The Internet is an amazing place for students, teachers, and learners of all ages trying to improve their French. But there are so many resources available, of varying quality, that it can be hard to find good ones.

In no particular order, here’s my selection of the best free resources available online to help you on your journey to learn French — ranging from online communities, dictionaries & translators, and a daily newsletter.

Duolingo

Of course this little app is on this list — chances are you’re already using it, or have downloaded it in the past. Not everyone loves Duolingo, but no one doubts how simple and fun it is. Waiting in line at the supermarket? Open the app up and do some exercises. Pas d’excuses.

Podcasts

A wide-ranging category, to be sure. Podcasts are a great way to get used to hearing and understanding French and they’re easy to incorporate into your commute, for example. Depending on your grasp of the language, you could start off with News in Slow French, a weekly series with a refreshingly slow pace. Or you could dive headfirst into no-nonsense offerings like Europe1’s Au Coeur de l’Histoire, where host Franck Ferrand takes you through adventures in French history. You might get lost, but it’s all part of the journey.

Tv5 Monde

Online lessons offered for varying levels of French study. You can watch interesting Tv5 news videos and test out your knowledge with exercises.

Linguee

An English-French (and French-English) dictionary and translator, similar to WordReference. However, I like Linguee more because of all the examples and their translations. They’re great for helping you understand how to use a phrase or a word contextually in a sentence. Put aside Google Translate.

Reddit

Helpful communities of fellow French learners are just a post or a comment away in dedicated subreddits such as r/French (or the smaller r/LearnFrench). Great place to ask, share, and learn without embarrassment. There’s even a Discord server if you want to chat.

BonPatron

A grammar and spelling checker that’s invaluable when you’re writing in French but think that you miiiight have messed up somewhere. Hey, it happens to the best of us. BonPatron isn’t perfect — it doesn’t catch all the mistakes — but it’s pretty darn good.

Netflix. (Yes, Netflix.)

Ok, so this one technically isn’t free — it’s $7.99 a month. But seeing that you likely already have an account, or access to one, it still counts. Netflix is one of the best resources to watch French films and TV shows and get comfortable with the language. Two popular series you can watch right now are A Very Secret Service and Call my Agent! You can also put up French subtitles on whatever show you’re binging nonstop, like The Office. Every little bit helps!

News in French

Ok, so I’m a little biased. But I really believe News in French is a cool new resource to incorporate into your morning routine before class or work. You receive smart, succinct summaries of the day’s top news in your inbox every morning — and everything’s en francais. Simply put, it’s everything you need to know, in the language you want to know.

Don’t believe me? Sign up and find out. You can always unsubscribe!