There's a high chance that if you're reading this post, you have the goal of learning French. We get that! Who wouldn't want to learn the language of love? Elle est belle la vie en France... Everything sounds more glamorous in French, it seems.
The good news is that watching French TV shows is an engaging and effective way to go about reaching your desired outcome as well as an accessible way to learn languages online.
Can You Learn French By Watching French TV Shows?
Yes, watching French TV shows is an effective way to learn the language through comprehensible input, a concept from linguist Stephen Krashen's theory. Krashen argued that we acquire language best by understanding messages or receiving input that is just a little beyond our current level. French shows provide this type of optimal input through:
- Contextualized language use in authentic situations
- Natural speech at a native pace with proper accents
- Exposure to diverse vocab and grammar in use
- Multimedia support with visual cues aiding comprehension
By watching engaging French shows you enjoy, you absorb the language incidentally through plotlines, dialogues, and cultural cues without strained study. This aligns with Krashen's hypothesis that acquisition happens naturally by focusing on meaning rather than form.
French Shows On Netflix To Learn French
Learning French through immersion is one of the most effective ways to improve your language skills. By watching French shows on Netflix and other streaming services, you enhance your listening comprehension and gain valuable insights into French society, culture, and French slang used by native speakers.
So without further ado, let's take a look at who made our list!
1. The Hook Up Plan (Plan Coeur)
Elsa has been single for two years now... Why? Well, she can't seem to get over her ex. That's why one of her friends, Charlotte, comes up with an unconventional plan to help her move on! She secretly hires a male escort to sweep Elsa off her feet. Oh la la!
Set in gorgeous Paris, The Hook Up Plan is a funny, dreamy, and romantic comedy series, which is everything you need to dive into the themes of friendship, love, and how to navigate dating.
This lighthearted show is an excellent way to immerse yourself in authentic French conversation. The relatable storyline and amusing dialogues are filled with natural, everyday expressions and slang used by native speakers.
More importantly, watching the main characters navigate common social situations provides valuable context to pick up vocabulary and idiomatic phrases used in real life.
If you're looking for an entertaining yet educational way to learn French, make sure to give The Hook Up Plan a watch.
2. Lupin
Let yourself be sucked in by this mystery thriller that'll have you glued to your screen from beginning to end. This French TV series will make you feel like you're roaming the streets of Paris itself.
Lupin is a classic French story that offers a new take on the character of Arsène Lupin, the master thief created by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s. Fast forward to a contemporary setting and learn French by watching Assane Diop, the son of a Senegalese immigrant, who is inspired by Lupin and sets out to avenge his father.
As a language learner, the gripping plotline and fast-paced dialogue in Lupin provide an engaging opportunity to improve your listening comprehension skills. The show tackles complex themes like social inequalities and race issues debated in France today, exposing you to rich vocabulary and nuanced language used to discuss such topics.
With scenes set across iconic Parisian locations, you'll also pick up accents and expressions typical of the city. Lupin's clever writing and suspenseful storytelling will keep you hooked while naturally absorbing French in context.
3. Chef's Table: France
It's widely known that cuisine is one of the defining aspects of French culture. Who has never been delighted over an exquisite croque monsieur or coq au vin? It sparks up an appetite just thinking about it.
Part of the well-known Chef's Table series, the French version of this awarded documentary series will make your mouth water. However, it won't just serve up the traditional dishes you might be used to. You'll learn about these top French chefs' lives and unique perspectives, going deeper into what moves them emotionally about the art of cooking.
For French language learners, Chef's Table: France offers an immersive experience of the culinary world through rich descriptions and conversations around food. As the chefs artfully explain their creative processes and philosophies, you'll be exposed to a wide range of vocabulary related to cooking techniques, ingredients, and the sensory experiences of taste and smell.
