French learning guides
Straight answers from a teacher in Paris. No apps or cheering.
Honest reviews and comparisons
InnerFrench Review: Best Bridge, Clear Limits
InnerFrench is a superb intermediate podcast, but it leaves one listening gap. My honest review: what works, what to add next for real conversation.
FrenchPod101 Review (2026): Huge Library, Tradeoffs
FrenchPod101 has a huge lesson library and real strengths, but the path can feel noisy. A fair review of who should use it and what to add next.
FrenchPod101 vs InnerFrench vs News in Slow French (2026)
Prices, levels, transcripts and real speaking speed, compared by a French teacher. Plus the news most comparisons missed: InnerFrench's podcast has ended.
News in Slow French Review (2026): Price, Levels, Free?
News in Slow French costs $22.90 a month, with a 7-day trial and a free podcast feed. What you get, which level fits, and who should skip it.
Lingopie Review: Is It Worth It for French?
A French teacher's Lingopie review for French learners: who it suits, who should skip it, current prices, best alternatives, and what to pair it with.
News in Slow French Alternatives (2026): A French Teacher's Guide
Loved News in Slow French but want something more conversational, or cheaper? A French teacher compares the real alternatives, honestly, by learning goal.
What to listen to and read
Best French Podcasts in 2026: By Level, A2 to Advanced
A French teacher ranks the best French podcasts in 2026 by level, from beginner and A2 to advanced: transcripts, prices and who each one suits.
Best French Newsletters for Learners (2026): A Teacher's Picks
The best French newsletters in 2026, picked by a Paris French teacher: free lessons by email, French Substacks with audio, and newsletters in French to read once you can.
French Podcasts with Transcripts (2026): 9 Shows, 4 Free
Nine French podcasts with transcripts, checked by a Paris teacher: which four are free, which are paid, where each transcript lives, and what level each show suits.
French Substacks Worth Reading for Learners
Substack newsletters for French learners: which are written in French, which are about France in English, and what each one actually publishes. Checked October 2026.
What to Listen to After InnerFrench: 7 Next Steps
InnerFrench got you here, but now Hugo sounds easy and real French people still sound impossible. A French teacher's ladder for what to listen to next.
Free French Dialogues with Transcripts: 15 Real Lessons
Realistic French dialogues the way people actually speak, free, with full transcripts, English translations and teacher's notes. Sorted by level, B1 friendly.
Train your ear, climb a level
What Level Is Duolingo French? CEFR Answer for 2026
Duolingo says its French course now teaches up to B2, and your Duolingo Score maps to CEFR bands. Here is what that means, and how to check your real listening level.
French Listening Practice: 20-Minute Method
French listening practice that works: a 20-minute routine, transcript method, free resources by level, and a quick test to choose your next step.
Free French Level Test: Your Listening Level in 2 Minutes
A free French level test for your ears: 8 short clips of real spoken French, A2 to C1, one question each. Your listening level in about 2 minutes.
French Plateau: Why Intermediate Learners Stall
Stuck at intermediate French? Here is why the French plateau happens at B1, and the listening-first plan that gets you moving again without starting over.
How Long from B1 to B2 French? The Honest Answer
Moving from B1 to B2 French usually takes months, not weeks. Here's a realistic teacher's plan for the intermediate plateau, especially listening.
What to Do After Duolingo French: A Teacher's Roadmap
Finished Duolingo French but still can't understand spoken French? A French teacher's honest roadmap from app practice to real conversations.
How French people actually speak
Chais Pas Meaning: 'Dunno' (Je Ne Sais Pas, Squashed)
Chais pas (also written chai pas or j'sais pas) is je ne sais pas, squashed: 'dunno'. How it sounds, and the pattern behind real spoken contractions.
French Conversation Questions with English Translations
Forty real French conversation questions (tu and vous), each with the English, a model answer, and the lesson where two French speakers answer it.
How French People Actually Speak: Textbook vs Real French
Textbook French is useful, but native French sounds different. See common spoken contractions like chais pas, y a and t'as, plus connectors like du coup.
How to Say Honestly in French: Franchement and Friends
Honestly, frankly, to be honest: the French words that do the job (franchement, sincèrement, pour être honnête), which one sounds natural, and when franchement means 'seriously?!'.
More guides
Best French Lessons for Beginners Online in 2026
A French teacher ranks the best online French lessons for beginners in 2026: prices checked, lesson counts, slow audio, transcripts and who each suits.
Best Online French Course in 2026: The Buyer's Shortlist
A French teacher ranks the best online French courses for learners past the basics in 2026: prices checked, levels, transcripts, and who each one suits.
Best Way to Learn Conversational French in 2026
A French teacher ranks the 5 best ways to learn conversational French in 2026, with costs checked, speaking time per week and who each method suits.
Best Way to Learn French in 2026: What Actually Works
A French teacher ranks the 5 best ways to learn French in 2026, with real costs, minutes a day and how much spoken French each one gives you.
Best Way to Learn French as an Adult in 2026
A French teacher ranks 5 ways to learn French as a busy adult: minutes a day, cost per year, commute fit, and who each method suits.
DELF B1 Listening Practice: Format, Traps and a 4-Week Plan
The DELF B1 listening test is about 25 minutes, three recordings, each played twice, marked out of 25. Here is what it tests, where to practise free, and a four-week plan.
French A2 Level: What You Can Do, and How to Reach B1
What French A2 really means: the official CEFR skills, what you can and can't follow in real spoken French, and a practical plan to reach B1.
French Comprehensible Input: What It Is and How to Use It
Comprehensible input means French you understand almost all of, with a little that is new. Here is how much you need to understand, where to find it at your level, and a daily routine.
French Filler Words: The 14 Sounds You Hear in Every Conversation
Euh, bah, du coup, en fait, genre, quoi, voilà: the French filler words real people use, what each one signals, and which ones you should say yourself.
Why Do French People Talk So Fast? What Your Ear Is Actually Missing
French is spoken at about 7 syllables a second against 6 for English, but speed is not the real problem. Here are the five things that make French sound fast, and how to train your ear.
French Stories for Beginners: 5 Short Stories + Translation
Five short French stories for beginners set in everyday Paris, with English translations, key words, spoken French notes and two audio clips.
Simple French Conversations for Beginners (with Audio)
Eight short, everyday French conversations with English translations: café, bakery, directions, phone, hotel. Plus what French people really say instead.
How to Understand French Movies Without Subtitles: A Teacher's 4-Step Method
Why French films are harder than French lessons, which subtitles to use at each stage, and the four-step routine I give students to drop subtitles for good.