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Podcasts

Videos

AWESOME FRENCH PODCASTS FOR LEARNING FRENCH

WAIT A SEC – WHY LISTEN TO FRENCH PODCASTS?

In case you didn’t get the memo, learning French through podcasts is extremely effective.

Podcasts are delivered in an easy-to-use portable format that allows you to learn when you want and at your own pace. You control the flow of information delivered to you.

They let you get a sense of French culture, and all you have to do is put on a set of headphones.

The best podcasts are produced very professionally, and they’re often free and come with transcripts.

COFFEE BREAK FRENCH (ITUNES – WEBSITE)Coffee Break French gives the listener a front row seat to a series of highly practical lessons by French language teacher Mark as he coaches his student Ana. Learning at the same time as somebody else is a fantastic way to make the words, grammar and phrases stick in the mind. What’s more it’s not as intense or as boring as being in the classroom yourself. The lessons are easy to follow, last for about 10-15 minutes and are aimed at the beginner. One of the most likeable aspects of this podcast series is Mark’s engaging personality that draws in the listener. To help students get the most out of each podcast there are accompanying notes. The podcast series is produced by the Radio Lingua Network, one of the most experienced providers of language courses on the web.

ONE THING IN A FRENCH DAY (WEBSITE)

This is a really great premise for a podcast series. One thing in a French Day presents a “small slice of a Frenchwoman’s day”. Each short podcast concentrates on a different daily event such as having a croissant after a visit to the hairdressers, going for a nighttime walk and shopping in an organic store. They are presented by native speaker Laetitia who discusses each day’s event in normal speed French. Her diction is crisp and clear and the words are easy to make out. New podcasts are published on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

LEARN FRENCH BY PODCAST (ITUNES – WEBSITE)

Learn French by Podcast is a comprehensive series of audio lessons for beginners all the way through to advanced language learners. They feature natural-sounding conversations about everyday matters such as discussing a football match, introducing yourself and buying travel tickets. It’s almost like you’re in a Parisian café eavesdropping on the table next to you.

Each podcast is divided into different sections. First, the listener hears the French conversation, parts of which are then repeated once or twice. This is followed by an analysis of the grammar and some of the phrases. During this part of the programme some sentences are repeated several times with good-sized pauses between them to allow the listener to make their own attempts. The analyses are thorough and detailed.

One of the contributors is a native of Ireland, and though his French pronunciation is excellent you can detect he’s not a native speaker. Every lesson is accompanied by supportive material that includes a full transcript and exercises.

JE FRENCH.COM (WEBSITE)

Je French offers the beginner a superb grounding in basic vocabulary, common expressions, verbs, nouns and the way the language sounds. No need to get lost in France with the language anymore. All the lessons are spoken by native French speakers and follow a simple format. Each one starts with a short dialogue composed of a small handful of sentences. These are repeated twice to help familiarize the listener with what is being said. Then comes a line by line translation from the French into English. This is followed by an English conversation between the presenters. Here they discuss how some of the expressions you have just heard are used.

There is also a very valuable focus here on pronunciation. The conversational aspect to each podcast is a good learning tool. Rather than being taught at, the listener can glean just as much by ‘eavesdropping’ on what the presenters are saying to each other.

ONE MINUTE FRENCH (ITUNES – WEBSITE)

Yes it is possible to learn so much with so little material. These short, sharp lessons pack in quite a bit of good information for the French language beginner. Teacher Pierre-Benoit takes the listener through enough French language basics to help them converse during a vacation or business trip. They may be called ‘One Minute French’ but each French language podcast lasts for two to four minutes.

LEARN OUT LOUD: SURVIVAL PHRASES (WEBSITE)

You’re time pressed and need to learn some French quick, but don’t want to wade through books or hours’ worth of lessons – what can you do? Survival Phrases is your French language learning SOS, a podcast series for the beginner. The audio lessons are designed to get the listener speaking the basics with the correct pronunciation in no time at all. Each lesson focuses on just one phrase such as the French for “Your welcome” and how to say “Thank You”. During the podcast the teacher repeats the phrase a number of times and then breaks it down into component syllables to help you pronounce it like a French-speaking native.

NEWS IN SLOW FRENCH.COM (ITUNES – WEBSITE)

The title says it all really. News in Slow French is a wonderful podcast series where news stories are read out in French at a much slower speed than you would hear on the television or radio. The enunciation is perfect allowing the listener to hear every word distinctly. It’s slow French that will help you learn quickly.

Each podcast is broken down into a number of sections, and features different stories, conversation between the hosts, a few points of grammar and some common idiomatic expressions. News in Slow French is suitable for the beginner and intermediate, and to aid learning, a transcript of each lesson is also available. The absolute beginner may struggle at first, but the pace of the spoken French is slow enough not to frighten anyone away. And it doesn’t take too long for the listener to accumulate a lot of new vocabulary.

NOT A PODCAST…

If you like learning French with podcasts, then you won’t want to miss FluentU. FluentU makes it possible to learn French from music videos, commercials, news, and inspiring talks. With FluentU, you learn real French – the same way that people speak it in real life. FluentU has a wide variety of videos like movie trailers, funny commercials, and web series.