French is a Romance language from the Indo-European family of languages. It has been derived from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire – hence why it is called a Romance language. French is actually considered one of the easier foreign languages to learn as it shares many similarities with English – such as common words like “Apostrophe” (”apostrophe” in French), “Champagne” (”champagne” in French), “Salad” (”salade” in French) and many more words that we use in our daily lives that we don’t realize.
French is the second most widely learned language after English and is spoken on five continents. It is the official language of more than 25 countries, including France, Belgium, and many African countries like Nigeria, the Republic of the Congo, Seychelles, etc. Approximately over 250 million people know and speak French worldwide. The French economy attracts job seekers and entrepreneurs from all around the world. Learning French gives you an advantage over getting selected for a job or doing business in France. France is a hub of renowned Universities as thousands of students learn French to become eligible for admission to those prestigious institutions. Knowing the language also helps with understanding the unique French history, literature, fashion, food, and a culture that has influenced the entire world.
The French language strikes a balance between grammar and vocabulary, requiring you to learn both its rules and words together. Therefore, it is important to find the right French class and learning format that can help you learn French the correct way – while also being fun and easy.
Learning French Online from the safety and comfort of your own home has many more benefits than the traditional classroom setting. Firstly, it gives you the flexibility and freedom to choose the time and teacher that best suits your needs and schedule. There are also so many great and engaging formats to learn French online – from virtual classrooms with other students from other parts of the world, interesting podcasts to listen to native French speakers and easily accessible videos that can explain and explore French language and culture on a deeper level. This is including the range of downloadable and often free supplementary materials such as PDFs, textbooks and more resources to give you that extra boost.
However, finding and choosing the right French class can be a challenge, especially if you don’t know where to start. This article will introduce you to 11 of the best online French classes in Canada and compare their pros and cons to help you choose the language learning journey that’s right for you!
AmazingTalker
| Pros | Cons |
| Flexible Scheduling | May be tricky for you if you are not used to online learning platforms. |
| Affordable pricing | |
| Personalized lessons | |
| Engaging online classes |
If you are unsure about the lessons and tutors, you can choose a trial lesson for as little as $3, to decide if it is right for you. The price of a lesson varies according to the tutor’s rates with Amazing Talker’s flexible rate scheduling – allowing tutors to set affordable rates for themselves and their students. Sometimes there are specials such as group discounts when a certain number of students join a class together, the tutor may therefore provide a discount for the group.
Pricing
Pricing can start from as little as 12 CAD for a 25 minute lesson to 22 CAD for a 50 minute lesson. Tutors often run specials for booking multiple lessons, such as 21 CAD for 5 lessons (5% off). You can book your slot on the simple calendar format provided so it can be flexible with your schedule and then you are good to go.
Ratings
The rating covers the content and value of the lesson and effectiveness of the tutor and the quality of their class and service delivery.
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tutors -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5 Stars
The average rating is 4.5 Stars with majority of French tutors ranging between 4.5 – 5 Stars based on user ratings and reviews. Tutors receive great feedback from their students and their reviews are visible for you to see and make your decision about which tutor and class you would prefer. These 4.5 stars give it a great quality with majority of students finding it great.
Go to Amazing Talker French Classes to learn more and book your lesson today!
Berlitz
The Berlitz corporation has been hosting lessons at language centers for many years and you can now also take its classes online. With its simple website interface, it is easy to look for what you need and book a French class that suits your preferences. The website has divisions for adults and children. The French classes are taught live by Berlitz-certified instructors, and you can enroll in either private or group classes. You can book your lessons at an in-person teaching center or book online self-paced lessons using Berlitz Connect, that provides the materials and lessons to study on your own. You can also schedule 30-minute practice sessions with instructors via video call.
