About 40% of Belgians speak French as their first language, so there is plenty to hear, and Belgium's French broadcaster puts a lot of it online. French at a level you can mostly follow is called comprehensible input.
Good material for you has one new word now and then, and everything around it is clear. When a friend ends a message with à tantôt and you meet again later, the meeting shows you it means "see you later". For tutors and classes, see our Belgian French guide. For every app, see our Belgian French app comparison.
Bubblegum
For serious learners, Bubblegum is the best app to learn French. You learn from French you can mostly understand, which is called comprehensible input.
Tell Poppy, your AI tutor, your level and what you like, and she writes your Belgian French lessons. If a sentence is hard to follow, ask Poppy to explain it.
With Regenerative Review™, words you save show up again in new lessons, so that you can review words in new contexts without having to use flashcards.
If a word like kot ("student room") stops you, she explains it.
Bubblegum only plays its own lessons. For a Belgian video you found on YouTube, use Language Reactor below.
- Lessons, news, and stories in Belgian French, about things you like.
- Regenerative Review™ brings saved words back in new lessons, so you read them again in new contexts.
- Clear, expressive AI voices read every lesson aloud, with a different voice for each speaker.
- Lessons are read aloud in standard French, not a Belgian accent, so listen to Belgian radio and TV too.
- It can't load a show or an audiobook you already have.
- Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read.
- Regenerative Review™
Mobile
RTBF Auvio is the streaming service of Belgium's French-language public broadcaster. It has live channels like La Une, La Trois, and Vivacité, plus replays, podcasts, and a Kids section. It is made for people who already speak French, so start with the Kids section or short clips and move up. Not every video plays outside Belgium, and a flag next to each video shows where it works.
Language Reactor
Language Reactor works with Belgian YouTube channels anywhere in the world. It doesn't tell you which French a channel speaks, so check where the speakers are from.
- Turn on French subtitles and an English translation at the same time.
- Replay one line until you hear every word.
Browser extension
Other Apps We Looked At (1)
- Le français avec YasmineA French podcast for learners. Episode 159 is about the French of Belgium, with Marie-Ange, a French teacher of Belgian origin who hosts the podcast Belgitudes.
Start at the top if you're new. Some RTBF video plays only in Belgium, so look for the flag next to a video.
| What | Why It Helps | Try It When |
|---|---|---|
| RTBF Auvio Kids | Shows for children, made by Belgium's broadcaster | You're just starting |
| French à la belge | An English article from the Brussels Times that explains words like brol, drache, and tantôt | You know some basics |
| Le français avec Yasmine, episode 159 | A podcast episode on the French of Belgium and Belgian culture | Short episodes feel easy |
| RTBF Auvio podcasts | Belgian radio talk, from news to culture | You follow most of a long talk |
| RTBF Auvio live channels | Live TV and radio such as La Une and Vivacité | Fast speech feels easy |
| Dictionnaire des belgicismes | Michel Francard's dictionary of Belgian words, now in its third edition | You want to check a word |
The number of languages you can use an app in isn't the same as the languages its lessons explain things in, so try one lesson in your language before you pay.
| App | Languages You Can Use It In | Full List |
|---|---|---|
| Bubblegum | 76 | Supported language pairs |
| Language Reactor | — | Chrome Web Store |
| Le français avec Yasmine | — | Episode 159 |
Which Belgian French app should a beginner choose?
If you are serious about learning French, start with Bubblegum. Poppy, your AI tutor, writes lessons at your level about things you like. Or start with RTBF Auvio's Kids section if you'd like to hear Belgian speakers right away.
Can I use RTBF Auvio outside Belgium?
Some of it. Auvio's FAQ says not all videos and live channels play from abroad, and a flag next to each video shows whether it is limited to Belgium or Europe. A video with no flag plays everywhere in the world.
Can French from France count as input?
Yes. It shares the grammar and most of the words, so you can start there. Keep Belgian audio in your week too, so words like savoir for "can" and une fois in the middle of a sentence become familiar.
Is Bubblegum free?
Yes. Lessons Poppy wrote for other learners are free for everyone to read. Custom lessons cost us money to make, so you need Bubblegum Pro for unlimited custom lessons.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Belgian French (about 40% of Belgians speak French natively; kot, une fois, savoir)
- Brussels Times: French belgicisms 101 (the Dictionnaire des belgicismes, third edition; GSM, brol, drache, tantôt)
- Bubblegum: French (Belgium)
- RTBF Auvio: live channels, replays, podcasts and a Kids section
- RTBF Auvio FAQ: watching from abroad (a flag shows which videos are limited to Belgium or Europe)
- Le français avec Yasmine, episode 159: the French of Belgium, with Marie-Ange of the podcast Belgitudes
- Language Reactor on the Chrome Web Store
- Bubblegum
- Language Reactor
