Free App to Learn French?

Google Pimsleurs language learning. buy or Get the cd version by Pimsleurs from the public library and Rip it into an mp3. It is a language learning program where you learn by repeating; there is no typing or ap.

Don't know of a free app but Pimsleur has all audio language programs that are pretty good. You might see if your public library will let you download the lessons for free.

It was almost 20 years ago that I was planning a trip to Germany, my first time there. I got a box full of Pimsleur German language CDs. I'd listen to them during my commute to/from work. I'd go on road trips with my wife and listen to them. Honestly, we didn't stick with it, we never got very far, and I wouldn't say that I learned a lot.

But I got pretty good at what little I did memorize.

I could ask where a particular street was. I could tell someone I wanted a beer. I could ask someone if they would like something to eat, or if they would like some wine to drink? My wife and I laughed, asking each other and answering the same 5 or 6 questions, which seemed silly and useless, although it was funny to hear the words coming out of her mouth. That didn't really help us much on the trip, of course, because every German we encountered spoke English as well as I (a native speaker) could.

Fast forward to this past New Years.

I was on a week-long scuba dive trip to the Maldives, on a live-aboard dive boat in the middle of the Indian Ocean. My wife and I were the only Americans on the boat. All other passengers, and half the crew, were European - most of them Germans (some of the boat crew were Maldivian). As usual, the Germans all spoke perfect English - at least when we were around. They spoke German amongst themselves, of course, but just as in most international gatherings, English was the lingua franca between most folks in a mixed environment. We ate all our meals on the boat together at large tables. One night, after being with these people for almost a week, I brought a tray of (full) wine glasses to the dinner table, stood there and asked, in perfect German, if anyone would like some wine to drink - a complete and (as far as I could tell) properly constructed sentence. The room suddenly became silent, and they all stared at me for a moment, apparently astonished. Then they all burst out, demanding to know why I had hidden the fact that I spoke fluent German for the previous week. I had to confess that really that was about all the German I could manage, along with "I would like a beer, please" and "where is Opernplatz?" They got a good chuckle out of it, and so did my wife.

Point being: learning a language is not easy, nor something that can really be accomplished quickly (so caveat emptor if anyone tells you otherwise). But you can memorize a handful of words and phrases, which may come in handy on your next trip. Or those scraps of the language you repeated ad nauseum might just sit in some dusty corner in the back of your brain, and then pop out 20 years later to your surprise and everyone's amazement when the situation calls for it.

Most apps will have some sort of interactive feature like typing, but it sounds like podcasts would be a great option. Here's a list of several. I've used Coffee Break before to brush up on some German basic phrases, and I know of FrenchPod101 as well (there are several variants of ____Pod101). For that one, I think I've listened to a few of the Arabic ones.

It sounds like you're already reinforcing with Duolingo while you are not driving - keep doing that! I find that for me personally, just listening and repeating doesn't get me very far with language - I really need that "testing" phase to keep retrieving the information.

Another thing you can do during a drive that sounds very silly but actually helps is to basically spend part of the time saying anything and everything you can - imagine yourself in whatever scenarios are feasible, and introduce yourself, ask any question you can, etc. etc. Imagining yourself in scenarios and acting it out, even when there isn't someone to talk to, can make a difference. Do it over and over, no matter how little you feel like you know - part of what you're doing is just training yourself to be at ease actually saying those things!

Good luck and enjoy! Language learning somehow manages to be so easy and so hard at the same time, but regardless, it's hugely rewarding!

Go to the library. They have audio French language lessons, on CD, you can check out. I ended up buying a set of Pimsleur after trying a handful of options from the library.

French by Nemo bills itself as an app for runners but I'm sure it would work fine for driving.

Also, have you thought of podcasts?

I will check out the library - thanks! A podcast is a great idea! Any suggestions?

I listen to Inner French. Hugo speaks very clearly and slowly, and explains words and phrases (in French) as he goes. His podcasts are on a variety of topics and they are quite interesting. I too use Duolingo and love it! I'm going to Paris to practice in April!

I would heartily recommend Pimsleur because there's actual proven instructional design behind their courses, and if you follow them the way they suggest, you might have more success than with other programs (most of which are marketed to teach you the way you think you should learn and not the way you really should learn a language--Duolingo being one of those, in my opinion). There's a point at which you have to decide if you're really serious about learning a language or not, though. At some point, either the vocabulary or the structure of a language will be too unfamiliar for successful multi-tasking like driving or running or whatever, and if you don't commit and focus, you won't progress. I say that as someone who fought against commitment for years, I might add, and only after I got serious have I realized how much time and effort I wasted on useless courses that just kept me busy in a language instead of actually helping me learn it.