How to Learn French

If you have ever wanted to learn French and don’t speak a word of it, you can still learn, no matter how old you are. There are quite a few ways to learn, depending on what you will be using it for and how you go about it.

Strategies

There are many different strategies that you can employ to learn the French language, all of which can offer results to the diligent student. Here are some of the most popular options. Whichever method you choose, it is very important to keep at it and not give up if you want to thrive. Remember that there are many people that have learned French and people will continue to learn it. You can be one of those people.

#1 Take lessons

A lot of people opt for getting professional help when learning a language. This can come in the form of classes at a university, private classes, or a tutor that only teaches you. The best part about this method is that you are often looking at official books or workbooks, and sometimes have a licensed teacher, so you know you are getting your money’s worth.

However, these classes can be rather expensive and you may not have time to attend them each time, due to your schedule. Of course, you can even get your friends to help you. Maybe you have a friend that is from France that is willing to help you out. That would be a much cheaper than a professional tutor. Plus, they may be able to teach you things, like slang words, which a normal teacher would not, and you may even have fun learning.

#2 Buy a program

If you want to learn French from the privacy of your own home, then there are many different programs you can buy that’ll be able to help. They usually come in the form of CDs, DVDs, or even online programs, which are designed to help you learn at your own pace. They offer things like fun quizzes and oral tests that are often presented in a fun way, to keep you engaged.

One such program is called Rocket Languages, and is formulated to teach people that have a hard time using other language programs.

One downside to this is that you have to sit at your computer to use it, so you may often forget or simply don’t have the time. However, some programs can be utilized on tablets or smart phones, so you could take your lessons with you even when you are on the go. This would be beneficial if you are on the road a lot.

#3 Use free resources

Not everyone has the money to buy lessons or programs to help them study a different language, but they are still quite anxious to learn. This is where the internet comes into play. You can watch videos online, download books, watch foreign movies, and even look at French websites to try to learn more.

There are also other free tools to take advantage of if you feel inclined to do so. This option not only saves you a bunch of money, but it can introduce you to things that you probably wouldn’t learn in a class. Make sure that you have a good French dictionary to start with, so you can tell what you’re looking at.

One downside is that all the resources may not be reputable. You need to ensure that you are only looking at items you can trust, to make certain that you are actually learning what you want to be learning.

#4 Take a trip

Many people swear by immersing yourself in a culture or country to learn the language. If you have the resources to do so, check it out for yourself. As a general rule, you’ll need to immerse yourself in the culture for at least 3 months, but it may be longer depending on how you learn.

This type of immersion generally involves only using the host language the whole time you are there. It may help to label all your belongings with their French names and start jotting down everything as you learn it, so you can keep up with conversations and aspects of the language.

This method is not for everyone and can be overwhelming, but it can also be a worthwhile experience. Furthermore, it can be very expensive to move to a different country, especially if you have to take vacation time or a leave of absence from work.

Conclusion

When you are attempting to learn French, or any language, it is essential to have a clear plan. Try your best to take the time to keep up with your lessons, even if you are using free resources. It could also be useful to try more than one of these options, to see what works best for you. For example, you could try the free resources first to see if they work for you.

If you find there are too many or become too weighed down, that may mean you should work with a tutor or with a special program. Rocket Languages even comes with a free trial and a money-back guarantee if you end up purchasing the system.

The point is, you are probably learning French for fun, so don’t stress yourself out about it. Go at your own pace and keep up with your lessons. While you are learning, start checking out French things, to see what you have retained.

For instance, you could watch dubbed movies or go to French restaurants and see if you can read the menu. It may sound cheesy, but it really isn’t. If you think about it, it probably wasn’t easy for you to learn English either.

There were many years of learning through grade school, high school, and college. There are also fewer rules in most languages than with English, so it may be easier to learn. Don’t forget you are supposed to be having fun and not making yourself crazy.