If you are a French learner anywhere between the beginner and intermediate levels who loves to self-study with language video lessons, then you’ll love this post.
We explored the industry and curated a list of 12 of the best French video lessons, including some of the best YouTube channels for learning French and our company, Get French Classes .
We will start by explaining why it's important to use videos to learn French and how our company offers the best French video lessons. Next, we will discuss the top additional French video lesson options. Let’s get started.
Why learn French with videos?
Learning French with videos is an effective and engaging way to improve your language skills. Videos offer a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the French language and culture, making it easier to learn and retain new information. With videos, you can see and hear native French speakers, which can help you develop your listening and speaking skills. This immersive experience allows you to pick up on nuances, accents, and common expressions that are often missed in traditional learning methods. Plus, the visual and auditory elements of videos make learning more dynamic and enjoyable, keeping you motivated and engaged throughout your language journey.
Benefits of video lessons for French language learners
Video lessons offer several benefits for you, including:
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Improved listening and speaking skills: Videos allow you to hear and see native French speakers, which can help you develop your listening and speaking skills. By mimicking their pronunciation and intonation, you can sound more like a native speaker.
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Increased motivation: Videos can make learning French more engaging and fun, which can help motivate you to continue learning. The variety of content, from movies to interviews, keeps the learning process fresh and exciting.
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Better retention: Videos can help you retain new information better than traditional learning methods, such as textbooks and language classes. The combination of visual and auditory stimuli reinforces memory and understanding.
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Flexibility: Videos can be accessed at any time and from any location, making it easier to fit language learning into your busy schedule. Whether you have a few minutes during a commute or a dedicated study session, videos are a convenient learning tool.
How video lessons can improve French language skills
Video lessons can improve French language skills in several ways, including:
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Vocabulary building: Videos can help you learn new vocabulary and phrases, which can improve your speaking and writing skills. Seeing words used in context helps you understand their meanings and how to use them correctly.
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Grammar and sentence structure: Videos can help you understand and practice French grammar and sentence structure, which can improve your writing and speaking skills. By observing how native speakers construct sentences, you can learn to do the same.
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Pronunciation: Videos can help you improve your pronunciation by listening to and imitating native French speakers. This practice is crucial for developing a natural accent and clear speech.
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Cultural understanding: Videos can provide insight into French culture and customs, which can help you better understand the language and its context. Learning about cultural nuances enhances your ability to communicate effectively and respectfully.
Get French Classes: Our “100-French-Video-Bundle” lessons for beginners and intermediate learners
At Get French Classes (GFC), we offer a comprehensive video course designed to turn beginner French learners into confident French speakers. Our lessons cover every aspect of language learning, from basic conversations to complex storytelling.
Understand that this is not our fully-fledged course. It's only a separate offer for beginner and intermediate learners who love to self-study and are on a tight budget but still want high-quality French video lessons.
So, as the name indicates, this course is composed of 100 French video lessons you can watch and learn from at your own pace. The course covers the basics and essentials of French to get you up and running and provides you with the necessary tools to get you to speak the language.
What you'll find in our “100-French-Video-Bundle”
Here is a rough overview of what you'll find in the course.
The basics of French conversation
We begin by laying a foundation for everyday communication. You’ll learn to greet people and introduce yourself in both formal and informal settings.
For example, you’ll know when to use “tu” or “vous” and how to start and end talks smoothly. We cover essential phrases to ensure you can make a great first impression when you greet people.
Our lessons cover various real-life situations you might find yourself in, from ordering pastries at the bakery to navigating supermarket aisles and communicating important information in medical settings. These practical lessons are similar to those found on the Comme une Française YouTube channel, which teaches English speakers about French language and culture.
We also cover common French expressions and idioms that a native French speaker uses daily. You will pick up popular French sayings .
You’ll learn local phrases like “C’est pas terrible” (It’s not great) or “J’ai la flemme” (I’m feeling lazy). You will sound more natural and understand colloquial speech.
How to tell stories in French
Our course goes beyond vocabulary lists and flashcards to teach you how to construct meaningful narratives. You'll start simple by learning to recount basic events, such as describing your day or a recent experience.
Then, as you progress, we'll guide you through creating more intricate stories, including constructing complex sentences and narrating events from several months ago.
You'll learn to use proper tenses to indicate past, present, and future and incorporate days of the week, months, and dates into your stories for added precision.
You will be able to say things like “Le premier mars de l'année dernière…” (On March 1st of last year...) easily.
To help you create more engaging narratives, we'll teach you how and when to use question tags effectively.
