I've been teaching French for over 10 years, and I've helped hundreds of students to learn French. I've seen what works... and what doesn't. Today, I'd like to share with you what I wish students had known at the start of their course. These tips could make all the difference to you, whether you're a beginner or looking to progress.
Practice, practice, practice
If there's one thing you should remember from this video, it's this: you need to practice actively. That means speaking, writing and using the language as much as possible.
The mistake that many people make is to consume content galore without ever applying it.
Watching videos and using applications is fine at first, but after a while it becomes counterproductive. At some point, you're going to stagnate if you don't practice what you learn.
I'm sure you already know the most common verbs, you've got enough vocabulary... so use it! It's like learning to swim: you can watch lots of videos about swimming, but if you don't jump in the water, you'll never really know how to swim.
Take lessons with a teacher if you have to, or join a language café. With all that's available online these days, you can even create your own mini-immersion, but if you want to speak French... you have to speak. It's so simple that we tend to look for complicated solutions. But the only solution is to practice.
Accept that you may speak badly at first
This is a piece of advice I give to all students right from the start: accept that you will make mistakes. It's part of the process.
Nobody goes from zero to bilingual in a snap, and believing that you have to be perfect from the start holds you back more than anything else.
And, yes, you'll sometimes say things that will make people laugh, but that's how you learn.
In fact, I'll tell you a little anecdote: when I was learning Spanish, I wanted to say that my trousers were tight around my hips, but I didn't know the word ‘hips’. So I said ‘os’, but my tongue slipped, and instead of saying ‘huesos’, I said ‘huevos’. So everyone starts laughing because I said my trousers were squeezing my balls!
But in the end, did this mistake prevent me from making progress? Absolutely not. And today I speak fluent Spanish. So don't be afraid of making mistakes and speaking badly at first, even afterwards. It's normal, and everyone goes through it. And believe me, I pronounce huevos and huesos very well now.
Prioritise the vocabulary
Another crucial point I want you to understand: prioritise vocabulary. All too often I see learners obsess about grammar, when in reality you can communicate perfectly well even with grammatical errors. For example, if someone says to me: ‘Yesterday, I had an interview and I think I did well’, I understand the message completely. However, the verbs are in the infinitive, but that doesn't prevent me from grasping the meaning.
Concentrate on the essential vocabulary that will enable you to have an everyday conversation. You don't need to know all the idioms or all the verlan. These are passive elements of knowledge.
A native speaker understands these expressions, but doesn't use them often in everyday life. In fact, experts say that the average French person knows between 3,000 and 5,000 words, but actually uses 500 of them in everyday conversation.
So learn what's really useful in everyday life. A good stock of vocabulary will always come in handy rather than a perfect command of grammatical rules.
Don't compare yourself to others
One of the most frustrating things about learning a language is comparing yourself to others. It's natural, we always want to know if we're making as much progress as everyone else. But in reality, everyone learns differently. You probably know someone who claims to have learned French in three months. Well, let me tell you that these stories are very rare, not to say almost impossible.
This is your own language journey, so don't try to copy others. The important thing is to enjoy the journey as much as the destination. Enjoy learning.
And if you want to make faster progress, don't hesitate to ask a teacher for help. It may seem expensive at first, but it's an investment that will save you months or even years of frustration. With a good teacher, you'll be able to reach a functional level more quickly and start enjoying the benefits that French has to offer: socialising with native speakers, travelling in France, reading books or watching films in French...
Want to know more about French language, take French lessons with me!
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