Everybody who decides to study French Online has a different desire and a different need. Some people only want to learn a few phrases so they can get by and order their "cafe au lait" on their holiday in France, while others want to be able to hold basic conversations. Some people even study French online because they want to learn to read and write the language, maybe because they are planning to move to France, or maybe just because it has always been their dream to read they French classics in the original language.

No matter what your aspirations and needs are, you can get started buy studying online. If your plan is to learn a few phrases to get by when you go to France, you could start by getting a beginners course that focuses on basic glossary and phrases. Usually it will come with audio or sometimes even video mp3's that can help you hear and learn the correct pronunciations.

If you want to learn to hold a conversation, you probably need to start with a basic beginner's course and work your way up from that. When you study French online, like with most other kinds of French courses, you learn not only words and phrases but also a little bit about the French culture. The higher level course you take, the more you usually learn about the culture.

French is one of the most interesting languages to learn because of this; the country has such an incredibly rich cultural heritage and history with everything from food to art and literature. The more you get to know about this fascinating country, the more you'll want to learn.

Even if your aim is to learn to read and write French, your staring point is the same as everybody else. It is usually better to learn some phrases and words first to make you feel like you are getting somewhere. If you try to start by studying grammar and spelling, it is easy to get discouraged because you aren't able to see the larger picture.

When you study French online you need to learn to both speak and to understand. Even if you are only interested in basic phrases, you still need to understand the basics of what people are saying back to you too. The more intermediate courses often have audio and video resources that will give you practice in understanding native French speakers.

If you don't understand everything when you start using these resources, don't be discouraged; in the beginning it is good if you just understand the overall gist of things, like the topic of discussion. When you study French online it is important to take advantage of everything you have available to you. The more you use the resources, preferably in combination with each other, the more you'll get out of it.

How extensive the resources are when you study French online depends on what course you choose and the level you are on. Some online courses have a lot of interactive exercises like quizzes and crosswords. Spend some time doing research to find out what kind of course will work better for you, that way you'll maximize your learning experience.