Are you looking at using an App to learn French, but aren’t sure which one would be best? Here are the seven best apps to learn French in 2023.
Why Use an App to Learn French
Everyone’s busy now. There are so many things to do and not enough time to do them. So, learning a new language can be a bit of a challenge.
Apps are used to make this easier as they can be downloaded on your phone and used at different times throughout the day, whether it’s on your commute, your lunch break, or those few minutes of peace just before you go to bed.
Using an app can also improve your confidence if you want to learn a new language but aren’t confident enough to attend an in-person class or reach out to someone who can help you.
Language apps aren’t the only way to learn French, of course – there are classes, websites, and audio files that are available for your use, but apps are becoming an increasingly popular platform for learning languages.
Duolingo
Duolingo is the first of the seven apps that will be discussed here. It is a free platform and very popular amongst those wanting to learn French.
The app breaks down the lessons into small segments that allow you to practice your writing, speaking, and listening skills. If you are studying on your commute or in another situation where you are unable to speak or listen to it, there is the option to switch this part of the lesson off for a while.
Duolingo also offers short stories that you can read through and listen to which will finish with a question on how the story should end based on what you have learned in the lessons.
It has a little owl mascot, called Duo, who will send you reminders if you miss a session and will also send you emails if you haven’t been using it daily as it suggests.
While this app is the most popular, it isn’t a very good app for grammar because it allows you to forget, or choose not to use, accents when typing out the vocabulary.
Babbel
Babbel is another free app that allows you to learn French on the go. It is compatible with most devices, so isn’t specifically aimed towards iPhone users.
It has lessons that are broken down into ten-to-fifteen-minute sessions so that they can be completed even if you have very little time to study. In addition, it has the option to review what you have learned to ensure that you remember the information and interactive dialogues for you to put your speaking skills into practice.
Babbel is also ideal for travelers as it provides insights into French culture and traditions that will come in handy when you are trying to blend in with the locals on your holiday.
This app is a good choice for people who are just starting to learn French as well as those who are more experienced. It caters to every skill level with different lessons depending upon your existing knowledge.
If you choose to purchase a live subscription to this app, you will also benefit from virtual classes, which are taught by language teachers. This means that as well as having the content that is already available to free members, you will have the bonus of being able to listen to someone and ask a professional any questions that may come up while you are studying.
Le Conjugueur
Is conjugating verbs the thing that you struggle with most when learning French? Le Conjugueur was created to help with just this.
This app will help with your grammar and ability to easily conjugate verbs without being connected to the internet. This is a bonus for those who have run out of data or are unable to connect and haven’t been able to spend time on their French lessons.
While Le Conjugueur is a great app for grammar, spelling, and verb conjugation, it is advisable that you use it at the same time as you are learning French in a different way. It is best as a consolidation method for what you are currently learning or have already learned.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.leconjugueur.droid&hl=en&gl=US
Busuu
Busuu is free to begin with, but a lot of the more advanced content and the option of talking to native French speakers to practice your oral skills come with a membership, which incurs a monthly fee.
As a free user of this app, you still have access to a study plan that you can customize yourself, and which is meant to help you achieve your goals and learn quicker. This is something that not all other apps will offer.
Busuu, particularly the free version, is ideal for beginners. This is because it spends a lot of time in the beginning going over the basics of the language and how to use it. This is done through grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and conversation lessons, as well as audio dialogues and interactive tests.
Memrise
This free app is perfect for everyone who is learning French, regardless of where you are in your studies. It has something for every ability level that will test your knowledge. For this reason, Memrise is one of the best apps to learn French whether you are merely trying to pick up some of the languages for your holiday or are wanting to take your studies to a higher level.
Memrise also has educational videos featuring locals, who will probably be using their own dialects. By watching videos of locals speaking, you will also be able to hear French being spoken at the normal speed with the correct pronunciation, which you can then begin to imitate.
Hearing the French language being spoken at the correct pace will help if you are planning to hold conversations with someone who is a local, as they won’t always slow down when they speak to you – especially if they don’t know you aren’t used to the language.
The app was created by Ed Cooke and Ben Whately, who wanted to make learning a language a fun and immersive experience. This aim was born from the idea that you retain what you view as being fun, and because they realized that most people did better when they weren’t learning a language from a textbook.
If you are looking for an app that focuses more on the language that you might hear when conversing with a local rather than learning endless vocabulary, this is the best app for you to learn French.
Apps for Kids
Do you struggle to get your kids to learn a second language? Or perhaps they are struggling with what they are learning at school. There is a way that you can use their screen time to improve on this, by using one of the best apps to learn French in 2021.
There is always the opportunity for them to pick up the vocabulary and knowledge without realizing that they are actively learning something with the apps below.
Gus on the Go: French for Kids
Gus on the Go is a language app that is set up so that kids can learn a variety of languages, including French, by following the travels of a friendly owl.
It is a free app that makes learning French fun for kids. It allows them to learn different pieces of vocabulary by playing games, listening to and reading stories, and doing interactive lessons and reviews.
It works like a truly immersive experience as there isn’t an English translation anywhere in the app. Immersion is one way that is highly recommended for learning a language. So, this means that the child using it will have to learn the language to progress and understand what is happening.
Gus on the Go uses the methods that French kids are taught when they are learning the language as well, so it is important to remember that your child won’t be learning the gender of the words. When learning French, they will be taught the vocabulary with indefinite articles, so instead of learning le lion (the lion), they would be learning un lion (a lion).
https://www.gusonthego.com/gus-on-the-go-languages/gus-on-the-go-french/
Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids
In the same way that Gus on the Go does, Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids immerses the child in the French language for the best results. The entire learning section of the app is French with no English translations.
If your kid is just beginning to learn French, this is one of the best apps available for them. It makes learning a new language fun and easy with bright, bold colors and fun activities to learn the necessary vocabulary and skills.
The visual appearance of Early Lingo French Language Learning for Kids will keep your child’s attention and aid their retention of the information, although this is also aided by the repetition and activities that they undertake.
This app uses music, animation and even live footage alongside interactive lessons and worksheets to promote the easy learning of French for younger children just starting out.
Conclusion
There is an app out there to suit everyone, but not all of them are ideal for achieving the results you are looking for or covering every aspect of the learning process.
All of the apps mentioned above can be used for free, so if you want to learn French at no extra cost, downloading them is one of your best options. However, most of them offer additional exclusive content with a monthly or annual membership fee if you want to improve your learning even more.
A lot of the apps work well in conjunction with other methods of learning as well, because they often put more of an emphasis on learning the vocabulary than on conversational skills. If you are looking to put what you learn into practice it is a good idea to either purchase the membership or use these tools alongside other learning methods.
If you are looking to use an app to learn French, but are still finding it tricky, there are several tips that you can use to learn in the best way.
And you can always try to use French in your everyday life so that you are constantly reviewing what you have recently covered.