Tips for Learning French

Immerse yourself in the language

As we all know, the best way to learn a language is to spend time in the country where the language is spoken and be fully immersed. Wherever you are, whether in France or in your home country, try and listen to the French radio, watch French movies, read French newspapers, talk to French natives speakers, etc. The more you can immerse yourself in the language, the quicker your progress will be.

Be patient with yourself

Learning a language can be frustrating as progress is usually slow and happens in steps. You may at times feel that you are making good progress, and at other times you may feel that you are not getting anywhere. Be patient as this is part of the process. When it gets a little too much, make sure you step back a little, review all that you have learnt and practice it before you move on.

Don't worry about making mistakes

We all make mistakes in our own language so it is normal that we may make mistakes in a foreign language. The great thing about mistakes is that we usually learn from them pretty quickly. In fact, the bigger and the more embarassing our mistakes are, the quicker we learn (:$).

Think about how you learn best

We all have different learning styles and it is important that we are aware of our individual needs. A visual learner may benefit from reading books and newspapers in French, while an auditory learner may improve more by listening to French tapes or radio. A kinesthetic learner, however may prefer role playing or listening to French tapes while going for a walk. Think carefully about how you learn best!

A little every day

Make learning French part of your daily routine. Listen to the French radio over breakfast or during the day, read in French on your way to work or during your lunch break. Talk to yourself in French on your way home or in the bath or whenever you have a moment alone. Why not get a French penpal, who you can talk to or email in French during the week? Write a diary in French, reviews of films, etc! Be creative!

Read

Reading in French is a very good way to increase your range of vocabulary. We recommend the Easy Readers books (or similar books) which are simplified versions of classics, detective stories or modern social drama. If you are a beginner or near beginner, start with books graded A; if you already have a good level in French, you may wish to try a C or D grade. The higher the grades, the more varied the vocabulary is. Click here for a list of Easy Reader books. You can order the books on Amazon or purchase them from most bookshops.

Enjoy it!

Learning a language should be fun and exciting! Why not make a holiday of it and join other French lovers on a language course in France.