You'll also learn to add precision to your storytelling with time and place indicators, making your French sound more natural and sophisticated.
How to express tastes, preferences, and emotions in French
It's no secret that food is central to French culture, so we ensure you can fully participate in culinary conversations.
Our lessons will teach you to articulate your likes and dislikes. We cover a range of topics, from food and drink to hobbies and activities. You'll learn to say what you love or hate with phrases like “J'aime” (I like), “J'aime pas” (I don't like), “J'adore” (I love), and “Je déteste” (I hate) for food, drinks, and more.
You'll gain the confidence to order at restaurants, local markets, and bakeries. You'll learn food words and how to ask for items at shops. You'll be able to express your preferences and dietary requirements with ease.
As well, our lessons will cover expressing both positive and negative emotions in French. You'll start with simple phrases for common feelings:
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Happiness: “Je suis heureux/heureuse” (I'm happy)
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Sadness: “Je suis triste” (I'm sad)
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Anger: “Je suis en colère” (I'm angry)
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Surprise: “Je suis surpris(e)” (I'm surprised)
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Fear: “J'ai peur” (I'm afraid)
You'll also learn to show how strong your feelings are:
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Very: “Je suis très heureux” (I'm very happy)
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Extremely: “Je suis extrêmement triste” (I'm extremely sad)
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A little: “Je suis un peu nerveux” (I'm a little nervous)
This example is just the tip of the iceberg. You'll also learn how to articulate your opinions using logic, allowing you to engage in deeper, more meaningful conversations.
How to read French with confidence
Reading is key to mastering a language, and our French video course takes you from the basics to reading fluently.
We start with the alphabet and simple words of one or two syllables. You'll learn the different French letters and sounds and see how they form words.
And we gradually progress to complex words of three to five syllables. So, you move from short words to longer ones. You'll learn parts of words that help you understand new ones.
By the end of the course, you'll be tackling texts at a 5th-grade level, and this opens up a world of French literature and media for you to enjoy and continue learning.
How to describe the world around
Expanding your vocabulary is important for expressing yourself fully in French. Our lessons will provide you with materials and videos to help you describe the world around you.
You'll be able to name and describe all sorts of animals, from domestic pets to wild creatures, including mammals, carnivores, and herbivores.
You'll also learn vocabulary for different parts of the home, allowing you to discuss everything from kitchen appliances to bedroom furniture with ease. And more.
As a special addition, we'll teach you how to discuss the weather. You'll learn vocabulary and phrases to describe various weather conditions, seasons, and climate patterns.
How to count easily in French
Numbers pop up everywhere. We'll make sure you're comfortable with them.
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Count high: Learn to count from 0 to 1000, including first, second, third, and so on.
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Go even higher: We'll teach you to read and pronounce large numbers, from hundreds of thousands to millions and billions.
Our course makes learning French numbers simple and fun. This knowledge will enable you to discuss dates, times, centuries, and even millennia in your French conversations.
How to build sentence and grammar skills
Grammar is the backbone of language because mastering it means you can make correct sentences and speak clearly. So, we ensure you have a solid grasp of French sentence structure .
First, we break down the French sentence structure for you so you understand the combinations that make correct sentences. You'll then learn to conjugate verbs of the first, second, and third groups in all simple tenses.
We'll also teach you about the two essential auxiliary verbs in French, “être” and “avoir”, and how to use them correctly. This will allow you to tell complex stories about past events and future plans.
We also break down the different types of pronouns and teach you how and when to use various adjectives. That means you'll learn to:
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Use pronouns: Learn different types of pronouns and when to use them.
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Describe things: Place adjectives correctly in sentences. You'll learn how they change for gender and number.
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Add color to stories: Use vivid words to describe people, places, and things.
This knowledge will enable you to describe people, places, and things with accuracy and flair, adding depth and nuance to your French expression.
Tips to sharpen listening skills
Our course dedicates time to improving your listening comprehension. You’ll learn to identify and use speech patterns to enhance your understanding.
Incorporating English subtitles into videos can help you understand and follow along, enhancing you listening skills.
We’ll also teach you how to recognize tenses and uncover word meanings when listening, helping you follow French conversations with ease.
Why you should consider our “100-French-Video-Bundle”
Now that you've seen the key learning points we've included in our French video lessons, here are more reasons why it's the best course for you to consider online today.
You get in-lesson and take-home assignments, milestones, and badges to keep your momentum
From our experience, the best way other than taking an immersion trip to France is through intensive learning. Now, how do you recreate an intensive language immersion program online?
