What an app does well — and what it does not
What apps do well
- Build a daily habit with reminders and streaks
- Teach vocabulary in short, repeatable doses
- Space out reviews so words come back before you forget them
- Fit into five spare minutes
What they rarely give you
- Speaking in real time, with someone waiting for your answer
- French at the speed people actually talk
- Correction of the mistakes you make in your own sentences
- A reason to keep going once the novelty wears off
Days 1–2: decide why you are learning
Your reason changes what you should study first. Someone preparing a trip needs survival phrases and listening; someone preparing for Canadian immigration needs all four skills, in an exam format.
| Your goal | Focus first | Useful next step |
|---|---|---|
| Travel | Survival phrases and listening | Short daily listening |
| Work in a French-speaking place | Speaking and everyday workplace language | Regular conversation practice |
| Immigration to Canada | All four skills, then the exam format | What is the TCF? |
| Family or a partner | Conversation and listening to real speech | Speaking with them from week two |
Days 3–5: learn how French sounds
If you learn words from the screen before you learn the sound system, you will lock in pronunciations that are hard to undo. Spend three short sessions on the sounds that trip up English speakers.
Silent final letters10 min
Paris, petit, ils mangent — say them out loud until the silent endings feel normal.
Nasal vowels10 min
vin, vent, vont: three different words. Listen, repeat, and record yourself.
The « u » and the « ou »10 min
dessus and dessous mean « on top » and « underneath ». Get these two sounds apart early.
Liaison10 min
les amis sounds like « lé-z-ami ». Notice it in every recording you hear.
By day 5 you should be able to
- Read a short phrase aloud without pronouncing the silent endings
- Hear the difference between « tu » and « tout »
- Say three nasal vowels in a row
- Spot a liaison in a slow recording
Days 6–7: decide who you will speak with
Speaking is the skill apps give you least, so arrange it before you start, not later. You have four realistic options, and they can be combined.
- A private tutor: the most speaking time per hour, and correction tailored to you.
- A small online class: structure, a group to keep you accountable, and a lower cost per hour.
- A language exchange: free, informal, but without a teacher’s correction.
- Local conversation groups: many public libraries and community centres run them.
Weighing tutors, classes and apps against each other? Online French classes, tutors or apps breaks down what each really gives you.
Now pick an app — and give it one job
After this week, download the app you like best and give it a precise role: 15 minutes of vocabulary and review a day. Your listening comes from real audio, your speaking from real people, and the app keeps the words flowing in between. Used like that, almost any good app does its job.
“The app should serve your plan. When the app becomes the plan, the streak grows and the French does not.”
Ready for the full roadmap? Your first 90 days of French takes you from this week to a solid A1.
Have your first conversation this week
A free 30-minute trial class with a native teacher — no app, no streak, just French.
Book a free trial class
