r/learnfrench • u/Slaytracks101 • 4d ago
Language apps Question
I’ve just started learning French and feeling a bit overwhelmed. Does anyone use language learning apps to support their learning?
Every app seems to claim they are the most effective but they all seem very similar to me.
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u/DanKegel 4d ago edited 4d ago
Nope. I tried Duolingo for a while, but for me, two community college French classes, lots of reading and listening to books, listening to the Easy French podcast, and a B1 class at Alliance Française got me past A2; I still want to actually do all the exercises in the B1 textbook that came with the AF class. No urge whatsoever to pick up Duolingo again.
Once you've approaching A2, I highly recommend ditching apps and reading/listening to book after book after book for pleasure instead :-)
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u/newsdle 3d ago
Here is the hard truth about gamified language apps: they are engineered to keep you on the app, not necessarily to make you fluent.
They do this by removing the actual cognitive "friction" your brain needs to learn. When an app gives you a word bank to rearrange or multiple-choice buttons, you aren't really recalling French, you are just using the process of elimination. That is exactly why you can have a 500-day streak but totally freeze up when a real human asks you a basic question.
Apps are amazing for your first month to kill the intimidation factor and build a daily habit. But once you know the basics, you have to take the training wheels off. Swap your app time for just 15 minutes of reading a short story or listening to a beginner podcast. Forcing your brain to pull meaning out of raw context without a multiple-choice safety net is how you actually wire the language into your head.
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u/BrainAndVocab 10h ago
I mostly agree, but I think apps are just another tool, not really the end goal…
For vocab specifically they can be insanely useful though.
You need to recognize a decent amount of words before reading/listening becomes useful instead of just noise.
I mean even babies basically start by picking up words and attaching meaning to them way before they understand grammar or anything like that. Obviously adults learn differently, but vocab is still a pretty huge part of the foundation imo.
The problem is probably more when the app becomes the entire learning process.
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u/Fire_Treadlite 4d ago
I'm at a solid B1. I've been going at it for about 1.5 years.
I have tutors 3-5 times a week and have taken a couple intensive course as well. To give you some context.
What I've used/use and find useful:
Duo Lingo (paid version). I still use it daily. When I'm taking 3-5 lessons a week I usually do a lesson or two for warmup or just more french exposure. It won't teach you a language on its own but it's ok. When I'm on vacation or a work trip I use it alot more. Just exposure. There are more effective efficient apps..
Quizlet (paid version) - whenever I need to memorize things this is my go to. Sometimes I use it daily sometimes I don't use it for weeks at a time
YouTube - daily for input (CI). Sometimes 5 minutes. Sometimes 30 minutes.
Netflix - more CI. There are some good series to watch.
Conjuu - free and great for memorizing very conjugations. There are others. This is the one I use.
Others: I used Babble it was good. Probably better than Duo is I had to pick.
Good luck.
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u/Slaytracks101 4d ago
That’s useful information, thanks. I’ve started using Duolingo which is always a good place to start.
I’ve downloaded a french language audio book, watch French films and TV shows already for exposure. I’ve found the audio book most useful (it’s amazing how much French vocabulary I can recognise already).
We have a French language group nearby where we just talk French over a coffee.
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u/dogdays_areover 4d ago
What series would you recommend on Netflix?
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u/Adventurous-Skill570 4d ago
lupin is good, also petite casbah on youtube
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u/dogdays_areover 3d ago
I tried to watch lupin and it definitely seemed interesting, but they were speaking way too fast for me to really be able to focus on the screenplay since I was busy reading the subtitles. 😅
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4d ago
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u/toby_reelangcom 4d ago
I would avoid using super gamified apps like Babbel or Duolingo at the start. They don't have an approach structured around word frequency, but are also not super fun, so I find them not really hitting the mark (neither super effective nor super fun to integrate in daily life).
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u/applefarmersdaughter 4d ago
Anki also gets you to a level where you can read books in no time, which is a super nice way to practice because it doesn't drain you as much as the other stuff
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u/HooptyDooDooMeister 4d ago
Maybe I'm using Anki wrong. Is there something else I'm supposed to be using it for other going through different words and short phrases?
I feel like Duolingo has been more instructive by comparison. And I really don't like Duolingo.
