Why learning French is essential when you move to France.
Moving to France isn’t just about the sun-drenched markets and warm crispy baguettes fresh from the boulangerie. If you really want to make the most of living in France, you need to speak the language. Speaking French doesn’t just make life easier — it opens doors, hearts, and hidden corners of the culture that would otherwise stay closed. And importantly, due to recent changes in the French immigration law, being able to speak French when you live here has become essential. Though you may not need to speak a required level of French for your visa application or for your first carte de séjour (residency card), or subsequent 1-year cards (for a maximum of three renewals) the law requires that residents demonstrate a set level of French for those seeking multi-year cards e.g. Carte de séjour pluriannuelle, which is typically valid for four years, and the Carte de résident, which is typically valid for 10 years), and French citizenship (note, there are exemptions, find out more: service-public.fr)
For most people 4-5 years is sufficient to learn French to the required level. But you do need to plan your learning programme, and ensure progress is consistent. With a huge choice of apps and material to learn from, it’s important to remember that French isn’t just about vocabulary, learning grammar by rote – it’s about fluency, which is why we like the Lingopie language learning app.
Lingopie is a subscription-based video platform that uses TV shows, movies, audiobooks, podcasts, and more to help you learn a new language – French is one of 13 languages offered. It’s available on desktop, mobile, and TV screens. You’ll find an extensive library of movies and TV shows – something for everyone.
This app is a route to French fluency, it’s about everyday language, hearing it spoken, seeing the written words, as well as cultural insights to life in France. Many people use methods that teach them the vocabulary but then having trouble pronouncing the words or understanding them being spoken. With Lingopie you hear the words spoken, you see how they’re spelled, and you learn about grammar as you go.
French is about more than just words
French people are famously proud of their language, and rightly so — it’s lyrical, expressive, and deeply tied to their identity. By speaking it, you’re not just translating words — you’re showing respect and a desire to belong.
Language shapes how people think and interact, and in France, a big part of the language is about etiquette, for instance, there’s a difference between “tu” and “vous.” They both mean ‘you’ – but they’re about more than grammar — they’re about relationship dynamics. You’ll use ‘tu’ informally, and vous formally – for people you don’t know well, first time meetings, in an office etc. There are quirks and nuances as in all languages, and the best way to learn them is by listening to native speakers.
The more French you understand, the more you’ll appreciate the subtleties of daily life, from a chat with the baker at your local boulangerie, to being able to converse at a dinner party. French people appreciate the effort, and being able to communicate in French enables you to move from being “the English-speaking neighbour” to being “friend.”
And it’s not just about making friends – being able to understand the doctor, the pharmacist, booking a plumber or electrician… everyday life becomes easier in France when you speak French.
Make It Fun with Lingopie
Learning French doesn’t have to feel like hard work or homework. That’s where Lingopie comes in. It’s a clever little app that makes language learning fun by letting you binge-watch French TV shows and films with subtitles you can click to learn new words instantly. From Parisian crime dramas to classic French films, cultural documentaries, comedies, cooking shows and more – it’s a brilliant way to pick up everyday vocabulary and pronunciation as you go.
There are also:
- Interactive games to test your vocab
- Native-speaker content for real-world listening
- A friendly online grammar coach to guide you when you get stuck
It’s immersive, engaging, and perfect for all levels, whether you’re a beginner or brushing up your skills – you set the level you want, the genres that interest you, and you can even choose the duration of the programmes (I’m personally hooked on the fascinating short stories from the history of cheese to “Mouse Utopia” the story of what happened when mice were given a perfect world to live in).
The amount of time you spent learning is recorded so that you know where you’re at, practice words are logged in a folder so that you can go back to them when you want to. There’s even teacher-based classroom learning (the first lesson is free). It’s a brilliant way to learn how French is really spoken – at your own pace, anytime, anywhere. It’s like having a private tutor and a streaming service rolled into one.
The language experts at Lingopie say start small. Set yourself a goal of watching a 10-minute French show on Lingopie every day. Note down three new phrases. Use them that day — at the market, with a neighbour, even talking to your cat! You’ll be amazed how quickly things click. Use the app’s review tools to keep your progress going. Consistency is your best friend when it comes to language learning.
When you live in France, you can live on the edge or you can experience it fully – and being able to speak French is essential for that.
Download Lingopie and say more than just “bonjour” — say you belong.
It’s an inexpensive way to learn French too, it costs less than $100 if you subscribe for 12 months, and if you go through the link below – they’ll give you 55% off!
If you’re still not sure – take a free trial and start your learning experience at lingopie.com
