5 tips to get confident speaking French
French belongs to those languages that have the reputation to be hard to learn and that take time to be relatively fluent in. However, it is possible to learn French quickly without needing several years and without having to wonder why you have embarked on such a crazy project. So, there is only one question that matters in the end : what is the most efficient way to learn French fast and is it even possible ? The answer is Yes.
Here are 5 tips to guide you in this big adventure.
1. Take a trip to the Lyon region to immerse yourself in French language and culture.
As a French teacher for non-native speakers, I would say that it is probably the first and best solution to learn and practice French fluently: spend time in France, immerse oneself in a place, meet new people, speak with native speakers from morning to evening, discover their society and their culture. In a word: adapt to another environment and find ways to cope on a daily basis!
This kind of immersion will help you increase your vocabulary, will allow you to speak much more fluently and to learn from mistakes that you would not have the opportunity to do by learning French only in your country. And mainly: it will make you more self-confident about your expression, especially once you understand that talking, making mistakes, correcting them and repeating things correctly is the best and only way to learn another language.
2. Take French courses and put knowledge into practice in everyday situations.
Of course, take French courses is the first thing to do to practice in a context where you want to learn and where you are focused on your learning. As a French teacher, I always use examples of everyday life to explain grammar, spelling, vocabulary, etc. (especially when I speak about cultural particularities such as common and idiomatic expressions or slang). Then, I encourage my students to practice what we saw in class on their own and in concrete situations (in town, in a shop, in a café, etc.): this is simply the most effective way to improve the way you express yourself in French.
You can tell yourself that learning French fast is like being a sponge that absorbs information. In my experience, it is not a matter of age but of will and patience: no one is never too old to learn a language. Most of the time, I teach French to adults of different ages and the courses are designed for one purpose : to be accessible by anyone. It is all about your state of mind: adults have the same learning capabilities as younger people, you just need to invest time in it.
Here lies the full paradox: it is possible to learn French fast but you need to give yourself time to do it. If you want to know more about L’École des Trois Ponts and how you can immerse in the French language, here is your first step to an Immersive French School.
3. Read in French.
Reading in French is a good way to extend the impact of what you learned during French courses. I encourage you to read everything that falls in front of you: authentic documents (information signs, maps, flyers…), newspaper articles, books…
4. Watch newscasts, TV shows and films in French.
Listening to French news, TV shows and films on the internet is also a good solution to practice your French, in a setting that combines the useful with the pleasant: you can watch a video to practice your comprehension and you can learn a lot about French culture and society.
5. Listen to music in French.
If you are a fan of music and you also want to add fun to your learning of French, what could be better than listening to music? There’s something for everyone! My recommendation : listen to at least one French song a day. Even if you don’t understand everything, it will train your ear to recognize words and you can always find the lyrics of the song later to get its meaning.