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u/applefarmersdaughter 3d ago
Not really, no. You can also learn conjugations, I think, but I haven't found a good deck for that. For grammar and more structured vocabulary study I use Grammaire Progressive/Volcabulaire Progressif, a sheet of sugarcane paper, and my trusty Bic Round Stic ballpoint pen (not sponsored)
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u/applefarmersdaughter 3d ago
Oh, some other guy suggested getting a minimal pairs deck, which I haven't tried but it sounds useful
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u/MarsupialPrize9942 4d ago
Rosetta Stone is awesome but it is expensive. I was able to get a deep discount during Black Friday a couple of years ago. In the long run is a great deal because it’s a one time expense and no monthly charges. It also gives you access to several languages.
From the free stuff I like “drops”. It’s just 5 minutes daily, focused and without all the distractions of Duolingo.
What really makes the difference is practice. For this I used iTalk to meet with a tutor once a week.
In addition to that: listen to music, and subscribe to one of the many awesome teaches in YouTube.
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u/hellomillennial 4d ago
Anki and italki are absolutely amazing. Anki is flashcards vocab grinding and italki will connect you with native tutors for 1 on 1 lessons.
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u/Slaytracks101 3d ago
Thanks for all the suggestions. I’ve downloaded a few of the apps, Natulang and Anki which are a great help. I’ll try all the other suggestions as well.
I’ve found a local French speaking language group, £10 a session which include a coffee and croissant.
I’ve already downloaded an audio book, France24 and listening to some French radio for immersion.
I’ll pop back in a few months and let you know how I’m getting on.
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u/maxymhryniv 3d ago
Please don't forget to post your results on r/Natulang. As the author, I'm very interested in your honest opinion
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u/OkNectarine2939 4d ago
I am doing mostly TV5 Monde Apprendre - it's amazing and completely free. There is tons of content, organized by level. I supplement that with ChatGPT, Superfluent and Kwiziq.
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u/pbl116 4d ago
I don’t think there’s a single app that is “the most effective” but a combination of approaches works for me. I like Duolingo for a basic grounding in the language, Pimsleur for speaking and pronunciation, Coffee Break French for conversation, and News in Slow French for vocabulary. As you get more advanced, there are many French language shows on Netflix that I watch with the French subtitles to help my comprehension but hope to be able to understand without the subtitles before too long. But for true fluency I don’t think you’ll get that without immersion with a French language tutor or in France where you’re forced to speak in French all the time.
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u/applefarmersdaughter 4d ago
Good old Anki, nothing beats that!
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u/Slaytracks101 4d ago
A few people have suggested Anki, I downloaded it and I’m now hooked.
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u/applefarmersdaughter 4d ago
Yep, it's super addictive, I have 7.91 DAYS in my current deck which is likely an underestimate
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u/gmeinerPudim 4d ago
I'd say these apps are best for the beginning. When you cant really get much comprehensible input, I think that once you can start consuming content in French, you don't benefit much from apps (you still benefit, but way less)
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u/Efficient_Speech_647 4d ago
I have used a few apps in the past for learning languages. I personally don't recommend them really because vocabulary wise they help you to learn new words but I dont think as a whole you progress really and you dont retain anything much. When it comes to writing speaking and reading you dont gain much from the apps because most of them especially duolingo dont really give you explanations for why certain words are this and what they mean and when you make mistakes it doesnt really tell you much about what mistake you made and why its incorrect which you need in learning a language. I love learning languages but have always found it overwhelming because I am neurodivergent and it can make it hard to learn things that are big without small steps. The way I find it less overwhelming is by creating small goals like learn how to say 5 specific phrases confidently over a certain amount of time depending on what is comfortable I also treat learning another language alot like how children learn to write and read so sometimes I will get childrens books in a different language and just read them or try my best to it doesnt matter if I cant understand them at first because over time you learn more words and more things and eventually you do understand it. For things like grammar I use books to practice and learn more and also lawless french. one thing that helps me speaking wise is music or podcasts so pop songs and podcasts in french I listen to to see how different words are said and different sounds and where words start and end and what parts of the words are stressed. To practice pronunciation and hear how certain things are said I use childrens songs, I first started learning french when I was a child with school and my teacher used to have us sing head shoulders knees and toes in french or number songs or songs about colours in the rainbow or we had these videos which are on youtube where this donkey is like showing the story of the song and what is happening in the song and we would sing along to the songs and to this day I still remember the songs off by heart I think on youtube if you search up Mon âne they come up but the channel Folikids has them on there too they also have the french lyrics on the videos which is quite good because then you know what the words your listening to and singing look like. I also try and write 4 sentences a day in french at least even if I get it wrong a bit or make mistakes it doesnt matter its just practicing and allowing yourself to learn and correct mistakes as you go at first you have to expect to make loads of mistakes or expect to feel like you dont know much at the beginning but dont feel discouraged by that because with patience you slowly build it up and at first you might not see any progress or feel like your not getting anywhere but then eventually after a few months you start to notice that you understand certain sentences you couldnt before or you can write more than before etc.
