9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning Italian
Relax with your headphones on and become fluent in Italian! Sounds like a dream? These podcasts in for Italian learners and intermediate Italian speakers will make it possible.
Buongiorno! Who doesn’t dream of beautiful Italy: world-class landscapes, breath-taking history, outstanding food, and the culture of dolce fare niente! Well, not quite niente - which means “nothing”. There’s probably one little thing you want to try: learning Italiano!
Feel too busy to learn Italian? Want to speak like a native? Podcasts for learning Italian are a perfect solution. They're free and can fit into your daily routine—whether you're driving, doing chores, working out, or relaxing.
Discover 9 of the best resources for other languages.
All Your Italian Resources in One Place!
The Fluent Show
In addition to the Italian podcasts you’ll find in this article, check out the Fluent Show. That’s my own show, co-hosted by Lindsay Williams, where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life. Click here to listen and subscribe.
Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?
If you’re curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here’s what you need to know:
You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer
If you use an Apple computer or mobile device, you can use the Podcasts app
On a PC or Android device, try the Spotify for a quick and easy start
Subscribing means you’ll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it’s published
Italian is a great language for learning by podcast, so let's dive into that top 9 list. This list has been updated in March 2020, and includes podcasts that have published within the last year. There are a few affiliate links in this post, which mean you support Fluent Language by clicking them at no extra cost to you.
Italian Podcasts For Beginners
ItalianPod101.com (InnovativeLanguage)
ItalianPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers the basic through advanced levels of Italian. The episodes are exciting and immersive. One episode I particularly enjoyed is Must-Know Italian Slang Words and Phrases - Expressions to Describe Someone You Dislike. It was one of the most humorous episodes and I learned about how colourful Italian insults can be!
The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum.
British-born Katie and Italian-born Matteo and podcast simple language learning tips from Milan. Their fun podcast picks up on the common mistakes language learners make. This one is perfect if you want to learn Italian with a friendly English-speaking guide and come out sounding like a natural.
By the way: Katie and Matteo are also the faces of Easy Italian on YouTube.
Italian Podcasts For Intermediate and Advanced Learners
Vaporetto Italiano Podcast is an engaging language learning podcast hosted by Francesco. It's suitable for all levels, and consider this podcast to be your free ticket to immerse yourself in the “Bel Paese” culture while mastering the Italian language. With authentic content delivered entirely in Italian, you’ll elevate your Italian skills and explore Italy’s rich heritage without even trying!
News in Slow Italian, an intermediate level podcast, discusses world news, grammar, and expressions in the form of slowed down audio. Every episode is a virtual immersion into the Italian-speaking world showing grammar and vocabulary in context. The hosts are engaging and they show you that the language is alive and vibrant and waiting for you to dive into it.
The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes.
Arkos Academy is mainly for the intermediate and advanced levels of learning Italian. The audio is mostly in Italian and the recordings are at a slower than normal pace, which allows you to really focus on strengthening your listening skills. There is also a lot of information on Italian culture and society, along with transcripts from each lesson on the website so that you can follow along and actively practice both your listening and reading at the same time.
As an added bonus, the Arkos Academy website offers a directory of private native teachers and excellent articles about Italy in Italian.
This podcast is almost entirely in Italian and is mainly designed for intermediate learners although you can easily select your level and choose to listen to episodes that are right for you. The website includes transcripts as well as helps learners learn colloquialisms in the “Usi Colloquiali” (Colloquial Uses) section. Host Davide mixes stories from his own life with handy new vocabulary - a winning mix!
The Italiano Automatico podcast is great for upper intermediate and advanced learners of Italian. It’s total immersion combined with lots of interesting topics and explains idiomatic and colloquial expressions. It is the companion podcast to the popular Italian learning website Italiano Automatico by Alberto Arrighini.
An Italian podcast with a twist: In Da Costa a Costa, host Francesco Costa covers American politics in the Italian language, offering an in-depth look at the USA from the Italian perspective. The episodes are well-produced and a pleasure to listen to, and will give you plenty of interesting material to listen to. They are created for native speakers, so most suitable for the more advanced learners.
