15 Must-Know French YouTubers
Welcome! You are now ready to delve into the exciting world of FRENCH YOUTUBERS! 😀
Watching YouTube is without question one of the easiest ways to practice French listening skills and to learn new vocabulary.
There are also a ton of reasons why finding some great French YouTubers (and recommending them to students!) is a great idea:
First of all, most students already love watching YouTube so it’s super easy to take some channel recommendations, subscribe, and give them a try. Then, if they are feeling motivated (or maybe they just can’t find anything else to watch!) they have the option of clicking on some awesome French content that they will learn from and that they might just really enjoy!
*Tell them to keep a pen and paper handy to write down new expressions and vocabulary words that they might want to use in the future!*
Second, YouTube is free!
It’s true that they can find listening comprehension designed for students who are learning French as a second language. However, much of it is limited unless you are willing to sign up for a subscription and a lot is grammar-focused with little content variety. This leads me to the third reason…
On YouTube, there are a ton of French vloggers and content producers that make awesome content for ALL DIFFERENT INTERESTS, not just one specific audience!
This makes the French that they are using and the subjects they are talking about in their videos relevant and interesting to our students too!
As we know, being engaged and entertained makes learning so much more enjoyable and we are more willing to continue doing it! So, let’s find them some fun French YouTubers and get them practicing those listening strategies you’ve been talking about!
Alright, here we go…
#1 - BRUNO MALTOR (travel)
Bruno Maltor makes fantastic travel vlogs from his adventures all over the world.
He has a great sense of humour and a unique way of filming that make the vlogs really interesting. They are a mix of his opinions and information about the places that he visits so you also get to learn about new places while you practice your French!
The language he uses is a great mix of informal and standard French that is relatively easy to understand. Most of his videos have auto-translated French subtitles and they are pretty accurate. Overall, an awesome channel!
#2: ENJOYPHOENIX (beauty / lifestyle)
Marie Lopez, otherwise known as EnjoyPhoenix, has tons of great YouTube videos about a range of topics. She talks about makeup, friendship, her every day life and routines, and what it is like to be a YouTuber.
Her bubbly personality, wonderful accent, and the variety of her channel make EnjoyPhoenix a great choice for young people who are learning French!
#3: PIECE OF FRENCH (French teacher)
Although this is a new French language channel with respect to some of the others, I love Elsa’s approach to learning!
Her channel is filled with vlogs that use French vocabulary in context so the lessons are super enjoyable and interesting. She includes parts of her life and culture in the vlogs as well so you feel like you get to know her and practice your French all in one!
Her French is very clear and translations often pop up while she is speaking (in addition to subtitles) so that it is easy to pick out key phrases and vocabulary to write down.
#4: NOTA BENE (history)
Nota Bene is a famous French YouTuber who specializes in all things history.
He talks about a wide range of historical topics and breaks them down in a way that makes them super interesting and easy to understand for everyone, even those who aren’t history buffs!
He speaks clearly and his videos have French subtitles so that you can follow along more easily and write down new vocabulary words / verbs as you go. He is an excellent presenter and his channel is full of fascinating content. I have used his videos before in the classroom too!
#5: SEB (comedy / lifestyle / culture)
Seb’s channel has tons of funny comedy sketches and commentary about a variety of life topics, from music to celebrities to family.
He is very relatable for students and he speaks more slowly than a lot of other French comedy YouTubers making him a great choice for learning about young French humour.
#6: PL CLOUTIER (Québec / lifestyle)
Pierre Luc is a vlogger from Québec who vlogs about his daily life, trips, the LGBTQ community, and other lifestyle commentary such as worst dates, etc.
He does have a distinctive accent and can be a bit harder to understand than other content creators. However, this kind of exposure to a new accent and Québécois culture is also part of what makes his channel a great addition to the classroom!
#7: FRANÇAIS AUTHENTIQUE (French teacher)
This wonderful channel devoted to teaching authentic French has a huge range of content.
French is taught through newspaper articles, French jokes, classic grammar lessons, French expressions, and learning strategies to improve fluency. Videos are entertaining and very useful. A must for students (and everyone!) who want to improve their French skills.
#8: SANANAS (beauty / lifestyle)
For your students who love make-up and beauty, Sananas is a fantastic French YouTuber to recommend.
She tests lots of different beauty products and gives reviews in addition to hairstyles, fashion and general lifestyle posts as well about her house and daily activities.
She has a lovely personality and is quite easy to listen to. Her French is generally also easy to understand and she doesn’t talk too quickly. Plus, the auto-generated French subtitles are quite accurate!
