Our Top 12 Intermediate French Podcasts (Updated for 2023)
Some days I think podcasts are taking over the world… and I love it!
What better way to learn French than by listening to it during your commute, while working around the house or even while on vacation?
In this post, you’ll learn exactly which podcasts you should be listening to—as an intermediate French learner—to take your French into advanced.
Trust us, we know a good podcast when we see one! We’re a team of language learners who have tried all the podcasts, programs and learning methods available, and we’ve weeded out the best intermediate French podcasts so that you don’t have to.
Read on to discover our top recommendations for improving things like your French pronunciation, listening comprehension, vocabulary knowledge and more.
Let’s get started.
Contents
- Educational French Podcasts
- Native French Podcasts
- How Podcasts Improve Your Intermediate French and Cultural IQ
- Can You Learn French by Listening to Podcasts?
- Does Listening to French Podcasts Help You Learn French?
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
The podcasts that I’ve included below for your listening pleasure are all super different, and are totally free resources for learning. From a traditional news program to overviews of key cultural topics, you’ll get a range of culture-related information no matter what mood you’re in.
Also, they enable you to multitask. Using vocab drillers like Duolingo and virtual immersion programs like FluentU can boost your French significantly, but you can learn from podcasts while driving, working out, or doing another activity that only leaves your ears free.
Best of all, there’s something for every intermediate learner. So whether you’re just barely feeling comfortable calling yourself an intermediate student or you’re on your way into the advanced bracket, you’ll be able to get something out of each of these.
Educational French Podcasts
1. Coffee Break French
The scoop: This highly practical, entertaining podcast follows language teacher Mark as he teaches French to his student Ana. Seasons two and three are for lower and upper intermediate levels respectively, and aim to make you more confident and extend your range of the language.
The value: Sometimes, it’s nice to sit on the sidelines and listen to someone else learn (and make mistakes) for you! The podcast isn’t as intense as being in a classroom yourself, but is still engaging thanks to the presence that Mark brings. The lessons are well-structured and build on themselves well, while thoroughly explain different aspects of the language. There’s a premium option if you want a few more resources.
The commitment: Medium (15-20 minutes—the length of a coffee break, coincidentally!)
2. One Thing in a French Day
The scoop: These brief but helpful recordings are completely in French, and feature a slice of a French woman’s day.
The value: If you’re someone who finds it challenging to listen through long podcasts, these bite-sized episodes are ideal. Three times a week, Laetitia chats about things like French culture and news, or even just things she has done recently.
While she speaks relatively fast, her French is clear and there are transcripts available to aid in comprehension.
The commitment: Short (3-7 minutes)
3. Inner French
The scoop: Inner French teaches French naturally through discussing a variety of important topics. Best for upper intermediate and above.
The value: The goal of this podcast is to get you thinking in French. The host, Hugo, speaks a lot about French culture and topical subjects—everything from the French president to living with robots to Uber—while speaking clearly and (relatively) slowly.
With consistent listening you’ll see your comprehension and vocabulary knowledge improve, and learn lots of interesting facts (including some great general learning advice). The episodes also come with transcripts to aid understanding.
The commitment: Medium (about 30 minutes)
4. French Etc
The scoop: From going to the barber to discussing the weather, French Etc covers a range of common expressions useful for everyday life. Accompanying content is available for most podcasts. The site offers many different podcasts, but the two I’d suggest you focus on are “Today’s French” and “Dictée.”
The value: Did you know un aoûtien / une aoûtienne is someone who takes their vacation in August? Well, you would if you listened to French Etc! This is hands down my favorite podcast for learning super useful (and frequently funny) French expressions. Use it to expand your knowledge of common expressions and learn about brief topics with easily consumable podcasts.
On the website, you’ll also find a “Learn French” section with vocabulary lists, grammar, tutorials and les devoirs (homework). The site is run by Anne Guével, a French native and highly experienced language instructor.
The commitment: Shorter (around 10 minutes)
5. French Blabla
The scoop: This French podcast focuses on teaching you to speak like a native.
