If you're looking for a way to learn French that's both affordable and convenient, look no further than YouTube. With so many different channels to choose from, it's always possible to find one that fits your learning style, level, and interests. And, the best part is that you can learn at your own pace and in your own home.
The main issue that you may come across is finding the perfect learning channel. To make your life easier, we've put together a list of the 10 best YouTube channels for learning French. These cater to learners of all levels, from absolute beginners to those who want to perfect their skills.
Keep reading and find your perfect YouTube channels to learn French!
Learn French with Langster
Learn French with Langster
Beginner:
FrenchPod101.com is mostly known for its podcasts, but it also has one of the most popular channels for learning French online. It has over 1 million subscribers and offers dozens of free video lessons that are perfect for beginners. The lessons are taught by native speakers and are very easy to follow.
And, if you get tired of video lessons, remember that in addition to the podcast we mentioned before, FrenchPod101 also offers audio lessons and a forum where learners can ask questions and get help from other members.
The video lessons on FrenchPod101’s YouTube channel are beginner-friendly and cover a variety of topics that new students will need to know. The instructors use simple terms and explanations, making it easy for you to understand everything you’re learning.
Plus, the videos are short, which means you won't get overwhelmed or lose focus. And, as mentioned before, there's a ton of content available, so you'll never run out of things to learn.
This channel with almost 1.5 million subscribers is run by a bilingual YouTuber named Alexa. She offers free French lessons for beginners as well as lower-intermediate learners. Even though the lessons feel like a classroom experience, they are delivered in a fun and engaging way, which makes them perfect for those who are looking to learn but get bored easily.
Alexa's channel is one of the best for learning French, because she offers a whole variety of content regarding different topics, such as French idioms, verb conjugation, French greetings, and many more.
The best thing about Alexa’s channel is that she speaks directly into the camera, and her words are always accompanied by subtitles in French. The videos are pretty short, with the shortest taking less than two minutes. This is perfect if you are tired of long language learning lessons and want to have some fun with quick French videos.
If you're looking for a beginner-friendly French learning channel, Oh La La, I Speak French is the perfect option. This channel is run by Soraya, a TV-actress teacher who offers fun and engaging French lessons for beginner French learners. Soraya's lessons cover a variety of topics, such as basic grammar, useful phrases, pronunciation, and more.
What makes Oh La La, I Speak French stand out on our list is its engaging web series that shows the life of two French sisters in Los Angeles. Each episode has subtitles and covers basic dialogues on the A1 level, so it’s perfect to get used to the way the French language sounds and improve your listening comprehension skills.
When you’re done with it, make sure to move on to the second part of the series, ideal for intermediate French learners, which follows the adventures of Soso in Paris.
Intermediate:
Comme Une Française (Like a French woman)
If you’re looking for a channel that will help you understand and learn more about French culture, customs, and food, then Comme Une Française (with 278K subscribers) is a perfect option for you. It is run by a Parisian native named Géraldine, who covers various topics related to the French way of life.
While Géraldine is not a traditional French teacher, her videos are perfect for intermediate learners. They offer insights into the French lifestyle, such as how to behave at a dinner party, how to make small talk, what not to do when visiting someone's home, and much more.
Apart from the topics related to France and French culture, Géraldine also covers grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation topics, such as how to understand fast spoken French, which tense to use when, and how to distinguish between the use of two articles. She also shares and explains movie scenes, talks about her favorite French books, and much more.
Overall, if you think that knowing a foreign language should include learning about a country’s culture, history, and even politics, this is one of the best YouTube channels for you.
Français Authentique (Authentic French)
This channel is a great resource for intermediate French learners who want to improve their speaking skills through natural language immersion. It is run completely in French, but the language is slow and clear, and YouTube offers automatic French and English subtitles to turn on.
The channel offers various types of content, such as French grammar and vocabulary lessons as well as vlogs, lifestyle and personal development videos. These won’t remind you of boring classes – instead, you can hear the natural language used by native French speakers in real-life contexts.
Of course, this type of content is best for learners who have some basic knowledge of French already and want to boost their conversation skills. It also has an especially helpful feature – videos with tips on learning French, such as what to do to not block when talking in French.
This channel is run by a native French speaker named Ina Mihalache, with Solange being a character she created. Ina is not a French teacher, and you won't find "classic" French lessons on this channel.
Instead, you will find her channel to be filled with beautiful, creative videos in French. In them, she talks about life, sexuality, films, books, and culture. She also sometimes shares her thoughts about the differences between France and Canada – the country she was born in but moved from at the age of 19.
Intermediate French learners will love this channel for its aesthetic content that allows for natural language immersion. The videos are all in French, but Ina speaks quite slowly and clearly, and it’s not hard to follow her. All that makes a perfect base for transitioning to watching French content without subtitles.
Advanced:
This channel is the “journalism laboratory” of Radio Canada that shares news in the video form. It’s one of the best French YouTube channels for advanced French learners who want to improve their listening comprehension skills and boost their vocabulary.
The channel covers various topics such as current affairs, politics, science, and culture. The videos are all in French and come in two lengths: short, one- or two-minute views, and longer reports.
The language is pretty fast and sometimes complex, which makes it not very suitable for beginner and intermediate learners, but ideal for those who need to perfect their French skills. Some of the videos also have subtitles.
However, if you decide to subscribe to this channel, remember that this is Canadian French, with the main focus put on Quebecois (although you will also hear accents and dialects from across the country).
Now that we've moved completely from direct French learning to absorbing native French content, it’s worth talking about watching some famous French YouTubers. One channel that might be interesting for advanced French learners is Cyprien.
This YouTuber is famous for his funny, sometimes absurd videos that have nothing to do with learning French. However, watching Cyprien's content can be a great way of perfecting your listening comprehension skills and broadening your vocabulary.
Apart from being entertaining, Cyprien's videos are also pretty fast-paced, which makes them perfect for advanced learners. The language is also quite colloquial and full of interesting French expressions. So, if you want to learn how to talk like a native French speaker, this channel is definitely worth checking out.
Last but not least, we have Natoo – one of the most popular French female YouTubers with over 4 million subscribers. Her videos are mostly entertainment-focused, but they can be helpful for those who want to improve their listening comprehension skills and learn about French culture or French slang.
Natoo's videos are a bit slower than Cyprien's, which makes them more suitable for intermediate learners. However, the language is still quite colloquial, so if you're a beginner, it might be better to start with something else. Or, if you’re keen on watching specifically this channel, turning on the automatic French subtitles might be a good idea.
This is actually not a channel but a playlist offering tons of classic movies in French for free – a must-watch for all cinema lovers. It’s perfect for those who want to improve their listening comprehension skills and increase their French vocabulary while also enjoying some of the best French cinematographic works. The films are, of course, in French, but you can turn on automatic English subtitles.
The channel offers quite a few films, but you won’t find the newest stuff there. Fortunately, this classic list has something for everyone – you can find comedies, dramas, romances, and much more.
YouTube – A Great Tool for French Learners of All Levels
YouTube can be a great tool for French learners of all levels. It is an entertaining and informative resource that can help students learn about the culture, slang, and grammar of the French language. There are many different channels to choose from on YouTube, so it's always possible to find one that fits your learning style, level, and skills.
Additionally, watching native French content without subtitles can help you improve your listening comprehension skills, understand complex French words better, and get used to the fast French accent. So, if you're looking for a fun and engaging way to learn French, YouTube might be just what you need.
