The French language is always associated with love, hate, cuisine, fashion, and arts. There are about 300 million French-speaking people in the world. Of course, there are also many English and Chinese, but it is a lot anyways! The francophone population lives across all five continents: in Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, and North Africa, in the Middle East and the Americas, Asia and Oceania.
How hard is French to learn? Well, French is a Romance language, like Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, or Romanian. It makes the language easier to learn and understand, as all of them come from Latin. So, if you are going to start learning one, the other languages will become a piece of cake. Here is our ultimate guide on how to learn french effortlessly.
Ultimate Guide on How to Learn French
The surprising thing about the French language is that you, as an English speaker, already know a lot of words from the language of love. For example:
- Advice – from Old French avis [opinion], aviser [give the point of view];
- Agree – from Old French agreer, modern French agréer [“to accept” or “to please”];
- Blanket – from Old French blanchet [a white cloth];
- Literature – from the Old French word littérature;
- Salad – from the French word salade;
- Soup – from the French word soupe.
According to different sources, 30 to 45% of all English words have a French origin that is why it will not be hard for most people to follow our step-by-step guide on French.
Step 1: Find a Tutor
Pronunciation may be confusing for a beginner. That is why you need to find an experienced tutor. There are so many great platforms for learning french online like Preply that you will not have any trouble with this step. Preply is a well-known platform where you can book a trial lesson to ensure that the teacher is a good fit for you.
Many teachers use their teaching techniques, so do not be shy – ask them how they will conduct the class. If you percept visuals or text better, you can ask the tutor to use them more. Communicate, and you will get the best result!
Step 2: Practise More
Students of the professional French tutors know how important practice is. Spend more time on your homework and other activities that include French learning, and the result will amaze you. The extra activities may include:
Watch More Movies in French
Want to speak fluently on your next trip to France? Log in to your HBO account, turn on French subtitles and enjoy great series as long as learning the language. There are also french movies on the service, so if you want to listen to the natives – do not miss the opportunity!
Listen to French Podcasts
Love listening to the stories on politics, cuisine, art, and history? Duolingo french podcast is something you should try. There are so many engaging stories there – you can forget about time listening to them. The announcers have perfect pronunciation – get ready to enjoy the voice!
Read Books in French
“Le Petit Prince” By Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is the book you can start with learning French. It has a great storyline, and it is very engaging. Choose the edition you like: with illustrations, comments of the author, or English translation. The most important thing is that you enjoy your reading!
Step 3: Communicate with the Natives
The thing that makes your learning easy is traveling and communication with the french. Now, when there are not many travels, you can find a french friend online. There are many interest clubs online. Look for the french people who would like to speak your language. You can help each other with improving the skills of pronunciation and spoken language.
To Sum Up
There is always something scary about learning a foreign language. Someone is afraid to speak, and the other one is afraid of making mistakes in the words, pronunciation, or grammar of the language they learn. The crucial thing about doing something new is remembering that making mistakes is one of the most effective ways to learn. Professional tutors know everything about how to fix the students’ failures. That is why it is crucial to choose the teacher who will support you on your way to success!