Coffee Break Italian is a podcast show that helps you take your intermediate Italian to the next level, one coffee break at a time! In each 10-episode season, they cover a range of topics to deepen your understanding of tricky grammar, broaden your vocabulary, and improve your pronunciation. The show covers a variety of topics way beyond your usual textbooks.
Interested in other language podcasts?
Interested in podcasts for other languages? We've got you covered! Explore our series of the 9 best podcasts:
9 Of The Best Podcasts For Learning French
Advanced Learner Tip: Native Italian Podcasts
The Italian podcast world has come a long way in recent times, and these days you’ll be able to find a big array of native level content to listen to when you want to get Italian language immersion. You can choose from a full catalogue of shows on topics from politics to film reviews.
The easiest way to access native Italian language podcasts is to go to your Podcasts app and switch the country setting to Italy, San Marino, Vatican City, or Switzerland. There’s no restriction on your switch, and you’ll be able to access all podcasts in the same way that listeners from Italy can.
Spanish Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Can I Learn Basic Italian in 3 Months?
Yes, you can learn basic Italian in 3 months with consistent effort and the right approach.
Here are some tips to help you:
Set Clear Useful Goals: Define what “basic Italian” means for you. Consider common phrases, basic grammar, and conversational skills.
Daily Practice: Dedicate a specific amount of time each day to study. Even 30 minutes can make a significant difference.
Use Various Resources: Combine different resources to keep your learning diverse and engaging. You can take a look at the Italian resources page I created by clicking here.
How To Learn A Language By Yourself
If you want to boost your motivation and stay on track as you study the Italian language, I recommend the Language Habit System. This course gives you all the tools you need to plan your studies, track your progress and take stock of where you need to go next.
Click here to learn more about the Language Habit System
Don’t forget to share this blog on social media to inspire your friends and fellow Italy travelers to immerse themselves in the language.
9 of the Best Podcasts for Learning Spanish
Embark on Your Spanish Learning Journey with the 9 Best Podcasts! Dive into immersive language lessons, culture, and more with our top picks. Enhance your skills and explore the beauty of the Spanish language and culture.
Imagine what you would do if you could easily understand spoken Spanish.
You could finally travel to the Spanish-speaking countries you’ve dreamed of, watch foreign films and addictive telenovelas, or understand a paella recommendation from the menu del día on a Thursday in Valencia.
Best of all, you’d be prepared for real conversations with native Spanish-speakers. The only question is: how do you find the time to practice your Spanish listening skills?
Podcasts are a great way to add Spanish listening practice into your day-to-day life. They are free, and can accompany any part of your day: driving a car, washing your dishes, doing laundry, working out, reading, and more.
The Fluent Show
In addition to the Spanish podcasts you’ll find in this article, check out the Fluent Show. That’s my own podcast where we discuss languages, learning methods, and how to live a multilingual life.Click here to listen and subscribe.
Need support on your Spanish learning journey?
Then make sure you join the Fluent Language newsletter right here! Subscribe now, and every week, I'll send you handpicked language learning tips right in your inbox.
Looking For More Spanish Resources?
Click here to get my top tips for Spanish learners.
These 9 online resources are some of the best when it comes to learning Spanish.
Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?
If you're curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here's what you need to know:
- You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer.
- If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to the Podcasts app. If you're on a Mac, use theiTunes directory.
- On a PC or Android device, try theStitcher app for a quick and easy start.
- Subscribing means you'll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it's published.
Spanish Podcasts For Beginners
Castilian Spanish
Notes in Spanish is a podcast run by Marina, a native speaker from Spain, and Ben, an Englishman. Each episode is actually a conversation between the two. There are episodes dedicated to beginners as well as intermediate and advanced learners. For beginners, the hosts also go over key vocabulary, phrases, and basic grammar points both before and after their conversations.
Since Ben is also a Spanish learner, he offers a lot of useful tips for listeners while Marina often provides corrections and points out common mistakes. They speak clearly, making it easy for beginners to follow along.
Castilian and Latin American Spanish
SpanishPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers the basic through advanced levels of Spanish. The episodes are exciting and immersive. Plus, you can find episodes for both Castilian and Latin American Spanish along with the differences between them. There are even episodes that explain some of the regional vocabulary from places like Costa Rica, Peru, Mexico, and Spain.
The dialogues are presented by engaging hosts in a clear, concise way covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum.
