In this short video, I'm going to tell you about 4 mistakes that all beginners, and sometimes even intermediates, make! But don't worry, I'm going to give you the keys to remedying them, so you know how to learn French fast. Let's get started!
Thinking in your mother tongue, but not in the right way
While it's customary to banish the use of your mother tongue when speaking a second language, you should be aware that this is not entirely correct and that it can deprive you of a real accelerator, especially at the beginning.
The process of acquiring a second language is not the same as for a mother tongue. When you're a baby, you learn by mimicry and then you see the rules at school. When you're an adult, you already have a structure in your head and you can use it for a new language, especially if they're closely related.
Consume content that is not adapted to your level
The difficulty for the solo language learner lies in the choice of resources. There's a plethora of them on the internet and that's the problem.
As well as quality, you need to be able to select the ones that are best suited to your level and your objectives.
There's a concept in linguistics called the ZPD, or zone of proximal development. To maximise it and learn effectively, you need to choose resources that are slightly above your level. A bit like in sport, if you lift weights of 10 kg, the next step will be those of 12 and not 50. If you're a beginner or intermediate, don't rush to Netflix, it's a very bad idea. The content is not designed for learning because it contains a lot of native slang. Instead, look for podcasts or videos with transcriptions and focus on using new words and phrases in context.
Limiting beliefs and false perceptions
How many times have I heard ‘French is difficult’ or ‘the passé composé is impossible’? First of all, French is no more difficult than any other language. Nobody ever woke up one day and said ‘what if I made French difficult to learn’? Secondly, every new concept seems difficult until you master it. Especially if you see it as a huge monolithic block.
The important thing is to break down the concepts
Take the past tense, it's vague when you put it like that, but if you break it down into questions, it's much easier.
When should it be used? For completed actions etc.
How do you form it? Auxiliary to be or to have in the present + past participle.
How do you choose the right auxiliary? Most verbs work with avoir except for a few on a specific list + pronominal verbs.
Anything else you need to know? Agreement of the past participle differs depending on the auxiliary, the type of verb and the position of the COD.
This is usually the teacher's job, as it requires certain skills and knowledge, but you can do it if you practice.
Getting bogged down in rules
If you're too much of a control freak, too focused on perfection and unwilling to take risks or make mistakes, you won't progress. This cognitive rigidity will prevent you from progressing and acquiring the automatisms that come with disconnecting your brain.
You can't be constantly analysing because your ideas have to be transcribed into words and sentences, and self-analysis adds an extra complex process that will slow down your rate of speech.
To paraphrase, the more you think about grammar and rules, the less fluent you'll be. And that's perhaps one of the hardest things to master. It's when you get past this stage that the click comes, that famous moment after which you think in the new language. How far have you got? Have you got that click yet? Or not yet?
Want to know more about French language, take French lessons with me!
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