French holds a special place in the hearts of many language enthusiasts. As the saying goes in French, “On revient toujours à son premier amour,” meaning you always return to your first love. For many, including myself, French is that first linguistic love. While every language I’ve learned has been rewarding, French possesses a unique charm and appeal.
Growing up in Montreal in the 1950s offered a unique immersion into French culture. From grade two onwards, French classes were a daily part of my elementary and high school education. After a decade of French instruction, however, as I entered McGill University at 17, I found myself surprisingly unable to hold a simple conversation or easily comprehend the language.
This experience wasn’t unique to me; it was, and unfortunately remains, quite typical. Despite being a diligent student who excelled in grammar tests and classroom French exercises – often outperforming my peers – practical fluency eluded me. Speaking felt hesitant and uncertain, and understanding spoken French, particularly in media like newspapers or movies readily available in Montreal, was a significant challenge.
Sadly, this situation persists today. The conversational French proficiency among English Canadians remains disappointingly low and has even seen a recent decline. Despite considerable efforts in schools to teach verb conjugations, reflexive verbs, and the intricacies of French grammar to, perhaps, less-than-enthusiastic young learners, effective communication skills are not developing. One has to wonder if the teaching methods themselves are contributing to this issue.
By the third grade, I could flawlessly recite the list of 16 French verbs using the auxiliary verb “être.” Yet, by grade 11, conversational fluency remained a distant goal. It was only later that I achieved fluency, graduated from a prominent French university, and developed a lasting love affair with the language. So, what’s the key? What advice can I offer to someone just starting on their journey of learning French?
Ignite Your Passion for French
The simplest, albeit sometimes most challenging, advice is to cultivate genuine interest in French. I once delved into the reasons why learning French is worthwhile in my blog post, Why learn French? Six Reasons. While suggesting passion is easy, igniting it is a deeply personal process. My own passion for French doesn’t automatically translate to others. However, to borrow another insightful French proverb, “l’appetit vient en mangeant” – appetite comes with eating. Perhaps giving French a try is the first step. As I mentioned in my article on the reasons to learn French:
“To paraphrase Tolstoy, all happy language learners resemble each other. They develop a passion for the language they are learning. Each unhappy language learner, on the other hand, finds his or her own reason to be turned off. I got turned on to French flair long ago and my passion for French has stayed with me for over 50 years.”
Every language presents its unique set of challenges for learners, meaning some languages naturally take longer to learn than others. A language is intrinsically linked to the culture it represents, embodying a distinct way of expressing thoughts and emotions, often different from our native patterns. Motivation becomes essential to navigate these new patterns and persevere through the learning curve.
The renowned Hungarian polyglot Kato Lomb famously stated that language learning success is a formula of motivation plus time, divided by inhibition. I prefer to think of “resistance” rather than just “inhibition.” Inhibition is one form of resistance, but frustration with ineffective teaching methods constitutes another, perhaps more significant, barrier to learning.
French for Beginners: Shifting the Focus from Grammar
Traditional French instruction often places excessive emphasis on grammar, which, in my experience, is counterproductive for beginners. The key to effectively learning French, especially at the initial stages, is immersion. Dive into the language immediately by listening to and reading engaging stories. Start with materials that are short, repetitive, and designed for beginners, such as the Mini Stories at LingQ. These Mini Stories are excellent for progressing from a complete beginner to an intermediate French speaker. They help internalize basic language patterns through repetition and serve as a fantastic refresher of grammatical structures as you advance. As quickly as possible, your immersion should evolve to include compelling content with accompanying audio and text.
Engaging with French lessons online.
The internet has revolutionized access to such learning materials. Whether you prefer French YouTubers, podcasts, or blogs, the wealth of available content is virtually limitless. Resources like Francais Authentique and innerFrench are invaluable. Such resources were simply unavailable during Kato Lomb’s era or even when I was learning French decades ago.
You might be wondering about grammar and other perceived difficulties of French. Here’s a concise overview to guide you. Don’t aim to memorize everything at once; instead, use this as a reference as you embark on your personal French language discovery journey. LingQ also offers a free French grammar guide for further exploration.
A Beginner’s Guide to Key Aspects of French
Mastering French Pronunciation
French pronunciation can initially seem challenging, and comprehension might feel a bit tricky at first. Unlike English, Swedish, or tonal languages, French tends to flow within a narrower tonal range. Nasal sounds, which can sound similar to untrained ears, and the phenomenon of liaison, where the last syllable of a word blends into the first of the next, further complicate both listening and speaking. However, take heart! The brain is remarkably adaptable and will, with sufficient exposure, acclimatize to any language.
As a beginner, awareness is key, but undue worry is not helpful. The language won’t change for you; you will adapt to the language. Gradually, and only gradually, your ear will attune to the sounds, words, and eventually, you’ll be able to reproduce them more accurately. Being aware of these nuances early on is beneficial for noticing them and allowing your brain to adjust. Don’t get discouraged if it initially sounds like a blur.
For perspective, French speakers face similar hurdles when learning English pronunciation. French is relatively monotone, with only three tones, while English boasts seven, Russian nine, and some languages even more! French speakers must adjust to the more melodic nature of English, just as English speakers need to flatten their intonation in French. Both groups require ample exposure to discern word boundaries, especially since French provides fewer tonal cues.
