What is the best way to learn French? A question that often piques the interest of language learners or those dreaming of learning this sophisticated language. For decades, French has been one of the most popular foreign languages with learners all over the world fascinated by this exotic language and its alluring culture.
However, starting to learn a new language can be a tad bit overwhelming. With a hoard of learning options at your disposal, how does one figure out the best method to learn French?
While this would certainly help you dive headstrong into the language, we would recommend the following ideas to be able to learn French effectively
1. Use the Immersion Approach
The immersion approach to learning French is the best approach to master the language. Immerse yourself entirely into the French language and culture.
The best way to learn French is to surround yourself with the language as much as possible. If you can, travel to France or a French-speaking country and live there for a while. Collaborate with learners like yourself and practice speaking with them. Leverage technology like mobile apps and software to practice spoken and written French in the most engaging way. Immerse yourself in French books, movies, social media.
2. Take help from a Tutor
Learning a whole new language by yourself can be overwhelming. When beginning to learn, it’s recommended to learn with a private French tutor or go for French classes hosted by various organizations within your city.
Some students need the expertise of a teacher to guide them through their studies, motivate them and find creative ways to explain the same point until it is understood. This communicative approach helps the learner interact closely with an expert with an equal focus on reading, writing, listening and speaking activities.
Outside France, there are three types of institutions that teach French:
- the French institutes and cultural centres, depending on the French Embassy
- the Alliances Françaises which are part of the Alliance Française foundation and are attached to the French Embassy
- University French studies departments, which are attached to the Ministry of Higher Education in your country
You can also learn French in a large number of training centres in France.
3. Leverage French media
It is not hard to make the process of learning French fun. To get familiar with French and the French culture, start watching TV5 Monde, the international Francophone channel. On the Apprendre platform, it offers interactive exercises adapted to all levels of French learners. On the other hand, RFI Savoirs, the Francophone radio station, has exercises, informative dossiers and shows to help you learn and teach French.
Audiobooks are a great way of comprehending the spoken French language. These audiobooks weave stories around lively characters and help the learner grasp french sounds through listening.
One such audiobook is the French learning audio method À Moi Paris which gets more complex as your level of French increases.
Some French videos on YouTube are created keeping a beginner in mind and provide a fun way to learn French. Similarly, listening to French songs, watching French movies, reading and contributing to French blogs, listening to French podcasts, and using French apps can be a great way to make learning French much more fun.
4. Learn better with Visual cues
Textbook learning using French to English translation might not be the best way to learn a new language. Rather, try as much as possible to link French vocabulary to images, situations, feelings, and stories rather than linking to English words.
We strongly recommend flashcards to study French. Use flashcards to draw the word/situation whenever possible instead of writing English. Visualizing a word using your own drawing will help you recall words based on what your drawing meant, making it much more efficient to learn French this way.
Ideally, the best way to learn French is a combination of the following efforts put together :
- Learn with the help of Interactive lessons (online or in a classroom) that teach French vocabulary, grammar and culture through reading, writing, listening and speaking
- The ability to study French at your own pace regularly with timely revisions
- Get proper professional guidance (at least in the beginning )from a trained French teacher or a native French speaker
- Make the learning approach interactive by interacting with French native speakers and other non-native French language learners
- Translation practices from your native language to French and vice versa
- Study vocabulary in a colorful, visual and interactive way
- Test your skills time and again
- Commitment to daily practice
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