The show also provides insight into the passion and poetry that goes into French gastronomy, introducing you to
4. The Bonfire of Destiny (Le Bazar de la Charité)
Learn French by becoming immersed in the Belle Époque. Le Bazar de la Charité will have you traveling to a distant France.
Set in 1897 and centered around a real fire that broke out at an annual charity event for the Parisian aristocracy, Le Bazar de la Charité is a fictionalized version of this story that follows the lives of three women who attended the event but came out alive.
These three women, Adrienne, Alice, and Rose are now willing to put everything at risk to protect their loved ones.
As a French learner, this well-crafted period drama provides an enriching language experience. The dialogue transports you to 19th-century France, exposing you to vocabulary, expressions, and courtesies of the era. You'll pick up on the nuances of aristocratic speech and etiquette.
Moreover, the intense plotline centered around a historical tragedy allows you to learn descriptive terms and vocabulary for expressing fear, loss, and resilience.
Despite being a little soapy, Le Bazar de la Charité serves as an engaging avenue to absorb French while gaining cultural insights into a pivotal moment in the French history.
5. Standing Up (Drôle)
Get ready for some heartfelt laughter! Standing Up is a hilarious French Netflix comedy series that portrays the contemporary reality of Paris.
It's fast-paced and upbeat and the soundtrack is amusing, to say the least. We would say this French TV show is the definition of a good time.
The plot surrounds four friends who are trying to make it in the world of stand-up comedy. Gathering at the Drôle comedy club, they navigate a messy but funny world whilst we have the pleasure of watching them.
For French learners, Standing Up offers an entertaining immersion into modern conversational French and slang. The rapid-fire comedic dialogue and storytelling from the aspiring stand-up comics exposes you to current idioms, witty wordplay, and humorous expressions used by younger Parisians.
As you follow the friends' journeys and comedic exploits, you'll pick up vocabulary for describing personalities, relationships, and the pursuit of creative careers. The show's upbeat vibe and plotlines centered around dating, dreams, and the Paris nightlife scene also make for an engaging way to build listening skills while getting exposed to authentic French culture and comedy.
6. Family Business
Out of all the Netflix shows on this list, Family Business might be thought of as the most unconventional of all of them.
This original Netflix comedy series centers on Joseph, who longs to find an alternative to continuing his family's kosher butcher shop business. After having little success in launching an app, he learns that France is about to legalize marihuana.
You've guessed it... This surprisingly open-minded family ends up transforming their butcher shop into the first coffee shop in France.
For French language learners, Family Business offers a hilarious and offbeat way to build listening skills. The witty, fast-paced dialogue exposes you to modern slang, idioms, and comedic wordplay used by native speakers.
As the quirky plot unfolds, you'll pick up vocabulary related to business, family dynamics, and the evolving cannabis industry in France. The show also provides cultural insights into contemporary French society's changing attitudes.
With storylines involving generational conflicts, entrepreneurship, and an unconventional take on a family business, Family Business serves up laughs while naturally immersing you in real-world French conversation.
7. A Very Secret Service (Au Service de la France)
A Very Secret Service is a comedy-drama French TV series set in France during the Cold War. It accompanies André Merlaux as he is recruited by the French secret services and has to protect the interests of France during this emblematic time.
Real events of the Cold War are woven into the plot gracefully and the show uses top-notch writing and intelligent humor along the way.
Considered by much of its audience to be hilarious and engaging, A Very Secret Service employs a very French outlook while taking you on a journey through the 1960s.
For French learners, this series provides an entertaining gateway into idiomatic expressions, historical vocabulary, and the dry, satirical humor characteristic of French comedy.
As you follow André's exploits as a spy, you'll pick up phrases related to espionage, geopolitics, and the Cold War era. The well-written dialogue is rich with wordplay, subtle nuances, and cultural references that expose you to authentic French speech.
Additionally, being set in the 1960s allows you to absorb vintage slang and tinges of period language. With its intelligent writing and farcical plotlines, A Very Secret Service makes for an engaging and uniquely French language learning experience.
