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There are lots of ways to practice French, but if you want to become a better speaker, the ideal solution is to add real conversation practice to your other learning resources.
Luckily, there are lots of opportunities to practice speaking French, both online and in real life.
Let’s take a look at some French conversation websites, apps, and other ways to practice French with native speakers, and find out which one is the best for you!
What is the best French conversation website?
All of the French conversation apps and websites on our list have their good points, but a few stand out to us. Before we get into more detail, here’s a quick rundown of our favorites.
Best French conversation exchange website
Polyglot Club
- offers a variety of features, including tutoring, online conversation partners, and real-life meet-up opportunities.
- text or video chats
- the general vibe is very friendly
Best website for real-life French conversation exchange
Polyglot Club and Meetup.com
- Both sites offer countless opportunities to have conversations in French.
- You can organize a one-on-one French conversation exchange or participate in group events, courses, and guided tours in French.
- Polyglot Club also offers online French conversation exchange, which means you could meet someone that way and eventually choose to meet up in person, as well.
Best pre-recorded French conversation practice
French Together
- lets you improve your French conversation skills and build your confidence when it comes to speaking French.
- focuses on actual conversational French and allows you to receive AI pronunciation feedback.
- features include dialogues you can listen to at real speed or slowed down, vocabulary that’s actually used in spoken French today, helpful grammar and vocabulary information, and an AI pronunciation checker.
Best French AI chatbot for conversation practice
Membot
- good for testing your French
- responses are usually accurate and realistic
- corrections were also accurate
If you’d like to learn more about these French conversation websites and apps, as well as several others, please read on!
Something to keep in mind before you find a French conversation partner
Whether you’re planning to meet a French conversation partner (or partners) online or in person – or both – please be safe. Most people you’ll meet on French conversation websites and apps are probably fellow language learners and not a threat. But you never know.
So, before you get right to it, here are a few things to do in order to practice French safely.
1. Some language exchange participants advise creating a separate email account and even using a fake name when communicating with online language exchange partners. This could prevent everything from harassment, to hacking, to identity theft.
2. Before you make contact with an online conversation partner, be sure that any location tracking apps you might have on, are turned off.
3. Before you start a video chat, make sure there are no important documents, objects of value, or specific things that might identify you in sight. Even if, say, a pile of bills are lying on a table in the background, you never know if the person talking to you can zoom in and get some information. That might be unlikely, but it’s best to err on the side of caution.
4. Depending on the site and circumstances (for example, if you and your French pen pal decide to go old school and send each other actual letters by mail), you probably won’t have to give a language exchange partner information like your last name, address, or phone number. But if they ask for any of these, don’t give them out. Be careful about giving out other details early on, like your birthday, where you live, the name of your workplace, children, pets, etc.
5. If you choose to do an in-person French language exchange, be sure to always meet up in a public place, with other people around.
6. Do not send someone money. This may sound like a no-brainer…but what if you make a real connection with the person you meet and they really seem to be in need? Every circumstance is different, of course, but at least wait until you know them very well before you even consider doing this. Even then, think long and hard about sending money to a stranger. As one of my favorite guilty pleasure shows, Catfish, proves again and again, there are so many people out there who seem honest but are actually living a lie and scamming people along the way!
7. Sometimes a little flirtinig can be a great way to motivate you to improve your language skills. But beware: Often, this online romancing is actually scamming.
Again, most people you’ll meet on language exchange websites are there to learn and maybe make a friend or two. But there’s always that one person who spoils everything…. So it’s best to be prepared, just in case. This list offers additional safety tips for communicating online. You may want to give it a read before you start chatting with a French conversation partner.
The best French conversation practice apps and websites
Here are some websites and apps that can help you hone your French conversation skills.
French Together
French Together is a French conversation practice app. Instead of just teaching you words and grammar like most apps, it teaches you how to have actual conversations in French through a series of listening, speaking, and written exercises.
