French is a difficult language to learn. Spoken throughout many countries, learning French would give you a big boost when traveling the world. Free resources are available throughout the iTunes Music Store, allowing you to take your French lessons with you on you iPod. The following podcasts are great ways to help teach you French.
The French Pod Class
Sebastien produces The French Pod Class, a great resource that teaches French and gives a peek into French culture. The podcast contains language, grammar, music, book reviews, and movie reviews. The French Pod Class provides a good resource for beginning and advance speakers alike. Their website (www.frenchpodclass.com) contains transcripts, video vocabulary, bilingual transcripts and vocabulary words. However, you must become a member of the website, a charge of $7.95 a month. The podcast, on the other hand, is free.
Learn French with Coffee Break French
Radio Lingua Network produces Learn French with Coffee Break French. Designed for beginners, this podcast is easy to follow and is perfect for your spare time. Mark and Anna, the hosts, provide dialogue, instead of just a phrase and ask you to repeat it. The podcast is good for learning French and for fine-tuning your existing French knowledge.
Learn French with Daily Podcasts
Learn French with Daily Podcasts teaches French in short, daily segments. Each day (or sometimes every other day), a new podcast appears with new French lessons. The podcast contains interesting topics, keeping you hooked. The website (www.dailyfrenchpod.com) provides many resources, but for the real deal, you must subscribe at a rate of $18.00 a month. Other monthly charge plans are availible.
French For Beginners
The French Ecole records French For Beginners, a weekly podcast for, as the name suggests, beginners. The podcast is very fun and teaches French effectively. In one particular episode, Alexa Polidoro, the host, states a couple sentences and asks you to fill in the blanks when you hear a chicken crowing in the background. The chicken sound is a little annoying, but the idea behind it is very ingenious. French For Beginners is a good podcast for beginners trying to learn French.
These podcasts are all free and can be downloaded in the iTunes Music Store. They can then be uploaded to your iPod, or perhaps your MP3 player. To find these podcasts, just search the name in the store. You could also find these podcasts by clicking on the link that takes you to the education category of the podcasts. Enjoy your French lessons!