8. Call My Agent! (Dix Pour Cent)
For an authentic glimpse into the world of French cinema and entertainment, look no further than Call My Agent! This clever comedy-drama series follows the staff at a Parisian talent agency juggling demanding celebrities and career crises.
What makes it so valuable for French learners is the show's wonderfully naturalistic dialogue across different social circles. You'll hear casual workplace banter between the agents, but also the formal speech of high-profile stars and directors. Real French actors make cameo appearances playing satirized versions of themselves, allowing you to study how the elite speak.
Call My Agent! doesn't just offer showbiz vocabulary, it's also rich in quintessentially French humor - wordplay, dry wit, and cultural references provide fantastic examples of idiomatic speech. Storylines touching on art, work-life balance, and loyalty expose you to a range of expressions on these topics.
With its smart writing, famous cameos, and an engaging inside look at filmmaking in Paris, this series immerses you in the language and culture of the French entertainment industry. It's an entertaining and insightful way for learners to absorb authentic French conversation.
9. La Mante
With its twisting storyline and high stakes, La Mante exposes viewers to rich vocabulary around investigative procedures, criminology, and psychological profiling. You'll pick up terms related to forensics, witness questioning, and the intricacies of hunting a calculating murderer.
But it's not just subject-specific jargon - the show's tense confrontations and dramatic reveals allow you to study how native speakers express fear, doubt, and moral conflict. The characters' probing dialogue offers a linguistic masterclass in verbal fencing and deception.
Beyond its thrilling plot, La Mante provides insights into contemporary French society, law enforcement culture, and the country's corrections system through realistic backdrops and character interactions.
10. The Adventures of Tintin (Les Aventures de Tintin)
For French learners, Tintin offers a entertaining and accessible way to build listening comprehension skills. The straightforward storytelling and dialogue allow you to follow the adventures without getting bogged down, while still exposing you to authentic speech patterns.
As Tintin globetrots, you'll pick up geographical vocabulary as well as terms related to mystery, exploration, and danger. The comedic banter between Tintin and his companions like Captain Haddock provides examples of witty repartee.
Beyond linguistic benefits, experiencing this renowned franchise imparts cultural lessons too. You'll gain insights into the beloved Belgian comic's influence on generations of French readers and iconic status in the canon of bandes dessinées.
11. The Forest (La Fôret)
Let yourself be captivated by this engaging six-episode miniseries that offers you crime drama spoken in French at some of its best.
La Forêt revolves around the disappearance of a teenage girl in a forest nearby Ardennes, a small town in Belgium. As the police begin to look for her with the help of a concerned teacher, this unlikely team uncovers some unsettling small-town secrets.
For French learners, La Forêt provides valuable exposure to authentic conversational patterns and vocabulary used by investigators, witnesses, and rural townspeople. You'll pick up terms related to police procedures, search efforts, and the interrogation of suspects through the tense, naturalistic interactions.
But the show goes beyond just crime terminology. The probing dialogue between characters allows you to study how native speakers express fear, mistrust, and moral ambiguity. Navigating the tangled web of lies and deception offers a masterclass in verbal fencing.
With its moody cinematography and slow-burning mystery set against the ominous backdrop of the Ardennes forest, La Forêt creates an immersive environment for learning. The believable characters and their murky motivations keep you hooked while absorbing regional accents and speech patterns.
12. Nailed It, France (C'est du Gâteau)
Nailed It, France (C'est du Gâteau) serves up an entertaining way for French learners to build vocabulary around cooking and baking. In this reality competition show, amateur bakers attempt to recreate elaborate desserts well beyond their skill level, leading to hilarious failures.
As the contestants struggle through complex recipes, you'll naturally pick up French terms for ingredients, utensils, and baking techniques. The judges' critiques provide great examples of descriptive language evaluating taste, texture, and presentation.
