Michel Thomas is a paid language-learning course for beginner and intermediate learners (A1–B2). Audio-only, no homework, in 19 languages; a quick way to start building sentences.
Checked October 2026 on the official site ·
About Michel Thomas
The Michel Thomas Method is a series of audio-only courses in 19 languages, from Spanish, French, German and Italian to Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Polish and Irish, with no books, homework or memorising: you listen, think and answer out loud as the teacher builds sentences up piece by piece. Each language is sold as separate courses, usually a short Start course, a Foundation course and follow-ups; for French that was Start $11.99, Foundation $100 and all courses $273. Every course has a free sample lesson, and the audio streams or downloads in the Michel Thomas Language Library app. The courses are labelled beginner to advanced; A1 to B2 is our reading where the full series exists. It suits a beginner who learns well by ear and wants to build whole sentences fast. It does not give you real-speed native conversation or much reading.
How it compares
| App | Price | Levels | Real-speed audio | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michel Thomas | Sold per course and language (French: Start $11.99, Foundation $100, all courses $273); free sample lessonchecked 2026-10-09 (michelthomas.com, French courses) | A1–B2 | No | Audio-only, no homework, in 19 languages; a quick way to start building sentences. |
| Language Transfer | Free (donations) | A1–A2 | No | Free audio course that teaches you to build sentences by thinking, not memorising. |
| Pimsleur | Premium $19.99/mo; All Access $20.99/mo or $164.99/yr; one-off levels $150 each, 5 levels $575; free first lessonchecked 2026-10-09 (pimsleur.com/learn-french; subscriptions from the US App Store, 2026-10-06) | A1–B1 | No | Best for speaking from day one on a commute; thin on vocabulary. |
| Rocket Languages | Free trial lessons; each course bought once by level (Rocket French Level 1 $149.99, Levels 1–3 $249.99)checked 2026-10-09 (US App Store, Rocket French) | A1–B1 | No | One-time-purchase audio courses in 14 languages; try the free lessons first. |
Prices as shown on the official site on the date given; they vary by country and change often.