French Together lets you train your ears and build your confidence for when it’s time for a real conversation. French Together costs $144 a year or $24/month if you choose the monthly plan. Check your local version of French Together’s pricing page for prices in your currency.
French Together offers a 7-day free trial which means you can try it risk-free for one week.
Tandem
Tandem is a trendy and visually appealing language exchange app. Users pair up to practice each other’s language through conversation – a fun and personal way to learn. A bit reminiscent of WhatsApp, Tandem’s Chat feature gives you the option of talking to one person or doing a group chat, either through texts, audio, or video conversations. You can use many of Tandem’s features for free, although there are some paid options. Tandem has gotten great reviews from language learners around the world and the majority of its members seem to be serious and motivated.
HelloTalk
One of the most popular language exchange apps, HelloTalk is free. It offers advanced messaging features that help you easily correct your language partner’s messages during chats. In addition to talking through text messages, you can also have conversations via audio and video.
Polyglot Club
Polyglot Club is one of French Together founder Benjamin’s favorite language exchange sites. It’s also a sort of hybrid, with features like online chat and video functions, language help from native speakers, (paid) online tutoring, and even the opportunity to take part in organized events and French conversation groups around the world, both online and in person.
Founded in France but now international, the site, which is free as of this writing, has a friendly feel to it, and when Benjamin attended one of their events in Paris a few years ago, he found that to carry over to real life. It’s a pressure-free environment where everyone wants to learn.
Busuu
Busuu is one of my favorite French learning apps, since it covers so many areas of French learning. In addition to its lessons, Busuu has an interactive online platform where native speakers can correct your work as well as participate in language exchange. It’s a well-liked and well-developed part of the Busuu learning experience, and another thing that makes Busuu one of the best general French learning apps out there. As of this writing, Busuu has a free option, but this only includes a few lessons and flashcards, so it’s definitely better to purchase a Busuu Premium membership. Prices and packages vary, but you can expect around $60 a year. Check Busuu’s website for prices in your local currency.
Easy Language Exchange
In addition to the typical language exchange website features like chats, Easy Language Exchange also boasts a “Working Together” forum, where users can post questions about translation issues, school help, etc. Easy Language Exchange’s over 70,000 users generally seem to be very friendly, with a real sense of community. That means this site could be a good place to start if you’re feeling a little intimidated by the idea of talking to someone you don’t know.
Interpals
Interpals is another site where you can find French conversation partners, as well as pen pals, for free. French Together founder Benjamin used this very site when he started learning languages. He ended up meeting and making friends with several conversation partners, and later visited them when he was traveling abroad.
How to find a French conversation partner near you
It’s amazing that you can chat online with native French speakers, no matter where you are in the world. But if you’d also like to have an in-person language exchange experience, here’s how to find French conversation practice opportunities near you.
1. Meetup.com
Meetup is a website that lets you create or join a local group (or multiple groups) based on your interests. The site is free to use, although there’s a monthly fee if you create a group.
You can use this website to find all kind of events, from conversation practice to French courses and French-language tours of cities or museums.
2. Conversation Exchange
As its clear, to-the-point name suggests, Conversation Exchange’s site is simple, even old-school style, and easy to navigate. That said, there’s more to it than meets the eye. The site offers a few learning and conversation resources. But the star of the show is connecting you with real-life French conversation partners. Bonus: If you’re looking for a way to brush up on your French letter or email writing as well, there’s also a section where you can find a French pen pal.
3. Real-life or online community message boards
Some places, like universities and libraries, for instance, may allow you to post a flyer asking for a French conversation partner. Be sure to include things like how often you’d like to chat and what level of French you have. Instead of including your real email or phone number, consider creating an email account so that you can filter your responses. You can also use this when first reaching out to someone who might have posted a flier that interests you, too.
4. Facebook and other social networks
Social networks: They’re not just for sharing selfies and your favorite memes! (Not that there’s anything wrong with that….) They can also be an awesome way to connect with people and learn French.