#9: DIRTY BIOLOGY (science)
Don’t be fooled by the name and the titles of the videos – they are all in French! They do however come with English subtitles which make comprehension so much easier.
The host is engaging, funny, and speaks relatively slowly so you can understand all the fun science information well! There is a great range of biology topics from future pandemics to toilets, Godzilla and space. An awesome channel for a French + science combo!
#10: BATAILLES DE FRANCE (history)
I love this YouTube channel because you can watch the “seasons” like a TV series. Currently there are two seasons available about the French Revolution and Napoleon.
The French is easy to understand and the graphics that go along with it are engaging and make the history very accessible. I have used the French Revolution series with students and they loved it!
French Revolution Package
If you are looking for some French Revolution resources, this package contains comprehension questions + full answer keys in French for EACH video of this YouTube series from Batailles de France!
Use it for distance / virtual learning and post the answer keys or mix it up for your students in the classroom!
Click on the pictures to see a full preview and what’s included —>
#11: LES MARIOLES TROTTERS (travel)
This awesome travel channel is about a couple that left it all behind to travel the world in their campervan that they call “Leon”.
Their videos have great travel information about different countries and the people who live there, as well as their daily van life!
They have visited places such as Kenya, Tanzania, Namibia, Morocco, and more. The French is clear and the subtitles are accurate. In addition to the auto-generated subtitles there are also subtitles included in the videos if the French is particularly hard to hear (when people are walking, lots of noise, etc) which is super helpful!
#12: SQUEEZIE (gaming / lifestyle)
According to many internet lists, Squeezie is the #1 most-watched French YouTuber out there! At the time that I’m writing this post, he has over 15 million subscribers and has been on YouTube for over 10 years.
As you can imagine, he has lots of video options! He talks about gaming, things he likes, comedy sketches, music, random funny things, etc. Your students are sure to find something that they are interested in on this channel!
#13: LEARN FRENCH WITH ALEXA (French teacher)
Alexa is a wonderful language teacher and she has built an excellent channel. She covers important French topics such as grammar, expressions, faux amis, real-life conversations, vocabulary, and she has live lessons too!
If your students are looking for great guided French practice they should check out this channel.
#14: JENESUISPASJOLIE (family / lifestyle)
This channel has evolved so much over the years. She has been on YouTube for almost a decade and the topics that her channel talks about a wide range of things from typical teenage themes to her life as a mom and decorating.
She has a super friendly personality and her accent is clear and easy to follow (and, despite the name of her channel, she is super cute!). The auto-translated French subtitles are very accurate and there is a lot of authentic French content as well.
#15: POISSON FÉCOND (history / science / other)
This is a super interesting channel and it is based around “What if” type questions such as “What if Einstein never exited?” or “What if we were around when the Sun exploded?”.
They cover a wide variety of topics in science, politics, popular culture, history and more! If you are a curious person (or if you have a class full of curious students!) then this channel is perfect!
With respect to the French, Chris speaks at a comfortable pace and is easy to follow. The auto-generated subtitles are also quite good!
*BONUS YOUTUBERS TO RECOMMEND*
16) Chaîne du Québec – All about Québec history, culture, famous people, and more! The videos on this channel are filmed in a more traditional style but it’s perfect for units on Québec or if you are studying francophone culture around the world.
17) Toute l’histoire – As a history fanatic, I love this channel. There are tons of interesting documentaries and I have used some of these in class before too.
It is a great resource for teachers and it will go over well with students who enjoy documentary-style films! The only reason I didn’t put it in the first 15 is because it isn’t as “young” feeling for students as the others.
18 &19) TV5Monde and France 24 – These two news channels are quite popular on YouTube as well.
France 24 has literally 24 hour news coverage so you (or your students) can watch French news any time of the day and still have quality content. These are also great resources for projects, warm-up activities, and listening comprehension as they get students exposed to current events and practicing their French!
20) Norman fait des vidéos – This is a really popular channel among young people and Norman really does make lots of videos!
He makes mostly funny videos about everyday life, things he enjoys and lots of random topics like babies, Netflix, and getting in shape. I find that his French is more difficult to understand and because he speaks more quickly, the auto-generated subtitles are not as accurate.
For this reason, I would say that your students would enjoy the channel and humour more once they are a bit more fluent. However, if they want to check out his material and laugh, they should totally do it!
Well, that’s all for my top French Youtubers to recommend to your students! Let me know if there are any others that you enjoy or that your students have talked about watching. There are certainly tons of great ones out there!
