Podcasts offer the opportunity to hear the language as voiced by native speakers, build listening and comprehension skills, and learn more about the French-speaking world while you absorb new vocabulary, expressions, and grammatical rules. So if you're planning for a trip to a French-speaking nation or just want to brush up on your language skills, we've rounded up a list of some of the best French podcasts to get you on your way to speaking en française!
If you're looking to become more fluent in French by setting aside just 15 minutes each day, this podcast is perfect for you. From the Radio Lingua Network comes this accessible podcast that begins with absolute beginners in mind, progressing in difficulty as the seasons go on. You'll follow characters Mark and Anna on their adventures through the language as they visit France, have conversations, and discuss grammar. Each season is roughly 40 episodes long, and with over 243 episodes in the archive, this is a great option to practice speaking French at your own speed that covers a lot of the basics.
For the inexperienced French speaker seeking real-world applications of the language, this weekly podcast is invaluable. Each week, an eight to ten minute episode drops, summarizing the week's biggest headlines in French news outlets. Delivered in a slow, easy-to-understand manner, this engaging podcast provides needed context for some of the most pressing current events and developments—helping you achieve better listening comprehension while learning about current events in the French-speaking world.
Duolingo is one the leading language learning apps in the United States, so rest reassured that their companion podcast will be high quality and perfectly geared to beginners and intermediate learners alike. Hosted by Ngofeen Mputubwelen, this show offers episodes that showcase true stories that help listeners develop their French language skills and learn about French culture, history, and customs. When applicable, some English is provided to help listeners understand the more complex backgrounds and contexts of the stories presented. Episodes drop weekly and run approximately 20 minutes.
In this friendly, easy-to-understand podcast, host Séverine Vallée has created episodes that are meant to be consumed easily and quickly for beginner French speakers and those learning French for travel. Rather than offer a structured course in podcast format, each episode focuses on an area of vocabulary or grammar to help enhance your knowledge of France and empower you to try out your new language skills. While the podcast is mostly language focused, sometimes episodes delve into cultural traditions—but they always include essential language information to help listeners navigate every moment abroad.
If you're beyond the basics of language learning and want to understand the French language a little more, give this podcast a try. Hosted by Alexa Polidoro, Learn French With Alexa looks at French words or phrases and examines their origins and etymology, their uses, how they've evolved over time, and their wider cultural impact and context. Episodes usually run from 20 to 30 minutes, examining everything from culinary interest to how brand names affect the French language. Episodes drop every two weeks.
Sometimes the best way to learn a language is to listen along to conversations. In this podcast, listeners follow Ted, a French language learner, as he embarks upon a series of conversations with Caroline, a native French speaker. From learning how to carry on small talk with someone you've just met to learning about holiday and cultural customs, these conversations are an insightful look into conversation via role-playing, and they all conveniently clock in under 20 minutes.
If your impetus for learning French is because you hope to travel to France, then this helpful podcast will provide you with essential language lessons for your journey. Hosted by Annie Sargent in conversation with a variety of guests, this podcast offers everything: language and travel tips, destination planning, important history, and cultural lessons. This podcast is nearing 400 episodes, and most are around an hour in length. A key resource for jetsetters, this podcast covers everything from rural travel, traveling with partners, and possible travel snags you might experience.
Billed as an intermediate French learning podcast, this show was created by a French teacher from Quebec who wanted to help people interested in French and the French-speaking world acquire language skills through topics that might interest them. Each episode is approximately 10 minutes and is recorded fully in French at a slow, easily comprehensible pace.
Another podcast that prides itself on immersing listeners into the experience, this show boasts brief episodes that tells a different story or poem, entirely in French. This podcast is ideal for language learners who want to spend more time listening to native French speakers, especially during a busy day. New episodes drop every other week, and there's a really eclectic mix of content sure to appeal to any listener.
For a more advanced French podcast, this show from Slate France offers a wide variety of real, human stories told entirely in French. Since this is a French production and not made specifically for language learners, the pace will be faster and there may be some vocabulary, expressions, and topics that language learners might not understand. However, if you are fairly proficient in French and are looking to level up your study, this podcast is a must-listen addition to your linguistic toolbox.
