Frantastique Review: Great Customized French Lessons and Immersion, but Not for Beginners

Frantastique provides personalized French lessons centered around narratives. Every lesson focuses on a story shown in a video, and even the most basic levels use entirely French content for complete immersion.

I tested Frantastique to evaluate its effectiveness. From my usage, it works very well for intermediate students (and possibly those at an upper beginner stage), though it isn't the best fit for someone completely new to the language. Here is my detailed assessment of the program.

What Is Frantastique?

Frantastique provides online French lessons for private students, companies, and teachers. The whole program is conducted in French, offering an immersive learning environment from the beginning.

After registering, I received an email from Frantastique immediately. Subscribers get a new lesson delivered to their email each day. These are brief automated messages informing you that your daily lesson is available, including a small preview.

By selecting the “Start Your Lesson” button in the email, I accessed my new lesson, which contained a brief video and exercises that are later reviewed with comments (more on this process later). This feedback is also emailed so students can keep track of their progress and the notes provided.

After finishing a minimum of six months of the Frantastique course, users get a certificate of completion. If you enroll in Frantastique Pro, you can even obtain a certified diploma—a professional training qualification officially recognized in France.

I was intrigued by Frantastique’s statement that it employs an algorithm that gets to know you better as you finish lessons. The program then customizes subsequent lessons to fit your requirements and objectives. Frantastique states that this can occur after just one week of lessons, so personalization starts quite fast.

In addition to the online platform, Frantastique is also accessible as an app for iOS and Android.

How Do the Frantastique Lessons Work?

Step 1: Watch the Story Video

After signing up, your first lesson is sent to you right away. Every lesson begins with a short video showing the characters in various amusing, odd, or dramatic scenarios.

In the initial video lesson I did, aliens discovered cryogenically frozen French historical personalities like Édith Piaf, Napoléon, and Victor Hugo. Following some conversation, the alien characters choose to revive Victor Hugo.

I thought this story (while unusual) was excellent for learning French in context. I encountered practical French vocabulary within real sentences. This method helps the brain form connections more easily, and new words are more likely to be remembered, particularly in a story as distinctive as the one in my first lesson!

A useful feature of the videos is the option to display French subtitles with the French audio. Below the video, there's also a French transcript. English subtitles aren't available, but you can view the transcript in English.

Next, the lesson enables you to select vocabulary from the transcript that you don't recognize. When you receive your emailed feedback at the lesson's conclusion, Frantastique provides definitions for these terms and expressions.

These words are incorporated into Frantastique’s customized review schedule of memory exercises. After you select a word, the Frantastique system saves it and incorporates it into upcoming lessons and practice tasks. This keeps the word current in your memory, aiding recall and use in practical situations.

Step 2: Answer the Comprehension Questions

After viewing the video and reading the transcript, I answered several comprehension questions. They required me to locate details from the video or the French transcript, while the grammar questions involved filling in blanks related to verb conjugations, noun gender, adjective agreement, and more.

There were also some speaking activities. For instance, the initial question required me to watch a video segment and repeat the words bonjour and au revoir aloud. Then, it asked me to rate how challenging they were to pronounce.

Next, I was questioned about the meanings of three different phrases. The third question was a fill-in-the-blank task where I had to pick the right personal pronoun based on the sentence and image. The final question was a listening exercise where I listened to a clip and then arranged the words in the sequence they were spoken.

Following the questions, I reached “Today’s dessert,” which was a segment from a classic French song. Each lesson concludes with “dessert,” a clip from a famous French film, TV program, song, or literary work. As always, you can pick which French words you wish to investigate further, aiding your understanding of the French language and its cultural importance.

Step 3: Review Your Feedback

Once you finish the lesson, you select “See My Score.” This directs you to a page showing your total quiz result and the translations for the vocabulary you highlighted.

Then you proceed to the next lesson.

Overall, the first lesson took me around thirty minutes to finish, including watching the video, carefully reviewing the transcript, and doing the eight comprehension and grammar tasks. Frantastique’s website mentions the program uses microlearning, claiming each lesson can be finished in 10 minutes. This might be possible, but I preferred to take my time to maximize my learning.

