I’ve been learning French for a while now, and I want to share my journey of learning French with you right from the very beginning.
1. The University of “YouTube”
When I was living in the US, there weren’t many French language schools nearby. Naturally, I turned to YouTube and followed several language channels. I picked up basic pronunciation rules, learned common phrases, and even put together a handy cheat sheet. I honestly thought that once I mastered those basics, I’d be able to handle everyday conversations.
But reality hit during my trip to France. The moment I actually needed to ask for help in French, my mind went completely blank. I couldn’t recall a single word. To save myself from total embarrassment, I muttered a quick “bonjour” and immediately switched right back to English.
2. French Language School
After arriving in France, I enrolled in a French language school for four months. On my very first day, I had a massive reality check: I was at absolute level zero. I didn’t even know what the word “conjugation” actually meant!
The classes moved at a breakneck pace. Even though I was dedicated 100% full-time to my studies, I still barely managed to use French in my daily life. I felt completely lost in a whirlwind of pronunciation, word genders, and verb conjugations.
3. Practicing with Locals
I’ve always heard that the best way to master a language is to speak with locals. After class, I’d go into shops and force myself to ask for things, even if I didn’t actually need to buy anything. I would carefully prepare what I wanted to say, but when the shopkeepers replied in natural French, I simply couldn’t understand them.
I also tried language exchange meetups. However, when I asked people if we could practice together regularly, they either made excuses to decline—probably because it felt like too big a commitment—or charged €15-100 for a session (30 min ~ 1 hour).
4. Practicing with Apps and AI
Following some advice from the meetups, I tried standard language apps like Duolingo. While it was easy to use, the material felt rigid and I got bored quickly. Next, I turned to AI-powered language apps like Talkpal, Speak, and Langua. They offered free-style conversation, but having to press a button every time I wanted to speak felt cumbersome.
When ChatGPT and Grok introduced their voice modes, I was eager to try them. I loved the hands-free experience—no more pressing buttons! However, because they aren’t specifically designed for language learning, the AI tended to use overly complex expressions that were way too advanced for a beginner.
5. Developing My Own AI Practice Partner
After all this effort, I still couldn’t speak as freely as I wanted to. That’s when I realized I needed to build my own app to solve this problem.
Here is my vision for it:
- A Partner, Not a Teacher: I can learn grammar from books or YouTube. I don’t need a strict teacher; What I need is an affordable tutor and a practice partner.
- Hands-Free: It should be entirely hands-free, just like a real conversation. I can interrupt the AI or change the subject at any time.
- Practice Only: It isn’t a full-scale curriculum app like Duolingo or TalkPal. Built specifically for English speakers, it focuses 100% on conversational practice. No fixed lessons, no tedious sign-up, I can log in and start practicing immediately.
- Pronunciation Feedback: It doesn’t test pronunciation on fixed sentences like other apps. It should allow me to say anything, let me know if I was understood, and gently correct my pronunciation.
- Building “Muscle Memory”: This isn’t just another open-ended conversation app like ChatGPT or Grok. Instead, it focuses on targeted dynamic exercises to build “muscle memory”, so I can eventually speak without thinking.
The app is Parlez. I’m using it every day now, and plan to use it until I reach B2 level.