A guide to the French language

Unlock a new world with French

French is romantic, beautiful and extremely practical - with our Gallic neighbours just a short transfer away across the tunnel! So why might you choose to learn French and broaden your horizons?

• Gain a global perspective French is the official language in 32 countries across the world - second only to English with 45 countries. It is also taught in every country in the world, with over 100 million global learners. It's an official language of the law, of culture, the arts... and of course, of "l'amour"!

• Open up new doors Ever fancied working a summer season in France? Or taking a midlife career pivot and opening up a little French B&B in the countryside? Perhaps you want to be able to order your favourite "steak frites" in the local language, and discuss local events when drinking "un café et croissant" in Paris. French art, museums, literature and film also take on a new dimension when you speak the language - and you'll be able to connect with those relatives in Canadian Quebec for the first time too!

• Learn the French language with ease Are you wondering how best to learn French? There are plenty of possible routes on offer. You can attend an evening class, do a summer school or take a college qualification. Maybe you like to read language books or immerse yourself in online content. Much of this is free, but the quality can be variable at best... poor at worst, and even completely inaccurate! And most free content also has a lot of advertising to finance it, which can be distracting.

Get conversational fast

Babbel is a proven language method that has helped millions of global students like you learn a new language - or even several. It brings together several key benefits into a powerful and effective offer:

• Real-world conversations Babbel uses the most respected and cutting-edge teaching methods to get you speaking French fast. From your first lesson, you will be trying out new words and phrases, rapidly building your confidence and abilities as you study modules that link with your interests and focus areas.

• Bite-sized lessons Learn on your tea break, on the bus - whenever you have a spare 15 minutes with Babbel. You can track your progress in your own interactive dashboard and see which areas you need to work on and prioritise. Test yourself, take regular progress checks and be amazed at how fast you learn and become proficient in French.

• Engaging courses Babbel is an affordable way of learning French, with proven results and a highly enjoyable, engaging methodology that takes you from zero to hero, fast! Learn via your phone, tablet or laptop whenever you want to practice, and become part of a global Babbel community - all for an affordable monthly subscription. Even better, you can try your first lesson for free to see if it's for you!

Features of Babbel

• Learning topics appealing to your interests and needs.

• Interactive conversations featuring authentic regional accents.

• Bite-size French lessons that can be taken in 15-minute chunks.

• Voice recognition correcting your pronunciation as you practice.

• Learning modules encouraging learners to speak French words from the first lesson.

Learn French, one word at a time

So if you are ready to learn French today, give Babbel a try and enjoy your first lesson for free. Once you're convinced, it's just a simple upgrade to access all of your course material and immerse yourself into a fun, engaging and highly effective world of language learning, with plenty of multimedia resources, social media, interactive sessions, your own progress dashboard and a community of like-minded Babbel language adventurers to connect with!