How to Learn French?

If you’re reading this article, you’re at least mildly curious about how to learn French. Perhaps you’ve tried to learn a language before, and didn’t meet with a great deal of success. Don’t worry; you probably just used a method that didn’t work for you. This report will give you some suggestions about how to learn French more successfully.

It’s vital that you choose a form of language study that fits the way you learn best. Some people need the discipline of sitting in a classroom. But many others simply don’t have time for that. This is why online instruction is becoming so popular; you can do it at your own pace. Also, online methods like Pimsleur French 1 or Rocket French tend to place a great deal of emphasis on conversation - assimilating the sound of the language and replicating it to the best of one’s ability.

Click Here for the Ultimate French Course - Rocket French Premium

Why is hearing the language spoken so important? Because it most closely replicates the way we all learn to speak our native tongue. Babies don’t start off with a grammar book or a list of verb conjugations. They start off by listening to a native speaker talking to them. The baby attempts to repeat the sounds he hears; sounds that closely resemble the parents’ speech are praised, while sounds that do not resemble the parents’ speech are corrected or ignored. The result? The baby learns to speak the language of his parents.

Learning French as an adult is no different. The best way to learn the language is still listening to a native speaker and attempting to replicate - and reply to -- what he says. This is why oral methods such as Pimsleur French 1 or Rocket French are so powerful. If you hear a recorded sentence you don’t understand or can’t pronounce, you can play that segment over and over until you have mastered it. This sounds simple, but it really is how to learn French.

When you are away from the computer, seek out other opportunities to hear French spoken -- French restaurants, civic associations, French movies (with subtitles, not dubbed). You’ll find you’re able to understand a French conversation before you’re comfortable participating in it yourself, but it’s crucial that you try to speak anyway. Don’t worry that your grammar is bad or your sentence structure is incorrect. You’re probably more understandable than you think. Eventually, of course, you will need to pick up good, solid French grammar and sentence structure. But initially, just worry about retrieving enough words to get your point across.

Once you’ve got a sense of what French sounds like, get a sense of what it looks like.
Intermediate learners may want to consider subscribing to Champs-Elysées (http://www.audiomagazine.com/french.php3). You’ll get a monthly magazine on CD or cassette and a printed transcript of the audio file to help you interpret what you’re hearing. This is extremely useful for people who need to write and spell French accurately as well as understand the spoken word. The publishers of Champs-Elysées know a great deal about how to learn French, but be aware that this magazine is not geared for beginners, and it is quite expensive. Students with limited experience in French may get a similar result from the excellent web-based content of Rocket French.

How can you tell if your language study has been successful? Well, what was your goal when you started? If your goal was to function in a French-speaking country and you can now do that, then obviously you’ve succeeded. Even if your goal was to just to expand your intellectual horizons, you’ve now discovered how to learn French. But don’t stop there! Continue seeking out opportunities to speak French, and your mastery of the language can only grow.