Beyond culinary vocabulary, the show exposes you to casual, conversational French as the relatable contestants joke about their baking disasters. With its funny, relatable premise, Nailed It offers an immersive way to learn cooking-related words and expressions while enjoying the comedy of unqualified bakers in over their heads.
13. Marseille
Marseille offers an immersive look into the worlds of French politics and crime through its gritty portrayal of power struggles in the city of Marseille. Starring Gérard Depardieu as the city's mayor, the show exposes viewers to vocabulary surrounding government, elections, corruption scandals, and the city's seedy underworld.
You'll pick up terms and phrases related to bureaucracy, local governance, and the machinations of political campaigns and rivalries. Storylines dealing with criminal enterprises introduce vocabulary around organized crime activities like drug trafficking, money laundering, and gang violence.
Beyond subject-specific terminology, the show's dramatic confrontations between characters allow you to study how native speakers express ambition, moral conflicts, threats, and shifting alliances through dialogue.
14. The Chalet (Le Chalet)
Set against the atmospheric backdrop of the French Alps, Le Chalet immerses viewers in suspenseful French dialogue. This gripping thriller follows a group of childhood friends whose reunion at a remote chalet takes a dark turn after a secret from their past is revealed.
As the danger escalates, you'll pick up vocabulary related to mystery, deception, and psychological tension through the terse, probing conversations between the characters. Their shifting motivations and suspicions provide examples of how to express doubt, fear, and moral ambiguity.
Beyond the crime drama jargon, the alpine setting allows you to learn words and phrases describing rugged mountain landscapes, winter activities like skiing, and the isolation of the chalet's environs.
How To Learn French With TV
We've outlined a few helpful steps to guide you in improving your French language skills, which you can also use to learn other foreign languages.
1. Choose a TV show that you're interested in
One of the perks of learning French by watching TV shows is that it makes language learning enjoyable and fun.
After all, what would be the point of watching a French Netflix show if you weren't interested in it? Pick a show that you'll be eager to watch and make your journey towards speaking French the smoothest possible.
2. Watch the show consistently
If you follow step one, this shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Consistency is key when it comes to learning French, or any other language.
Nonetheless, it'll take consistent exposure to reach fluency.
3. Start with English subtitles
If you're a beginner, start by watching the French Netflix shows of your choice with English subtitles. That'll help you follow the plot without getting lost while still getting used to the French language and its phonetics.
On the Lingopie platform, you'll find interactive subtitles that will assist you even further in learning French. You'll have access to features such as on-screen transcription, exercises to practice your pronunciation in real-time whenever you come across a word you think might be useful or even changes in the speed of dialogue.
So, if you're looking to be even more proactive as you watch French shows, step it up and give Lingopie a try.
4. Make note of new words and expressions
Make sure you don't forget to write down new vocabulary as it comes up. This exercise will help you make your learning active rather than solely passive, which means you'll be truly optimizing your learning.
5. Move on to French subtitles
Lastly, try a few episodes with French subtitles only. In doing so, you'll be practicing your reading and writing skills since you'll be matching the sounds to their written equivalents.
However, if you're not there yet but would still like to take the next step, check out the dual subtitles feature on Lingopie, whereby you'll see both the English version and the French version of the subtitles on-screen at once. That way you can benefit from reading both at the same time.
Eventually, you'll be able to let go of subtitles altogether. Imagine that!
Get started: Learn by Watching French TV Shows
Today we've given all of you dedicated French learners and enthusiasts a list of the 14 best TV series on Netflix that will support you as you learn French.
Choose the French TV shows that intrigue you the most and join a community of French speakers who learned French online by binge-watching Netflix shows.
Watching French TV shows will help boost your listening comprehension, as well as other linguistic skills. Make use of the simple steps we've laid out and take your language practice to the next level.
With a free trial on Lingopie, you'll gain access to even more French TV series to learn French and incredible features to optimize your language learning.
Et voilà... You don't have to move to France to learn French!
