Business French learning tools 🛠 you absolutely need

Ok peeps, now that you know exactly how to learn business French and what are your top five priorities, it’s time to take a closer look at the Business French learning tools you’ll learn.
 
Are you sure the tools you are using to learn French are ACTUALLY helping your BUSINESS FRENCH?
 
As a business English teacher, introducing the right tools to my students made a huge difference in their learning process.
 
Learning with the wrong tool generally equals frustration and, in the long run, is not going to help you keep up.
 
Worse, it could actually be the reason why you’re not making any progress.
 
So without further ado, I’m going to show you which tools I personally use and recommend if you are learning business French.

My go-to online business French learning tools

Online tools are the best.. I mean.. Instant answer!
 
Don’t pretend, I know you like them too 😉 
 
But well, some apps and websites can be a bit… well dumb or too complicated.. Bref, they’re never the perfect fit.
 
So here are the apps and websites I recommend you keep on hand.

You'll need a good dictionary, or two: WordReference and Linguee

One excellent online dictionary is essential to your learning, but it is even more the case for learning business French.
 
Remember when I was rambling about how you need specific vocabulary? Well, those two websites are the main business French learning tools you are going to use.
 
WordReference is THE dictionary I recommend to anyone learning French. And for two good reasons. It is very accurate and very detailed.
 
But, as accurate and detailed WordReference is, it sometimes isn’t perfect, especially for technical vocabulary.
 
I had a hard time finding specific vocabulary related to industrial locks for example.
 
When it was the case, I’ve always ended up finding the right translations on Linguee.
 
So keep Linguee under your hat, it will be helpful if you are struggling with technical vocabulary.
 
Both have app versions 😊

Next, you'll need something to learn business French vocabulary

One website I strongly recommend (and again, it’s an app too), is Memrise.
 
For two main reasons :
 
  • First, it’ll provide you with ONE place where you find lists of vocabulary already made for you. So that’s good for general business vocabulary.
 
  • Second, and that’s why Memrise is SSOOOO amazing, you can create your own courses.
 
That means, once you found out the words you need with Linguee and WordReference, you can create a course with all the vocabulary you need to learn! 
 
So when you open the app and start working on your French vocabulary, you are SURE not to waste your time.
 
And you know what’s even more amazing? It’s FREE.
 
So go and check it out now.
 
 
With those two tools, you’re already set up to learn A LOT. Although, you have to make sure to keep using them, and to update you vocabulary regularly. Ok?
Let’s move on to another online ‘tool’ I recommend, especially if you are struggling with conversational and pronunciation.

Optional online tool: ITALKI

I’m pretty sure some of you feel like a failure if they need a teacher.
 
Let me get this straight. IT’S NOT!
 
You wouldn’t expect someone to play the guitar perfectly if they never touched one before, or someone to run a marathon if they didn’t train. Right?
 
To better your French, you need to talk at some point. You cannot expect to have a flawless conversation in French if it’s the first time you actually speak.
 
You can do plenty on your own, but I advise you to take a French conversation lesson from time to time. With a native, if possible.
 
On Italki, those kind of lessons are VERY affordable. 

Don't forget about everything else

Learning with apps and websites is nice. But it shouldn’t be the ONLY thing you’re doing.
 
Mix it up.
 
I advice you to get your hands on a few other resources that you will use as business French learning tools.

Get yourself some business books

Reading, for example. is powerful for learning. So you should have books around you in French or about French.
 
In my article on the process of learning business French, we talked about the resources you need. And I mentioned Business books.
 
My favourite book to have on hand to translate general technical business words (things related to economics, finance, sales, managing…) is the French version of the Personal MBA.
 
Why a translated book? Because most of you are going to use your French business skills in an English speaking country. So there is English terms which you will need to translate.
 
Like Guiding Structure, Loss Aversion, Pricing Uncertainty Principle,…
 
And here’s where The Personal MBA comes in. It’s basically a guide to all the business related terms and concepts, so if you have the French version, you can be SURE to have the right term for the right concept.

BECOME A CONFIDENT FRENCH LEARNER

In the 6-day course, you'll :
- discover how to truly commit to learning French,
- learn why immersion might not work as you expect,
- access hand-picked resources for accelerated learning,
- and master strategies to tackle and overcome common hurdles

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top