I passed the DELF B1 in 5 months. My tips

Although I wasn’t starting from scratch – having done an A2 summer course two years ago – I picked it up again in January and studied entirely on my own. I’ll start by outlining my progress in case it’s useful to you as advice.

Grammar: I used the grammar book *Grammaire progressive du français A2-B1* and took notes in a notebook. I studied these and did some exercises on the lessons I found most difficult. Alongside this, I also asked ChatGPT and Gemini to set me exercises, which they then marked for me.

Listening: I mainly made the most of times when I was cleaning the house or cooking; whilst doing these chores, I’d play B1-level podcasts in the background. Specifically, I recommend: ‘French Mornings with Elisa’ (https://www.youtube.com/@FrenchmorningswithElisa) and the ‘InnerFrench’ channel (https://www.youtube.com/@innerFrench).

Speaking and Writing: I have to admit that I think I was lucky with the speaking section, as it was my first face-to-face interaction with someone speaking French, but I did prepare, above all, useful phrases and expressions for the exam. Also, I practised the first part of the speaking test – the self-introduction – before the exam. For the writing section, I wrote several essays and had ChatGPT mark them; if you choose this option, I ended up scoring 3–4 marks higher in the official exam than in the AI’s marking.

To prepare for the DELF B1, I simply used a number of practice exams that I found online and on the Institut français’s own website.

Finally, I obtained: 77’5/100

I hope you find these tips useful and that you pass the exam.

Bonne Chance!

This is ridiculous and frustrating. Seems like they are after money.

Trying to incorporate French videos/shows with French subtitles to fully immerse myself into the language, anybody have good recs of vids or shows that are actually fun to watch? YT, Disney+, Peacock :)

I found this super cool book at a garage sale for $1! It has soooo much information along with photos, and it’s a small book!

Hi all, anyone here accepted ITA only with French scores? I mean French as 1st lang.

I got ITA now, but with english exam next week so I'm not able to add english.

Will that create any issues in future with IRCC? As there is a lot of cases nowadays where they issue PFL. Kindly let me know if someone faced this situation, thanks.

Has anyone used the Pimsleur program to learn French and what are your views of it? Does it teach formal or colloquial French?

Hey everyone.

Just want to hear your opinions.

I started my french journey in Jan 2026, and till May 2026, I did 1 hr daily. Then from June onwards went to 2.5 hours and this is the rate i will maintain until I pass the TCF B2. I will be hitting my 250 hrs at the end of July 2026.

During this daily 2.5 hours, my schedule right now is:

30 mins pimsleur (will eventually phase it out)

1 hour inner french listening

30 mins reading (Fabulang stories, TV5monde articles)

30 mins writing TCF tasks and a bit of grammar from a book.

I will be started structured speaking practice from August with a tutor at a rate of 9 hours per month hopefully.

I have also done a lot of MCQs up to Listening A2 and Reading B1 on fuck-tcf and Simple TCF. I find i get usually one or two wrong in A2 listening and B1 reading per exam. I have only practiced Tache 1 of writing so far and ChatGPT and Copilot both put me at A2.

I plan on keeping my 2.5hr daily pace for 12 months.

I am an international student pursuing my PhD in the US and it is a huge ordeal to register for TCF here (as transport + test costs) can easily go to 800$ per attempt. I am planning on registering for one by the end of the year to be taken in July or Aug 2027.

Do you think I can get up to B2 in 12 months with my rate?

Is there anything you would advise?

Hi everyone,

I’ve been learning French on and off for about a year and I’m around B1. Reading is my strongest skill, but I forget things constantly, verb endings, little grammar points, connectors. It comes back when I review, but never really feels solid. My biggest issue is producing French. My teacher asks me to expand something I’ve written, and my mind just blanks. I don’t know what tense to use, what words to use, how to keep going. Right now, I usually write by looking at examples first, then try my own version, and afterward, I list useful vocab and connectors. Speaking feels the same. I can say a few things, but I don’t know how to naturally extend my answer or speak off the top of my head. Is this normal at B1? What should I focus on now? Grammar review, writing practice, speaking drills, or something else? Any advice or personal experience would really help.

Thanks.

Hey! I'm looking for someone that would like to practice french conversations, I intend to speak from time to time via WhatsApp. We can text or send voice messages.

I’ve been working on my listening comprehension skills lately. I’d say I’m a high C1 low C2 in listening but I still struggle with fast speech. Someone recommended the podcast “Sip and gossip” to me which is like an informal gossip-style podcast and oh my god do they speak insanely fast. I catch like every 4th word, and my brain isn’t fast enough to translate so I pretty much have no idea what’s going on. What level do I need to get to to understand it?

