Learn French as a Family: Favorite Resources

As a Spanish (non-native) speaker, I have mostly blogged about my experiences teaching Spanish to my children. Last year, however, we decided to try something new and add French to our repertoire. I have always wanted to learn myself, and it has been a very different experience learning a language alongside my children instead of teaching them from years of experience! Here are our favorite resources to learn French no matter what your age!

And don’t miss out on receiving a FREE code for a French learning app for kids! Details at the end of the post.

Disclosure: I receive complimentary copies of many of the products below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Learn French as a Family: Favorite Resources

I am so excited to learn French with my kids! It is a language I have always been fascinated with, but I have had only limited exposure over the years. I have no formal training in French (I studied Spanish and a little Portuguese in school), so there were many surprises for me. (Did you know that when you say eighty in French you are literally saying “four twenties”? And why do they pronounce so few of the letters in their words??)

If you want to learn French along with your kids, don’t be intimidated by your lack of knowledge. In fact, there are many benefits to learning a language alongside your children. If nothing else, they will love seeing that Mom and Dad can make mistakes, too!

Books

Beep Beep In Paris is a very sweet picture book about a little car who is off having adventures in Paris. It is a wonderful way not only to practice French but also to learn about famous landmarks of Paris. As we are just learning French, it is very helpful to read a bilingual book like this, so we can check our understanding without missing the flow of the story. Be sure to enjoy with a warm cup of chocolat! 

At Home with Betty & Cat is part of a series of unusual bilingual books. Most bilingual books have the complete text in one language alongside the complete text in a second language. Yet the concept of these clever books is based on how children often play with language, frequently switching back and forth between languages (“code switching”). In the Betty & Cat stories, the dog in the story speaks one language, while the cat speaks another. This language distinction is just one of the differences between the pair!

This series is available in a variety of combinations (we chose Spanish and French!) The ideal reader is one that already has a basic understanding of the target language, though this need not be perfect. Especially great for kids that have started at an immersion school, whose grandparents speak another language, or whose families are bilingual.

Apps & YouTube

Gus on the Go is a super fun, play based app that will have your children learning and playing with French words right from the beginning! Your child does not need any prior knowledge of French to get started, as vocabulary is gradually taught with fun visuals and games. But as they work their way through the levels, they gain nearly 90 new words in French!

My kids took to this app right away. They thought the games were really fun, and they loved earning rewards – always a great motivation!

Now you can try out this app, too, just by being one of the first to comment on this post! (See details at the end).

Another great language learning app is Duolingo. In fact, it keeps popping up in chat groups as an app that works well for adults as well as older children. It is easy to use and very engaging. I love that it utilizes several different kinds of questions to learn the same vocabulary – matching, translating to/from French, writing what you hear, and so on. My only problem with it is that it doesn’t actually explain the rules of the language. For an analytical person like me, it’s easier to be told the grammar rule rather than just having to guess it from the examples.

Which is why I also love Learning French with Alexa on YouTube. Alexa has a very funny personality, with well organized lessons. So you can systematically go through them, or jump right into one that grabs your interest (or that you didn’t quite understand from other sources). Also, I love getting more exposure to proper pronunciation, as this is a real challenge for me coming from Spanish.

Learning Aids

Linguacious™ Around the Home French Flashcard Game is an innovative, award winning tool that your kids will love! If you have decided to learn French along with your child, you may worry that you aren’t able to teach them the proper pronunciation. Linguacious™ Around the Home French Flashcard Game is a clever solution to this common problem. These sturdy flashcards come not only with engaging photos and vocabulary but audio, too!

All you have to do is scan the QR code on each flashcard to hear a native speaker pronounce the word. (Btw this is a great way to engage tech-loving kids! Mine love scanning the code themselves). And in the time since I reviewed their Around the Spanish Flashcard Game (read my full review), Linguacious has come out with their own app to scan the QR codes. It works so much more quickly, making learning new vocabulary even easier than before!

Now, if you are like me and want to feel like you’re taking a class (without actually having to take a class), I recommend Living Language French, Essential Edition: Beginner course. It comes with a coursebook, 3 audio CDs, and free online tools. Last summer I spent time reading the book and doing the exercises, but what I really loved was listening to the CDs. It was so easy to put them on when we were running errands, and, though it is aimed at adults, it was great to expose the kids to more French!

Pinterest Boards

There are so many wonderful language learning ideas out there. Find even more on these Pinterest boards – I’m always finding something new!

Multicultural Kid Blogs: Teaching French

The Piri-Piri Lexicon: French Resources

Biracial Bookworms: Learning French

For even more resources and activities to learn French, check out this incredible collection from my friend at Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes!

Giveaway

Now for the giveaway! You can try out Gus on the Go French app simply by being one of the first ten people to comment on this post! Just let me know why you’d love to learn French with your kids.

Please note that the codes are for Android devices, but Gus on the Go has generously offered to make iOS codes available as well – just make a note if you need one of those instead!

All participants must have a valid email address. Giveaway open through Friday, July 27, 2018, at midnight PT. Winners will be the first ten verified people to comment on this post.