Learn French
Through Stories
CI French uses comprehensible input — the science-backed way your brain actually acquires language. Read stories at your level, listen on your commute, track your progress, and join French cultural events that make the language come alive.
Free stories available now. No credit card required.
Your French Journey
How CI French Works
No textbooks. No grammar drills. Just the method that actually works for adult language learners.
Find Your Level
Take our free 10-minute placement test. We’ll match you to the perfect CEFR level — so every story is challenging enough to grow, but easy enough to enjoy.
Read & Listen
Dive into stories, audio passages, and video content crafted for your level. Your brain acquires French naturally — the way children learn their first language.
Build Your Streak
Track vocabulary, reading minutes, listening hours, and daily streaks. Watch your CEFR level advance as you consume more content.
Live the Culture
Join wine nights, conversation hours, and cooking events in Fort Collins or online. Use your French in real life with real people.
The Science of Stories
Why Stories Work Better
Than Grammar Drills
Research shows that comprehensible input — hearing and reading language you mostly understand — is the single most effective way to acquire a language. Not study it. Acquire it. The way you acquired English as a child, without ever opening a grammar book.
Every story on CI French is carefully crafted at your exact level. New vocabulary is introduced through context, not definitions. Grammar structures appear naturally, through repetition and variation. Your brain does the rest.
Our 10-minute adaptive placement test finds your exact CEFR level, then shows you content perfectly matched to where you are right now.
Experience French Culture
French Isn't Just a Language. It's a Way of Life.
Use your French in the real world. Our events are designed so every level can participate, learn, and have a genuinely great time.
French Wine & Conversation Night
Sip, speak, and savor the French way
Taste curated French wines while practicing real conversation at every level.
Online French Conversation Hour
Practice speaking from anywhere in the world
Small groups organized by CEFR level. Low-pressure, high-support speaking practice.
Crêpe Making & French Culture
Hands-on cooking. Hands-on French.
Learn authentic crêpe technique while picking up kitchen vocabulary naturally.
French Wine & Conversation Night
Sip, speak, and savor the French way
Our most popular event. You’ll be seated with others at your level, guided through a flight of French wines with vocabulary cards for each tasting. A native-speaking facilitator keeps conversation flowing with prompts, stories, and cultural context. Beginners get a cheat-sheet of key phrases. Advanced speakers debate terroir like locals. You’ll leave with new vocabulary, new friends, and a favourite bottle.
What to Expect
- 4 curated French wines with guided tasting vocabulary
- Small-group conversation tables organized by CEFR level
- Vocabulary cards you keep — wine terms, descriptions, toasting phrases
- A native French facilitator at every table
- Light French cheese and charcuterie pairings
Anyone who loves French culture. Total beginners to fluent speakers. No wine knowledge needed — we teach that too.
Online French Conversation Hour
Practice speaking from anywhere in the world
This is the weekly heartbeat of CI French. Every Thursday, we gather on Zoom in small breakout rooms (4–6 people) matched by CEFR level. A facilitator gives you a conversation topic, provides key vocabulary, and gently keeps things moving. There’s no grammar drilling, no corrections mid-sentence — just comprehensible, flowing French at your level. Beginners use English as a safety net. Advanced learners debate, tell stories, and joke around. Everyone leaves having spoken more French in one hour than most do in a week.
What to Expect
- Small breakout rooms of 4–6 people at your exact level
- Conversation topics with vocabulary prompts provided in advance
- A trained facilitator in every room
- No grammar corrections mid-conversation — pure CI methodology
- Recording available for review (with consent)
Learners at any level who want real speaking practice without the anxiety of a formal class.
Crêpe Making & French Culture
Hands-on cooking. Hands-on French.
Forget textbook French — learn the language through your hands and your stomach. In this 2.5-hour workshop, you’ll make traditional French crêpes from scratch (both savory galettes and sweet crêpes) while absorbing kitchen vocabulary in context. Every instruction is given first in French (with gestures, visuals, and demonstrations), then clarified in English only if needed. By the end, you’ll know how to order, cook, and describe crêpes in French — and you’ll eat everything you make.
What to Expect
- Full recipe instruction in French with visual support
- Make both savory galettes and sweet crêpes from scratch
- Kitchen vocabulary cards — verbs, utensils, ingredients, descriptions
- Eat everything you make (with French cider, naturellement)
- Take home the recipe — bilingual, illustrated
Anyone who loves food and wants to learn French through experience, not memorization. All levels.
Real People, Real Progress
What Our Learners Say
“I tried Duolingo, Babbel, and textbooks. Nothing stuck until CI French. The stories make sense and I’m remembering words I never could before.”
“The private podcast feed changed everything. I listen to French stories on my commute and my comprehension has skyrocketed in just two months.”
“The placement test put me at exactly the right level. Every story felt like a puzzle I could actually solve. I’ve never felt this confident in French.”
“The AI story tool cut my lesson prep from 3 hours to 20 minutes. I finally have time to focus on connecting with my students.”
Simple Pricing
Start Free. Upgrade When You're Ready.
Founding members lock in discounted pricing for life. Limited spots.
Free
Try CI French with free stories
- Free sample stories at every level
- Placement assessment
- Community forum access (read)
- 3 AI story previews/month
Learner
Full access to the content library
- All CEFR-leveled content (A1–C2)
- Private podcast feed
- Progress tracking & streaks
- Vocabulary review tools
- Event member pricing
Teacher
Create, share, and earn from content
- AI story generation tool
- Full community access
- Submit to content library
- Contributor points & payouts
- Professional teacher profile
with the AI story generation tool
Are You a CI/TPRS Teacher?
Stop Spending Sundays
Writing Stories from Scratch
Our AI understands CI/TPRS methodology. It generates stories with proper i+1 scaffolding and high-frequency structures. You bring the expertise to refine them. Earn from your contributions when learners use your content.
Your French Journey Starts with One Story
Take the free placement test, read your first story, and feel the difference comprehensible input makes. No credit card required.
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