Spanish Podcasts for Intermediate and Advanced Learners
Castilian Spanish
Unlimited Spanish with Òscar Pellus uses a unique storytelling technique based on Òscar’s method of learning Spanish through exposure and repetition. Every episode includes a quick story followed by a question and answer session that encourages listeners to practice their speaking skills as well. It’s also a great option for anyone who doesn’t care for lengthy grammar explanations.
Podcast topics include various aspects of Spanish culture, including places and food, as well as social topics and situations. When necessary Òscar touches on some relevant vocabulary and grammar, but it isn’t overwhelming. The podcast is entirely in Spanish, but if you have any trouble understanding, you can download transcripts of every episode in PDF format.
Done entirely in Spanish, this podcast is meant to provide an immersive experience for intermediate to advanced learners. The host, Karo Martínez, is lively, engaging, and speaks both clearly and naturally.
There are over 100 episodes to choose from, some of which explore grammar concepts, offer tips to improve your pronunciation, or explain colloquial expressions. Other episodes talk about different parts of Spain or even how to learn Spanish with popular shows like Game of Thrones.
The Español Automático site offers episode transcripts along with additional guides and resources.
Latin American Spanish
Though this podcast is directed towards those learning Spanish for work, its main goal is to help listeners get used to and understand native, spoken Spanish.
The host, Miguel Lira, is a native Spanish speaker from Mexico and a Spanish learning coach. Each episode goes over a particular conversation exchange in Spanish, such as conversations between workers or while simply ordering coffee. Miguel, as the sole host, uses a different tone of voice for each speaker, which is both entertaining and helpful as you follow along. There are also a few episodes on cultural subjects, like The Day of the Dead in Mexico.
In addition, the website offers notes, transcripts, and other resources to help you review the conversations.
Castilian and Latin American Spanish
News in Slow Spanish is an intermediate level podcast. This podcast covers world news, grammar, and expressions and slows down all the dialogue to make it easier to process what you hear. Every episode breaks down a point on grammar and vocabulary. It also lets you choose between Castilian and Latin American Spanish.
The audio is very clear and easy to follow. On the website, there are transcripts for each episode available with grammar, expressions, pronunciation, and quizzes.
Spanish Video Resources
Yabla is a video-based learning platform with bilingual subtitles and integrated dictionaries. The subtitles are interactive, which is a really cool concept! Check out how Yabla works in detail by reading myfull review.
Yabla is great for all levels from basic to advanced. You can check out their podcast and choose between videos from Spain and Latin America for hours of entertainment.
Story-Based Shows
Castilian Spanish
Coffee Break Spanish, a podcast from Radio Lingua Network, combines Spanish language lessons with a lot of useful information about Spanish food, culture, Spanish speaking countries, and so on.
My favourite part of the podcast is the chemistry between relaxed and charismatic host Mark from Scotland (who is fluent in Spanish) and Spanish learner Kara from Scotland. Mark guides both Kara and listeners through Spanish grammar, conversation, culture, and society.
The dialogues are presented in a clear, concise way, covering many grammatical features and cultural topics. On the website you can sign up for the premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum for a subscription fee.
Latin American Spanish
If you want to discover the Spanish language with a powerful dash of music and culture, then Spanish con Salsa is for you! Created by bilingual Tamara Marie (meet her in my interview here!), this podcast is perfect for people who love travel, immersion, and Latin dance.
You can learn Spanish hacks from songs like Despacito, and train your ears to understand spoken Spanish even better.
And if you want to take your Spanish to the next level, the Spanish con Salsa online course is highly recommended because it's built around learning with music - learn more about it here.*
Advanced Learner Tip: Native Spanish Podcasts
If you’re interested in a more immersive experience, there are plenty of podcasts intended for native Spanish speakers available.
One great option is the Radio Ambulante podcast. Radio Ambulante is a longform journalism podcast that shares real-life Latin American stories. There are stories about language, sports, education, events, and more. Plus, there are both English and Spanish transcripts available for every episode.
Spanish Language Learning FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Can You Learn Spanish Through a Podcast?
Spanish language podcasts are a fantastic resource for learners at all levels! Click here to get my best advice for listening skill training. When you progress in your skill level, you can learn even more of the language and the cultures of the Spanish speaking world. As one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, you can find over 100,000 podcasts available in the language. Build podcasts into your language learning routine and make them part of your goals. In this article you’ll find many great ones to get you started.