After finishing the lesson and its exercises, I clicked the “Send” button to get a full review of my work.

Almost instantly, Frantastique emailed me a detailed correction for each comprehension question. Although these corrections were clearly automated and not from a human teacher, I was impressed by their quality.

The corrections included not just the right answers but also clarifications on why some answers were correct and others were not. This kind of feedback is extremely useful for French students.

For grammar questions, the corrections are equally detailed. Each one includes grammar notes and tips. While the corrections and explanations are in French, there is an option to read them in English.

Pros of Frantastique

Comprehensive Lesson Content

First, the level of detail in the lessons is impressive. A common issue with online French learning is that vocabulary or grammar explanations are often constrained by the "bite-sized" format.

In contrast, Frantastique’s email format enables it to provide extensive explanations. This applies to both the lesson material and the corrections—which particularly helps remove much of the uncertainty associated with grammar.

Immersive Learning with English Support

While having a program entirely in French is good for immersion, the option to switch between French and English for instructions and explanations is also a valuable feature.

This ensures you are mainly learning French in French—a quicker and more efficient method than learning everything through translation from English—while reducing confusion and preventing frustration.

Cultural Insights

Frantastique stands out by blending the language with French culture, using French music and historical figures to shape the lesson topics. This provides context for the language and makes it more dynamic.

Specific Levels for Focused Learning

Not fully prepared for French-only lessons? You can utilize the translation tools to show English versions of transcripts and other text in the lessons. The beginner level also incorporates a bit more English than the intermediate and advanced levels, so you're still immersed but not completely overwhelmed.

Frantastique also provides options for advanced French learners. A version for native French speakers is available if you already have a strong command of the language and wish to refresh your skills.

Live Data on the User Dashboard

The User Space functions as your personal dashboard. Initially, you see a summary of your progress. It shows your participation rate, training time—the amount of time you've spent studying on the site—and the number of lessons finished.

Below that, you have your next lesson and an option to recommend Frantastique to friends and receive free lessons.

That's all—it's certainly the most clean and straightforward dashboard I've encountered in a language learning program.

Fully Accessible for Mobile French Learning

Frantastique now provides mobile applications. The apps perform the same function as the daily email—alert you to your new daily lesson, offer a concise yet informative French lesson, and adjust to your skills and needs as you advance.

The best feature is that the entire Frantastique course can now be finished within the app itself. It's fully mobile-compatible, allowing you to take French learning anywhere, whether during your train commute, in a waiting room, or while in line at the store.

Frantastique’s app can be downloaded on Android and iOS devices.

Cons of Frantastique

Limited Exposure to Authentic French

While Frantastique’s French lessons are enjoyable and catchy, they don't provide much opportunity to learn the everyday French you'd encounter on the streets of Paris. After all, how many aliens are you likely to meet on a week-long visit to France?

Initially, that might not appear significant. How could you learn from native-level French before you can truly comprehend it?

To address this, Frantastique has incorporated more genuine French usage in their “Dessert” feature. There's also an option for learners to select informal French or a particular French accent as a focus area.

Nonetheless, the French used in the program is quite formal and "standard," which could result in some mistakes in real French-speaking environments.

Limited Development of Writing and Speaking Abilities

The focus is on reading and listening. This means there aren't many chances to write more than a few words in fill-in-the-blank exercises, and there's no speaking practice.

A French language exchange would be an intelligent way to supplement your Frantastique learning. You'll be able to use your new skills during speaking practice—and you can also get some writing practice by emailing or texting with your language partner.

The Beginner Level Isn't Truly for Beginners

While Frantastique seems to teach beginner French—and learners with basic French could gain from its immersive approach—it's clear that you need some foundation in French before using Frantastique.

Since the program is conducted entirely in French with minimal English, it could be a frustrating and difficult experience for those with no prior French knowledge. This means it's not the best choice for absolute beginners.

If the program seems too challenging, you might need to first improve your level with other resources.

