r/learnfrench

Hello everyone, I recently cleared my tcf canada exam in the third attempt !
First was at oakville (feb 13) and I cleared only listening
Second was at spadina (april 9)downtown and I cleared everything but listening 💀

As they say, third time’s a charm, I time finally cleared it in Montréal (May 4) !! After my spadina exam I very impulsively booked one in Montreal in the next 25 days because I didn’t have much time between my exam and my work permit expiring !

I don’t see a lot of people sharing details about how each module went so here i am, let’s talk about how my experience was for all the modules:

As I reached there, I was surprised by the turnout as it was the highest i’d seen out of the three centres. We were confirmed our IDs and sent to the room for checking, they took our devices and bags and gave us a token to collect after all the four modules were done.

This was different than other centres because in toronto we could take our phones after writing was done and I even kept my phone (switched off) with me during speaking lol,

Listening: it was the first and i’m glad because that helps me focus the best, the questions were somewhat repeated from réussir but not fully.
‼️important tip: focus the most at what they say at the end of the recording, I used this tip and it really helped me figure out the answers‼️
There is little to no time to read the questions, so try to skim through it when it plays “the starting sound, and question number” trust me, that’s all the time you get! You do not control the pace or the questions and it’s all automatic.

‼️after you move onto reading, you can still go back to listening responses to edit or check, you DONT hear the audio again ‼️

Reading: It was next after listening and yes some questions were repeated from réussir, my MTL exam was definitely easier than the other two but hey that’s totally random! I finished my reading exam in 30 mins lol, earlier than everyone else in the room which gave me plenty of time to go through my listening and reading answers.

‼️important tip that i’ve never seen anybody tell: START the exam backwards, since i started doing this I can finish the exam in time and it makes sure that I give the most time to the most important questions. So I try to finish questions 20-40 in 30-40 minutes and questions 1-20 in the remaining time. Start from question 40 and make ur way backwards‼️

Writing: I don’t have much to say about this, practice and practice. I finished my exam earlier than everyone too and so I was taken for speaking way earlier than everyone else.

‼️One thing that I noticed was that in réussir website, all the task 1 are informal. HOWEVER, it could very well be formal in the exam so practice your formats!! ‼️

Speaking: My oakville examiner ( 9/20) was very scary and expressionless lol, not his fault but it didn’t make it the best experience for me.

My examiners at Spadina and Montreal were realllly nice and made it a great experience for me (both times 11/20)

My montreal examiner had a long convo with me before starting with my exam and also got me a cup of water lol 🥹 she was nice!!

After I finished my speaking I collected my belongings upstairs and was free to go.

That’s all everyone, I hope this helps. Questions are welcome :))

My study routine is a bit random. I usually watch art videos on YouTube, repeat what they say, and turn the videos into text to learn new vocabulary.

I also use ChatGPT to practice speaking French.

I write down verbs to learn conjugation, but I often forget them and keep repeating the same ones.

Recently, I’ve started feeling stuck because I don’t enjoy my routine anymore.

What can I do to make my routine more interesting and effective?

I started learning French about 5 years ago (as my third language) but I still am not quite comfortable with speaking it (although my level is C1) or texting. Does anyone have any tips and/or advice? I REALLY need to move to France for studies in about a year and I’m getting anxious. Help?? 🥲

https://preview.redd.it/usepne48jb2h1.png?width=1168&format=png&auto=webp&s=3c0b22c1d46f49e67bb3e5923cea8ffabb63222e

Finally got my TCF results back and I'm honestly so relieved. I was stressed about speaking and writing but ended up getting B2 in both which is what I needed.

My scores were:

• Compréhension orale: 505/699 (C1)
• Compréhension écrite: 496/699 (B2)
• Expression orale: 11/20 (B2)
• Expression écrite: 10/20 (B2)

I prepped for almost 2 months for this exam. And for listening and reading I just did as many practice tests as I could, like 4 per day in the last like two weeks. The main part of why I honestly passed was because I got used to the formation of the questions and tried to focus more on doing very well on the C1 / C2 questions.