How Can I Learn Spanish by Listening?
Listening is a critical skill for language learners, one of the four core skills that build your language ability: listening, speaking, reading and writing. Listen to a lot of spoken Spanish through podcasts, exchanges, and tutor sessions. If you can find a transcript, that’s even better! Soon you’ll find that you will begin to understand more and more of the spoken language, even when it’s fast.
Dedicated listening practice can be time-consuming, so it's essential to be mindful of your language learning routine to avoid wasting valuable time on unnecessary activities. For a detailed guide on how to establish a successful language learning routine, I invite you to explore my blog article by clicking here.
What Should I Watch If I Want to Learn Spanish?
While some learners enjoy kids’ television and cartoons at the start of their language learning project, you may also find easy Spanish courses super helpful. Look for videos that come with a transcript, and don’t be afraid to take it step by step. One of my favourite places to find the perfect videos that are interesting and helpful is Yabla, and you can find even more ideas on my Spanish learner page.
This article was written by Cassie Wright and me. She’s a freelance writer who loves languages. Affiliate links are marked with a *
Looking for more Spanish resources?
9 of the Best Resources for Starting to Learn French Online
Learning French is easy with these fantastic resources for beginners! From online course packages, to TV shows and online tools, we've got you covered.
Bonjour! French is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world and is still considered more important than English in some European countries. It is one of my most advanced languages, so I'm bringing you over 30 years of French learning experience today!
Whether you dream of wandering the streets of Paris and Montréal, or you want to boost your career in fashion, the following resources will be everything you need to start parler français!
This article contains some affiliate links which are marked with *.
9 Top Resources For Learning French Online
1. Finally Get It in French Grammar
This super friendly course is created for French beginners or "false beginners" - those who studied a while ago and don't feel like they got anywhere.
You will learn how to speak simple, correct, beautiful French together with me (and my kitty). Featuring easy explanations of the all the grammar you’ll need for your first year of French, this course will help you eliminate embarrassing errors with a friendly and informal tutor – yep that's me.
The course comes with offers 2 hours of videos, live discussions and worksheets to ensure you have understood everything correctly.
2. TV5 Monde
TV5 Monde is an international TV channel in French, which offers its own language courses and practice under the ‘Langue Française’ tab. From digital libraries to dictionaries and video classes, this website is perfect for beginners who aren’t quite sure where to begin.
3. Intrepid French: Master French Phrases for Travel FAST
Michele from Intrepid Guide is your go-to guide for language and travel! Her resource is the BEST if you want to pick up the language for travelling to France, Québec or beyond.
I love Michele's course because it comes with so many highly valuable extras like a menu guide and great pronunciation guides. Click here to learn about Mastering French for Travel - FAST*
4. Bite Size French*
Bite Size is the perfect companion for anyone who has learnt a little French and wants to become better at listening and speaking.
The course is packed with beginner-friendly dialogues that you can listen to in just a few minutes a day to become better at French without having to work harder and harder.
4. Bon Patron
If you’ve gotten a tiny bit comfortable with the French language, Bon Patron is the perfect place to practice those writing skills. Bon Patron is a French autocorrect tool; you can practice your writing skills by typing in sentences and have it correct the grammar and spelling errors it can find. The perfect tool to practice those sentences you’ve learned!
5. French Language TV Shows
French TV shows are an excellent way to implement some new vocabulary and to get used to the sound and pronunciation of French. Get the DVD, and you'll also have bilingual subtitles to play with. Try these shows for a start:
Les Revenants* is a supernatural drama which follows the residents of a small French alpine town as they come to terms with a series of mysterious and unbelievable occurrences: a small group of deceased men, women and children suddenly return from the dead and attempt to re-join the family and friends they left behind years before. As if this wasn’t creepy enough, the town also begins experiencing a series of chilling local murders.
Spiral* is the perfect show for you crime lovers out there. When the badly beaten body of a young Romanian woman is discovered on a Parisian rubbish dump, we are suddenly plunged deep into a murky underworld of prostitution, drugs, business, politics and justice. If you like CSI, The Wire and 24, chances are you’re gonna like Spiral.