The value: If you’ve been looking for a podcast to teach you true, real French that you won’t find in textbooks or college courses, French Blabla could be for you! Caroline, the host, aims to teach French with passion and enjoyment. She covers a wide range of topics while discussing slang, phrases, and grammar that will have you speaking like a native.
The commitment: Short (3-10 minutes)
6. Join Us in France Podcast
The scoop: Although not specifically a language podcast, the Join Us in France Podcast exposes you to everything French: culture, food, history, music, food—the list goes on.
The value: Learning about culture is a crucial part of language learning, and for many of us, it’s why we started learning a language in the first place! This podcast dives into just about any topic relating to France—and travel in France—that you could think of. With almost 400 episodes to choose from, you’re bound to find something that piques your interest, and you’ll be an expert on France in no time.
Throughout the podcast you’ll also find episodes specifically about the French language. Keep an eye out for those!
The commitment: Long (about 1 hour)
7. Talk in French
The scoop: Talk in French covers a broad range of French systems (think education, etc.) and cultural issues. Especially great for those of you who are at a lower intermediate level (or would like to learn a lot about particular issues but fear you’ll get lost in an extended French podcast), this one is largely in English, but includes specific points and vocabulary in French to supplement your cultural learning.
The value: There’s no better way to learn French than from a native French teacher who specializes in teaching it to non-native speakers, and that’s exactly what you’ll get from Talk in French. You’ll learn lots of useful information about French culture and relevant vocabulary.
With his podcasts, Frédéric covers a range of fascinating and useful topics. Uniquely French holidays, weird French superstitions and regional French culture are among the themes you’ll hear about.
The commitment: Longer (30+ minutes)
8. News in Slow French (Intermediate)
The scoop: This podcast is exactly what it sounds like: news, but in slow French. You’ll get to practice your listening skills while learning about current events at the same time.
The value: The audio is recorded from world news articles, which are included in the episode descriptions, and are usually very engaging and informative. It’s heavy on the listening, so not the best resource if you’re wanting to practice speaking or conversation, and to experience the full audio and program you’ll need to upgrade. Lastly, while this podcast caters to all levels, the intermediate level is said to be the best—yay for you!
The commitment: Short (4-10 minutes)
Native French Podcasts
The following podcasts are aimed at native speakers—that is, they aren’t solely for the purpose of learning French, however they’ll improve your French by exposing you to the language as it’s spoken in real life. It’s crucial to include native content as part of your learning routine, in order to pick up more natural speech, improve your listening comprehension and learn about the culture.
If you also enjoy watching videos, or just want a bit more topic variety, the language learning program FluentU specializes in teaching from authentic videos.
It takes engaging videos, made by and for native French speakers, and turns them into immersive language lessons. They cover everything from news reports to vlogs to inspiring talks, teaching French in a way that you’ll never get from textbooks or formal courses.
Each video comes with interactive subtitles and full transcripts, then you can follow them up with multimedia flashcards and personalized quizzes (which even let you practice speaking). If you come across any words you’re not sure about, just look them up in the video dictionary to find a bunch of videos where that word is used in different contexts.
These learning aids make learning through authentic content seamless and less time consuming than trying to do it on your own. Plus, like to these podcasts, it’s easy to learn on the go with the iOS and Android apps.
9. Géopolitique
The scoop: Géopolitique features politics-related news clips for native French speakers. With news stories from around the globe, it gives listeners a good sense of which news is most important to the French. Clips are accompanied by the transcript, so you can make sure you understand exactly what’s going on in the world without missing any key information.
The value: While this is definitely the most serious of all the podcasts listed, it provides really valuable insight into how French people often interpret world events. Topics cover events around the world, like protests in the Philippines, a corruption scandal in Brazil or the state of diplomacy between the U.S. and Cuba.
When you listen, you’ll benefit from learning a great deal of language related to politics and world events, which helps boost your ability to read and watch French news. After just a few days of listening to the podcasts and reading the accompanying transcript, I guarantee you’ll have a far easier time watching the French news, listening to French radio or reading a French newspaper.
