By 
The essentials
- Aim for B1 on the CEFR scale — enough for daily life, admin and most jobs ;
- B1 is also the level required for French naturalisation ;
- Daily 20-minute sessions beat weekend cramming — consistency wins ;
- Combine an app, audio input and human conversation — none of the three works alone.
What level of French do you actually need?
The Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) splits language ability into six levels from A1 to C2. Aiming for the right one saves a lot of frustration:
| Level | What it covers | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| A1 | Greetings, shopping, basic phrases | Survival in daily situations |
| A2 | Routine conversations, simple tasks | Independent shopping, basic admin |
| B1 | Most everyday topics, opinions, plans | Daily life, most admin, French naturalisation |
| B2 | Complex topics, work meetings, debates | Most office jobs, French university |
| C1 | Nuance, professional fluency | Specialised roles, journalism, academia |
| C2 | Near-native command | Translation, literary writing |
For most expats, B1 is the sweet spot. It's the level required for French citizenship through naturalisation, accepted by most employers for non-customer-facing roles, and enough to follow news, ask for directions and hold a conversation. Aim higher if you want to work in customer-facing positions or pursue French studies.
Methods by budget
There's no single best method — the right combination depends on your time, money and learning style. The most effective routes for expats fall into four price brackets.
Free
- Duolingo for daily vocabulary drills — game-like, addictive, weakest on speaking ;
- YouTube channels like InnerFrench (intermediate, slow speech), Français Authentique, Easy French (street interviews) ;
- RFI Savoirs (French public radio's learning portal) with free graded news in French ;
- FranceInfo radio and France Inter podcasts for passive listening ;
- Language exchange apps like Tandem or HelloTalk to practise with French speakers learning English.
Under €50/month
- Italki or Preply for one-on-one lessons with native tutors (€10-25/hour) ;
- Pimsleur or Assimil audio courses, structured for self-study ;
- FluentU for video-based learning with subtitles ;
- Lingoda for group classes online (~€10-15/class).
€100-500/month
- Alliance Française — the global standard, present in every major French city, group classes from beginner to advanced ;
- Local écoles de langues in your city, often cheaper than Alliance Française ;
- Adult education at the mairie — most French town halls run subsidised evening classes ;
- Private tutor 2-3 times per week (~€30-60/hour for an experienced teacher).
Full immersion (€1,500+/month)
- Intensive in-country programmes like Alliance Française's full-day courses (3-6 hours daily) ;
- Language stays with full-board host families in Provence, the Loire Valley or Brittany ;
- French university summer programmes (Université de Lyon, Sorbonne, Bordeaux) — €1,500-3,000 for 3-4 weeks.
Most expats reach B1 fastest by combining a structured class (Alliance or local school) with daily app practice and at least two hours per week of conversation with a native speaker.
Practising in daily life
Living in France gives you a built-in immersion environment, but only if you actively use it. The most common mistake is sticking to English-speaking circles and watching English TV at home.
Active tactics that work
- Switch your phone, computer and apps to French — confusing for two weeks, then automatic ;
- Watch French series on Netflix or France TV with French subtitles (not English) ;
- Listen to French podcasts during your commute — Transfert, Affaires Sensibles, Le Code ;
- Read children's books or graphic novels first, then YA, then adult fiction ;
- Force yourself to speak French at the bakery, the pharmacy, the market — even badly ;
- Join a sports club, choir or volunteer group where French is the working language.
Common pitfalls
- Translating in your head — slows you down and entrenches bad habits ;
- Studying only grammar without speaking — produces silent intermediates ;
- Switching to English when conversations get hard — kills momentum ;
- Watching anything with English subtitles on — your brain reads them whether you mean to or not.
False friends to watch for
English and French share thousands of cognates — words that look the same — but a few hundred mean something completely different. The famous traps:
| French word | Sounds like | Actually means |
|---|---|---|
| librairie | library | bookshop (library = bibliothèque) |
| actuellement | actually | currently (actually = en fait) |
| éventuellement | eventually | possibly (eventually = finalement) |
| sensible | sensible | sensitive (sensible = raisonnable) |
| déception | deception | disappointment (deception = tromperie) |
| passer un examen | to pass an exam | to take an exam (to pass = réussir) |
| assister à | to assist | to attend (to assist = aider) |
| rester | to rest | to stay (to rest = se reposer) |
Official French certifications
For naturalisation applications, university enrolment or work permits, you'll need an official certificate. The two most widely accepted are:
- DELF (Diplôme d'Études en Langue Française) — covers A1 to B2, no expiry, recognised globally ;
- DALF (Diplôme Approfondi de Langue Française) — covers C1 and C2, no expiry, required for many French universities ;
- TCF (Test de Connaissance du Français) — single test placing you on the CEFR scale, valid 2 years, accepted for naturalisation ;
- TEF (Test d'Évaluation du Français) — similar to TCF, accepted for Quebec immigration.
For French naturalisation specifically, the TCF Intégration, Résidence et Nationalité (TCF IRN) is the cheapest and most direct route — it's a focused test covering the B1 oral skills the Ministry of the Interior actually checks. Cost: ~€100, available at Alliance Française and approved centres.
Staying motivated for the long haul
Most expats give up between A2 and B1, when initial novelty fades but real fluency still feels distant. A few things help:
- Track progress with a clear goal — a DELF B1 exam booked for six months out is a great deadline ;
- Find one French TV show or podcast you genuinely enjoy and stick with it ;
- Keep a tiny journal in French — five lines a day on what you did, in present tense ;
- Travel within France — small towns where nobody speaks English are accelerants ;
- Accept that your accent will probably never be perfect — that's fine, French speakers value the effort more than the polish.
Six months in, you'll be ordering at the boulangerie without preparing the sentence beforehand. Twelve months in, you'll start thinking in French in short bursts. Two years in, you'll have a real working command. The journey is shorter than it feels at the start.