Free online French courses

Learn French to understand and speak in real life

Start from the phrases you need: hear them, repeat them aloud, then find them again without looking at the translation. Come back to them over the next days and use them in a short conversation. A first goal, such as introducing yourself or asking for information, gives you a place to begin.

Loecsen online courses combine useful sentences, an English translation, audio, and step-by-step practice. You can start for free and move at your own pace, then widen what you understand and what you can say.

Which path matches your goal?

First contact practises the basics and A1 situations. Independent in French in 6 months leads toward A2 and part of the B1 skills. Those levels are a direction for study: progress depends on where you start, how much you practise, and whether you have a reason to use the language. The path name gives a direction. It does not promise a level in six months.

Where French is spoken, and which French you learn

French is an official language in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, and in many countries in Africa, including Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Cameroon, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is also used in the Caribbean and in parts of the Pacific. A sentence you learn for Paris is widely understood in Brussels, Geneva, Montreal, and Dakar.

Loecsen teaches standard French based on everyday usage in France. That variety is a reliable base across the French-speaking world. First contact uses it as the reference. Independent in French in 6 months stays on the same standard and widens the situations.

Local words still change. Seventy is “soixante-dix” in France and in Quebec; in Belgium and Switzerland you often hear “septante”. A weekend is usually “le week-end” in France and “la fin de semaine” in Quebec. Learn the standard first, then notice the words of the place you are speaking with.

How to listen, remember, and start speaking

Recognising a sentence while you read it is the first step. Finding it again when you need it takes practice. Loecsen leads you to use whole phrases in real situations, with the translation and the recording.

1. Listen and understand. Tie the sentence to its meaning and to the situation where you can say it.
2. Repeat aloud. Hear the model again and practise the rhythm.
3. Find it without looking. Try to say the sentence from the translation or from a situation you imagine, then check.
4. Bring back what has not stuck. Super Memory returns the words and phrases that have not settled yet.
5. Review over time. Spaced repetition brings back what needs another pass, so what you already know stays available.

Practice that follows your way of working

If you want to train speaking, put listening and repetition first and use voice recognition for pronunciation. If you prefer to read and look, lean on the pictures and the notes, then write or change a few sentences. You can combine these ways and switch from one session to the next.

A few phrases for your first conversations

Vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar: first landmarks in French

Written French keeps letters you do not hear. In “français” the final s is silent. In “vous parlez” the final z is silent too. Learn the sound with the word: the spelling does not always tell you what to pronounce.

Words also join. In “vous avez” the s of vous is heard, like a z, because the next word starts with a vowel. That link is a liaison. Short sentences make it audible. Repeat “Comment allez-vous ?” as one rhythm, not as three separate words.

“Je ne comprends pas” means “I don’t understand”: ne and pas wrap the verb. With someone you do not know, “Comment allez-vous ?” is the polite question; “Comment vas-tu ?” is for someone close. The notes help you choose.

How can you learn with a few minutes a day?

Pick one situation and a small group of sentences. Listen, repeat, then try to find them without looking. Finish with an exercise and return to what has not stuck. Next time, start from the review before you add something new.

Five to fifteen minutes can be enough for a short session. That is a start you adjust to your goal. For a freer conversation, add other chances to listen and to speak with people.

To see progress, take the same phrase the next day: do you understand it when you hear it, can you find it for one situation, and can you change one piece? If you get stuck, practise that piece again. On a low-energy day, go back to a few familiar sentences instead of stacking new material.

Questions people ask before they start

Where is French spoken?

In France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Canada, in many African countries, and in parts of the Caribbean and the Pacific. A standard sentence from this course is understood across those places. Local words still differ, as with soixante-dix and septante.

Which French does Loecsen teach?

Standard French based on everyday usage in France. First contact uses that reference. It is a solid base if you later speak with people in Quebec, Belgium, Switzerland, or West Africa.

Can I start for free?

Yes. First contact lets you practise for free with lessons, online audio, quizzes, and Super Memory. Free access has a usage limit. The paid offer adds, among other things, MP3 and PDF downloads and removes ads. Check the terms for what is included and where the limit is.

Do I need all the grammar before I speak?

No. Start from useful sentences and open the note to see how they are built. Then change one piece so the sentence is about you. Grammar helps you reuse what you are learning.

Can I learn on my own, online?

You can follow the lessons and the exercises on your own. To become more spontaneous, add a real conversation: with people close to you, on a trip, or with a partner. Practice prepares you to speak. Conversation also teaches you to answer what you did not expect.

Start with First contact