Visit the French section of the BBC languages site (see Resources 1). The site offers a free 12-week beginner's course, as well as various resources for further learning, including French slang. Another option is to log on to the IE Languages' French page (see Resources 2) for a series of seven French tutorials, including extensive vocabulary lists, listening exercises and common expressions-also for free.
Participate in a free online language exchange by logging on to the My Language Exchange website and going to the search function to provide information about your language needs (see Resources 3). The site will match you with a French speaker who is looking to improve his/her English skills. Language exchanges are available via email, text or voice chat. Half the language exchange session is conducted in English and the other half is conducted in French.
Listen to French radio as often as possible, preferably daily. Regularly listening to French radio will continue to familiarize you with the sounds of the language and keep it fresh in your mind. After each session with your conversation partner, log on to French radio and listen for at least 15 minutes. Access French radio stations online by logging on to the Multilingual Books' French radio page (see Resources 4).
Read French newspaper and magazine articles by logging onto popular news sites such as Lemonde.fr and Lexpress.fr. Read articles immediately after listening to French radio and you will likely come upon similar stories, which will further reinforce your vocabulary and familiarize you with the written components of the words you heard on the radio.
Watch French news by logging on to the France 2 website (see Resources 5). In addition to reinforcing your vocabulary, watching French news will immerse you in current events in France and in other French-speaking countries, which will increase your cultural knowledge.
Log on to wordreference.com to translate unfamiliar French words you come across during your studies. In addition to the English translation of a French word, the site also lists helpful idiomatic expressions, enabling you to familiarize yourself with the same word in different contexts.
Log on to test-my-french.com after several months of study for a comprehensive test of your written, reading and oral comprehension skills. Conducted entirely in French, the test is best taken once you have attained either an intermediate or advanced-level knowledge of the language.