You could, for example, type “[Your city] French meetup”, “English French exchange [your city]” or “French conversation practice [your city]” into your favorite search engine or on Facebook to get a list of all the French speaking events in your city.
And lots of French learners say that French learning Facebook groups are great ways to find likeminded people to do a conversation exchange with.
5. Couchsurfing
The official Couchsurfing website doesn’t just offer opportunities to find a couch to crash on (or to offer up your own couch). In addition to offering opportunities for people to stay at each other’s homes and discover the local culture, the Couchsurfing site features hangouts and events – free conversation groups or online chats for members – that take place both online and in real life.
The one downside is that the site is no longer free. Still, the low fee could be worth it, especially if couchsurfing is your ideal way to travel.
6. Polyglot Club
This entry may look familiar if you read the other section of this article. But it’s worth mentioning again, because Polyglot Club’s primary claim to fame is in-person meetup language exchange events.
You can check the site for meetups in your area or to somewhere you’re traveling to. For instance, if you come to France, see if there’s a Polyglot Club event planned near where you’re staying. These events are excellent opportunities for practicing your French.
7. Language immersion programs and homestays
A number of organizations offer immersion programs and opportunities to live with a French family for a while. Whether or not it includes a homestay, a French immersion course is an amazing way to kickstart your language abilities – not to mention your confidence. And you may end up making lifelong friends in the process.
There are a lot of immersion program and homestay options, with variations like different trip durations, budgets, and extras, so this option does mean doing a little research. You may want to start with our list of the best intensive French courses.
Who is the perfect French conversation partner?
As you can see, there are lots of ways to find a French conversation partner and practice speaking French. But what makes a good French conversation partner?
Ideally the perfect French conversation partner is someone who:
- is a native speaker, especially of the kind of French you want to learn most (French from France, Quebecois, French from Cameroon, etc.).
- seems interesting. Talking to someone in a language you are learning isn’t easy, so you need to find someone you will look forward to talking to. Of course that person is different for everyone and depends on your interests.
Can your French conversation partner be a non-native speaker?
If you really enjoy talking to someone who is not a native French speaker, but still speaks French very well, keep doing it. You can still learn a lot from non-native speakers, and as you practice together, you may notice questions or challenges that come up that you can explore.
So, learning with a non-native speaker can be a great thing. The only caveat is that you’re not getting to really practice French as it’s spoken by a native Francophone, both in terms of vocabulary choice and pronunciation. So the ideal situation would be to continue your French conversation practice with this person, while also finding a native speaker to talk to, as well.
You should also watch/listen to French TV shows, movies, radio programs, and podcasts, in order to make sure your ear is accustomed to French as its spoken by a native speaker. Using a French conversation app like French Together would also be a way for you to hone your conversation and pronunciation skills, and build your confidence, all while listening to audio from native French speakers.
The best French AI chatbots
Let’s be clear: No matter how good AI gets, a chatbot cannot replace real, human interaction.
But French chatbots can be a way to test your basic French skills, or get a little extra practice (ideally you’re using them in addition to a French learning app or course and a human French conversation partner).
Not all French chatbots are perfect – many have bugs, or the time you can use them is limited. But if you’re interested in using a French chatbot, here are two I can personally recommend:
MemBot
When I tested MemBot, French learning app Memrise’s chatbot, it responded accurately and realistically no matter what I threw at it, and the corrections it made to written responses were accurate and showed an attention to detail. Also, unlike some other French chatbots on our list, the paid version of MemBot allows you unlimited chat time.
Langua
Langua is the second best French chatbot I’ve tried. Its role-plays are especially realistic and impressive. Unfortunately, its free version is limited to 15 messages, although I have been told a more generous free trial will soon be available.
If you’d like to learn more about these two French chatbots, or would like to see if some other French chatbots would be a better fit for you, feel free to check out our French chatbots review.
I hope this list of French conversation practice resourc