5 Ways to Practice French at Home (Without Moving to Paris)

There’s a common belief among French learners that you need to live in France to really speak French. I understand where it comes from, but (luckily) the reality is a little different. I’ve met learners who have never set foot in France and speak beautifully, and people who have lived there for years and still order their baguette in English.

I know this from my own experience too. I’ve been living in the Netherlands since 2021, and I thought I would pick up Dutch just by living here. Let’s just say I’m still waiting (and learning 🙃).

Living in a country doesn’t teach you the language on its own. What really makes the difference is what you do with your days, and the good news is that a lot of it can be done from your sofa, wherever you live.

Today I want to share the five things I always recommend to anyone learning French, so you can keep improving from home.

1. Watch French content you actually like

One of the easiest ways to practice French every day is to bring it into something you already love doing. If you spend your evenings watching series or scrolling through social media, you can simply do the same thing in French, and it won’t feel like studying at all.

Here are a few French creators and accounts I’d recommend:

• On YouTube: HugoDécrypte for the news, Léna Situations for lifestyle, McFly et Carlito for comedy, and my own channel, Justines French, where I share French vlogs, cultural content, and videos in slow French.

• On Instagram: Louloukitchen for cooking, Jessbakersmithfrance for lifestyle and good vibes, and Brut or Konbini for short videos about what’s happening in France, usually with subtitles in French.

For series, I’d recommend Fais pas ci, fais pas ça (a family comedy full of everyday French), Dix pour cent (you might find it as Call My Agent!), and Le Bureau des Légendes (my favourite, but I'd recommend it for B1 learners and above to really enjoy it!). And if you’re into reality TV, L’amour est dans le pré is a very French classic. 

If you prefer documentaries, ARTE has some great ones, and many of them are available for free on ARTE's website or app and YouTube channel. 

And don’t be afraid to use subtitles: having them in both French and English helps you follow along and pick up new words at the same time, which is why I always add both to my videos.

👉 Watch one of my slow French vlogs here

 

2. Switch your phone to French

This one takes thirty seconds and it’s honestly so underrated. If you’re like me and look at your phone all day, you might as well learn something while you’re at it. You'll quickly get used to words like Paramètres (Settings), Enregistrer (Save), Annuler (Cancel), Supprimer (Delete), Rechercher (Search), Partager (Share), Modifier (Edit), and Mot de passe (Password), without ever opening a vocabulary list. And that’s just the beginning!

Just one small warning: before you switch, make sure you know where the language setting is, because finding your way back when everything is in a language you don’t fully understand yet is not fun at all.

3. Talk to yourself in French

I know how this sounds, but it’s one of the easiest ways to practice speaking, and nobody has to know you’re doing it. When you’re making coffee or tidying up, you can just describe what you’re doing:

• Je fais du café. (I’m making coffee.)

• Je nettoie la cuisine. (I’m cleaning the kitchen.)

• Je cherche mes clés. (I’m looking for my keys.)

• Je vais me promener. (I’m going for a walk.)

• …

What I love about this is that it shows you very quickly which words you’re missing. The moment you get stuck, you know exactly what to look up next.

4. Speak with a real person

While talking to yourself is a great way to practice, nothing beats having a real conversation in French!

Speaking is often the part learners feel the least confident about, and that’s completely normal. A lot of people understand quite a lot of French, but feel stuck as soon as they have to answer.

Understanding and speaking really are two different skills, and the only way to get better at speaking is to speak, even if it’s messy at first. You can find a language exchange partner online, join a conversation group, or take private lessons with a French teacher.

5. Read a little bit every day

And last but not least, reading! You really don’t need to start with a big novel. Ten minutes a day is already great. Children’s books can be great for this (yes, really!). And if you’re feeling a little more confident, Le Petit Prince is a French classic worth discovering. You can also read the news in simple French on RFI’s Journal en français facile, or on 1jour1actu, which is made for kids and very easy to follow.

My advice is not to look up every single word, because you’ll get tired very quickly. Try to understand the general idea first, and you’ll be surprised by how much you can guess.

To wrap up

Learning French from home is completely possible, and you don’t need hours every day to see progress. A few minutes of French here and there, as long as you keep doing it regularly, will take you much further than you think.

Pick one of these ideas, try it this week, and see how it feels. Your future French self will thank you! 😇