LupinFrench
Questions about LupinFrench
LupinFrench is a free online French course for English speakers that follows Arsène Lupin, from absolute beginner (A1) upwards. Below are short answers to the 20 questions learners ask most: price, level, time, books, audio, Kindle, refunds and the Netflix series.
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The course
Is LupinFrench free?
Yes. All 20 lessons of level A1, the first review unit, every grammar page and the glossary are free, with no account, no advertising and no tracking. The only paid thing is the optional A1 book (€4.99): it collects the same lessons and adds review units 2 to 4, extra exercises, answer keys and a final test.
Do I need an account?
No. Your progress is saved in your own browser (local storage), not on a server. If you clear your browser data or change device, the progress starts again, but the lessons are all still there.
What level of French do I need to start?
None. Level A1 starts from zero: the first lesson teaches être (to be) and the articles un, une, le, la. All explanations are in English.
Who is the course for?
English speakers, teenagers and adults, who want to learn French from the beginning and would rather read a story than memorise lists. It also works as a review for false beginners who studied French at school.
What does A1 mean?
A1 is the first of the six levels of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR): A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, C2. At A1 you can introduce yourself, describe people and things, ask and answer simple questions and understand short, simple texts.
How long does a lesson take?
Most lessons take 30 to 45 minutes: reading the chapter, the grammar, and the exercises. Review units are shorter. You can stop at any point and come back: the site remembers where you were.
How long does it take to finish A1?
The A1 level has 20 lessons and 4 review units, about 15 hours of work in total. At one lesson a day, that is about a month.
What comes after A1?
Each level follows another Arsène Lupin book by Maurice Leblanc. A2 (Arsène Lupin en prison and L’Évasion d’Arsène Lupin) is coming soon; B1, B2, C1 and C2 are planned, ending with Leblanc read in the original.
Is there audio?
Not yet. Recordings of the stories by a native speaker are being prepared and will be added to the lessons. Buyers of the A1 book will also get them on their free bonus page.
Is the French in the stories real French?
Yes. The stories are retold in simple, correct modern French that uses only what you have learnt so far. Every lesson also ends with one sentence copied word for word from Leblanc’s original text of 1905, so you can see how close you are to reading him.
Will the lessons spoil the story?
The course follows the plot of L’Arrestation d’Arsène Lupin in order, one chapter per lesson, and keeps the twist for lesson 20. If you already know the story, the lessons work just as well.
Do I need anything to install?
No. The course runs in any modern browser, on a phone, a tablet or a computer. There is no app to download.
Can teachers use LupinFrench in class?
Yes. The lessons are free for anyone, in class too. Please link to the pages rather than copying them, and write if you need something else.
The books
What is in the A1 book?
The 20 lessons and 4 review units of the A1 course (reviews 2 to 4 are only in the book; the website shows a preview), extra exercises that are not on the website, a full answer key and a final test. It comes as a PDF and an EPUB, for €4.99.
Can I read the book on a Kindle?
Yes. The EPUB file can be sent to a Kindle with Amazon’s Send to Kindle, and it also opens on Kobo, Apple Books and most other e-readers. The PDF opens on any computer, tablet or phone.
Can I get a refund?
Yes. If a book you bought on this site is not what you expected, write within 30 days and you get your money back, with no questions asked.
Arsène Lupin and this site
Is LupinFrench connected to the Netflix series Lupin?
No. LupinFrench has no connection with the Netflix series Lupin, its producers or the Leblanc estate. The course is based on Maurice Leblanc’s original stories, which are in the public domain.
Is Arsène Lupin in the public domain?
Yes. Maurice Leblanc died in 1941, so his works entered the public domain in France and the rest of the European Union on 1 January 2012. In the United States, everything published before 1931 is in the public domain, which includes all the books this course uses.
How do I report a mistake?
Write to contact@lupinfrench.com. Every message is read, and corrections go online with the next update of the site.
Who makes LupinFrench?
LupinFrench is written and run by David Castro. It is an independent project, not a company course, and it is paid for by the books.