7. Crack the Grammar Code Course
Ready for communicating in French at a higher level? Let this training be your secret!
This resource is not specific to French, but it will definitely help your English speaker brain untangle the complicated grammar of French! Crack the Grammar Code is a step-by-step guide to efficient language learning, giving you the foundation for fluid French learning without having to memorize grammar all the time.
8. Bescherelle Complete Guide to Conjugating 12,000 French Verbs*
One of the hardest parts of learning a new language can be getting used to all the rules for conjugating verbs – sometimes they don’t make sense to the beginner eye!
This is where the Becherelle Complete Guide comes in; it includes just about every verb you can think of. If it’s not in there, chances are you won’t need to know it! This language course book has been around since the mid 80s, I used it in the mid 90s, and is just as useful today as it was back then.
9. BBC Languages French
BBC has a fab introductory hub for learning French. Some of the content is aimed at children, making it perfect for beginners! They have a test where you can test your skills and determine your level, links to French TV and radio websites. Some of it is a little outdated, but still worth a look for the amount of free resources you can find here.
By measuring your progress, you’ll soon feel so confident about speaking French that you won’t be able to wait to talk to someone.
Recommended French Courses
Finally Get It In French Grammar (for beginners and refreshers)
Bite Size French (focus on sentences, not explanations)
French conversations (for intermediate to advanced learners)
Struggling to get ahead in solo language learning?
Join my free training, the Little-Known Secret to Success in Language Learning.
9 of the Best Resources for Learning Spanish Online
Finding credible resources for language learning can be difficult and time-consuming, but don't worry...I'm here to help! There has never been a better time to learn Spanish, and with these 9 indie resources you'll be using the language comfortably in no time.
Finding credible resources for language learning can be difficult and time-consuming, but don't worry...I'm here to help!
Insider Info Comin' Right Up..
Here at Fluent Language, I love supporting independent language producers. So my indie Top 9 means that these resources are not part of a big corporation or brand of language businesses. They're insider tips that you might miss otherwise.
What’s the best way to learn Spanish on your own?
Many people think that you have to travel and take huge amounts of language lessons, but learning Spanish on your own is absolutely possible! Make sure you have a good mix of the four core skills in your routine: listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Rule one should be to follow your heart and do what you enjoy the most. All three methods are efficient, and there is no reason why you can’t do a bit of each. You are NOT doing it wrong.
Here are the Best online Resources for Learning Spanish
There has never been a better time to learn Spanish, and with these 9 indie resources you'll be using the language comfortably in no time.
My friend Olly Richards is fluent in a whole bunch of languages, but I'm never more impressed than when he speaks Spanish. Olly knows what it takes to become confident, and he knows that being stuck on "intermediate" can be frustrating.
He runs Spanish Uncovered over at StoryLearning. This an innovative and SUPER effective online course designed to guide you from beginner and into language fluency. His programme includes:
The complete 20-module Spanish Uncovered programme to learn Spanish through story
100+ video lessons on reading, vocabulary, grammar, listening skills and pronunciation to learn with in an exciting "virtual classroom" environment
Dozens of interactive quizzes, to consolidate your learning, grow your vocabulary and perfect your grammar naturally
Fully downloadable material so you can learn faster - anywhere, any time, and on any device
20 integrated speaking training worksheets, so you can learn to speak your language with confidence and take part fully in basic conversations with native speakers
A 365-day money-back guarantee, so you can enrol without risk today, try out the course, and get a full refund if it's not right for you
They even do a free 7-day trial over there so you can see the course for yourself!
Easy Spanish have numerous videos that help you learn 100% authentic and natural Spanish. Created by polyglot favourite Easy Languages, the videos offer a mix of language and culture by chatting to people on the streets about certain aspects of their culture or language.
By the way, if you like podcasts then don't miss my best podcasts for Spanish learners.
It's informal, it's not very time-consuming - each video is less than 10 minutes, perfect to cram in as a working break between your studies. And most importantly it's fun and fulfils that wonderful language learning motivation: wanting to hear from real people who live somewhere else!
Randall Munroe's beloved XKCD webcomic has a global following, so much so that the community of fans decided to create a Spanish version! XKCD en español is available for all strips that the translators found "translatable", and there's enough to keep you going for days and days.