Well, our curriculum team figured that learners do learn fast when lessons are interactive, and especially when assignments are both written and spoken.
So, we made sure our courses are full of interactive bits that keep your motivation and drive up as well as make you learn fast.
Each of our French lessons comes with in-lessons and takes home written and spoken assignments. Here is an example of a written assignment:
And here is an example of a spoken assignment:
The in-lesson assignments serve as spaced repetition, while take-home assignments help learners connect the dots between previous lessons and the most recent French lessons.
You get a performance-based certificate
At the end of the video lessons, we will provide you with a certificate that attests that you took and completed the beginner level of our French course online .
But here is the kicker, we do not believe in certificates being issued for the sake of completing a course. So, if you're looking for a certificate of completion, the Get French Classes courses aren't for you.
Our certificates are delivered after you've passed the exams and taken all of your assessments.
These assessments are in the form of written tasks, gamified vocabulary games, videos, and audio of you speaking and practicing. And our tutors and learner advisors assess them.
So, if you get a language certificate from us, you know for sure that you've earned it
We offer you a one-time, flat price and you get access to everything our course offers
Our French video lessons program costs $97, which includes all the benefits and features we've discussed.
When you compare this to the cost of traditional language schools, apps you have to pay for per month, or private tutoring, the value is clear.
10 other French language video lessons you should consider
LingoPie
LingoPie uses an immersive approach to teaching French through TV shows and movies. It offers a variety of TV shows to learners of all levels, whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
The program partners with Netflix and other TV platforms to allow you to select different French shows such as dramas, cartoons, comedies, and more. It offers instant translation and subtitles for the videos.
The program also provides audiobooks, podcasts, and music to further reinforce learning. With resources like flashcards, blogs, or word games, you will acquaint yourself with French skills in no time.
LingoPie allows you to try its service for free for seven days. After that, you must subscribe to one of its pricing plans, which includes:
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Monthly plan, which costs $12
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Yearly plan, which costs $5.60 per month or $67 yearly
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Family and Friends plan, which costs $8.25 per month or $99 for a one-time payment.
FluentU
FluentU uses real-world videos to teach French. These videos cater to learners of all levels, whether beginners, intermediate, or advanced.
This program employs various entertaining videos, such as movie trailers, news, music videos, or motivational content. Each video comes with subtitles or translations, which help you learn better.
You can click on any of the words in the subtitle to see the in-context definition and get sentence examples. You can also engage in quizzes and real-world contexts to help you master new vocabulary.
It offers a two-tier pricing plan, which includes:
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Monthly plan, which costs $29.99 per month
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An annual plan, which costs $96 or $8 per month.
Yabla
Yabla is a French learning platform that teaches French through immersive videos. It’s available for learners: beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
Yabla has a library of over 1,950 videos in different genres, like TV shows, documentaries, lessons, music, and more. Each video has subtitles translated by humans. Yabla offers immersive videos similar to those found on the Français avec Pierre YouTube channel, which provides engaging lessons and cultural insights.
The program also features resources such as dictionaries to check words, SPEAK software to practice pronunciation, SCRIBE to practice writing activities, and more.
The program offers a three-tier pricing plan, which includes:
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Monthly plan that costs $12.95
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6-month plan that costs $54.95
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Annual plan that costs $99.95
Learn French with Alexa
Learn French with Alexa is run by Alexa Polidoro. The program offers French video lessons to help you master and speak the French language with confidence.
The program offers 100 live lessons available for learners of all levels, from beginner to advanced. It also contains exclusive audio versions of the videos, worksheets, and support guides to aid you in the learning journey.
Although the platform offers free lessons, you can also sign up for one of its paid plans. These plans include:
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Monthly plan that costs $35 per month
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3-month plan that costs $25 per month or $75 for a one-time payment
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An annual plan that costs $180 for a one-time payment.
FrenchPod101
French Pod 101 offers numerous French resources that help independent language learners of all levels—beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
The program provides a personal teacher who conducts a live lesson. This tutor walks you through personalized courses, gives corrections, and provides answers to any questions.
They also supplement the lessons with resources like dialogue, short recordings, quizzes, word banks, flashcards, and free PDF lessons.
They also let you know about your progress. But you should note that having a teacher is only available to Premium Plus subscribers.
FrenchPod 101 offers four pricing plans to its users:
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Free plan
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Basic plan that costs $4 per month
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Premium plan that costs $6.50 per month
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Premium Plus costs $14.87 per month and provides you with a teacher
YouLearnFrench
YouLearnFrench is one of the many YouTube channels offering free French video lessons for learners of all levels. The video lessons cover different topics like pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, numbers, and more. The program is vocabulary-themed and helps you learn the language naturally.
