Update!
Much has changed since this article was originally published. Have a look at the latest review of FrenchPod101.
Summary
From beginner to advanced levels, FrenchPod101 is an excellent, all-around online environment for learning French. The Pod101 platform, method and technology provide the necessary tools to get you immersed in the French language and achieve the goals you desire and/or require.
Since FrenchPod101 is web-based, you can access your personal French Learning Center from anywhere, and it's really easy to download the podcasts and put them on your mp3 player (iPod, Zune, etc) or mobile phone to take them with you for practice and learning on the go.
One of the most important things when learning a language is good content - and FrenchPod101 has this, and a steady flow of it. This constant flow of fresh content regards cultural aspects of French you will want to know, interesting tidbits about navigating in French society (whether on vacation or living abroad), practical information about getting by and much more.
Your French Learning Center brings together audio podcast lessons, lesson notes and checklists, transcripts, PDFs, video lessons, vocabulary training with flashcards and quizzes plus a French dictionary, grammar bank, a verb reference and plenty more.
And if you enjoy asking questions and learning from and helping other learners, a forum is available for all users.
It's simple to try it for free and upgrade if it works for you.
From Website
At FrenchPod101, our goal is to make learning the French language easy and fun, while also incorporating culture and current issues into our lessons. We believe that the more you speak, the quicker you learn, so we have designed our program to get you speaking right away. Situational French is heavily stressed, and our team role plays various situations to demonstrate the proper form of French to use when speaking with friends, customers, executives, and so-on. Knowing the proper form to use separates good speakers from great speakers.
FrenchPod101.com was developed with the hope of showing the world how fun and easy learning French can be. Here at FrenchPod101.com, we truly believe that learning can be fun, while at the same time convenient. We know how busy you are and that each day brings unexpected surprises. That is exactly why we bring the lessons to you and let you decide when they start.
Our innovative, fun, and easy to use language learning system is designed to get you speaking and interacting from the very first lesson. Learn French at your own convenience and pace with short, effective, fun daily lessons and a comprehensive, state-of-the-art Learning Center that provides you with the tools to take your French to the next level! Our interactive learning system consists of free daily audio podcast lessons, accompanying PDF materials, a Premium Learning Center, and a vibrant user community.
Our Method
FrenchPod101.com offers a unique learning experience that cannot be found in conventional classrooms. In addition to offering lessons that can be completed on your own time, we approve all of the content we release through a government certified French teacher. Here are just a few of the revolutionary advantages of our method:
Exposure to native speakers and many different kinds of voices and speaking styles…
FrenchPod101.com aims to have you speaking French after just one lesson! Our lessons focus on pronunciation and listening comprehension, so that you can start practicing what you learn from our professional teachers. Inside the PDF you will find the necessary tools for reading comprehension, and thorough explanations of phrases and key grammar points, in addition to segments on cultural insight. To address speaking practice, we have state-of-the-art software to allow you to record your own voice so you can compare your pronunciation to our teachers and continue to refine your speaking skills.
When all the aspects of FrenchPod101.com are put together, this program provides students of French with ultimate self-study learning course. In addition, we often provide conversations between three people to more closely simulate real-life situations.
Fresh, up-to-date content...
Many French teachers who live overseas have been out of the country for a long period of time and can be “out of the loop” on current words, culture, etc. This is another major gap that we fill. Lessons are carefully crafted to include current events, words, celebrities, and so-on. This is very dynamic content.
Borderless education on-demand...
We also fill a definite demand in remote locations. Our lessons provide you with a mobile classroom, as we bring you French on Demand. French lessons wherever you may be.
FrenchPod101.com offers our listeners a unique learning experience that delivers cutting-edge, dynamic content to be accessed at your convenience. With the inclusion of our lesson notes and Learning Center, we offer a full solution that provides the material, guidance, exercises, and testing to really make the knowledge your own. And it doesn’t even stop there - our vibrant and extremely helpful community provide each other not only quick answers to questions, but also give each other a sense of encouragement and motivation that is often lacking.
We focus on French, and French only...
Just French! All we do is French. FrenchPod101.com is not a generic package language learning course, such as some of the other big name language learning programs out there. Many other programs “scale” their solutions across several languages, simply recycling the same material over and over - the same pictures, the same conversations, just in a different language. But each language is unique, and at FrenchPod101.com we pride ourselves on developing a system that’s only about the French language and French culture!
One stop studying...
Have you ever found yourself lost on the information highway? Sometimes it’s like trying to drink from a fire hose! Hundreds of bookmarks, all with varying levels of quality and credibility. You finally find a great site, but it only updates once a year! FrenchPod101.com offers users one stop studying. The learning center has been carefully designed to provide you with the resources you will need to take your French to the next level.