor is your best choice. Let’s take a look at some other benefits of studying French with a teacher.
- Feel confident and motivated. Your teacher will help you overcome your weakest points in French while pointing out your strengths, using materials that spark your interest and help you advance without effort.
- Stay focused during your lessons. Today, distractions are endless. From the TV to your smartphone, concentrating on learning a language can feel impossible. But you can avoid this by hiring an expert tutor who will help you stay focused at least during the time of your class.
- No more unanswered questions. Are you tired of reading about two-part conjugations and different verb moods and not understanding anything? Take a lesson with a native teacher and this will be a thing of the past, as they are trained to answer even the most complex questions in a simple manner.
- Speak like a native in no time. There’s no better way to improve your speaking skills than by practising a lot, but how can you manage to do it alone? Overcome this problem by taking individual or group lessons and interacting with native and non-native speakers to take your speaking ability to the next level.
3. Should You Take Group or Individual Lessons?
Wondering whether studying alone or with fellow students is the best option? Well, both of them are similar because you’ll be guided by an expert teacher to reach fluency in the most engaging manner. But these two ways of learning suit different requirements and you should take them into account before starting. Explore the main benefits and drawbacks of group and individual French lessons below!
| Individual lessons | Group lessons | |
|---|---|---|
| Type of Interaction | Just 2 people | More varied conversation |
| Personalised Instruction & Feedback | Complete | Partial |
| Control over the schedule | Complete | Partial |
| Learn from peers | No | Yes |
| Intercultural exchange | Depends on the teacher | Yes |
| Cost | More expensive | More affordable |
| Real-life communication | Not always | More likely |
4. Learn French for Free
Improve Your Listening Skills
If you have decided that taking lessons is too much for you at the moment, luckily, you have the option to learn French for free using an array of online resources. They are so varied you can choose the ones you need to advance your skills and, of course, the resources you like the most. Here we have compiled the top resources and apps so you can learn French for free today!
- Watching films and TV shows is a brilliant idea to improve your French in an entertaining way. And the best part is that there are thousands of options you can watch on different platforms. For example, Netflix offers great TV series set in France like Emily in Paris or originally spoken in French, like Lupin. If you are more interested in cinema, you can take a look at this comprehensive list of the best French films you can watch on Netflix.
- The News in Easy French is an excellent resource for beginner-level students who want to stay up to date with what is happening in France and in the world. Just enter the page, select the podcast that suits your level and interests and start taking your listening skills to the next level.
Books and Easy Reads
Le Petit Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
Le Voyage de Babar by Jean de Brunhoff.
Les Fourmis by Bernard Werber.
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert.
La Peste by Albert Camus
Vingt Mille Lieues Sous Les Mers by Jules Verne
Language Tests
- Take our FREE French level test and get to know your language level today! You don’t need to pay anything. As soon as you finish, you’ll get the results on screen and via email, so you can show them to your teacher or just be aware of how much you know about French (and how much you need to improve!).
- Internationally accredited exams are tools used by employers or higher-education institutions to measure your competence in French in the most reliable way possible. Would you like to know more about them? Have a look at our article where we explore the big 5 French language tests you can take today!
5. How to Improve Your French Accent
Sounding natural when speaking in a foreign language is one of the most challenging aspects of becoming fluent in French. You may know a lot of vocabulary, verb conjugations and grammar rules but then you may go to a café, ask for a coffee, and nobody understands what you are saying. While this is extremely frustrating, there’s a solution! Take a look at our tips and soon you’ll sound not only intelligible but also completely fluent when speaking in French.
Always Train With Audio
This may seem obvious, but when learning vocabulary, try to acquire written words together with their pronunciation. Written and spoken French are like two different languages, so, if you never listen to how new words are produced, you won’t be able to use them in conversation later. Pronunciation dictionaries like Forvo can be of great help when you come across a new term but have no idea how it is pronounced. Learning the basics of the International Phonetic Alphabet is also useful.
L’alphabet phonétique international pour le français
Select the Most Suitable Dialect for Your Needs
As you already know, French is spoken in many parts of the world and all of these dialects are different (although intelligible). It’s not the same to learn French from France as French from Canada or from Switzerland. So, if you plan to move to Paris in the near future, the best would be to pick resources that feature French from France and try to model your accent on theirs. Record and listen to yourself to understand how you speak!
Exaggerate! Nobody Is Listening
Mimicking a foreign accent can sound funny and even ridiculous. But don’t let this stop you! Nobody will be listening except you so don’t be shy and exaggerate your French sounds until you sound as accurate as you want.
More resources to improve your French accent:
6. Great Tips To Learn French Vocabulary
Memorising new vocabulary items and phrases can be one of the most difficult parts of learning a new language. Just repeating endless lists of words is boring and monotonous, which means that, at some point, you may just stop trying. The good news is that you don’t have to reach this point. There are dozens of techniques and approaches that can help you learn French in the most effective and engaging way possible. Let’s take a look at some of them!
Make the Most of What You Already Know
Many words in French share the same root, which makes it easier to acquire terms in the same family if you know one of them already. For example, “écrire” means to write, while “écrivain” means writer and l’écriture means writing. If you use flashcards to acquire all these terms together, you’ll be increasing your French vocabulary exponentially and their meanings will stick more clearly in your memory.
Know Your Cognates
Ever since the Norman Conquest of the 11th century, English and French have been closely related. This relationship gave rise to a great number of cognates, that is, words that are very similar in spelling and/or pronunciation and also in meaning.
Telephone
téléphone
téléphone
Biology
biologie
biologie
Anniversary
anniversaire
anniversaire
But be careful with false cognates! Chair doesn’t mean an object to sit on, but human flesh and excité is entirely different from being excited. Find more information in our article about false cognates and how to avoid them!
Use Apps
Supporting your language lessons in any way you can is always a clever idea. Even if you only have a few spare minutes to dedicate to studying French, there are many options you can use, even for free! For example, apps like Duolingo or Drops have bite-sized lessons for beginner and intermediate-level students to learn and practise new vocabulary in the most engaging way. Using Quizlet’s ready-made flashcard decks to test your memory is another great option.
Try Out Different Techniques
Maybe using flashcards or apps is not your thing, and that’s OK. There are dozens of ways you can try to learn French vocabulary, such as memorising lists of words, coming up with mnemonics, learning phrases instead of isolated words, making associations with your native language and more!
7. Why Learn French Culture
Imagine you are moving to Paris soon and would like to meet new people and make friends. But, though you’ve learned French grammar, vocabulary and certain skills on your own, you realise you know nothing about the French people. What do they like? What type of food do they usually eat? How do you address someone you don’t know (and not offend them)? Are there any topics they would consider offensive if you mentioned them?
No matter how many formal aspects of the language you know, soon you’ll realise that culture is also crucial for successful communication. Here are some articles you can read to learn more about these essential traditions:
- Are you moving to Canada soon or just curious about the fascinating Canadian culture? Discover 5 things you didn’t know about Canada in our article!
- Want to sound less textbook when speaking French? Explore regional French expressions from across France and learn how everyday phrases change from one region to another.
What are you waiting for to start enjoying all the benefits of being bilingual in French? Contact us today and start acquiring French in the most engaging manner with professional, native-speaking instructors. Soon, you’ll be communicating with native and non-native French speakers all over the world.
