Free French Classes

Internet French Language Courses Online

Free French classes allow you to learn about the language of France, along with the culture of Franchophone countries. The French people once had a world-spanning empire, so you'll find French spoken in a significant number of places on continents around the world. French also was the diplomatic language of Europe, so you'll find that many Europeans still learn French for its cultural and historical advantages. French is the language of love, because its a beautiful and supple language to speak. So anyone learning to speak how the French not only gains the transcendent experience of learning to think in a new way, but it also increases their cultural cachet.

Free Online French Courses

Free French Lessons from the Open Learning Initiative of the Carnegie-Mellon University offers 15 free lessons of online French, including lessons on recognizing sounds and words, repeating and understanding French dialogue, studying the grammatical basis for French, learning its system of sounds, learning to understand French and to reproduce it, studying Francophone cultures, and teaching you to write French. The first lesson begins with a study of the communication and cultural goals of the course.

French I is coordinated instruction with 5 different French instructors which lays the groundwork for your study of the language of France. Students will speak French from day one, with a focus on grammatical concepts and vocabulary building. While learning the linguistic basics, you'll also be taught cultural awareness of French history and French culture.

French II is the next step in coordinated instruction through the MIT linguistics program. Students learn using audio, video, print materials, and the Internet. Teaching is done through active communication using French-only instruction.

Introduction to French Culture covers the history and culture of France since the French Revolution, including studies of the 1st Empire (Napoleon Bonaparte) and the 2nd Empire (his nephew, Napoleon III), as well as the long and tragic 2nd Republic (1871-1940) and more contemporary periods. You'll learn about the Impressionist painters, the building of the Eiffel Tower, and the lamentable Dreyfus Affair. Also included is French literary traditions and cinema over the years.

Open University French Courses

You would expect schools in the United Kingdom to have a big selection of free French college courses and you won't be disappointed with the Open University French coursework. You'll find an introduction to France, French culture, and how the language is spoken in Le quatorze juillet. You can also take French: Overture, which focuses on French as a communication tool, including printed material, audio lessons, and video instruction.