How to Learn French Quickly
Use French as the standard language on your technology.Change the default operating system language on your phone, tablet, and computer to French., Read French every day., Practice speaking with a French speaker.If you’re in a cosmopolitan area, you...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Use French as the standard language on your technology.Change the default operating system language on your phone
This way, you’ll be forced to navigate French menus every time you operate your phone or computer.
Be sure to write down the steps on how to change it back just in case you find that its a bit too immersive for you. -
Step 2: tablet
Do everything online that you’d normally do, but do it in French.
Check the news, the weather, and maps in with French sites.
Read newspapers and books in French, as well.
Check your local library or bookstore for French-language novels, periodicals, and newspapers. , Check your local community bulletins or sites like Meetup.com to search for French clubs in your area.
If you feel comfortable, ask a French speaker to meet you for coffee outside the club for more intensive, one-on-one French language practice.
The more advice and assistance you can get from native speakers, the easier the language acquisition process will be for you.
If you don’t have a French club in your area, you could start one, or ask a close friend to learn the language with you.
After studying on your own for a time, you can practice speaking with each other.
Be sure that your friend is at a level close to you, though, otherwise you will not be significantly improving your abilities.
You could also consider getting French lessons via Skype.
Many websites offer personalized French lessons through video chat for a fee.Other sites (https://www.mylanguageexchange.com, for instance) connect speakers of different languages to each other for free, but you won’t be paired with someone trained in teaching conversational French. , Listen to French music with simple lyrics and English translations.
Children’s songs work well for this, as do jazz, pop, or folk songs.
Whatever genre you choose, be sure you enjoy listening to it, then listen to the songs on repeat over and over until you know and understand their lyrics.
Use a French-English dictionary to translate words whose meaning you are unsure of. , This method is in opposition to the time-consuming process of learning extensive grammar rules and individual pieces of vocabulary.
Sentence miming will get you speaking French right out the gate.
When you hear a French speaker say a useful phrase, copy their intonation and pronunciation so that you can use the whole sentence when you want to. , The scriptorium technique involves writing original sentences in French, then reading them out loud.
The sentences you choose to write could be provided by a native speaker, but the most useful ones will be original to you.
They could also be drawn from a self-teaching book with French sentences on one page and the English translations on the opposite page.
If you need help nailing the pronunciations when writing and reading the sentences, ask a native speaker to help you.
Choose sentences with words that relate to your life and experiences or sentences that you will find useful should you ever want to travel to a French-speaking nation. , If you don’t want to teach yourself, take an immersive class.
Immersive French classes differ from regular French classes in that they require you to be in class five days each week for about three hours.
From the time you walk through the door to the time the class ends, you’ll be speaking French and hearing French from your teacher and classmates.
During that time, you might do all the things you’d do in a regular class: role-playing, reading out loud, practicing vocabulary with games, and taking tests.
The demand on you to use French nonstop will improve your abilities and force you to learn French quickly.
Check the credentials of the school and teacher before enrolling in a class.
If they are unqualified, look elsewhere for a class.Immersive classes should consists of students whose abilities are all at a similar level.
If you don’t have the time or money to take a class, stick with self-teaching. , Listening to a podcast or French-language lesson with your phone or MP3 player could give you an extra dose of French instruction when you’re on the go.There are a huge variety of French shows, instructional recordings, and podcasts.
Check online for ones that pique your interests and improve your French.
Frenchpod101 is a French podcast that caters to learners of all levels.
Check it out at http://www.frenchpod101.com/.
News in Slow French is a good way to both get your news and learn a few new French expressions.
You can download the show through iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/french-podcast/id427774337 , Why bother creating a French-immersive environment when you could just visit one? There are many places around the world where French is the primary or secondary language.
French-speaking regions or countries you might want to visit include:
France Belgium Algeria Gabon Senegal Quebec -
Step 3: and computer to French.
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Step 4: Read French every day.
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Step 5: Practice speaking with a French speaker.If you’re in a cosmopolitan area
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Step 6: you probably have a French club in your area where you can meet native French speakers to practice your language abilities and learn more about French culture.
