As a French teacher, one question I am often asked is what learning package is the best for adults or teens wishing to learn French from home. Long ago I set out to find the answer to this question, and one thing really surprised me when I did. There are too many French learning packages out there that simply aren't good enough. 

When you look at the tools available on the web, you'll find software, books, flash-card programs, and more. Sorting through them all is difficult, and choosing one can be even more intimidating. Before we get to my thoughts on any French programs let's first talk about what a French learning package is and isn't.

First, a digital learning package is NOT the only thing you need to master French. You also need to take the time to read French publications, to speak to French-speaking individuals, and to make learning (and speaking) French a part of your daily life. I can't stress how important this is to speed up the learning process.

Second, NOT everyone needs a French learning package. In fact, if you aren't dedicated to learning the language you likely won't learn anyway. Learning French isn't hard if you apply yourself, but you need to make the decision right now that you are going to spend some time each day learning. 

Third, a French learning program, IS the simplest way to get started with the language. It will also cost much less (and take less time) than taking beginners lessons from a community college. The best learning packages can take you right from beginner to advanced French. 

Fourth, if don't take the time to choose the right learning package you will only make learning French harder. This is actually the number one reason people don't follow through with their plan to master the language. Too many of the tools out there are really just a waste of money. 

If you've been thinking of learning French then you'll be pleased to hear that, along with some of my colleagues, we took the time to evaluate the top five French learning packages available today. We based our evaluations on the following criteria. 

• Level of French Learning - A good French program should cover everything right from beginning levels up to having basic conversations with native French speakers. 
• Amount of Content - The amount of learning material included in the package
• Teaching Techniques - Many people retain information better when taught with different methods. A good French program should use a variety of methods for teaching/retention. 
• Follow Up Material - Beyond the basic course is there more material available to take your learning further?
• Additional Content (Fun Factor) - A good learning package should be fun to use. The best programs we evaluated included games that increased retention and made learning fun. 
• Basic Language Skills - Does the program give enough content (and teach it fast enough) that the learner could grasp a basic conversation after using the program for a while. 
• Reading/Writing Skills - Along with speaking does the program teach language/grammar for reading and writing French?

With our evaluations we actually took two steps. First we evaluated the programs as teachers. We looked at them from the point of view of - would they be able to teach our students what we taught them. The next step I took was to actually bring the programs into my adult learning classes. I had my adult students use the programs at home for a period of time and then gave a basic test to see what they had learned and retained.