The commitment: Short (4-8 minutes)
10. France Musique
The scoop: This podcast is great for intermediate and above French learners who also love music. The episodes are quite heavy on songs, but also feature interesting information from music experts.
The value: Combining French study with something that you love means that you’ll be more motivated and engaged. So, if you’re a music lover, this podcast will keep you busy by exploring a range of topics—all in natural French.
For example, some of the topics covered include popular music during the First World War, international traditional music featuring international musicians, and even music in popular French films.
The commitment: Usually longer, but the length varies
11. Le Grand Miam
The scoop: Le Grand Miam (the big yum) podcast discusses one of the things France is most famous for: its food! Discover new recipes while also getting your French study in.
The value: If you’re a foodie (specifically, a foodie studying French) then this native French podcast will probably make you forget that you’re actually studying. Based in the Gironde region of France—a very well known food locale—the hosts as they bring you easy and ever-changing recipes you can try out at home.
Along with recipes, you’ll also learn about food-related events like markets and restaurant openings.
The commitment: Long (1 hour)
12. Journal en Français Facile
The scoop: If you like current events and practicing French, then here is another news-based French podcast for you!
The value: This podcast is created by a real French radio station, and the journalists speak slightly more simply so as to allow intermediate (and above) learners appropriate listening practice. Each episode summarizes the most important news of the day, and then finishes with explaining an interesting word that was used in the episode. You can get the transcript for free, which is a huge plus!
The commitment: Short (less than 10 minutes)
How Podcasts Improve Your Intermediate French and Cultural IQ
Podcasts are a great way of working on your language skills while expanding your cultural knowledge. They’re flexible enough that you can listen to them at your convenience during the day, and a great resource for learning about some of the latest cultural trends.
As an intermediate learner, podcasts can help you:
- Take yourself out of “textbook” mode and get used to hearing and understanding more conversational French. It’s a great step towards solidifying that theoretical knowledge you’ve already gained as an intermediate learner!
- Learn practical language and common grammatical constructions that you’re likely to hear in the real world. You’ll start to hear phrases that you can repeat in your conversations. Parroting common phrases used by native speakers is an ideal way to get more comfortable with the language, and is a trick commonly used by intermediate speakers. Living in Paris, I’m a huge fan of the parroting technique and employ it quite often (and have yet to say something terribly embarrassing!).
- Expand your knowledge of real French culture today, and not just the stereotypical French culture we so often hear about. Since you’re an intermediate learner, it’s more important than ever before that you begin to dive into true French society, beyond what’s sometimes presented in the media (think berets and baguettes).
- Become a stronger overall student by combining your language with your cultural understanding as you begin to see the inextricable link between French language and culture. Really connecting with the culture will help you excel in your language studies. You’ll learn about some of the more modern vocabulary that people are using today (which, as an aside, continues to incorporate more and more English words and expressions), how the language is generally evolving thanks to the culture and the interests and challenges facing French society today.
Can You Learn French by Listening to Podcasts?
Listening to podcasts is a great way of learning French!
Because they’re audio-based, it’s easy to listen to them on-the-go or while doing somewhat mundane tasks. For example, it’s simple to pop on an episode while you’re waiting for the doctors, cooking dinner, sitting in traffic, or just going for a walk.
There is also a massive range of topics to suit different levels, needs and interests—so whether you’re wanting to brush up on your grammar skills, learn local lingo or hear about French pop culture, you’ll have pretty much endless content to listen to.
However, while they’re an excellent resource, you’ll need to supplement podcasts with other learning activities in order to become fluent in French.
Does Listening to French Podcasts Help You Learn French?
Absolutely!
As we’ve discussed, there are so many podcasts out there that you can learn pretty much everything you need to know about French. Some are more structured while others are laid back, but they all have the aim of helping you learn French.
They’re a great supplement to other learning activities and specifically helpful for listening comprehension, which is something that many learners need practice with!
So there you have it, friends, a few to get you started.
Happy listening!
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
