Learn French for free: what costs nothing and what it leaves out

You can learn French for free, but each free thing comes with its own conditions, and the provider’s page is the only place to read them. This page maps what public broadcasters, government sites, apps and funded classes say about themselves, and what free use leaves out. If you are setting a target, read how long it takes to learn French first. If you want a level check, the French proficiency test page explains placement checks and official exams. For the wider list, free or not, see French learning resources; for classes, Learn French in Canada.

How can you learn French for free?

Start with the sites that say plainly that they are free, then add reference tools and, if you qualify, funded classes. The table lists what each page says about itself.

Two notes on that table. TV5MONDE and RFI are broadcasters aimed at learners, so their material is built for listening. The Banque de dépannage is a reference for looking up a point of spelling or grammar, not a course. Québec.ca also lists a self-assessment tool for listening and reading that shows results on screen; the page says the results are not an official result [5].

The exam bodies publish their own sample papers. This page does not restate them: see the TEF Canada sample test and the TCF Canada practice test pages.

What free French learning apps are there?

Two apps say on their own pages that free use is available. This is a description, not a ranking.

• TV5MONDE, “Apprendre le français”. The app’s page on TV5MONDE’s site says it is completely free of charge, for Android and iOS on mobile phones only [6]. It offers four levels from A1 to B2, over 4,000 exercises and videos with transcripts [6]. You can create a free account so progress syncs between devices [6]. The same page also lists a free TCF training section built from questions designed by France Éducation international [6].
• Duolingo. Its App Store listing is labelled “Free · In-App Purchases” and says every course is free [7]. French is among the languages listed [7]. The same listing also shows in-app purchases and a subscription, so free use and paid options sit side by side [7]. If Duolingo did not work for you, see Duolingo alternatives.

If an app’s page or store listing does not state that free use exists, this page leaves it out. That is a rule for this list, not a verdict on any app.

Can you learn French online for free?

Yes, for a lot of listening, reading and look-up work, according to the pages above. TV5MONDE and RFI both build their material around listening to real broadcasts [1][2]. The Québec.ca service covers beginner situations such as greeting people and applying for a job [5].

Some free access has a condition. The Québec.ca beginner service needs an account [5], and TV5MONDE’s account is optional and exists to save progress [6].

Free level checks exist too. TV5MONDE offers a 14-question check of listening comprehension [1], RFI points to a level check [2], and Québec.ca has its self-assessment tool [5]. Each gives you an estimate for choosing material. None is a certificate; the French proficiency test page covers the difference.

Are there free French classes in Canada?

Yes, for some people. Two governments publish who the free classes are for, and the rules differ.

Federal classes (IRCC). IRCC says you can take government-funded classes to improve your English or French if you are an adult permanent resident or protected person [11]. Its classes page says these are at no cost and funded by the government [8]. Formal training is delivered as Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) in English and Cours de langue pour les immigrants au Canada (CLIC) in French [12]. Before starting, you are assessed to find your current language skills, and you find a class through an organisation that helps newcomers in your area [8]. IRCC’s wider page says governments across Canada fund language classes and that private classes cost money [9].

There is a time limit for some permanent residents. IRCC’s eligibility page for newcomer services says that for economic class PRs outside Quebec, access runs up to 6 years from the date you became a PR starting 1 April 2026, and up to 5 years starting 1 April 2027 [13]. It says there is no time limit for PRs approved through a non-economic program or for protected persons [13]. That page is about newcomer services in general, so ask a service provider organisation whether your class is covered [13].

Québec (Francisation Québec). Québec.ca says Francisation Québec is the single government access point for French learning services for adults living in Québec (16 and over), for people thinking of settling there, and for workers in Québec businesses [10]. It says the offer includes several types of free courses: general and job-specific, full-time and part-time, in person, at a distance or online [10]. It adds that financial aid may be available depending on the format chosen [10]. Read the page for the admission rules before you apply; this page does not repeat them.

What do free resources not give you on their own?

This is a general observation, not a claim about any product. Free material is mostly content: videos, podcasts, exercises, reference pages. Four things may be missing from content alone.

• Feedback on your own speaking and writing. Some free exercises do mark your answers: the Québec.ca beginner service says its pronunciation and comprehension exercises come with feedback [5]. Funded classes differ: IRCC says LINC and CLIC classes are taught by qualified, professional instructors who provide feedback on your progress [12].
• A plan. Free sites offer a lot, with no one deciding which hour goes where. You choose the order, the level and the weekly time.
• A reason to come back. Listening to a podcast once is easy to skip the next day. A class or a fixed routine adds a schedule.
• A target. Free sites do not know whether you need conversation, a level for work or a score for immigration. Pick the target first, using French levels explained.

IRCC says its funded classes can be full-time or part-time, in the daytime, evenings or weekends [12], so a class can set a timetable. What plan and target a class sets depends on the provider, so ask when you register.

Common mistakes

• Reading “free” as “no conditions”. The Québec.ca beginner service needs an account [5], and IRCC’s free classes name adult permanent residents and protected persons [11].
• Assuming newcomer classes are open to everyone. IRCC limits the federal classes to adult permanent residents and protected persons [11]. Its newcomer-services page also sets a time limit for economic class PRs outside Quebec but does not name language classes, so ask a provider [13]. Québec.ca describes its own groups [10].
• Treating a free level check as a result. Québec.ca says its self-assessment results are not an official result [5].
• Mixing up an app’s free use with its paid options. One listing shows both [7]. Read the page before you pay for anything.
• Collecting resources instead of choosing a few. Several sites and an app are a lot to follow. Pick one for listening, one for look-up and one routine.
• Relying on this list as current. Providers change what is free. Check each official page’s date against the date at the top of this one.

See also: French courses online and basic French words.

See also: French lessons for beginners.

Sources