What is the easiest way to learn French?
French is a Romance language that is also regarded as the language of love. Most individuals will attempt to convince you that French is not a tough language! At the same time, French reading is not as simple as it is in other Romance languages you may have learned or heard of! You will not achieve fluency unless you approach it correctly, with reasonable goals, and avoid the pitfalls that many first-time language learners make.
Every new language requires time commitment; you will not make significant progress if you simply devote a few hours each week to it! I would recommend that you prepare an initial strategy so that you approach the language in way that empowers you to learn it fluently in the shortest possible time.
Let's now look at a few tips and tricks that will be of immense help when trying to get your French learning successfully off the ground through classroom or self-study.
- While kids’ learning is intensely structured, orderly and ‘textbook driven’; learning gains an entirely new ‘meaning’ and ‘way to learn’ as we grow up! We no longer learn from textbooks or give weekly tests to prove our learning. To ensure that we learn, we take on both the roles of a learner and a teacher. As a result, we consciously observe and improve our own learning as if we were teachers. We also indulge and choose a variety of methods to assist us in our learning. Why? Because there isn’t a solitary universal method for learning everything! To be proficient in French, we must seek out the best resources, which include teachers, books, online practice, and so on, because nothing is piled up in one place for a learner to pick and walk off!
- In reality, a learner employs a number of tools to prepare themselves for the various learning heads, such as learning grammar, perfecting pronunciation, and expanding their vocabulary.
- Grammar is an intrinsic, one-of-a-kind feature of each language that defines the rules for speaking and writing in that language. It is the soul of a language, so it is not easy to master! As a result, starting with a language’s grammar is never a good idea if you want to learn a language faster! If you choose to learn a language starting with its grammar, you are likely to get sidetracked because the results may not be motivating enough for you to continue investing efforts! Especially when you’re slogging your way through verb endings and tenses!
- Your first step in learning should be to do something that will give you the confidence to start speaking and understanding a little French right away. You don’t have to be flawless. All you have to do is get started and have some fun.
- Improve your listening skills by using a variety of online resources, including Talk Shows, French news, CDramas, and audiobooks, to name a few! Make the most of YouTube by streaming French radio stations! To speed up your learning, watch French films with English subtitles and English films with French subtitles. To make the most of your free time, learn with songs, podcasts, and anything else you can get your hands on.
- Set attainable objectives! Study on a regular basis, but don’t overdo it! Determine your distinct learning style, which will assist you in mastering the language.
- To improve your pronunciation, read aloud. Find a conversation partner on Lingoci, Verbling, or iTalki with whom to practise speaking and receive feedback.
- Recognize genuine and phoney French cognates
- Don’t be afraid to try new things and make mistakes. We’re all guilty of it. Why should that discourage or embarrass you?
- Remember, self-studying is NOT for everyone!
- Be wary of phoney online French learning tools!
- Enrol in an intensive course. It would be extremely beneficial to your French learning! Keep translating French words/phrases into English to a minimum when you’re first starting out! Move away from it consciously as you progress. Try not to write in your head. For flashcards, use Spaced Repetition System apps such as Anki and Memrise. Learn basic phrases, connector words, and conversation starters to help you communicate and express yourself in shorter sentences.
- Keep a journal of new phrases, not just interesting or complex words, that will help you build your first conversation. Begin by reading children’s books. Children’s stories can be an excellent place to begin learning to read in French. Children’s and young adult stories are likely to use simpler language and more straightforward ideas than adult texts. Keep a French dictionary close at hand.
- Prioritize. If you want to learn French for business or travel, start with spoken French! Choose commonly used words to start a conversation rather than more difficult ones that are rarely used!
- Try to associate French words and phrases with images and visual situations rather than words in your native language or English! After a while, study grammar with grammar-based software or a textbook. I recommend Rocket French or Duolingo to accomplish the same goal. Study a language every day in short bursts or for 2-4 hours, as much as you have time for. Studying on a regular basis for a short period of time is far more beneficial than attempting to do it all in one sitting on weekends! Without missing a beat, practise. There are no shortcuts or ways to avoid the practice.
- Engage in continuous review to track your progress – repetition is essential!
Finally,
Define your fluency levels. For some fluency could mean speaking travel or business French while for some it could mean clearing the C2 level of CEFR the French language! If your fluency goal is only to speak with peers during travel, then it’s an easy road. However, if you intend to give a French proficiency test DELF or DALF then you need to have a serious approach to learning!
There’s an amazing new way to learn French! Want to see what everyone’s talking about!