Reading books is essential if you want to learn a new language, and French is no exception. Especially well-known French language comic books like Asterix and those by the Belgian journalist Tintin can be a very helpful first read for beginners. Titles translated to French from English and vice versa, like "Harry Potter" or "The Little Prince," will allow you focus more on language structure and less on trying to figure out the story, if you have already read them in English. Furthermore, if you own both versions, you can compare the grammar and sentence structure on specific parts. You can find and order French books of all genres at French-Bookworld.com (see Resources).
Watching French movies will enhance your listening comprehension ability, as well as help you understand and try to imitate the accent. As in books, movies should be chosen according to your language level, while if you are a parent making a choice for your kids, make sure to check the film's classification first. Turn off the subtitles to see if you can understand the movie's story, then watch the film again with the subtitles on to compare what you hear in French with what you read in English. This would be a great help if you're looking for the meaning of a specific word or phrase. See Resources for a selection of several popular French movies.
For children and adults alike, learning a language via games is both effective and fun. There is a variety of websites offering French language lessons and games, such as Digital Dialects (see Resources). Most of them are are free of charge and even contain audio files of basic phrases to help you develop listening and speaking skills. Be careful not to neglect the other learning sources; instead, combine them to get a more complete picture of the French language.
Practicing your writing skills is imperative during the process of learning the French language, and there is no better way to do that than to communicate with native speakers. Chat rooms like the ICQ's French Room (see Resources) will put you in contact with native speakers and help you practice your writing. Native speakers will help you learn more effectively about French slang, as well as their culture. It's a chance to learn how to communicate in French while making new friends in the process.