Another perfect study break, or try adding XKCD it into your daily routine. Reading one comic strip a day won't make you fluent, but it will get you used to seeing and reading written Spanish, and these short strips fit into the busiest of days.
Glossika
If you already know some Spanish and you want to start practising and adding more vocabulary over time, than the Glossika style might be perfect for you! This multilingual AI app is all about sentences… Lots and lots of sentences.
In every session, you will hear and see 10 to 20 sentences that you hear in your native language, and in Spanish, then you repeat these, and overtime, you can improve your grammar, vocabulary, and feel more ready for real, fluent conversations.
Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish
(UK Amazon Link | US Amazon Link)
Margarita Madrigal's textbook on how to learn to read, write, and speak Spanish in only a few short weeks with her proven method has become something of a cult classic as far as language books go. Madrigal's Magic Key to Spanish begins by teaching you the past tense since this is the tense we use when we tell stories, and telling stories is a lot more interesting than repetitive sentences introducing ourselves.
The book's approach is focused on communication, so you'll get most out of this for boosting the speaking skill. Serious students will do well to support this with a grammar book.
The book was originally published in 1953 and is still praised today, more than 60 years later! A must-have for keen learners.
Language Transfer is a platform providing language courses for free in podcast and PDF-form. Project costs are funded through a voting campaign and occasional donations from users. The founder, Mihalis Eleftheriou, works with native speaker volunteers that he sources from the users of LT. The courses are user-funded and users can vote with a small sum of money to decide on the language or level of the next course. They have a complete Spanish course just waiting for you to get listening!
El Blog para Aprender Español, written in Spanish with the occasional English translation or guideline, offers free materials for download to use to practice your Spanish. The blog is run by Raquel and María, both Spanish ELE teachers from Madrid with experience from classrooms across Europe.
El Blog offers you everything from an insight into Spanish culture and life in Spain to basic grammar lessons. And if you like these two ladies, you can book them for one-to-one Skype Spanish lessons.
Jennifer Lopez, Shakira, Daddy Yankee, Enrique Iglesias...I could name amazing Spanish language artists all day long. Maybe you've thought about learning Spanish through music before (that's got to be more fun than Duolingo!!). But how??
Tamara from Spanish Con Salsa has the answer! She has created a FANTASTIC Spanish programme all around the power of music and dance. This truly special music will ignite your love of Spanish and take you to brand new places. Unmissable! 💃🏽
Check out my interview with Tamara to learn more about how it works here:
I am a HUGE fan of Say Something in Welsh, so imagine my excitement when I found out about their Say Something in Spanish range!
Say Something In Spanish's system is simple: they say something in English, you say it in Spanish, and then you hear it twice in Spanish.
By turning language learning into a game of words, SSI allows you to explore a new language without the pressure of instant perfection. SSI started out with a very successful Welsh version of their language course, and their Spanish version is just as good.
Try a sample and Say Something in Spanish immediately on this sample page.
Have You Used Any Of These Yet?
Before you read this article, you probably already heard about Duolingo …and I hope you have discovered a lot of brand-new resources. For me as a language learning coach, it’s also important to show you how to learn vocabulary in Spanish and how to grow yourself teaching skills.
Why not join my newsletter to find out even more about this? I share great tips on a weekly basis for free and I look forward to seeing you there.
9 Of The Best Podcasts For Learning French
Want to fit French listening practice into your life? Try one or two of these podcasts for French language learners, which range from podcasts for French beginners all the way to French immersion podcasts and courses.
Podcasts are great for language learning, because you can listen anywhere, discover new voices, and find great teachers at a low cost.
Do you ever find it difficult to fit French listening practice into your life?
Do you want to understand native French speakers?
Podcasts are a great way to add a little French listening practice into your day-to-day life. They are free, and can accompany any part of your day: driving a car, washing your dishes, doing laundry, working out, reading, and more.
Need to kickstart or refresh your French grammar so you can understand these podcasts even better? Don’t miss my course Finally Get It in French Grammar!
Quick Primer: How Do Podcasts Work?
