Useful and Fun French Learning Resources

The Belgian musical artist, Stromae | Photo Credit: Michael Ferire/The Rolling Stone

Learning a second language requires constant exposure to it. In my experience, gradual absorption of material works better than forcing your brain to memorize grammar or vocabulary. With repeated encounters with the language, your subconscious begins to internalize correct grammar and vocabulary. This process requires the consumption of lots of content in a foreign language. Fortunately, with the advent of the Internet, there are vast numbers of resources available to learn languages, as French happens to be one of the most popular languages in the world to learn. 

I’ve been learning French outside of school for a year or two now. The content I’ve found has not only helped me learn the language, but it’s also entertaining in its own right. Most listening or reading materials presented in French classes are frankly boring, regardless of their difficulty. I find listening to authentic content that native speakers might actually consume much more rewarding.

French classes often prioritize total comprehension: understanding the meaning of every word so you can answer specific questions about the subject. This strikes me as both unrealistic and not very enjoyable. Sometimes it’s nice to let the content flow past, absorb the basic meaning, and not worry too much about understanding every word.

Coffee Break French & La vérité éclate toujours

I’m a frequent listener of podcasts, and hearing spoken French is an excellent way to improve your comprehension and pronunciation. There are really two types of French content: material intended for French learners and material intended for French speakers. The latter is usually more fun, but more difficult. This podcast is an example of the former. Coffee Break Languages is a sort of conglomerate that has created resources in various other languages, including Italian, German, Chinese, Swedish, English, Portuguese and Gaelic. From what I’ve listened to, their format usually involves introductions, some small talk from the hosts in the target language, which is informal and fun, a piece of audio to listen to, and then an explanation and review of that audio in English. 

My favourite series they’ve done, technically separate from the original Coffee Break French podcast, is “La vérité éclate toujours”, translated to English as The Truth Always Comes Out. It’s a crime story involving car chases, stolen diamonds, the forging of documents, and a friend in a coma. 

Recommended: La vérité éclate toujours (start with episode 1)

Gurky

One of the best things about learning a foreign language is that content which might be sort of mindless entertainment in your native language suddenly becomes educational. So it is with the YouTube channel Gurky, who reviews and experiments with food. His videos include such gems as “Mettre des ingrédients improbables dans un Sodastream”, translated to English as Putting Unlikely Ingredients in a Sodastream, which is essentially self-explanatory. The host generally uses fairly simple language and some nice vocabulary and expressions relating to food. The channel is also a great way to be exposed to the Québécois accent. 

Recommended: Mettre des ingrédients improbables dans un Sodastream

Rereading your favourite English books

Reading French novels helps build vocabulary and increases your ability to intuitively tell whether something makes grammatical sense. Also, knowing the plot beforehand gives you additional context that often allows you to more easily infer the meaning of words that you aren’t familiar with.

Audiobooks at the library

Our VPL system provides a selection of French audiobooks. I’ve listened to “Nos étoiles contraires”, a translation of The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and “Le Hobbit”, a translation of The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien so far. Nos étoiles contraires was notable for using more informal and less literary constructions, eschewing completely the passé simple tense. An audiobook is a larger commitment than a podcast or YouTube video, but it’s more satisfying. Even audiobooks that I’ve started and never finished have been helpful. Basically any exposure to authentic content in your target language seems to be helpful, regardless of whether you see it through to the end.

Recommended: Nos étoiles contraires

Lupin

This Netflix series starring Omar Sy would be phenomenal in any language; learning French is a side benefit. I prefer using French subtitles or none at all; I find that English subtitles basically give your brain a free pass and don’t encourage any sort of engagement with the language, since the comprehension is given to you with no required effort. Lupin: Part 3 is expected to release later in 2023.

Radio-Canada

The French language arm of the CBC has a YouTube channel with various clips covering local and international news. It’s useful for picking up more topic-specific vocabulary, and effectively simulates a common situation one might come across in a French-speaking country — watching the news.

Recommended: Fermer le chemin Roxham, ça changerait quoi?

Stromae

Stromae is a Belgian pop artist who rose to fame with his single Alors on danse in 2009, which resurfaced recently as a TikTok phenomenon. Since then, his music has become a worldwide phenomenon. He has released three albums, of which 2013’s Racine carrée was the most commercially successful; his most recent album, Multitude, was released in 2022. He is the recipient of various awards, including an MTV Award, performs to sold-out venues around the world, including prestigious spots such as Madison Square Garden in New York, and his music has been streamed around 6.5 billion times. His music is an enthralling mix of dance beats, Francophone rap, and worldwide influences such as Congolese music. Multitude included, among other things, the erhu from China, a Bulgarian vocal choir, a string quartet, a harpsichord, and the charango, a string instrument from the Andes. 

For French learners, however, the relevant aspect is the lyrics. Stromae sings and raps in a clear, comprehensible tone, and his lyrics are clever and affecting, usually covering more serious topics than American pop hits. He has sung about such topics as absent fathers, the working class, depression, social media, parenting, income inequality, colonialism, and cancer, all to catchy tunes and danceable rhythms. His lyrics are full of excellent vocabulary and help considerably with pronunciation. If you take away one recommendation from this list, let it be this one — listen to Stromae, whether you intend to learn French or not.

Recommended: La solassitude and Tous les mêmes (though really, all of his music)