Learning French, just like any other new language, implies memorization, homework, commitment, regularity. So what is the best way to learn French? A little guidance will definitely be useful.
In this post I share with you 6 tips to help you to learn French efficiently and quickly so you can master this beautiful language in no time.
1 : Identify your Learning Style
Are you a visual, auditory or kinesthetic learner? In other words, do you learn best through looking at the words yourself, through hearing them spoken to you, or through listening and seeing and associating actions or feelings with them?
If you have learned languages prior to French, try to remenber how you learned them and identify the learning style that best worked for you in the past.
In most classroom settings you will do a lot of writing, but less speaking. Speaking the language and immersing yourself in it is extremely important and a way to learn the language more quickly.
2 : If you are a Beginner Add a good App in Your Routine
There are a lot of language learning software options on the market that allow you to study French at your own speed and on your own time.
One easy way to learn French efficiently if you are a beginner is to use an app that you can download on your mobile device.
Most of the apps include the most useful vocabulary and sentences to help you to communicate right away in real life situations. They also offer options to practise good pronunciation, work on your listening skills and learn the basic grammatical structures.
I have compiled a list of some of 3 the best apps for learning French with a short description of each one.
1 - VidaLingua : French Translator Dictionary+
A French Translator can be helpful to translate phrases on the go. But to really take a deep dive into the language, a comprehensive dictionary is critical to staying on your learning path. Luckily, French Translator Dictionary + combines both and has become my favorite app for teaching French.
2 - Learn French +
If you want to become conversational in French fast, Learn French + is an excellent choice. This app will help you feel much more comfortable speaking and understanding French because if focuses on real life situations.While the app contains many interactive exercises, the emphasis is on learning to hold a conversation instead of simply playing word games.
3 - Memrise
Memrise is an excellent choice for your learning needs if you’re struggling to remember French words after a while. Its methodology is highly unique. Unlike most apps, it doesn’t (just) teach words through pictures.
It teaches you French words through humour. Thank to their hilarious images you can get speaking French in a short time. The Memrise system makes language-learning fun by mixing technology and science with real-life language content, using audio, images and memory techniques, such as flashcards.
3 : Practice Speaking French Regularly With a Human Being
You now have access to numerous online ressources, apps, podcasts etc to learn French. All of them can be very efficient to build up your vocabulary, learn grammatical structures, memorize colloquial expressions but nothing will replace human interactions when it comes to languages.
It’s a good thing to be able to speak French to your cat in your sitting-room. It’s an entirely different process to speak French to a stranger in a restaurant. With human interactions another point is at stake: emotion that directly communicates interfere with certain areas of your brain.
When a group of native speakers get together, the conversation will usually speed up and become more difficult to understand. One-on-one conversations are easier to start with if you are a beginner. Private lessons are a way to ensure you get this experience, while also benefiting from input from an expert. At French à La Carte we are specialized in teaching French with lessons on a one to one basis only.
4 : Grab any Opportunity to Practise French
Many of the same conversations will come up again and again in everyday life. If you are dining out at a restaurant, getting drinks in a bar or going shopping, most interactions follow a similar pattern. If you are lacking confidence in the language you are learning, these conversations should be your first step. Stay first on safe routes before moving on longer interactions.
Even outside of these highly scripted encounters, when native speakers find out you are learning their language, they will probably ask you where you are from. These unformal conversations will help to boost your confidence so you can move onto broader topics.
5 : Watch Movies or Series in French on Netflix (with French Subtitles)
Netflix is an interesting ressource for anybody to improve their French, however I have some recommendations first. One study by American researchers showed that watching movies or series with subtitles was effective for all but not the very newest learners. If you are at the very start of your language learning journey, you may want to wait before diving in.
Subtitles can be a great resource when you start using Netflix to improve your French. You should start by watching series or films on Netflix with subtitles in English.
When you are more confortable with the language, have learnt more vocabulary, expressions and when you are more familiar with the grammatical structures, you can switch to French subtitles to help you follow along with the dialogues.
Eventually, you can turn off the subtitles altogether. Your focus must stay on French! These are important steps to follow.
Here are the two most popular French series on Netflix with our students at the moment.
Dix pour Cent
Le bureau des légendes
6 : Only Learn What You Need to Learn to Avoid Waste Time
You just need to learn 20% of the words, expressions you will need in 80% of cases to speak French quickly. When you learn only the most vital things, you will gain a lot of spare time. Only learning the useful vocabulary will focus you on what is important for you.