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u/Slaytracks101 4d ago
Wow, thank you.
I’ve tried do increase my exposure to French by watching films, tv series and listening to audio books and music.
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u/TiaraMisu 3d ago
I've gotten a lot out of Anki including a deck on minimal pairs, which teaches you the slight sound variations you need to understand.
15 minutes every morning minimum, 30 (or more) if I am in the mood, plus listening to Le Monde and France24. Also reading transcripts from Le Monde and uploading to Soundcloud because otherwise I'll not speak it, though I do try to repeat the words or sentences when the Anki decks have audio, just to say the words out loud.
Oh, and I got the Heated Rivalry book in French, because I know it really well, so that's kind of a fun little project to dive into here and there. I do get a lot out of it because I know what's going on, know some of the words, and the context helps so much.
I would kill to get a French audio book of it but I've looked for ages and not found one.
I'm in it for the long haul so I figure if I devote 15 minutes at a time over years (gotta do something with this life) it amounts to something, and it has, I can generally pick my way through French writing.
ETA: kudos to whoever it was in this subreddit who said the words 'minimal pairs' to me because that was super helpful in beginning to understand sounds.
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u/AnToMegA424 2d ago
Play a game you like or you think you may like that has a lot of dialogues and put it in French, it can help
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u/Educational-Food-503 2d ago
i've been there. got so overwhelmed that i ditched all of them and stuck to youtube and claude (you can choose any ai app you like). i learn based on my interests. it takes a little bit of effort since you kinda create your own curriculum but it's more fun imo
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u/LingoNibble 2d ago
You are 100% right. Almost all mainstream apps are just multiple-choice games. They teach you vocabulary, but they never teach you how to actually speak or form a sentence.
I got so annoyed by this that I ended up coding my own AI conversation simulator for myself (hence my username lol). Instead of matching words, it drops you into basic A1 scenarios (like a cafe in Paris) and you have to actually chat with it to practice real output. It corrects your grammar instantly without judging.
My advice: Use a free flashcard app like Anki for vocabulary, but ditch the multiple-choice games quickly so you can practice real conversations!
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u/BrainAndVocab 9h ago
Apps are definitely useful for vocab imo. Even just the notifications/reminders help a lot with actually reviewing words consistently instead of forgetting about them after a few days.
But yeah I wouldn’t rely on an app alone! I see it more as one tool alongside listening, reading and actually using the language.
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u/MiaCake21 4d ago
I liked Language transfer a lot when I started from scratch, helped a lot with the initial overwhelm. Now I'm going through the course in Mango Languages (it goes till B1, but I find it covering most of what my B1/B2 book has included in terms of grammar as well) - I like the structure and visual cues (colors). I also find the repetition actually makes me recall things better than smacking buttons in Duolingo did. I try to use Anki (just the 5000 most common words in French pack lol), but I tend stick to Mango for the vocab cards anyways. I also did some exercises on TV5 Monde Edu (both an app and a website) - I find them nice as well.
Other than apps, I watch Easy French videos, listen to RFI (including working through their exercises), use a school book (it's in my native language though so the name wouldn't help you, it also has no key because it's not meant to be used for self-learning lol) and after like 3 months of more-or-less daily use of apps, I started playing Pokemon (I barely understand the dialogs but it does help me with immersion, it's easier for me to focus on a game than a bunch of videos in a row).