You Can Only Complete 5 Lessons per Week

For me, the most significant limitation of Frantastique is that you can only access five lessons a week, one per day, with no option to set your own pace or work ahead—even on the most expensive plan. It also doesn't appear that there's a learning path or a set curriculum to select from. That is entirely determined by Frantastique.

This could discourage learners who want to spend more time on French or who desire greater control over their learning. While relying on an algorithm reduces much of the stress of learning French, it also reduces independence. What if I want to study something the algorithm hasn't presented yet?

In fact, it seems you can only do the lesson emailed to you, and you can't advance until you complete it. This means lessons must be done in sequence, and you can't select which lessons to complete.

How Much Does Frantastique Cost?

Frantastique provides three subscription options: Basic, Premium for 12 months, and Premium for 24 months.

The Basic plan includes up to three episodes (lessons) per week, the initial level assessment, and cultural excerpts, costing $16 monthly for a 12-month term.

The Premium plan includes all basic features plus speaking practice, five episodes per week, lessons customized to your interests, and the ability to select vocabulary for review. There are two pricing choices: $22 per month for the 12-month plan or $17 per month for the 24-month plan.

A free trial is available, giving you access to the program for seven days.

Frantastique Alternatives

LingQ

LingQ is comparable to Frantastique in that it uses content to teach you French, but it extends immersion and authenticity further.

With LingQ, you can read genuine French content like news articles and online stories. While reading, you select words you don't know to add them to your “LingQs.” This displays the word's definition, and you can include it in your collection to study within the app or website. If multiple translations exist, you can select which one to add.

Whenever these words appear in other articles, they will be highlighted.

One aspect I appreciate about LingQ is that you can import content you like from other online sources, and LingQ allows you to go through and collect words just as you can in the program itself.

Lingflix

Supplemental Frantastique Resources

Frantastique Orthographe (Frantastic Spelling)

Besides Gymglish’s Frantastique course, you can also take a course that concentrates specifically on French orthographe (spelling). This course is offered entirely in French, so you should have at least a basic understanding of the language.

Each lesson includes exercises designed to master French spelling, and the course provides immediate feedback, giving you corrections and useful notes for future spelling activities. In typical Gymlish style, there's a good mix of French culture, and the story is so engaging that it's easy to overlook you're mastering French spelling.

French Grammar Lessons

While the Frantastique course itself addresses many essential French grammar points, additional French grammar lessons are available on the Gymlish website.

These grammar lessons are relatively short but contain a lot of information. Each one offers an explanation of the French grammar point in English, numerous example sentences, and links to related grammatical topics.

Topics range from basics like definite articles and subject pronouns to more advanced areas such as irregular adjective agreement rules and the relative pronouns qui (that) and que (that).

Additional French Courses

Gymlish also offers courses on more advanced French topics. For example, you can take a course on entrepreneurship, finance, and even a course on enhancing your cognitive abilities. In fact, the last course is a special collaboration between Gymlish and Le Monde, a leading newspaper and media company.

Remember that these courses are conducted entirely in French and cover quite advanced subjects. It's advisable to have a high level of French before enrolling.

Other Language Courses

Interested in learning another language besides French? Gymglish also provides courses in Spanish, Italian, and German, as well as beginner and advanced courses for English learners.

All the language courses follow the same fundamental concept as Frantastique, using an entertaining story to teach the language.

Plans for the Future

While Gymlish already offers many excellent resources for language learners, it's evident that their future plans include expansion and—interestingly—sustainability!

In 2005, Gymlish established Greenlish as a key part of its business model, aiming to be a carbon-neutral company and also investing its earnings into environmental projects in Europe and globally.

In fact, they are strong supporters of initiatives like solar energy production in Namibia and forest conservation in Bolivia.

Final Thoughts: Should You Use Frantastique?

I suggest Frantastique if you have an intermediate understanding of French.

It isn't ideal for beginners—even though a beginner course exists, it immediately introduces nearly 100% French content without prior instruction on pronunciation or fundamentals.

But the stories are captivating, you gain considerable knowledge about French culture, and the immersion is excellent if you have an upper beginner to intermediate level.