The choice of iPad apps to learn French is vast and while there are many free apps to choose from, it seems that many of the better apps cost money. However, aside from a few screenshots available on each app's site, you cannot tell what the app is really like until you buy it. I therefore created this blog to help teachers and parents determine appropriate apps for their FSL learners before the apps are purchased. I will be reviewing apps on a regular basis, and rating them so that you can better judge whether to buy them or not (I will mostly review the apps that require a purchase). The free apps you can test out yourself (see some of them below, List A)! If a free app is particularly good, I will also provide a quick review.
My main focus for will be on apps for Elementary (K - 8) students, with an emphasis on Histoires/Contes and Vocabulaire (See list B). For more FSL apps, please visit Catherine Ousselin's wonderful Apps Page. Some other blogs worth visiting for apps ideas and resources are Joe Dale, Steve Lai, Richard Byrne and Audrey Misiano's. (Note: I was honoured to be featured on Steve, Richard, and Audrey's blogs!)
Please email me at sduckworth100@gmail.com or comment here (scroll to the bottom) if you want me to review an app or if you have an app that you strongly recommend. Likewise, please let me know if you bought an app that disappointed you! And don't forget to subscribe to this blog if you want to receive regular updates/app reviews by email (scroll to bottom of the page).
By the way, if you only have one iPad for the entire class, you can mirror the iPad on your computer (providing you have a projector and screen/whiteboard and a good wi-fi connection) by following the instructions here. Students can pass the iPad around to interact with it and everyone can see it! Mindblowing!
Click here for a blogpost called "45 Must-have iPad apps for the Foreign Language Class".
Apps reviewed so far:
(Gotta buy)
1. Chaperon Rouge de Grimm, 3D Interactive
2. French words for Kids (Montessori)
3. Qui est-ce?
4. Gus-on-the-Go (Review to come.)
5. uTalk Canadian French (Review to come.)
6. Feed Me (French) (Review to come.)
7. Jeux pour lire avec Sami et Julie (Review to come)
8. Fun French by Study Cat (Review to come)
(Very good purchase)
2. Pierre et le loup
3. The Amazing Spider-man: Les origines
4. Les trois petits cochons
5. M. Le Loup et les gâteaux du gingembre
6. La maison que Jacques a bâtie
7. French Sounds (review to come)
(Good purchase)
1. T'Choupi joue avec les lettres
(Okay purchase)
1. French numbers for Kids (Montessori)
2. T'Choupi joue avec les couleurs
3. Jambe Longue et le Pirate Sans Nez
4. Numberland (Montessori) avec Tam et Tao
4. La Tour Eiffel a des ailes
(Think twice about purchasing)
1. Mindsnacks
2. TicTic: Apprendre le français
3. Jeu du loup
4. Learn French and Play 2
5. Learn and Play French by Yuriy Yanshin
(Stay away from)
(Complete rip-off)
1. Learn French and Play 1
(Yes, I'm lovin' my iPad!)
A. Free apps:(Note that while many apps claim to be free on iTunes, some of them require purchase for the complete version.)
French
1. WordReference
2. Alphabet+
3. Frenchie Teachie ABC’s
4. Busuu
5. French MindSnacks (numbers lessons Free only, $4.99 for all 50 lessons)
6. Qui suis-je?
7. Histoires Enchantées
8. My first book of French Alphabet
9. Flashcards French Free
10. Learn French
11. Ana Lomba’s French for kids
12. Allo Bébé
13. Lectures faciles
14. Le coffre à histoires
15. Histoires pour s’endormir
16. J’aime lire
17. Conte-moi
18. Comptines HD
19. L’alphabet de Lola lite
20. Premiers mots
21. Mes premiers mots (les couleurs)
22. Jeux pour lire avec Sami et Julie Lite, pour iPad
23. Mes premiers mots (les animaux)
24. La ferme des tout-petits
25. Puss ‘n Boots French for Kids
26. French for kids (flashcards) (Animals only in free version. $3.99 full version)
English (but can be used in French):
1. Snakes and Ladders Free - Good for practicing counting to 100.
B. Apps to purchase (these are the apps I plan to review)
Histoires/Contes
1. Grimm’s Chaperon Rouge 3D Interactive ($4.99) 5 out of 5 stars.
Click here for review.
2. Jambes-Longues et le pirate sans nez ($3.99) 3 out of 5 stars.
Click here for review.