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Step 7: Learn songs in French.
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Step 8: Mimic full French sentences.Sentence miming is the process whereby you memorize and use full sentences in French.
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Step 9: Use the scriptorium technique.
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Step 10: Enroll in an immersive class.
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Step 11: Listen to French audio.
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Step 12: Go to a French-speaking country.
Detailed Guide
This way, you’ll be forced to navigate French menus every time you operate your phone or computer.
Be sure to write down the steps on how to change it back just in case you find that its a bit too immersive for you.
Do everything online that you’d normally do, but do it in French.
Check the news, the weather, and maps in with French sites.
Read newspapers and books in French, as well.
Check your local library or bookstore for French-language novels, periodicals, and newspapers. , Check your local community bulletins or sites like Meetup.com to search for French clubs in your area.
If you feel comfortable, ask a French speaker to meet you for coffee outside the club for more intensive, one-on-one French language practice.
The more advice and assistance you can get from native speakers, the easier the language acquisition process will be for you.
If you don’t have a French club in your area, you could start one, or ask a close friend to learn the language with you.
After studying on your own for a time, you can practice speaking with each other.
Be sure that your friend is at a level close to you, though, otherwise you will not be significantly improving your abilities.
You could also consider getting French lessons via Skype.
Many websites offer personalized French lessons through video chat for a fee.Other sites (https://www.mylanguageexchange.com, for instance) connect speakers of different languages to each other for free, but you won’t be paired with someone trained in teaching conversational French. , Listen to French music with simple lyrics and English translations.
Children’s songs work well for this, as do jazz, pop, or folk songs.
Whatever genre you choose, be sure you enjoy listening to it, then listen to the songs on repeat over and over until you know and understand their lyrics.
Use a French-English dictionary to translate words whose meaning you are unsure of. , This method is in opposition to the time-consuming process of learning extensive grammar rules and individual pieces of vocabulary.
Sentence miming will get you speaking French right out the gate.
When you hear a French speaker say a useful phrase, copy their intonation and pronunciation so that you can use the whole sentence when you want to. , The scriptorium technique involves writing original sentences in French, then reading them out loud.
The sentences you choose to write could be provided by a native speaker, but the most useful ones will be original to you.
They could also be drawn from a self-teaching book with French sentences on one page and the English translations on the opposite page.
If you need help nailing the pronunciations when writing and reading the sentences, ask a native speaker to help you.
Choose sentences with words that relate to your life and experiences or sentences that you will find useful should you ever want to travel to a French-speaking nation. , If you don’t want to teach yourself, take an immersive class.
Immersive French classes differ from regular French classes in that they require you to be in class five days each week for about three hours.
From the time you walk through the door to the time the class ends, you’ll be speaking French and hearing French from your teacher and classmates.
During that time, you might do all the things you’d do in a regular class: role-playing, reading out loud, practicing vocabulary with games, and taking tests.
The demand on you to use French nonstop will improve your abilities and force you to learn French quickly.
Check the credentials of the school and teacher before enrolling in a class.
If they are unqualified, look elsewhere for a class.Immersive classes should consists of students whose abilities are all at a similar level.
If you don’t have the time or money to take a class, stick with self-teaching. , Listening to a podcast or French-language lesson with your phone or MP3 player could give you an extra dose of French instruction when you’re on the go.There are a huge variety of French shows, instructional recordings, and podcasts.
Check online for ones that pique your interests and improve your French.
Frenchpod101 is a French podcast that caters to learners of all levels.
Check it out at http://www.frenchpod101.com/.
News in Slow French is a good way to both get your news and learn a few new French expressions.
You can download the show through iTunes at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/french-podcast/id427774337 , Why bother creating a French-immersive environment when you could just visit one? There are many places around the world where French is the primary or secondary language.
French-speaking regions or countries you might want to visit include:
France Belgium Algeria Gabon Senegal Quebec
About the Author
Carolyn Rodriguez
Experienced content creator specializing in DIY projects guides and tutorials.
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