How to Learn French Language? A Complete Guide

Interested in studying in France and learning the French language as an Indian student? This article will help you navigate your way through learning French in the easiest way possible. Also how to learn French at home and how much time it takes to learn the French language has been discussed from Indian students’ perspective.

In India, French is taught as a third language in Indian schools followed by higher education in the language at universities. Students who are aiming to study in France or other French-speaking countries and require basics of French language should try and begin their French language classes at an early stage. Check out the article for all the major details on how to learn the French language as an Indian student and learn some basics of French too.

Check: Top 10 Best Foreign Languages to Learn for Students

French Language Highlights

• French is the official language of 30 countries in the world.
• More than 300 million people across the globe speak French as their first language.
• French is one of the easiest languages to learn for English speakers. Check out Top 10 Easiest Languages to Learn
• The third most widely opted foreign language of study in India is French. 
• France attracts numerous international students and is the third most popular country in Europe. 

Top Reasons to Learn French Before Studying Abroad

There are numerous reasons to study and learn the French language for Indian students. Some of the key reasons to learning French for beginners are as follows:

• Since a lot of MNCs function in India, it is essential to have speaking and writing knowledge of French because is widely used.
• French is one of the most popular languages in Europe and North America, thus, those thinking of settling there should learn the language.
• Indian students who want to study in France should also learn French language to ease their communications in France.
• Having French as a foreign language additionally helps people grow professionally and builds their CVs.
• Those looking for translation jobs, can take up French as a foreign language for learning and translating to English or Hindi and work in Embassies, government sectors or in MNCs. 
• Finally, French is easy for English speakers to learn, thus, a lot of Indian universities offer French language certificate courses for their students. 

Apart from the above-given reasons, students may learn French for teaching purposes also. Thus, there are numerous reasons as to why one should choose to learn the French language. Let us discuss about how to learn French in the following section. 

How to Learn French Language?

So, how to learn French? There are numerous ways of learning the French language as an Indian student. Once the student decides to study the French language he or she should first identify how to learn the language or decide the medium. There are various ways of learning the French language and they are:

• Students can enrol in some private institutions or enrol in their universities to learn the French language. 
• The French language is also taught in schools and, if given an option, can be chosen as a third language in Indian schools. (It is taught from class IV-X)
• Enrol in an online course which is certified for teaching the French language.
• Also, sign up for channels on YouTube which teach the French language.
• Finally, join extra classes in a nearby local institution to learn French at the basic level for beginners. 

Once you have identified how to learn French, you can easily mark your choice of medium of learning or type of institution you wish to study in. 

How to Learn French in India?

In India, the French language can be learnt at various levels of study like Certificate, Diploma, Undergraduate, Postgraduate, PG Diploma. Those aspiring to learn French in Indian colleges in order to study abroad in France or to pursue courses taught in French can learn at the following institutions:

Indian States	French Teaching Institutions	Course Type
French Language Course Delhi	Alliance Française de Delhi	French Level B1 / B2
	Delhi University (DU)	Certificate / BA / MA / Diploma
	Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU)
French Language Colleges in Maharashtra	University of Mumbai	Certificate / Diploma / BA / MA / Part-time
	Amity University, Mumbai	BA
	YCMOU	Certificate
West Bengal Colleges for French Languages	Calcutta University	UG Diploma, Certificate, BA
	Visva Bharati University	Certificate / BA / MA
	St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata	Second year of BA enrollment
French Language Colleges in Tamil Nadu	University of Madras	Certificate / BA / MA
	Loyola College	BA
	VIT Vellore	More like an IDC subject along with the core subject
French Taught Colleges in Rajasthan	UNIRAJ - University of Rajasthan	Diploma
	Amity University, Jaipur	Diploma / BA

These are some of the popular universities in India which offer Indian students courses in the French language. For those who cannot opt for courses at these universities or go in-person and attend them can opt for online courses or French courses that can be learnt at home. 

Check: Why Study in Europe?

How to Learn French at Home?

Learning French at home can be available through apps like Duolingo or online courses. It is easy to learn French at home because there is ample material available. Presently, there are over 30+ authentic YouTube channels for teaching the French language. The teaching of the French language is divided into three stages - beginner, intermediate and advanced level. The following apps that are famous for offering French language training from beginner to advanced level to Indian-origin students are as follows:

• Memrise
• Babbel
• Duolingo
• Brainscape
• Rocket French
• Busuu
• Lingvist 

There are mini-tests also available through resources, thus, it is easy for students to learn French at home. Those who want to learn French offline can learn through the French Translator Dictionary or buy books which have English to French chapters. Students can also explore other mediums available just to learn the French language that too in the ease of their homes. 

How much time it takes to learn French for Indians?

Learning the French language is a laborious task and cannot be done overnight. The French language is complicated because of its grammar, spelling and phonetic usage, thus, it takes time for applicants to learn it. Ideally, the following types of mediums can help Indian students learn French language within the corresponding timelines:

Types of Medium to Teach French	How Long does it take to Learn French?	Award on Completion
Schools in India	5 years (mandatory as a third language) + 2 years (extendible as a second language)	School-level certificate for completion
Private Institutions	3-4 years	Degree
Public Universities (like Delhi University)	3 years	Certificate in 1st year Diploma in 2nd year Degree in 3rd year
Online Courses	5-6 weeks	Certificate
Private Tuitions	1-2 years	Certificate

Thus, ideally, it is important to give at least one year to understand and learn French language. Those who are willing to learn the advanced level of French language can continue their education even after the first year of study. 

How to Learn French Easily?

