As I learn French myself, I’m making notes of what online resources I find useful, or think are worth a look, and adding them here. None of the links below are affiliate links (which means I don’t get paid for recommending them to others). But go form your own opinion!
Traditional Media
I’m a big fan of newspapers, so try to read something from Le Monde each day. Sometimes I manage several articles, sometimes nothing, but it’s always a good use of my time. I have a subscription to the online version, which is good value.
Besides newspapers, radio is a fantastic way to build listening skills, vocabulary and ‘cultural knowledge’ (who’s who and what’s going on in the place where the language you’re studying is spoken). The simplest way to listen is to download an app to your smartphone or tablet. As i write this, I’m listening to the afternoon program on ‘FranceInfo‘ using an app called RadioFrance.
And not to forget TV, of course. It can be hard to watch live TV if you’re not actually in France (because of the rights protection – you’d need a VPN to get around it…) But Netflix has at least one, probably more, series in French. Now I just need to find time to watch them!
Websites
Duolingo.com is very popular. It costs nothing, and the website version is even free of ads.
Some people swear by Memrise. Personally I didn’t get on with it, but it’s certainly worth a look.
Apps
If you use a smartphone or tablet to study, there’s often an app version of the suggestions on this page. My favourite is Le Monde’s ‘La Matinale‘, which gives me a selection of the most interesting articles from the day’s newspaper to choose foom, each morning at seven a.m. (it’s not free, though.) Search the Android or Apple stores for ‘French’ and see what you can find!
Online Lessons
Self-study is all very well, but nothing beats pratice with a real person, ideally a native-speaker, better still if it’s someone who has experience! Check out these options for online French tutors/teachers: NativeSpeakerTeachers.com
Dictionaries
We like WordReference.com and have been using it for years for various languages. It’s not perfect, though. Perhaps you have others to suggest? Write to us!
Podcasts
… are basically audio recordings, which you can download and listen to at your convenience. Get a podcast app from the Android or Apple stores and see what’s available in French. Careful! A lot of the stuff that looks best for learners isn’t free.
Radio stations usually offer downloadable podcasts, too, and those ARE free. They’re perfect for listening to while you commute to work and back.