If you are crazy about the French language and want to hone your skills whenever you have a spare minute, then you surely need the best software to learn French. Such programs are created to help you with pronunciation, grammar, writing, speaking, and more. Most options are optimized both for desktop systems as well as mobile platforms, so you can take lessons and quizzes both at home and on the go.
Almost all software to learn French have free trials, but after the testing period expires, you need to pay for the features. But that shouldn’t be a serious issue if you are serious about mastering this language. Some software focus on the cultural aspects, others help improve you existing knowledge. You can also download mobile apps and search for specific phrases while being on vacation, etc.
Verdict: If you're looking for a great program to help you learn French, then I don't have to tell you that Rosetta Stone is one of the most popular programs in this language learning industry. It's highly respected by both students and teachers alike. However, do you know what makes Rosetta Stone so effective?
First of all, Rosetta Stone was one of the first programs on the market to include an audio component to its curriculum. This is crucial for students who find it difficult to stay focused during regular lessons. This component makes listening and speaking French fun and interactive. Rosetta Stone also includes a great number of exercises that challenge you to use new vocabulary words and expressions. This is extremely important, as it will allow you to practice your new skills and build upon them over time.
Verdict: Duolingo is ranked as №1 in Apps in the Learning category. And all thanks to the skillful synthesis of learning and entertainment. The program does not require much time - only 20 minutes a day, and during this time you will have time to complete 3-4 lessons, and in three months your dictionary will have 1500 words.
The French version has 60 lesson blocks. These are adjectives, interrogative words, tenses, technical terms, abstract nouns. All vocabulary and grammar are divided into blocks: it is very convenient to choose what you need to learn. I also recommend you using video tutorial software to create your own learning movies regardless of the purposes.
Verdict: Basically, the Pimsleur program will show you how to use pictures and videos, along with easy-to-understand audio and text tutorials to show you the basics of this new language.
Like most of the available online learning platforms, it will also include many practice exercises you can do on your own at home, which will reinforce the new words and structures you learned. Then, of course, there's the Pimsleur DVD program, which will teach you even more vocabulary and grammar rules. This program is similar to that of Rosetta Stone, which means it covers almost the same material (with slight variations in each version), but it's all completely interactive, so you can repeat lessons as many times as you'd like. You also have the added advantage of being able to replay sections of any video or audio recording as many times as you'd like.
Verdict: The way this language learning software works is that you set the levels you are going to learn in the beginning and when you have completed all of the lessons the program will test your knowledge by showing you how well you have done. There are some people who might think that this is a substandard approach to learning the language, but the fact of the matter is that the test given to you by the program backs up the claims it makes.
When you use the program, you can set yourself goals for yourself and when you reach one of your goals you will be notified by the program that you have passed the level you were at when you set the goal.
Verdict: The highlight of this program is learning French through funny, emotional and informative videos. Moreover, videos are collected from all over the Internet, so that you will definitely hear real French speech: clips, television shows, commercials, movie trailers.
Each video comes with interactive subtitles. In the application, you can choose a video for your level of French.