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1VOfLsX9cThUItP6fG2sRk?si=kEMOFIT-QzaJWCG2d43tWg&utm_source=copy-link

It's so annoying when french lessons fail to be clear when explaining things. Like this example

1. Expressing Willingness or AgreementIn conversational French, bien is used to show willingness, similar to saying "I'd like to" or "sure".Je veux bien. -> I am willing to (or Yes, I'd love to / I don't mind).

Je veux already expresses want to. Is the willingness intensified by bien, or is vouloir bien a separate expression.

So now I have to come here

Can someone explain all the uses of bien please. Thanks in advance

I just really need advice on how to go about learning the language and good resources, ive seen so many differnt perspectives and i dont know exactly how to start on my own and transition to classes.

Please help, what could be a good way to learn gradually and actually make progress?

Hello,
Has anyone here tried Lionel Junior’s (impolyglot) course ? It’s a bit expensive. I wanted to hear other people’s feedback before signing up.

Hello everyone ;)

Even though I’m already at a decent level in French I’ve always had some trouble to memorise new vocabulary.

What are your favourite techniques? Do you use notebooks to write them down?

There are many words I’ve learned on apps but I’m not able to recall in a conversation, how do you handle these problems?

Looking forward to your answers!

Does it truly mean "this whole thing". As seen in Google translate

What else could it mean

I'm searching for good test to test my french just to know my level " for free "

I have so much trouble trying to make sentences, remembering grammar, and vocab and then saying it anyone has any tips or anything cause i’m an idiot who went to france while struggling to do all of this.

Hi, Any suggestions where I can learn C1 level French online?

I really want to hear some thoughts about this
Duolingo is it recommended to learn french or Italian?

Hey everyone,
I’ve been learning French seriously for about 6 months now, and I’ve reached a solid B1 level. I can translate English → French pretty accurately, I understand all the major tenses, and I’m comfortable with most of the grammar and vocabulary that shows up in B1 materials and TEF/TCF prep.

But… I still can’t think in French.
Every time I try to speak, I think in English first, then translate in my head, and it slows me down a lot. It feels like my brain is stuck in “translation mode,” and I’m worried it will hold me back from reaching B2.

So I’m here to ask for any and all tips from people who’ve gone through this stage:

• How did you start thinking directly in French?
• What exercises, habits, or immersion tricks helped you break the translation habit?
• Anything you wish you had done earlier?

Also, I’m planning to take an official exam soon. For those who’ve taken them:
Which is better — TCF or TEF?
I’d love to hear your experiences with difficulty, format, scoring, and which one felt more “friendly” for intermediate learners.

Thanks in advance for any advice. I really appreciate it!

Hi everyone!

I just finished my A1 French course and am about to start A2, but I’ve hit a bit of a crossroads and would love to hear how you all approached the A2 level. However, my skills are super uneven: my reading is good, but speaking feels like a rusty machine slowly spitting out words, and listening without transcripts is a disaster.

As I start A2, I’m at a crossroads on how to approach it:

• Did you stick strictly to textbooks/courses, or jump into native videos/content?
• For grammar (which I hear gets harder in A2), did you follow textbook and do exercise or just absorb everyday language and prioritize communication over perfection?
• Did anyone also have a huge gap between reading and speaking/listening? How did you catch up?

I had the exact same issue with English. After a decade of studying English in school, I ended up with stiff textbook English and never truely grasped grammar logic. My English speaking and listening only caught up after I put in a massive effort later on. I really want to avoid repeating that cycle with French and make my learning more efficient this time!
I’d super grateful to hear your experiences, or any advice to make this A2 learning smoother. Thanks in advance!

I wanna learn French really bad but and I don't have that much time to learn it slowly so I'm looking for someone I can't chat with constantly in french , so that I could learn it faster

Hello,

I have an opportunity to go do an internship at france, and i wanna improve my french as much as possible (not for the internship, just for me to be able to live there)

When i was a kid i used to study french at school for 10 years but as i grew older i forgot most of the rules.
every now and then when i watch a vid i understand what is told but i wouldn’t say
I am at a certain level or something.

My whole family speaks french and im sure they can help me.

I am not sure if it makes a difference but i learned german ( as an adult) and i am now at a c1 level in German.

I would like to know if first
Does learning another language help make the process of learning french easier?

And where to start from. I dont like apps i feel they are way too passive. If there are books for A1 french that would be nice just to get the ball kicking in my brain again.

Thanks a lot.