Whether you’re at work or home eating dinner, you can work on your French by listening to some of the best French podcasts available. Audio can be hard since you don’t have facial expressions, body language, or text in front of you to use as context clues. But they are doable. If you consistently listen to podcasts for a few weeks, you will notice a difference.
Since our ears get used to certain people’s voices, you may want to listen to the same one over a period of time. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t dabble in other podcasts, since each one brings something different to the table.
For a sample of some of the best French podcasts, check out our list.
Last Updated 06/25/2021
The Best French Podcasts for Learners
Beginner French Podcasts
Learn French by Podcast
This is one of the best French podcasts out there for learners of French. They offer a lot of free lessons on iTunes. Each one covers a basic theme or topic during a conversation that takes place; afterwards, the host discusses the main elements of the conversation and points out important vocabulary. There is a broad range of vocabulary that you get to hear, with topics including Nelson Mandela, the World Cup, Twitter, music vocabulary, and more. You can also download a free guide that explains in greater detail some of the concepts covered in the podcast.
One Minute French
For those who never have enough time, this addictive podcast may be the perfect thing for you.
The objective is to learn the basic concepts in as little time as possible. It’s a great tool for reviewing, and it motivates you to push through the lessons.
Once you do one, you won’t want to stop!
Coffee Break French
Advertised as a relaxing way to learn, Coffee Break French takes an informal approach.
The speakers in this French podcast make learning fun by casually discussing French in a relatable way. They play conversations that are real dialogs, spoken at relatively fast speeds. Afterwards, the hysterical hosts dissect the hard parts. English speakers will definitely be laughing since what they say makes so much sense. For example, in one podcast, they talk about how the French verb “douter” means to doubt. Yet “se douter que” can mean to be sure of. If you ever were confused by gender or other French structures, this is a great podcast to check out.
Intermediate French Podcasts
Daily French Podcast
Daily French Pod is an excellent French podcast for intermediate learners. Every day, the host, Louis, talks with other native French speakers about day-to-day life, introducing helpful vocabulary along the way.
The hosts speak at a normal pace, which makes this podcast especially suitable for beginners. The podcasts begin with an English introduction, but after that, the remainder is mostly in French. Also helpful for intermediate learners, you can find supporting materials such as transcripts on their website.
One Thing in a French Day
The idea behind this series of podcasts is as simple as it is useful. It follows the life of Laetitia, a Parisian woman. For each podcast, she discusses simple topics related to her daily life. The entire podcast is in French, and Laetitia, who has a terrific voice, speaks very clearly and at a normal pace.
The podcasts are rather short, making them easy to listen to and helpful for grasping new vocabulary and getting used to French pronunciation. This website has a large number of podcasts, and Laetitia regularly uploads new ones.
French Podcasts.com
The great advantage of this podcast series is that the entire podcasts are in French. Essentially, the podcasts revolve around French speakers and their daily happenings. The vocabulary and the speed with which the actors speak make this podcast suitable for intermediate learners. Listening to it every day can be really useful for getting used to French pronunciation and speaking patterns. I especially like the fact that on their site, you can choose your favorite topic from among careers, children, hobbies, family, music, sports, and more.
If you can’t understand certain parts of the recording, you can download the PDF transcripts from their site.
Advanced French Podcasts
Podcast France
For advanced learners, what’s better than listening to podcasts and recordings from actual native French speakers?
On Podcast France, “L’annuaire du podcast francophone”, you will find tons of podcasts originating from various French-speaking countries, which is helpful for learning how to understand different accents. They offer everything from movies, comics and music to marketing and sports.
This site has an excellent directory of podcasts that will always give you something to listen to on your smartphone or mp3 player.
-> Bonus: Two More Useful Resources for Intermediate and Advanced French Learners
Radio France
If you’ve yet to tap into all Radio France has to offer, I suggest you check out their site as they have some of the best French podcasts available. It allows you to listen to various radio channels, and they also have podcasts that work on most devices. Since it’s radio, they speak quickly, which may be discouraging for beginners. Remember that it isn’t necessary to understand each and every word. You can put the podcasts on in the background while doing another task, just to expose yourself to the language’s sounds.
France24
France24 is a great resource for those who want to hear the world news in French. Being news, it’s full of advanced vocabulary. However, you will eventually learn how to talk about the economy, world affairs, markets and other advanced topics. Luckily, a lot of technical, specialized terms in English are derived from French words, so you will be able to pick up vocabulary here and there without even needing to learn it!
-> And One More Bonus for Beginner and Intermediate Learners…
You could say that MosaSeries: L’Homme Sans Nom is in the same family as podcasts. And it was designed specifically with learners in mind. It’s an original and gripping audio series. Work on your listening skills, learn tons of new and useful vocab, and pick up important grammar and conjugation.
Learn more about MosaSeries: L’Homme Sans Nom
Which French podcast is your favorite? Let us know in the comments section!
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