If you’re curious about podcasts, but not quite sure how they work, here’s what you need to know:
You can subscribe for free to podcasts on your phone, tablet, or computer
If you use an iPhone or iPad, go to the Podcasts app. If you’re on a Mac, use the itunes directory
On a PC or Android device, try the Stitcher app for a quick and easy start
Subscribing means you’ll always have the latest episode ready and waiting for you as soon as it’s published
French is a great language for learning by podcast. There is a big selection, so I’ve gone and selected 9 of the best shows for you to discover.
Need to kickstart or refresh your French grammar so you can understand these podcasts even better? Don’t miss my course Finally Get It in French Grammar!
Beginner Level
FrenchPod101.com (InnovativeLanguage)
FrenchPod101 from InnovativeLanguage covers any level you can think of from basic to advanced French. With enticing titles and interesting themes for each episode, you’ll never get bored.
The dialogues are presented by engaging presenters and the hosts Céline (a native speaker) and Sam (a fluent speaker) cover both cultural and grammatical aspects clearly and concisely. On the website you can sign up for the premium content to access spaced repetition flashcards, PDF lesson notes, and a community forum for a subscription fee.
The lovely people at Easy Languages bring us a global phenomenon of language learning videos on YouTube. In their podcast of the same name, you’ll hear friendly, relaxed conversations. You can join their Patreon membership to get full transcripts and additional worksheets.
If you want to find out more, here is my interview with the founders.
Learn French By Podcast is a bilingual podcast in English and French. It's presented by two hosts, one French speaker speaks in French and one English speaker who explains what the French speaker said. The audio is very clear and easy to follow and the format is great for beginners and intermediate learners. It eventually progresses from basic conversations to intermediate and advanced-level dialogues about a variety of everyday topics. PDF guides are available on the website.
Intermediate/Advanced Levels
News in Slow French is an intermediate level podcast. This podcast covers world news, grammar, and expressions and slows down all the dialogue to make it easier to process what you hear. Every episode breaks down a point on grammar and vocabulary.
On the News in Slow French website there are transcripts for each episode, plus added resources and quizzes on French grammar, expressions, pronunciation.
One Thing In A French Day describes the daily life of author Laetitia in France. Each podcast episode covers different events in her life such as going to the bakery, shopping, going to the gym, seeing friends, among others. Her French is spoken very clearly and crisply at a regular speed and her words is easy to understand. Laetitia publishes articles every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I certainly recommend this one for intermediate and advanced learners of French!
This podcast by Radio France International (RFI) is a show that is designed for intermediate and advanced learners of French. It's a genuine news broadcast from the French radio station, but read a little slower so you can become comfortable listening to French.
The episodes each have the most important news of the day in just 10 minutes (great for those who don’t have a lot of time in the day!) and come with a free online transcript.
The Français Authentique podcast is great for upper intermediate and advanced learners of French. It’s total immersion combined with lots of interesting topics and explains idiomatic and colloquial expressions. It is the companion podcast to the popular French learning website Français Authentique by Johan Tekfak.
Jonan is not just a super likeable host, but he also invites you to join his life and adventures by talking about them in French.
French Video Resources
Yabla is a video-based learning platform with bilingual subtitles and integrated dictionaries. The subtitles are interactive, which is a really cool concept! Check out how Yabla works in detail by reading my full review.
Yabla is great for all levels from basic to advanced. There is a free French podcast available with plenty of videos to watch.
Great French Audio Courses
Coffee Break French, a podcast from Radio Lingua Network, combines French language lessons with a lot of useful information about French food, culture, French speaking countries, and so on.
My favourite part of the podcast is the chemistry between relaxed and charismatic host Mark from Scotland (who is fluent in French) and French learner Anna from Scotland. The segments are also great: Cultural Correspondent has great cultural advice, and Grammar Guru discusses grammar in a clear, easy-to-understand way.
Advanced Learner Tip: Native French Podcasts
The easiest way to access native French language podcasts is to go to iTunes and switch your country setting to “France”, “Belgium”, “Switzerland”, “Canada”, or any other French-speaking country.
There’s no restriction on your switch, and you’ll be able to access all podcasts in the same way that listeners from France can. One of my favourites is Whisperos, a native French podcast getting into every little detail about Game of Thrones.
How to Learn More French
For more tips that will help you learn the French language, check out my special blog page for French learners.
This article was updated on 9 August 2022.
