How to

How to Learn French French is a language spoken fluently by

approximately 175 million people worldwide.

Although originating in France, today it is spoken in

all different countries all over the world, and officially

in a total of 30. It is the second most frequently

taught language in the world after English--thus, the

reasons to learn it abound. This guide will help you

on your journey to speak French.

Getting Acquainted

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1 Buy a dictionary. This is le premier step to starting

a new language. Whenever you run into un

problème, you'll be able to get back on the right path

within seconds.

The Collins Robert French Unabridged Dictionary or

the LaRousse Concise French-English Dictionary

are both good standards. Of course, if you're not

thinking to get too heavily involved, a pocket

dictionary will suffice.

There are tons of websites out there that act as

dictionaries. Be careful! They're not always correct.

Wordreference.com is a good place to start. Always

exercise caution when translating complete

sentences.

2 Take advantage of technology. With all les

options out there, this is easier than ever. Of course,

your local library is a sturdy option, but you can find

resources in the comfort of your own home.

iTunes offers free 24/7 radio stations and podcasts

that are in French (some for beginners!) and most

cable packages will have at least occasional French

programming.

There are many mobile apps that can help you

memorize words - the most popular one is LingLing

based on spaced repetition - you can spend 20

minutes per day to memorize 750 words monthly.

YouTube has dozens upon dozens of resources for

French beginners.

Amélie isn't the only French movie out there. Go to

your local video store or do some research on the

net--sometimes more obscure ones (or

documentaries) can be found for free.

View your favorite English movies with French

voiceovers or subtitles. Even if you don't know

French at all, picking a movie you're familiar with will

help establish context for the language.

Watch the "French in Action" program on your local

public broadcasting station.

3 Label objects in your home. Sure, you sat down to

memorize words like "chair," "window," and "bed,"

but a week later they escaped you. Labeling the

objects in your home creates long-term memories

that can't be easily forgotten.

Remember to include the gender! French has two:

masculine and feminine. This will be handy when

you want to refer to it by the pronoun later.

It's "la chaise," "la fenetre," and "le lit," by the way.

Go grab your pen now!

Include the pronuncation on the side, if you need

help remembering.

l'ordinateur - lor-dee-nah-tur - Computer

la chaîne hi fi - shen-hi-fi - Stereo

la télévision - tay-lay-vee-zee-ohn - Television

le réfrigérateur - ray-free-zhay-rah-tir - Refrigerator

le congélateur - kon-zhay-lah-tur - Freezer

la cuisinière - kwee-zeen-yehr - Stove

Start a Program

1 Buy a learning tool. Some require a hefty fee,

some do not. Ask around for une opinion or if a

friend has a set of CDs or a program you can

borrow. Popular options are Rosetta Stone,

Pimsleur, or Michele Thomas. Every program is best

for a different type of learner.

Pimsleur does not give you a book. It's a set of CDs-

-good for aural learners and those with long

commutes. It does use English and allows you to

translate. It utilizes backchaining, as in, "porte," "la

porte," "-ez la porte," "Fermez la porte," to practice

pronunciation.

Rosetta Stone is a computer program and does not

allow any English and relies heavily on pictures. It

plays memory games and is ideal for visual and

sensory learners.

Michele Thomas (on CD and YouTube) advocates a

slightly different style of teaching. He emphasizes

patterns in language and utilizing cognates. You

start with one basic sentence, such as, "Je vais au

restaurant," (I am going to the restaurant.) and he

leads you to, "Je vais au restaurant ce soir parce

que c'est mon anniversaire." (I am going to the

restaurant tonight because it's my birthday.)

Your vocabulaire expands as you build on the blocks

you already have.

Duolingo.com is another site which trains you in

French: memorizing by training to translate (English-

to-French; and French-to-English), listening

comprehension and more.

2 Take a class. The best way to learn a language

(apart from living in the country, of course) is to

practice every day with others. Taking a class forces

learning into your schedule, holds you accountable,

and gives you resources in others that you wouldn't

otherwise have.

Check out your local community college or

university. Though the class might be more

expensive, the perks of being a student and having

access to the facilities lessen the blow to your wallet.

Find a language school. These classes are often

much cheaper, smaller, and offered on nights or

weekends. If you live in a fairly diverse area, one

shouldn't be too far away.

3 Get a tutor. The internet is a beautiful thing. Loads

of people are looking for an easy way to make an

extra $50 a week. You can cater the learning to your

schedule and develop your own curriculum.

