5 Resources for Intermediate French

I remember when I hit the intermediate stage in my French learning. Near the end of high school, I realized my skills were too basic to understand native spoken French. At the same time, I was too advanced to gain much from beginner resources on the internet. This level is hard because there’s still so much to learn but less of a structured path to getting there.

One thing is for certain: to make progress you must put in extra effort outside your classes. Developing reading and writing skills is time-consuming but straightforward. You can read the news or pick up a French novel from McKays and inch your way through, page by page, looking up words. You can write summaries of what you read or keep a journal. These methods work and I highly suggest them. However, listening and speaking are more difficult to practice and there are much fewer online resources targeted at the intermediate level than for beginner and advanced. 

Here is a list of 5 resources for intermediate French that I have used to improve my listening and speaking skills outside of class.

French Talks: This weekly zoom session through the French Encyclopedia provides a relaxed setting for strengthening conversational skills. The topics are highly diverse, the sessions are small and structured, and the friendly atmosphere encourages mistakes. I’ve been a part of French Talks since January and I can see a clear improvement in my conversational skills. It’s also a great environment for cultural exchange as there are participants of every age, ethnicity, and walk of life. French Talks is developing additional resources such as a quizzes, grammar sheets, and weekly activities through a Facebook community. 

Inner French podcast: This is an extensive podcast aimed at the intermediate level. Around 30-40 minutes on average, each episode discusses some topic entirely in French, often focusing on elements of French culture, history, and politics. Each episode is accompanied by online resources such as transcripts and helpful videos that go deeper into the grammar and cultural details. Inner French also has a beginner and advanced French course called Build a Strong Core, however I have only used their podcast and cannot give a personal review on this resource. 

iTalki: While French Talks teaches through group conversation, sometimes you need more personalized instruction. iTalki is the best and most inexpensive way to learn one-on-one from a native speaker. You only pay for one or a handful of lessons at a time. This means iTalki can be your primary learning resource or a supplement for when you need help with a difficult concept or skill. When you choose a teacher you can specify the country of origin, teaching experience, and languages spoken, and you start out with a handful of inexpensive practice lessons to find the best teacher for you. 

French Blabla: The podcast teaches French in the context of French culture with short 5-10 minute episodes. Though it is sometimes in English, I find it insightful for tips that go beyond the textbook explanation. At first it might seem too beginner, but I quickly realized how useful and enlightening it is, no matter your level of French. Even the explanations of essential grammar concepts are valuable review for intermediate students (don’t forget the basics!). The website includes a free study for each episode and other resources. 

Easy French: Easy French is a great Youtube channel for improving comprehension skills. While some of their videos are grammar or vocabulary explanations, the majority consist of asking pedestrians questions on the streets of Paris. The responses by these native speakers are often fast, slurred, and full of slang. Every video has subtitles in both French and English subtitles on the screen. Bonus: with youtube you can slow down the playing speed to fully digest each video.  

Hope these help!