With over 300 million speakers across the world, French is one of the most widely-spoken languages on the planet. While it might require time and effort, learning French is no longer quite as difficult as it once was, with hundreds of websites now offering French online classes to fit your budget and schedule.
Students can now learn French from the comfort of their living room at any time of day (Photo: Unsplash)
French is the fifth most-spoken language on the planet. There are 29 countries in which French is an official spoken language and more than a dozen where the French language shares official status. It’s also the international language of theatre, visual arts, literature, dance, architecture, haute cuisine and fashion. But, there’s no need to hotfoot to Provence to learn the language just yet; hundreds of online platforms now offer high-quality language lessons for you to enjoy from the comfort of your living room. The question is, which do you choose? We’ve scoured the internet for the best places to find French online classes, based on the curriculum, website usability, value for money and customer reviews.
Lingoda
Lingoda offers small, online group and private online classes 24/7 in French, German, English and Spanish. The specially designed CEFR-structured curriculum is designed to help students to speak with confidence through practice and personalised feedback. The platform hosts a staggering 550,000 classes per year, led by qualified, native-speaking teachers. Students can prepare and revise for each lesson with class materials, exercises and quizzes, then enjoy a 60-minute class. There are four levels to choose from and teachers also focus on abbreviations, familiar expressions and slang to ensure you fit right in. Students choose from 4, 12, 20 or 40-classes per month and can sign up for a free 7-day trial before committing.
Babbel Live
Babbel is one of the world’s best-known language platforms (Photo: Babbel)
Babbel is one of the best-known language platforms on the planet, but few people know about its latest offering – Babbel Live. As well as access to the blended learning platform, students can enjoy unlimited live classes with experienced teachers via Zoom. Classes are offered in French, German, Italian and Spanish, and are limited to six people to maximize speaking practice. There are five levels, from newcomer to advanced, and each covers topics ranging from ordering at a cafe to historical events. Students pay a monthly subscription fee and learn at their own pace, choosing the number of lessons they wish to participate in per week.
Learn more at Babbel.com
Lutece Langue
This Parisian-based French language school was established in 1997. As well as running a popular in-person school in Invalides, Lutece Langue offers a wide range of online lessons. Students can choose from a variety of online group classes, which are limited to 2-7 students and range from 1.5-hour daily lessons to intensive 3-hour lessons, as well as conversation workshops. For those looking for one-to-one tuition, the school also offers private online classes. Run by qualified French teachers, these classes cover conversation, grammar, writing expression and preparation for exams, all tailored to your specific ability. Those already working in French can book into specialised French lessons for business, tourism, fashion and law too.
Learn more at Lutece-langue.com
French a la Carte
French a la Carte offers a range of online and in-person lessons (Photo: French a la Carte)
Launched in 2012, French a la Carte offers online French lessons via Skye and Zoom, led by a small team of 13 native French tutors. Lessons are tailored to the individual and focus on specific themes to ensure no wasted time from the get-go. Students can choose to study during the day or in the evening, so it’s easy to fit around a busy schedule, and if you ever end up in Paris you can continue your lessons face-to-face. After an initial non-committal trial session, students pay for lessons by the hour in packages of ten. The school has taught over 400 students and has received rave reviews from previous customers, with many commenting on the professionalism, friendly and fun service.
Learn more at private-frenchlessons-paris.com
Italki
Italki describes itself as a global language-learning community designed to help people become fluent in foreign languages by building connections with other cultures. The platform connects students to a huge community of tutors and professional French teachers suited to your budget and schedule. There are currently more than 1,100 French tutors available on the site, ranging from $7-80 per hour. Each teacher is reviewed out of five and each listing includes details on the number of students, lessons, attendance record and response rating the teacher has racked up to allow learners to make an informed decision before choosing their tutor.