There are courses leveled in French Proficiency from 1 to 10, ranging from Functional (1-2), Intermediate (3-4), Upper Intermediate (5-6), Advanced (7-8) and Professional (9-10).
| Pros | Cons |
| Taught by certified instructors | Some options be a bit costly |
| Study materials provided |
Pricing
Berlitz offers a 12-week online group French class that meets twice a week for 90-minute lessons. The self-paced Berlitz Connect program costs about 890 CAD for six months with 10 speaking practice sessions, or around 1080 CAD for 12 months with 25 speaking practice sessions.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tutors -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 3.9 Stars from their 600 Trust Pilot reviews.
Berlitz has great customer and student testimonials that you can view on their website.
Go to Berlitz – French to check out more about their French learning options.
Lingoda
Lingoda is a European online language school based in Berlin that uses the video platform Zoom to offer group or private lessons in English, German, Spanish, and French. Its French classes are taught by experienced teachers who are all native French speakers and live in different time zones, allowing classes to be available at any time no matter where you live – giving you much flexibility in your schedule and time zone.
Classes are one hour long, and you can either take private lessons or join a group of three to four students. When you sign up for lessons, they will send you class materials that you can download and use to practice anytime such as PowerPoint presentations and PDFs. You can take a free proficiency test to see what level you should start at. Lingoda uses the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR).
| Pros | Cons |
| Courses delivered by experienced, Native Teachers | May be difficult if video learning is not for you |
| Download Course Materials | |
| Affordable course options |
Pricing:
Lingoda offers a free seven-day trial, and the pricing varies based on the subscription plan that you choose.
The price for one class a week is 57 CAD a month (12 CAD per class), while the marathon subscription costs 42 CAD a month (8.52 CAD per class) If you choose either the 3, 6 or 12 months of classes.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – An average of 4.4 Stars from their 3,120 reviews of Trust Pilot and Google Reviews.
Visit Lingoda for more information and to see if there is a French course that suits you.
Preply
Preply is an online education platform that is dedicated to teaching students foreign languages with flexibility, quality and immersive methods. They aim to not only teach you the language, but to expose you to the culture behind the language and also to prepare you for realistic scenarios where you would need to use these skills – such as conversations and business activities.
Their website is very simple and is set up with a great filtering system to help you choose the exact tutor that will suit your French language learning needs. There are 1,638 French teachers available, both native and specialists to help you learn French at all proficiency levels.
| Pros | Cons |
| Variety of Native and Specialist Language teachers available | Overload of Tutors on the platform makes decision difficult |
| Flexible classes to suit busy schedules | |
| Affordable course rates |
Pricing
If you decide to take a trial to decide if its for you, you will get a 20% discount on any course you choose.
Prices of tutors range from just 4 CAD per hour to 100 CAD per hour depending on the level of French you are learning, the expertise of the tutor and the content being taught in the lessons.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – An average of 4.9 Stars from 164 reviews from students globally.
Check out Preply to browse the wide selection of French tutors and lessons on offer.
Tutoroo
TUTOROO is a website that connects you with private, in-person language tutors. They work with 286,655 private tutors in more than 150 cities. They have a great website that helps match genuine native speakers of foreign languages with people who want to enhance their conversational skills in any language at their preferred place and time. They have a search system that helps you find tutors in your area for 1-1 classes and also online options as well. Once you choose your private tutor, the lessons are booked and you pay the tutor directly – It is a simple and fast process with no issues in between.
| Pros | Cons |
| Great search system for local learning opportunities | Pricing varies considerably due to different currencies that each tutor works with. |
| Simple process to book and pay tutors | |
| Interactive community of tutors to connect with |
Pricing
The cost of lessons vary per tutor, but lessons are generally charged per hour by the tutor. A lesson can start from around 14 CAD upwards.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5
Tutoroo receives stellar reviews and testimonials from its students that discuss their success in learning French with their tutors.
Check out Tutoroo for more information about their French courses.