The easiest way to learn the French language is by starting at the school level if the option is available and then continuing it till the college level. This way, the Indian students will not feel overburdened while learning a new language and, they will be able to grasp the language and learn it in a better manner. Since a lot of French language learning is focused on phonetics and phonological rules, it is always better to start early and pave your way upward in the educational hierarchy.

Students can learn French easily by practising daily, revising the chapters regularly and inculcating reading habits. 

Basics of French Language

Before getting to the learning part, let us discuss in brief about the know-how of the French language and how Indian students can ease their way of learning. The French language has a couple of rules, unlike other languages which makes it unique. Let us understand about French language in the following sections:

The Alphabets in French

Just like the English language, French also has 26 alphabets. This is how alphabets are pronounced and written in the French language and the corresponding English words to understand their pronunciations as well:

Alphabet in French	Phonetic Transcription	For Indian Speakers’ Understanding
A	/a/	‘A’rc
B	/bé/	‘Bay’
C	/sé/ or /ʃ/ or /k/	‘Say’ / ‘sh’ / ‘cake’
D	/dé/	‘They’
E	/ə/	‘a’
F	/ɛf/	‘f’
G	/ʒe/	‘Ge’offery
H	-	ac’h’e
I	/i/	I
J	/ʒi/	pun’jee’
K	/ka/	‘C’ar
L	/ɛl/	B’elle’
M	/ɛm/	H’em’
N	/ɛn/	Sh’en’
O	/o/	P’o’le
P	/pe/ or /pé/	‘Pay’
Q	/ky/	‘Qu’ant
R	/ɛʁ/	‘Errr’
S	/ɛs/	‘Ess’ay
T	/te/ or /té/	‘Ta’me
U	/y/	‘Y’ou
V	/v/ or /vé/	‘Ve’in
W	/dubləve/	Commonly known as double ‘v’ or /vé/
X	/iks/	Br’icks’
Y	/iɡʁɛk/	I - Gre - K
Z	/zɛd/	‘Zaid’

This is how beginners can learn the French alphabet with their sounds by practising it often. More or less new beginners can identify the French pronunciations with the help of English pronunciations, except for when accents are used in the language.

The Accents in French Language

There are five broad accents in French writing and they vary based on their use of the language. The accents are distinctive in writing and sounds in French languages. They are as follows:

• L'accent Aigu (acute accent) – é
• L'accent Grave (grave accent) – à, è, ù 
• La Cédille (cedilla) – ç 
• L'accent Circonflexe (circumflex) – â, ê, î, ô, û
• L'accent Tréma (trema) – ë, ï, ü

Understanding the accents can be tricky for Indian students especially their usage in writing. With time and in-depth knowledge of the language, Indian students can master the use of French accents. Accents are a unique feature of the French language and they also have certain rules to be followed.  

The Vowels in French 

Unlike English, the French language has six vowels and they are - a, e, i, o, u and y. Before certain vowels in French, there is a use of contractions, for example:

Je (I) aime (like) gateau (cake), the correct way of writing it would be J’aime gateau. Similarly for the use of articles like the (le), a similar way of writing before vowels is l’aime which means a friend who’s a girl. 

The Silent Alphabets in French Language

H is silent in French in words like ‘homme’ (man) is pronounced as ‘om’ (phonetically: /ɔm/) château (hat) is pronounced as ‘shato’ (phonetically: /ʃæt.əʊ/). Thus, wherever the ‘H’ is used, it is not pronounced because it is silent in French. 

Also, the letters s, x, t, d, g, and p are usually silent if they appear at the end of the word. Just like some sounds are silent in English, Indian students will be able to understand this rule. The rules will be better understood with more examples when students will use the language in conversations.

Common English Phrases in French for Students 

International students who are travelling to France or any other French-speaking country for higher education can memorise the following common phrases, salutations and words in French to make their conversations easily flow:

English Phrases	French Usage
Greetings in French
Hello / Good morning	Bonjour
Good afternoon	Bon aprés midi
Good evening	Bonsoir
Good night	Bonne Nuit
Bye	Au revoir!
Introductions in French
My name is	Je M'appelle (and your name)
How are you?	Comment allez vous?
How is it going?	Tu vas bien?
Thank you so much!	Merci beaucoup
Have a good trip	Bon Voyage!
Gender Distinction in French
Ms	Mademoiselle
Mr	Monsieur
Mrs	Madame
Woman / she	Femme / Elle
Man / he	Homme / Il
I	Je
You	Tu
Common Day-to-Day French Phrases
Head to head	Tête-à-tête
Face to face	Vis-à-vis
Appetitsers	Hors d'oeuvre
This is life!	C'est la vie!
Respond if it pleases you	RSVP (Répondez S'il Vous Plaît)
Do you speak English?	Est ce que tu parles Anglais?
Yes	Qui
No	Non
Verbs in French
To eat	Manger
To speak	Parle
To go	Aller
To see	Voir
To put	Mettre

Indian students will have to learn some verbs which may sound difficult in the starting, but once they get the hang of it, it’ll be easy to use. Thus, students will benefit from using these phrases if they are learning French or are studying in France as international students. 

Wish to build on your basic French vocabulary? Check out 150+ Basic French Words for Students

French can be challenging initially for an Indian student, but with time practice and clarity on basics, Indian students can learn the language easily. The Indian students must keep an English-French dictionary handy at all times. Translate and check their language knowledge often from French to English on Google Translate. Practice the sounds and accents by talking to oneself in the mirror. Listen to French nursery rhymes, and slow music and watch short movies. Finally, try and interact with French native speakers and get their tips on bettering their language skills.

Related Reads:

How to Learn German Language?	How to Learn Spanish Language?
How to Learn Korean Language?	How to Learn Japanese Language?