For writing, everyday I consistently practiced the 3 tasks (Tache 1, Tache 2, Tache 3) over and over until I had a structure I could repeat. Speaking was honestly the hardest to prep for since you need someone to practice with.

Happy to answer questions if anyone's preparing for it and best of luck to all new and prospective French learners! 🙏

My brother is working in Canada on PR, and I’m planning to move there as well within the next year.

Since French is a game changer, I’m starting from absolute beginner level (A0) and my goal is to reach B2 within 9–12 months.

I’d really appreciate guidance from people who’ve actually gone through this process. How should I structure my learning from A0 to B2?

What resources, courses, routines, or strategies worked best for you?

Also open to hearing realistic expectations, mistakes to avoid, and how many hours a day I should ideally dedicate.

a month out from my TCF exam date i still couldn't answer "parlez-moi de votre dernier voyage" without freezing up. over my 18 months of studying (anyone who says you can do it in 6 months is probably lying), speaking was by far the hardest section and where i spent the most time in the final months.

to pay it forward to everyone on this sub who helped me get through the tough days, here is a breakdown of every resource I used and what techniques worked best:

Anki 10/10 - non-negotiable. i built decks by TCF theme: immigration, transport, housing, work, food, neighborhood, technology, travel, parks. those exact topics show up over and over on both writing and speaking sections.

Réussir-TCF Canada 10/10 - THE single most useful thing i paid for. did all CO + CE mock tests in the 6 weeks before the exam. several questions on the real test were near-direct repeats.

InnerFrench 10/10 - Hugo's podcast carried my listening from A2 to B1. the progression that worked: Little Talk in Slow French → InnerFrench → 8 Milliards de Voisins on RFI once i could handle B2. the RFI topics ARE the exam (society, immigration, politics, work-life).

Italki 9/10 - 2x per week for the last 6 weeks. filter for "TCF Canada" specifically when you book because generic conversation tutors won't drill the exam format. mine made me record myself between sessions which i hated but needed. her best tip was: max out tâche 1 + 2 with clear answers and no overreach (you can hit 8-9/10 on those), then keep tâche 3 simple - clear arguments, basic vocab, no fancy phrasing. that combo gets you to B2 without needing to sound C1.

Boraspeak 8/10 - used for additional speaking practice 15-30 min after work most days, mostly rambling about my day and running through tâche 2 and 3 prompts out loud. cheaper than daily tutoring and i found the conversations to be a bit more natural than chatgpt and gemini.

TV5Monde 8/10 - free TCF practice across all four sections. the interface feels like 2008 but the content is solid and there's literally nothing to pay for. start here before paying for Réussir.

Kwiziq 8/10 - the only grammar tool that doesn't feel like punishment. their free lawlessfrench partner site is almost as good if you don't want to pay. for CLB 7 you really only need présent, passé composé, imparfait, futur proche, and futur simple. drop one subjonctif in tâche 3 speaking for the grammatical range bump.

ChatGPT 5/10 - tried voice mode for daily speaking and gave up. it's fine for writing or grammar corrections, but just don't trust its CEFR grading. it lowballed me as B1 right up until exam day.

Duolingo 2/10 - i had a 235 day streak early on, but it creates the illusion of progress. don't waste your time.

what i'd do differently: start Réussir mocks at month 1 of TCF prep instead of month 3, and skip duolingo entirely.

i also took a full week completely off halfway through because i was completely fried. burnout is real, plan for it.

got my results last week - NCLC 7 across the board. honestly more than half of that was knowing how to take the test, my conversational french is still high B1 at best.

hope this helps, happy to answer any questions 😊

Course is in english i confirmed twice, but i'll be there for a month. groceries, ordering food at restaurants, metro, weekend trips to lyon maybe. so daily interactions with strangers outside the course. A few questions:

1/ is the "parisians hate you if you dont try french" thing actually real or is it reddit folklore.