The video lessons are free for all users. They are available on YouTube.
Je French
Another online French learning platform that offers French video lessons is Je French. It's mainly for learners at the beginner level.
The French lessons cover different topics like greetings, gender of nouns and articles, basic verb conjugations, and more. The videos narrate the lessons slowly, so you can hear the pronunciation of each word. It also features transcripts that you can download and review often.
The basic French video lessons are free. But you can become a premium member and get weekly lessons, audio lessons, review lessons, and more. It costs $99.
Easy French
Easy French is a YouTube-based French learning solution that provides fun French video lessons for all learners.
Their videos cover various cultural aspects, like French cuisine, street interviews, hobbies, and more. It also features a podcast where you will listen to exciting stories that enhance your listening skills.
You can also join a community where you can interact with three of the program's hosts and converse with them in French.
Oh La La I Speak French
Oh La La I Speak French is a website that offers free French video lessons. It's accessible for all levels, whether beginner, intermediate, or advanced.
The program offers various French videos, like funny videos, French for beginners, French workbooks, and more. You will cover different aspects like grammar, vocabulary, verbs, culture, and more.
The program employs humorous situations, so you can learn in French environments. There are also transcripts to help you follow along.
Français Authentique
Français Authentique offers a French course for all learners. The course features lessons in text, audio, and video formats. The French video lessons cover topics such as vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and more. The lessons are available on the website and hosted on YouTube.
How to choose the right French video lessons?
Choosing the right French video lessons can be overwhelming, especially with so many options available.
Before choosing a video lesson, assess your current level and goals. Consider the following:
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What is your current level of French proficiency?: Are you a beginner, intermediate, or advanced learner? Knowing your level helps you select videos that are appropriately challenging.
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What are your goals for learning French?: Do you want to improve your speaking, writing, or listening skills? Identifying your goals ensures you choose videos that focus on the areas you want to develop.
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What topics do you want to learn about?: Do you want to learn about French culture, history, or everyday conversations? Selecting videos that align with your interests makes learning more enjoyable and relevant.
By assessing your current level and goals, you can choose video lessons that are tailored to your needs and help you achieve your goals.
This targeted approach ensures you make the most of your learning time and see progress in the areas that matter most to you.
Tips for getting the most out of French video lessons
To get the most out of French video lessons, follow these tips:
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Start with beginner-friendly videos: If you’re a beginner, start with videos that are designed for beginners and gradually move on to more advanced videos. This approach ensures you build a strong foundation before tackling more complex material.
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Practice regularly: Practice speaking and listening to French regularly, even if it’s just for a few minutes a day. Consistency is key to language learning, and regular practice helps reinforce new skills.
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Use subtitles and transcripts: Use subtitles and transcripts to help you understand and follow along with the video. These tools can aid comprehension and provide a reference for new vocabulary and phrases.
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Repeat and review: Repeat and review what you’ve learned to help reinforce new information and improve retention. Repetition is essential for solidifying your understanding and making new knowledge stick.
Use Get French Classes to get the right French video lessons
If you're tired of learning through a classroom-based approach and need to spice things up, you can opt for French video lessons. They let you learn naturally and give you an enjoyable learning experience.
As you've seen, several companies offer great options for French video lessons. Any of the options on this list offer you excellent learning materials that can help you move from one learning level to another if you engage with the videos properly.
At Get French Classes, our teaching approach focuses on your language skills to ensure a smooth learning experience. We focus on getting you to practice the language rather than wasting your time with grammatical concepts.
Plus, we offer quite an attractive option with our one-time pricing, which gives you access to all the video materials.
As a busy mom and professional, learning French has been complicated for me. But since I started learning with Get French Classes, I have seen my French improve FAST. Through the lessons, I not only get to practice every day, but I also have more opportunities than before. I can practice with my advisor, private tutor, and other learners like me.
I chose Get French Classes because their teaching materials and content are incredibly rich, going from everyday expressions to more specialized ones. I also get many opportunities to interact with tutors, and that has a huge impact on my fluency.
I've tried learning French on my own before, but nothing compares to this program. The combination of video lessons, live tutoring sessions, and group practice made learning French enjoyable and effective.
What I like the most about the program is that all my tutors are native speakers. They do help me not only understand the French language, but also the culture and the nuances of some words and expressions. And mostly, the live sessions are engaging and fun.