EC English
Delivered directly from EC Montreal, students can join French-speaking virtual classrooms with students from around the world. Experienced EC French teachers will guide students through speaking, listening, and collaborating in live French classes online. You can choose to study 2, 3 or 5 days a week. Apart from the lessons with their guided EC French curriculum, EC Montreal offers a cultural experience into French, granting a deeper and more entertaining learning experience.
| Pros | Cons |
| Cultural exposure to French lifestyle | Not much course information is directly available on the website |
| Connect with other students in a community | Costly course packages and additional fees |
| Premium quality and standard of education from professional |
Pricing
EC Montreal offer 3 options to learn French:
General French – 712 CAD for one week of 20 lessons.
French Online –
Registration Fee: 45 CAD
Course Materials Fee per booking 45 CAD
Per week – 80 – 140 CAD depending on the type of lesson (Grammar, Conversation, Speaking and Listening)
French Academic Year – 11280 CAD for 24 Weeks with a minimum of 20 lessons (15 hours) per week
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5 stars average
Check out EC English to see more about their French courses.
Learn French in Vancouver
Learn French in Vancouver offer Group or Private French online classes. These are dynamic practical classes with small groups, content to tailored to your needs, and continuous support. You can choose between 100% customizable private French tutoring (General French, Conversational French, Pronunciation French classes, French for Kids, and more), group beginner French courses, focused on learning the French language from the very beginning to Intermediate level in small groups for adults, or preparation to French exams (TEF, DELF, SLE, or TCF). Their website is is easy to navigate and shows you your options upfront.
| Pros | Cons |
| Multiple French learning options available | Prices can be costly for the time allotted per lesson |
| Highly customizable lessons to suit your needs | |
| Small classes with greater learning impact | |
| Exam preparation classes |
Pricing
Group Class for Beginners – 357 CAD for a group of 3-6 students with 8 classes lasting 1.5 hours each
Private Classes
Single class – 70 CAD for 1 hour and 102 CAD for 1.5 hours
4 Classes – 178 CAD for 1 hour and 268 CAD for 1.5 hours
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 5
While they have a smaller client base, all of their students have given them 5 star reviews for their excellent quality of education, tutors and service.
Check out Learn French in Vancouver to see more about their French courses.
FrenchAce Canada
FrenchAce was founded in 2012 and is now known as one of the best French Language Schools in the World with French Language Institutes in Toronto, Sakatoon, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Patiala, Panchkula, Zirakpur & Mohali and also one of the best for online French courses in Canada and globally. All classes are conducted by a highly experienced faculty with exposure to Canadian, Indian, French and African regions and students from all around the world. Their website is easy to use and displays all your options nicely and helps guide you to what you want to know about. Contact details for different regions are also easily available, should you want to contact them for further information. They classes frim Beginner (A1) to Intermediate (B2) levels.
| Pros | Cons |
| 4 free demo classes to take multiple times | Term and Conditions are attached to different promotions and free offers, so its important to read this before accepting these specials |
| Global support from all regions in the world | |
| Free study material offered to download | |
| Small class sizes with quality learning experiences |
Pricing
Personal batches are run by Dr Rashmi Votra, the institution’s lead teacher with a decade of experience and qualifications.
Kids 4 Weeks / Weekdays 6 Weeks Weekends (12 Hr): 180 CAD (15 CAD / Hr)
A1- Beginner 16 Weeks (48 Hrs): 720 CAD (15 CAD / Hr)
B2- Upper Intermediate 26 Weeks (104 Hrs): 3120 CAD (15 CAD / Hr)
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score: 4.9 Stars based on 1000 verified Google Reviews
Check out FrenchAce Canada see more about their French courses.
Government of Quebec
The Government of Quebec offers French courses to immigrants, Native Canadians or those selected to immigrate into Canada. Their website is focused for immigrants and native Canadians. They offer Full-time Part-time, Online and Specialized courses by field of employment. With these courses come self-study and tutoring options. They provide French education for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced French proficiency levels.
| Pros | Cons |
| Offers Financial Assistance options | Most options are focused on Immigrants or Native Canadians only – located in Quebec |
| Offers multiple course options, including specialized courses for employment fields. | |
| Online and majority of French Courses are free of charge |
Pricing
Online French Courses – Free of charge for immigrants and selected immigrants
Part-time Courses – Free of charge for immigrants and selected immigrants with 8-12 weeks of learning varied from 4-15 hours per week.