Don't let just anyone be your tutor. Just because you

can speak the language does not mean you can

teach it. Aim for someone who has done it before,

not someone with four years of high school French.

4

Join a group. Odds are there are loads of people

just like you of all demographics and ages. Visit your

local area colleges or language institutes for

information.

Practice with someone. You can find a penpal online

or you can visit your local chapter of the Alliance

Française. Delve deep into your online contacts for

anyone who might be able to move you forward--that

friend from high school who studied abroad? Your

cousin Alberta who moved to Vancouver? Do

whatever you can to guarantee success.

Keep At It

1 Practice every day. Learning a language is unlike

learning any other subject. Your knowledge must

build and become as intrinsic as possible. Practicing

every day is the only way you'll be able to maintain

and improve your skills.

Incorporate review in your learning until it's solid.

You cannot build complex sentences if you've

forgotten how to structure simple ones.

Even if it's just for half an hour, it's worth it. Get your

mind thinking en francais. Developing habits makes

it harder to quit.

2 Learn cognates. Depending on your source, about

30% of all English words originate from French[1]. If

you're just beginning, an easy way to dive in is to

familiarize yourself with the concepts.

Often, the "fancier" verb is French and the "normal"

verb is German. Think "start" versus "commence";

"help" versus "aid"; "understand" versus

"comprehend." The French for those verbs is,

respectively, in their infinitive form, "commencer,"

"aider," and "comprendre."

Certain word endings are giveaways that they're

French. Think words with "-ion," "-ance," or "ite."

Television, billion, religion, nuance, endurance,

granite, opposite -- those are all French words. Not

English. French. Well, English, too.

3 Memorize new phrases. Never let your vocabulary

stagnate. As your knowledge grows, take time to

incorporate new phrases into your phrasal pool.

Think of a new topic. If you're lacking in time

vocabulary, zero-in on that department. If you need

to learn the names of food, concentrate on that.

Expand yourself.

Quelle heure est-il? (What time is it?)

Bon, euh, je ne sais pas...(Uhh, I don't know...)

Oh, non! Il est déjà 17 h! Je dois étudier mon

vocabulaire de français! (Oh no! It's already 5:00! I

have to study my French vocabulary!)

4 Review verb conjugations. The biggest difference

between English and French is that French

conjugates their verbs to match the tense and

subject. Generally speaking, verb charts go in "I,

you, he/she/it, we, you (plural), they" order.

Start with the simple present of -er verbs (manger -

to eat):

Je mange - tu manges - il/elle/on mange - nous

mangeons - vous mangez - ils/elles mangent

Simple present of -ir verbs (choisir - to choose):

Je choisis - tu choisis - il/elle/on choisit - nous

choisissons - vous choisissez - ils/elles choisissent

Simple present of -re verbs (vendre - to sell):

Je vends - tu vends - il/elle/on vend - nous vendons -

vous vendez - ils/ells vendent

Often, the ending of words is not pronounced. "Je

choisis" sounds more like "Zhuh schwazee," and "ils

mangent" sounds like, "eel monge."

Learn the other tenses later. Once you've mastered

the simple present, continue onto the passé

composé (past tense).

5 Think out loud. If you're around others, they might

get irritated, but it's worth it! They don't have to

understand you, only you have to understand you.

It's a bonne idée, isn't it?

French is a language that's highly encorporated into

English. In addition to using simple phrases like,

"Bonjour!", "Merci beaucoup," or "Je ne sais quoi"

that some people know, use slightly more difficult

ones when talking to yourself -- or let your

roommates catch on!

Où est mon sac? - Where is my bag?

Je veux boire du vin. - I want to drink some wine.

Je t'aime. - I love you.

If you say to yourself, "Oh, I see an apple!" translate

it to French - "Oh, je vois une pomme". Practice this

whenever you get a chance - in the car, in bed, in

the bathroom, everywhere.

6 Travel to a French-speaking country. If living

there isn't an option, then visiting is the second-best.

If you have the finances and ability to take des

vacances, bring your books and CDs with you!

Talk to the locals and experience the culture. Sitting

at the McDonald's next to the Louvre (or the

Starbucks, for that matter) won't exactly get you the

educational or cultural experience you're looking for.

You don't have to go to France to find a wealth of

French speakers. However, know what dialect you're

looking to mirror; going to Quebec will expose you to

a French culture, but you'll hear Quebecois down the

street--and it may be hard to understand!

Rocket French: The Award Winning System

That Gets You Speaking French & Loving

French Culture

(And the best thing is – it only takes

minutes a day)

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