2/ how much french can you realistically pick up in 3-4 weeks? i did it back in middle school but not practised since. recently started airlearn 15 mins a day, can do greetings, basic food stuff now but no clue if that scales

3/ survival phrases i absolutely need beyond hello/thanks/bathroom. like the actual stuff that comes up at a pharmacy or boulangerie

4/ is using google translate openly rude

im not trying to become fluent. just dont want to be that guy who only points and smiles for 4 weeks straight.

merci in advance!

Hi i applied to e deuf program in lyon and they accepted me in the firsts phase. They told me im going to get a placement test but im kinda nervous since i dont know any french (which is why i applied for the A1 course). Can you guys tell me how much french do i need to know to be placed at A1?

Every day I see posts like “Passed TEF with NCLC 9 in 4 months” and while those stories are motivating, they rarely show the full reality behind the timeline.

Some people have full-time study schedules, savings, private tutors, or prior exposure to French. Others are learning after 10-hour shifts, while checking IRCC updates, worrying about expiring permits, rent, and family responsibilities.

Those are not the same conditions.

As someone teaching French and working closely with immigrants, I realized many learners don’t just need grammar explanations. They need flexibility, practical exercises, and something that adapts to their schedule and level without making the process feel overwhelming.

That’s why I built French with Kunal — an AI-powered French learning platform focused on practical learning, TEF/TCF preparation, grammar, vocabulary, interactive exercises, and dynamic activities generated in real time.

The idea was simple:

study anytime practice interactively reduce the stress of “what should I study next?” make French learning more accessible for busy learners

You can generate exercises instantly based on grammar topics, practice translations, work on listening and comprehension, and much more.

Still improving it every week, but I hope it genuinely helps people who are trying to build a future while learning French at the same time.

> > >French with Kunal

Hi! I’ve been living in France for almost 2 years now. Last year, I took around 2.5 months of face-to-face French classes, but after that I stopped studying for a few months. I only recently got back into learning French again this May, and right now I’m mostly self-studying.

I just wanted to ask if you guys have any tips or tricks that made learning French easier for you? I’ve been taking notes and studying regularly, but I still find it really hard to speak French and construct my own sentences naturally.

I honestly don’t even know my level — maybe A1? I can understand some conversations through keywords, but I get lost pretty quickly after that. I understand things much better when they’re written rather than spoken.

I also feel a bit pressured lately because someone I know became fluent in less than 3 years, and I can’t help but feel pressured by that sometimes.

Would really appreciate any advice or study methods that helped you improve your French. Thank you!

Edit: I’m married to a French citizen. We live in the countryside, so I rarely get to interact with other people around our area, which probably makes practicing harder. My husband also tries his best to speak French with me and help me practice.

I know a word for silver in French is argent but that it also is used as a noun for money. Is there a better more direct word for silver or is argent the more natural word if I was saying “silver ring”

Anyone Here Preparing for TCF/TEF Canada?

I’ve been learning French for quite some time now and I know how difficult the beginner stage can feel. So I created a small WhatsApp study group for people preparing for TCF/TEF and Canada PR.

The goal is to help beginners with:

• French basics

• Study resources

• Motivation & consistency

• TCF/TEF preparation support

It’s a friendly learning community where people can improve together step by step.

Feel free to comment or message me if you’d like to join :)

pretty much the title. i love talking to all sorts of people i think of myself as a fun person. but my french is very bad (i would say A2/B1?), im in france as an international student! feel free to message me! it could be an exhausted where i can help you with english as well.

if this post here is not appropriate, please tell me where to post as im quite new to reddit. also suggestions for apps are welcome as i used to be active on an app called simply so maybe something similar is there for languages.

he made a whole ass song for me omg and i listened to it and HE SAYS MY NAME MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THE SONG but bcuz of the backing track i cant understand whatever hes saying. i asked what the lyrics mean and he keeps avoiding the question. i tried isolating his voice on capcut and doing auto billungual captions but it doesnt work...are there any other softwares i can use (free pls) to translate this? or maybe one of yall can help me ?