A crucial pronunciation tip for beginners is to get comfortable with the ‘euh’ sound, common in words like “Je,” “le,” “me,” and unaccented ‘e’ endings. French uses ‘euh’ much like English speakers use “aah” or “umm,” as a filler or pause between words or phrases. Incorporating this into your pronunciation early on will help your French sound smoother and more authentically French.
Navigating Statements, Negations, and Questions
Familiarize yourself with the French equivalents of the English ‘w’ words: what, where, when, why, who, how. These translate to “quoi,” “où,” “qui,” “quand,” “pourquoi,” and “comment.” Mastering these question words early is essential for constructing both statements and questions in French. Utilize Google Translate to understand the French structures for questions you might typically ask in English.
In fact, make it a habit to use Google whenever you encounter a French language question, including grammar queries. Seeking answers to questions that arise from your actual engagement with the language, driven by your own curiosity, is far more effective than passively receiving grammatical explanations from a textbook or teacher.
When you encounter question words in your LingQ reading materials, save them as LingQs (known words being learned). This not only helps you remember the words but also leverages the LingQ system to provide numerous examples of their usage, often from lessons you’ve already studied. The advantage of reviewing examples from familiar lessons is that you likely already understand the surrounding vocabulary, making the grammatical context clearer. Grammar book examples, conversely, often introduce new vocabulary, which can be less helpful.
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Learning French question words online.
Understanding Gender and Number in French
Unlike some languages like Japanese that lack grammatical gender and number, French incorporates both extensively. In French, pronouns and adjectives must agree in gender and number with the nouns they modify, and even verbs must agree with their subjects in certain tenses. A quick online search will provide detailed explanations. For verb agreement specifics, Lawless French is an excellent resource. It explains:
“Accord du verbe. In French, the past participles in compound tenses and moods sometimes have to agree with another part of the sentence, either the subject or the direct object. It’s a lot like adjectives: when an agreement is required, you need to add e for feminine subjects/objects and s for plural ones.”
The internet offers a plethora of grammar resources. Identify those that resonate with you and use them as references whenever curiosity strikes. Internalizing new grammatical patterns takes time and repeated exposure. You won’t master them immediately, perhaps not even after several attempts. But with consistent engagement, they will eventually become second nature.
Demystifying French Verbs
Early in your French learning journey, you’ll notice a significant difference from English verb conjugation. While English verb forms change minimally based on person, French verbs change form for every person, tense, and mood. These variations are known as verb conjugations. Memorizing these conjugations through rote learning of tables is often an unrewarding and ineffective approach. While you might recall them for a short-term test, they quickly fade from memory, necessitating constant re-referencing.
In the digital age, finding verb conjugations is effortless. Simply Google “French conjugations” or the “conjugation” of any specific verb, and you’ll find numerous online conjugators. The same applies to pronouns, adjectives, or any grammatical element you wish to explore.
Conjugation dictionaries like Le Conjugueur and Context Reverso are invaluable tools, both of which are integrated into LingQ. Avoid relying solely on memorization. Instead, prioritize consistent reading and listening. Look up grammar points when you’re genuinely puzzled and maintain focus on content that genuinely interests you.
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Online resources for learning French verbs.
To get you started, here’s a short list of common French verbs to familiarize yourself with.
Understanding Conditional and Subjunctive Moods
The conditional and subjunctive moods in French can seem intimidating to beginners, but it’s helpful to realize that English has similar structures. The English conditional often revolves around “if” clauses, such as “I would go if…”. French parallels this with the word “si.” Experiment with translating English “if” sentences using Google Translate to observe how French handles conditionals.
The subjunctive mood is typically used to express uncertainty, desire, necessity, or emotion, often in clauses beginning with “that” in English, such as “It is necessary that you go,” or “I want that you go.” Begin by simply noticing the subjunctive forms as you encounter them. Don’t stress about perfect usage in speaking or writing initially. Save subjunctive verb forms as LingQs when you suspect you’ve encountered them in your LingQ studies. Then, check their conjugations in Le Conjugueur or Context Reverso.
Gradually, familiarity with the conditional and subjunctive will grow. Continue enjoying your French discovery through listening and reading, and your confidence with these seemingly daunting verb forms will naturally increase.
French also expresses some common concepts differently than English. For example, instead of saying “I am hungry” or “I am cold,” French uses “I have hunger” (J’ai faim) and “I have cold” (J’ai froid). Similarly, “My name is…” becomes “Je m’appelle…” which literally translates to “I call myself…”. These differences might initially seem strange, but resist being discouraged or getting bogged down in analyzing them too deeply. Simply take note, observe, discover, and continue moving forward.
I’ve touched upon some key aspects you’ll encounter when learning French. However, don’t prioritize grammar rules upfront. Avoid the trap of believing you must master a mountain of grammar before you can enjoy the language. This was the flawed approach in my schooling. It was only when I broke free from that rigid grammar-focused method and immersed myself in engaging content – reading, listening, watching movies, and conversing with people – that I truly began to fall in love with French. This immersion fueled my motivation, minimized frustration, and inspired me to dedicate the time necessary to achieve fluency in this beautiful language, my linguistic “premier amour.”
Further enhance your pronunciation skills by exploring this post on “French pronunciation guide.”
Planning a trip to France? Prepare for fun interactions by checking out this LingQ blog post on French pick up lines!