Full-time courses – These are free for immigrants and Natives and are given in class, 5 days a week (25 to 30 hours a week).
Specialized Courses – Free of charge for immigrants and selected immigrants, including course materials.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score: 5 Stars
Check out Government of Quebec see more about their French courses.
Alliance Française
The Alliance Française is a world-wide non-profit, apolitical and non-religious network devoted to promoting French language and Francophone cultures. It offers interactive classes and private lessons for children, teens and adults. Their class sizes are kept small to ensure students have the most optimal learning experience possible. They offer a free proficiency test to help decide your level of French and recommend a range of courses best suited for you. Once you are registered, you have access to their online student portal which will guide you through your French learning journey.
They offer courses for all proficiency levels from A1 (Beginner), A2 (Elementary), B1 (Intermediate), B2 (Advanced) and C1 (Expert).
| Pros | Cons |
| Online Student Portal to assist students through the learning pathway | Pricing options are not available upfront, you must register first. |
| Cultural exploration as well as as language education | |
| French Alliances and support from all over the world |
Pricing
Courses are offered from just 17 CAD an hour. Courses are offered in 24 hours or 20 hours for small groups (5 students or less). You will need to register with them to see the pricing options available to you.
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5 Stars
Check out Alliance Française see more about their French courses.
UBC Extended Learning (ExL)
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. For more than 100 years, UBC has played a vital role in the economic, social and cultural life of British Columbia. As an academic unit of UBC, Extended Learning (ExL) they help you learn to speak French and build your fluency in interactive conversation courses taught by experienced instructors in non-intimidating classes that help Improve your French writing and reading skills with our self-paced online courses. Steeped in Francophone culture, these courses are ideal if you work in a professional environment where French is spoken and written, or if you teach French.
They offer courses for Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced proficiency levels of students.
| Pros | Cons |
| Professional and Tertiary-level education quality | Pricing for In-person courses not available until you sign up |
| Multiple education formats to suit your needs | |
| Cultural programs offered as well |
Pricing
Beginner French Online – 486 CAD
Intermediate and Advanced French – 486 CAD
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5 Stars
Check out UBC Extended Learning (ExL) see more about their French courses.
Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver
Incorporated in 1975, Le Centre culturel francophone de Vancouver has for mandate, as is stipulated in the articles that form part of its statutes and bylaws to promote education by offering French-language educational services and programs to residents of the Vancouver metropolitan area (library, video library, language courses, summer camps, etc.). Their website offers a guided registration process for first time students.
They offer online classes for Beginners 1, 2, 3, Intermediate 1, 2, and Advanced French as Second Language courses. Each class is a 2 hour session, given online via Zoom once a week for 10 weeks. Classes have a minimum of 5 students and a maximum of 12 students.
| Pros | Cons |
| Easily accessible classes via Zoom | Service and additional fees if you are not a member. |
| No materials are required | |
| Small class sizes to create a better learning environment |
Pricing
Membership with these courses : 256 CAD (+ GST + 6 CAD service fee – no book required)
Regular student: 275 CAD (+ GST + 6 CAD service fee – no book required)
Ratings
Quality -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Teachers -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Service -⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Value -⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall Score – 4.5 Stars
Conclusion
Each French learning website has its own benefits and compromises. This article has shown you the various types of French online learning opportunities for Canadian learners that wish to improve their French proficiency or begin their French language journey. Looking at the pros and cons of each website should help you make an informed and confident decision of which one is the best for your needs.
We recommend FrenchAce Canada for its global support system and free demo classes that you can take to help you make your decision on whether or not French is for you – without it costing you anything.
Another great option is Amazing Talker which offers you flexible online class scheduling, affordable tutors and great personalized lessons to help you start your French learning journey.