3. Pierre et le loup ($3.99) 4 out of 5 stars.
Click here for review.
4. The Amazing Spider-man: Les origines ($2.99) 4 out of 5 stars.
Click here for review.
5. Le jeu du loup ($3.99)
Click here for review. 2 out of 5 stars.
6. Les Trois Petits Cochons (ChocoApps)($3.99)
Click here for review. 4 out of 5 stars.
7. La maison que Jacques a bâtie ($1.99) 5 out of 5 stars.
Click here for review.
8. Mr. Wolf and the Ginger Cupcakes ($2.99)
Click here for review. 4 out of 5 stars.
9. Le Tour Eiffel a des ailes ($2.99)
Click here for review. 3 out of 5 stars.
10. Boucles D’or ($.99)
11. Diablo cherche une famille ($.99)
12. La souris qui voulait manger un chat ($.99)
13. Le petit Chaperon Rouge ($1.99)
14. La souris qui raconte apps These look great. Hope to review soon.
Vocabulaire
1. MindSnacks ($4.99 all 50 lessons)
Click here for review. 2 out of 5 stars.
2. Learn French and Play 1 ($1.99)
Click here for review. 0 out of 5 stars.
3. Learn French and Play 2 ($.99)
Click here for review. 2 out of 5 stars.
4. Learn French and Play 3 ($.99) Will not review due to poor ratings of 1 & 2.
5. Hachette: J'apprends les formes et couleurs ($1.99)
Click here for review. 4 out of 5 stars.
6. TicTic: Apprendre le français ($3.99)
Click here for the review. 2 out of 5 stars.
7. French words for kids ($3.99)
Click here for the review. 5 out of 5 stars.
8. French numbers for kids ($3.99)
Click here for the review. 3 out of 5 stars.
9. Numberland Montessori: Les trois elles ($4.99)
Click here for the review. 3 out of 5 stars.
10. T’Choupi joue avec les couleurs (Says $2.99 on iTunes, got charged $4.99)
Click here for the review. 3 out of 5 stars.
11. T’Choupi joue avec les lettres ($2.99)
Click here for the review. 3.5 out of 5 stars.
12. Learn and Play French by Yuri Yanshin.
Click here for review. 2 out of 5 stars.
13. Qui est-ce? ($1.99)
Click here for review. 5 out of 5 stars.
14. Jeux pour lire avec Sami et Julie ($3.99) 5 out of 5 stars.
Great app! Review coming soon.
15. Photo French ($2.99)
16. Boowa & Kwala - A la ferme ($1.99)
Quick review: Very babyish, poor quality, very slow. Do not recommend. 1/5 stars.
17. Boowa & Kwala - Au cirque ($1.99) Will not buy due to above(#16).
18. L’Alphabet français ($.99)
19. French numbers ($4.99)
Not impressed with the free version. REALLY BORING! Will not buy full version.
20. First words Animaux ($2.99) Looks too easy. Will not buy.
21. Memo Animaux ($.99)
22. Anna et Robin - Les saisons ($1.99)
23. Little Pim French ($2.99)
24. Flashcards for kids ($3.99)
Not impressed with free version. Nice graphics and sound but no interactive games. Will not buy full version.
25. Play2Learn French ($1.99)
26. My First Bilingual App ($1.99 Full version)
27. French for Kids ($1.99)
28. Lingo’s Market ($.99)
29. Lingu Pingu ($1.99)
30. Apprends avec Poko: Les saisons et la météo ($1.99)
Quick review from free version: I liked it, but child must have very good comprehension skills since there are no written instructions. More suitable to a young French immersion student.
31. Apprends avec Poko: compter et additioner ($2.99)
32. Apprends avec Boing: Au pays des pingouins (Lecture et écriture) ($1.99)
33. Apprends avec Boing: Sous l'océan (Jeu de vocabulaire et de grammaire) ($1.99)
34. Apprends avec la Jungle Magique: Les animaux ($1.99)
35. Apprends avec Boing: Jeu de Maths ($1.99)
36. French Sounds ($9.99) Great app for learning how to read French. 4/5 stars. Review to come.
37. uTalk Canadian French ($9.99) I love this app: 4/5 stars. Review to come.
38. Feed Me (French) ($1.99). This app is adorable for little ones. 5/5 stars. Review to come.
39. Gus-on-the-Go (French) ($3.99). I love this for younger kids. Lots of different games to learn basic vocab. 5/5 stars. Review to come.
