How to Immerse Yourself in French in 10 Ways

As you probably know, one of the best ways to learn French is to immerse yourself in it. But how do you do that without necessarily flying all the way to France?

There are many ways for French learners to immerse themselves in the language from anywhere. From reading French content, listening to French podcasts or taking French courses, we’re going over the easiest ways to do it in this post. 

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1. Create a “French-only” Space at Home

Pick a room of your house (or just a corner, if you don’t have much space) and turn it into a mini-France. Everything here should be in the French language or is French-related—whether it’s the posters on the wall, the books stacked on the shelves or even the food you’re eating while you’re there.

Once you’ve gotten your French space as French as it can possibly be, remember: When you’re in your French space, French is the only language you can speak, read and write there. By creating a space associated with French, it’ll be easier to be 100% committed to learning French in this location—be it for 10 minutes or for an hour.

2. Stay Updated on French News

Start with Le Monde, Le Figaro or Libération, three of France’s largest newspapers. Le Monde tends to report news from a more leftist standpoint, while Le Figaro takes a more right-wing approach.

If you prefer to watch French TV online, you also have the likes of TV5MONDE where you can watch the French nightly news. Through these news outlets, you’ll be exposed to both the spoken and written form of the language in authentic contexts.

Speaking of authentic French news, you can get plenty of French news clips on the immersive language learning platform FluentU.

3. Read French Books

You don’t have to start with Les Miserables or Les Trois Mousquetaires off the bat. (If you’re already confident in your French, though, feel free to dive straight into them.) There are plenty of French-language books that even beginners can get into.

And if your handle on French is still too shaky even for beginner-friendly material, you could always go for French-English books with parallel text. “Parallel,” in this context, simply means that the original French text appears side-by-side with the English translation, meaning you can do away with having to glance at a dictionary for every other word you don’t understand. 

No matter which type of French-language text you use, the important thing is you’re able to practice and improve your reading skills.

4. Read Online Articles in French

Think books are too intimidating for your current French level? Try bite-sized reading material from the internet instead.

For starters, you could check out French blogs aimed at learners (if you’re at the beginner/intermediate level) or native speakers (if you’re at the advanced level). You could also look into the French versions of the sites you know and love, like Wikipedia.

If you have a favorite topic in mind that you want to explore in French, you could do that, too. Film buffs, for example, would probably enjoy AlloCiné, a French movie site that has everything from bandes-annonces (trailers) to movie reviews.

5. Play French Podcasts

Consuming podcasts is a fantastic way to hone your listening skills in French. If you’re at the beginner to intermediate level, I suggest adding French podcasts aimed at learners to your feed.

The FluentU Story French Podcast could also be a good option: It’s a podcast series based on stories and different grammar concepts that’s great for all levels, especially beginner and intermediate learners. Episodes start with a detailed explanation of a specific grammar concept, and followed by a conversational story in French that helps demonstrate how the grammar concept is actually used.

On the other hand, advanced learners can move on to podcasts aimed at native French speakers, like the ones on RadioFrance.fr. You also have the option to change the language settings on your preferred podcast platform to French or search the podcast topics you like in French.

6. Listen to French Music

For example, you could check out Edith Piaf for classic French tunes, M. Pokora for more contemporary fare or any French songs by Céline Dion (arguably the world’s most famous French-English singer).

And if none of these three are quite what you’re looking for (though I should say you’re missing out if you don’t like Céline Dion), you can also check out this curated list of songs in French you can learn from.

Music (particularly the ones with lyrics) tends to be memorable due to its rhythmic nature and emotional value. By associating it with the French language in your head, you get a catchy and effective way to pick up and retain new vocabulary and grammar.

7. Tune in to French Radio

If you prefer your podcasts and music all on one platform, you can always add French radio stations to your road trip playlist. One moment, you’re listening to a mini-talk show—the next, you’re bobbing your head to the catchiest tunes topping the charts in France.

Here are some tips on how to use radio to learn French, along with a few resources to get you started.

8. Join a French Conversation Group

Aside from listening to French all day, you have to speak it, too. And the best way to do that is to have regular conversations with French speakers or learners.

Use local resources like the Alliance Française, your local library or Meetup to find a French conversation group. If there’s no such group in your city, you can always start one.

If possible, schedule regular activities with your group that everyone can enjoy and that involve learning French in some way. For example, you could be talking about classic French books one session, cooking and trying out French recipes the next and having an in-depth group analysis of classic French movies the third time around.

9. Play Games in French

Fortunately for French learners, France is one of the biggest video game markets in the world. In other words, there’s a good chance your favorite video game has a French version, especially if it’s made by Ubisoft (which happens to be a French company). If you poke around the language settings on any iteration of “Assassin’s Creed” or “Prince of Persia,” for example, there’s likely an option to switch the whole game to French. 

On the other hand, if you prefer the more social, hands-on feel of physical board games, you could always invite your language group friends over for game night. Give a French spin on classic games like “Guess Who?” (Qui est-ce? in French) and Scrabble, for example.

10. Take an Immersion Course in France

If you feel like your at-home immersion space isn’t enough to help you learn French, you could always plan a trip straight to France or any other French-speaking country and get your immersion there. Nothing’s better than the real deal, after all.

For those who like learning about French culture, the Paris-based program Cours de Civilisation Française à la Sorbonne might be the best fit. If you’re a student, you might want to enroll in a program in a relatively low-cost city, like that from the University of Orléans. Alternatively, you could take advantage of your university’s summer abroad programs.

Want to have true immersion by living with a French family? Find homestays through sites like HelpX, or consider becoming a live-in au pair to get that family element to your experience and offset some of your travel costs. You can check out sites like Au Pair Paris for more on the process.

Want to travel to France but none of the above options appeal to you? In that case, hop on Couchsurfing.com to find friendly natives that you can meet and stay with.

 

And that wraps up our list of ways to immerse yourself in the French language—whether you’re doing it at home or in a cozy cafe somewhere in Paris.

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)