An app for French you can actually use
French course online: the French France and Canada now ask for
Since 2026 France asks for A2 for a multi-year card, B1 for a resident card and B2 for citizenship, and Canada rewards NCLC 7. This course drills whole sentences with audio on every one, so the French you study becomes French you can say.
Most people who need French for a residence card or for Express Entry run into the same gap. They can recognise a lot: a word list goes fine, a reading exercise goes fine. Then a test asks them to write 200 words or speak for ten minutes, or the person at the préfecture asks a question they didn't expect, and the words aren't there.
That gap closes with sentences you can produce without thinking, not with more recognition. This course is built to give you those, and to be honest about what it doesn't do: we aren't an exam centre and we don't grade essays.
Not sure which level you need? Our guides explain it from the official texts: the examen civique and the French levels for a residence card, and NCLC 7 French for Express Entry.
How it works
Audio on every sentence
Every card is read aloud, so your ear learns French at real speed from day one instead of meeting it for the first time in the listening test.
Spaced repetition
Reviews come back right before you would forget. Gender, articles and verb endings stop being decisions and become reflex.
Create with AI
Add the French your own life needs: your job, your letters from the CAF, your child's school. The AI builds sentences, context and audio around your own words.
Language Radio
French radio plays in the background while you commute or cook. Free listening hours are the cheapest thing you can give your ear.
Who is it for
- You live in France and need A2 or B1 for your carte de séjour, plus the French to read the examen civique questions.
- You are aiming for Canadian permanent residence and need NCLC 7 in all four skills.
- You understand written French but freeze when somebody speaks to you at normal speed.
- You are starting from zero and want one path from the first words to fluent French.
Method & curriculum
The course runs on the Core collections: six units, Core #1 to #6, taking you from absolute beginner to C2 along one continuous path, with English as the language you learn from.
The rhythm is word to phrase to sentence. A new word comes back inside a phrase, then inside full sentences, questions and negations, until it holds. Each unit builds on the one before, so hard constructions arrive in small doses inside material you already understand.
For life in France there are topic collections on top: first steps and paperwork, the préfecture and your residence card, the doctor and the pharmacy, your child at the crèche and school, letters from the CAF and the tax office, and talking about yourself at A1–A2 level. They are available with English, Polish, Russian and Ukrainian as the language you learn from.
What users say
Over 24,000 people forge a language with Taalhammer.
As a polyglot I tested all the other tools like Anki, Quizlet, and Memrise. But Taalhammer is in a league of its own. — Martin
Frequently asked questions
Will this prepare me for the TCF, the TEF or the examen civique?
It builds the French those tests measure, from A1 upwards, with the stress on producing sentences rather than recognising them. We are not an exam centre, we do not run mock exams and we do not grade writing or speaking. For the final weeks before a TEF or TCF, add a tutor who can mark your essays; for the civic facts, use the free official question lists from the French Ministry of the Interior.
Which level do I need?
In France: A2 for a first multi-year residence card, B1 for a resident card, B2 for naturalisation. In Canada, Express Entry asks for NCLC 7 in all four skills for its French draws, which sits between a strong B1 and an early B2. Our guides on the examen civique and on NCLC 7 French explain both from the official texts.
Is it French from France or from Quebec?
The Core units teach standard French as written and spoken in France, which is also what TEF Canada and TCF Canada test. Quebec French is not covered separately.
I can read French but I cannot follow speech. Does that help?
That is the most common shape of the problem, and it is a listening deficit rather than a grammar one. Every sentence in the course is voiced, and Language Radio adds passive hours on top.
How much time does it take per day?
Ten to fifteen focused minutes with well-scheduled reviews beats an hour of passive study once a week. If you have a test date, more is better: from zero to B1 is several hundred hours, whatever method you use.
Is it free?
You start free and test the method. Full access to all levels and collections is paid, see the pricing page.