French is a language spoken fluently by approximately 175 million people worldwide. Although originating in France, today it is spoken in countries all over the world, and officially in a total of 29 countries. It is the second most frequently taught language in the world after English. This guide will help you on your journey of discovery when you learn to speak French.
Steps
- Understand what a verb is and present tense. If you want to say the infinitive "to have" you would say "avoir." Of course, you will need to learn to conjugate it. For example, "I have" is really "j'ai." You can start with the basic verbs avoir, être, and learn the conjugations for the major verb endings: -er, -ir and -re.
- Learn the other tenses. There is also passé composé (past tense), the future, the imperfect etc.
- Buy a good French/English dictionary. It is best to purchase a large, good quality one. A rule of thumb is that a good French/English dictionary places the French first. You can expect to spend a reasonable amount on this, but it is well worth it. Also useful is a Petit Larousse, a French-only dictionary which shows you how a French person would define the word you're looking for. This will help you think in French while speaking it.
- Read in French. Reading in French will increase your vocabulary and you will be surprised how quickly you will learn by absorbing the words through the context of the reading. As you go along, look up words in the dictionary.
- Have conversations in French. You will be amazed at how much you will learn just by talking to someone who speaks the language.
- Know French native speakers You can find them nowadays in many websites,such as Students Of The World.It'll be easier to make friends and improve your French if you ask them to improve it and you'll teach them English as a start.
- Get into French immersion. This is a great way to learn French properly. In some places, such as Canada, after 3 years in the Immersion program, you will be considered fluent in the language. Whether you are or not, of course, is up to you!
- Label your stuff in French. Type/write on one side of the paper the French word for that item and the pronunciation on the other side. Tape it to the item. Now when you use it, you can see what that item is called in French, and if you have a hard time pronouncing, you can just look on the other side.
- Pay attention during lessons. It will help you later whether you go into French Immersion or not.
- Learn popular French folk songs. You can find the words and music to these online. They will help you to get a feel for both the language and the culture. As for the French, the two are really one and the same thing.
- Practice with someone. You can find a pen pal online or you can visit your local chapter of the Alliance Française. Or, you can probably find someone at your local university or community college who would love to practice with you.
- Study every day. This is essential if you want to be successful.
- Think in French. Say to yourself "Oh, I see an apple!" Now say it in French - "Ô. Je vois une pomme". Practice this whenever you get a chance - in the car, at bed, in the bathroom, everywhere.
- If you're on the computer a lot, consider buying a learning program, such as Rosetta Stone or Berlitz. A good program has native speakers and pictures. If you wish to learn at little expense, google different free online podcast lessons and listen to them from time to time (every day if possible). But don't spend all your time on it. To learn French efficiently, you need to get out and converse in French.
- Understand that learning a language is a full time commitment. If you muck around with it and only learn bits and pieces, you will likely regret this later in life when you actually want to converse in French.
- Have a positive attitude. Sometimes, you may be discouraged by remembering why you wanted to speak French in the first place. The reality that 175 million people worldwide speak French is a good motivation. Also, think how few people are monolingual these days - two or more languages is more and more the norm.
- Watch the "French in Action" program on your local public broadcasting station.
- Subscribe to a French newsletter or magazine. You'll learn pretty fast this way if you continue to read French.
- Go to France, Quebec, or somewhere that French is the most prominent language. This is considered the most practical and fastest way to learn the language by many leading experts.
- Go to an online translator website and just type in random phrases that you can use daily. Then try to work these daily into your schedule. However, beware these translators as they are often wrong. Double check with your dictionary and your teacher.
- Teach French. As you learn new words, say it to non-speaking friends and then say what it means. This, in turn, helps you pronounce and understand French and encourages your friends to learn with you.
Tips
- Set aside a time to learn French everyday. 15-30 minutes is better than one big session once a week. You always learn more if you practice a bit every day rather than once a week for two hours.
- Invest in a good Bescherelle. This is a book with every verb for quick and easy conjugation. French speakers swear by these.
- Try out French crossword puzzles. You can find these online.
- Print or buy a French calendar and replace your regular calendar. So whenever you look at the date, you'd quickly learn French numbers, days, and months. And when you write in events, look it up in your dictionary and write in French.
- At the store, count how many fruits you're putting in the cart in French.
- Get your friends/family to learn French with you. It's way more fun than learning by yourself.
- Look online for other people who are learning or already speak French. You can learn a lot from each other.
- Make French the first thing you see on your computer. Get your homepage to be a french website.
- As you talk, try not to talk fast if you are still not fluent enough. If you are a perfectionist or someone who is easily nervous, talking fast only makes you more nervous, while talking slower gives you more comfort and confidence to express yourself.
- Listen to French music and watch French movies. Sometimes students get so caught up in dull grammar that they forget why they're learning French in the first place. Listening to French music (and watching French movies) is fun and rewarding while also great listening practice and it helps improve one's accent.
