Practice & Perfect Your French
By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide
- Daily and Weekly French Features
- French Grammar Lessons
- French Listening
- French Pronunciation
- French Reading
- French Vocabulary
- French Tests and Assessment
- French Mistakes & Difficulties
- Practice Your French
- French Study Tips and Tools
- French Variations
- Inspiration and Fun
Daily and Weekly French Features
Adding even a little bit of French to your day can make a big difference.
- French word of the day
- French lesson of the day
- French quiz of the day
- French quotation of the day
- Daily French practice ideas
- Daily French newsletter
- French expression of the week
- French word play of the week
- French mistake of the week
French Grammar Lessons
This site has hundreds of intermediate- and advanced-level French grammar lessons.
- Adjectives
- Adverbs
- Agreement
- Articles
- Conjunctions
- Gender and Number
- Impersonal French
- Indefinites
- Informal grammar
- Negation
- Nouns
- Possession
- Prepositions
- Pronouns
- Questions and interrogatives
- Verbs
- Word order
- Writing and mechanics
French Listening
When you're learning French on your own, listening is one of the hardest things to practice. This site has all kinds of listening exercises with comprehension tests to help you develop your French ear and understand spoken French.
- Intermediate French listening
- French listening topics
- How to improve your French listening comprehension
- French videos
French Pronunciation
French pronunciation is part of what makes French so beautiful to listen to... and so hard to speak. Work on your French pronunciation with these lessons and sound files.
French Reading
Reading in French is an excellent way to build your vocabulary and get used to the French style of writing. Take a look at these links for authentic French reading materials and comprehension exercises.
French Vocabulary
The more words you know, the better your French sounds. Learn essential French vocabulary and expressions with these lessons, word lists, and tools.
- Top French words
- Most Common French Phrases
- Acronyms and abbreviations
- Expressions
- Homophones
- Prefixes
- Suffixes
- Synonyms
- True cognates
- False cognates
- Mot du jour
- Specialized French
- Verlan - French slang
- Improve your French vocabulary
- French dictionaries
- More French vocabulary lessons
French Tests and Assessment
If you learned French years ago, you might remember more than you think. Find out what you know and what you need to work on with assorted French tests and assessment tools.
- Beginning French proficiency test
- Intermediate French proficiency test
- Advanced French proficiency test
French Mistakes & Difficulties
We all make mistakes, but most if not all of them can be avoided. Find your particular problem areas and study up until you've mastered your mistakes.
- Typical French mistakes
- Intermediate French mistakes
- Advanced French mistakes
- Proofreading and editing tips
Practice Your French
Study all you want, but what's the point if you never use it? Practicing your French not only gives your study purpose, but also helps you remember what you've learned.
- Daily French practice
- Overcoming speaking anxiety
- À la française forum (bilingual)
- Le Carrefour francophone (monolingue français)
French Study Tips and Tools
Make the most of your study time with these tips and tools.
- The best way to learn French
- Independent study resources
- Learning French as an adult
- Back to school - French class
- How to use bilingual dictionaries
- Choosing a French dictionary
- Free online French dictionaries
- French verb conjugator
- French verb deconjugator
- Product reviews
- French toolbar
French Variations
French varies from place to place and situation to situation. The French spoken in Paris is not the same as in Toulouse or Québec or West Africa. In addition, French has different levels, or registers, ranging from extremely formal to slang. Use these links to become familiar with different varieties of French.
Inspiration and Fun
Yes, learning French can (and should!) be fun. When you feel overwhelmed or wonder why you should bother, check out these links for some inspiration, fun, and games. Celebrate French holidays like Bastille Day, try your hand at French Concentration... anything that has some link to French or France.