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Posts Tagged ‘how to speak French’

For English speakers thinking about learning a new language, French should be considered as an option. The first thing that is apparent is that English has many things in common with French. An example of this is that many words are the same in both languages. This can make learning French easier for native English speakers. And you may even learn new things about the English language too.

You will be able to speak to many people if you speak French as it is spoken in some form throughout the world. It is considered as one of the official world languages and many organizations, like the UN recognize this fact. Thus fluency in French can enrich your personal life and even stand you in good stead for career opportunities. So if French sounds like the kind of language you would like to learn, what is the best way to learn it quickly . Speaking to people is the fun bit of learning a second language so there is no surprise that you want to learn quickly.

Talking to people has the added advantage that it increases learning and motivates a student. Other aspects of learning a language like grammar and spelling can be tedious but are still important. So how can you accent the good stuff and minimize the boring stuff and still learn successfully ? This article will deal with the best way to learn conversational French.

The general consensus is that the best way to learn conversational French is to do an immersion course. Learning French in a country where it is spoken natively is the principle behind immersion learning. So you could do a course in a part of France or many other countries where it is spoken by the locals, like Switzerland or Belgium for instance.

However, taking a course in another country is not always suitable for many people. To begin, you need to have a good amount of free time. Many people might do something like this in a gap year in between school and college. Thus you have to be free of responsibility, so many people may contemplate this option as part of annual leave or in between jobs. It will also take a fair amount of money, depending on where you plan to go and how long you plan to stay there. 

But the benefits are certainly there. I think there are two reasons why French immersion learning is good. The immediate reason is that you have to talk French. Nobody will speak your language so this focuses your mind on learning and speaking the language. You stop thinking in English, which is a habit that holds back your French learning. You quit being concerned about sounding silly when you speak simply because you have to speak. All the seemingly trivial obstacles to speaking fall away when you live in the country and have to speak French.

The other reason is that the hard work you do to learn a second language has a point. You can actually use what you have been learning. This acts as further motivation to continue learning the language, even the tedious stuff like grammar. So being able to order a meal or have a conversation in a bar will motivate you. And all the real smells, sounds and sights make your classroom learning come to life and help you understand more. And you will get more confidence in your skills if you speak to real people.

Taking a French immersion course is probably the best way to be successful if you want to attain French fluency but it is not an impulsive action. It will come at a considerable cost in both time and money. This may simply not be an option for many people that have commitments in their own country. Thus other ways that give more flexibility are classes or home study courses. Indeed, many people that go on an immersion course, see a home study course or night class as a primer before the immersion course.

There are many self study courses available for French, Rocket French reviews gives you an in depth review of this popular course. It covers the learn French mp3 component and with Michel Thomas versus Rocket French compares it to another popular course.