Learn French: Your 21-Day Guide on How to Make Listening a Habit

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Last Updated: September 12, 2021

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In case you missed our previous article about how to practice listening in French, I suggest you take a quick peek at it (spoiler alert: it's awesome!)

In the article, I gave you a bunch of useful tips and tricks on how to learn the language through listening.

french listening habit

So now that all that is out of the way, let's check for understanding. I mentioned in the article that you should spend your free time listening to French radios, French songs, French-speaking podcasts, and watching French movies, among other things. The question now is, how often and how regularly should you do it?

As a way of making listening a habit, this article aims to give you detailed suggestions on how to spend the first 21 days of your studies. This is also in conjunction to the previous topic called A 20-Day Guide on How to Make Learning French a Habit.

For the first two weeks of studying French, you only need to put in an hour each day for your studies. This would allow yourself to properly ease into the daily task. From the third week onwards, it will be a 2-hour a day session.  Here is your daily plan for the first 21 days.

Weeks 1 - 2: Focus on Pronunciation

To learn about pronunciation, you need to listen properly to how the words sound (of course!)

DAY ONE: Alphabet Sounds

Spend 15 minutes listening to alphabet sounds. Check out this video clip

DAY TWO: Focus on Vowels

Spend 15 minutes listening to the different vowel sounds.

DAY THREE: All about Consonants

Spend 15 minutes listening to the varied consonant sounds.


DAY FOUR: Stress and Accent Marks

Listen to French news from this site –  and take note of the stress and accent sounds. Spend 30 minutes on this.

DAY FIVE: Greetings

Check out this video for the most common French greetings:

DAY SIX: Review the Last Five Days' Lessons

For the listening part, try to watch a French movie! Lots of movies listed here!

DAY SEVEN: Liaisons

For this lesson, watch this video:

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DAY EIGHT: The Nasal Sounds

Study and practice the French nasal sounds. Listen to French news from this site –  and take note of nasal sounds. Spend 30 minutes on this.

DAY NINE: Practice Listening

Listen to French Podcasts such as this one from Talk in French.

DAY TEN: Practice Speaking

Spend 15 minutes with a French speaker. If this is not available, try to record yourself while saying French words related to greetings. Listen to it afterwards. 

DAY ELEVEN: Review of the Last Five Days' Lessons

Watch the French movie Le Petit Nicolas.

Week 3: Focus on Vocabulary and Grammar

From week 3 onwards, the focus will be on building your vocabulary as well as learning the grammar fundamentals. 10 minutes out of the 2 hours per day will be spent on listening. However, you can also listen to podcasts and French radio on the side.

You can do this while on the shower, on your way to work, or while on a jog. The key here is retention. The more you listen to the flow of words, the more it will be engrained into your brain for easier access and quick learning later on.

The next five days will focus on articles, nouns, and pronouns.

DAY TWELVE: Definite and Indefinite Articles

Check this video on definite articles:

 And on indefinite articles:

DAY THIRTEEN: Partitive Articles

Review yesterday's lessons and then learn about partitive articles. This video might help:

DAY 14 – 21

Alternate between the following listening tasks :

  1. Learn a French song. Memorize the lyrics and understand what the words mean.
  2. Listen to French podcasts.
  3. Listen to French news.
  4. Watch more French movies.
  5. Watch French TV.
  6. Talk to French speakers.
  7. Try some dictation exercises.
  8. Listen to French short stories in our course below. 

Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with Talk in French Complete Courses

  • Learn French on your own terms with our comprehensive, self-paced beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses, each with a step-by-step plan tailored to your level.
  • Master French pronunciation and sound like a native with our pronunciation course.
  • Receive personalized feedback and guidance from a dedicated French teacher.

9. Listen to French vocabulary and expression lessons at the Talk in French Youtube page.


Conclusion

At the end of the 21 days, you have more or less established a daily habit of listening to French being spoken. Just keep doing so on your free time.

But remember, the most important part is to enjoy yourself. Listening to French should not seem like a burden. Think of it as a new hobby : French music, French movies, and everything French. The more interested you are in it, the easier it is to learn.

So, good luck and have fun !

Let me know what you think and if you have any questions in the comment section below. Cheers!

P.S. You would be doing me a HUGE FAVOR by sharing it via Twitter or Facebook.

Enroll in our Beginner French Course and learn French step-by-step using a complete method. 

Speak, Listen, and Write French like a Native with Talk in French Complete Courses

  • Learn French on your own terms with our comprehensive, self-paced beginner, intermediate, and advanced courses, each with a step-by-step plan tailored to your level.
  • Master French pronunciation and sound like a native with our pronunciation course.
  • Receive personalized feedback and guidance from a dedicated French teacher.

About the author 

Frederic Bibard is the founder of Talk in French, a company that helps french learners to practice and improve their french. Macaron addict. Jacques Audiard fan. You can contact him on Instagram

  • This is great! I just spent a week on holiday with my girlfriend’s friends from Paris & Marseille. I found that although my spoken French is beginning to happen, I simply could not understand anything they said without asking them to repeat it really slowly. I vowed, on my return, to look for some French listening exercises. And voilà – this is exactly what I hoped to find.
    Merci,
    Mike

    • I am glad you like the guide and the listening exercises. Do not hesitate to create a learning habit when it comes to practice French. Have a great day. Bonne journée.

  • Bonjour, monsieur! J’adore ce site et j’y visite souvent!
    Je viens de lire cet article, mais je trouve que le premier film que vous présentez est un peu différent que j’ai appris. Est-ce que l’homme de ce film a la prononciation dialectale, ou il n’est pas français? Je suis beaucoup curieuse, donc je vous demande. Merci!

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