Are you planning to visit a French-speaking country, and want to get acquainted with the language? Read on to learn more…
Many people would like to be able to speak French. The reasons may vary: for some, it is the sheer allure of the language and the charm of rolling your tongue around some of the most complicated pronunciations, for some it is to propose to their loved one in the most romantic language of them all, for some it is to be able to travel in a francophone country with no hassles, while for some it may be to widen their understanding of French literature or movies. Whatever the reason, French is one of the most popular languages in the world to learn, and is consequently one of the most widely spoken.
How to Learn French on Your Own
If you are well-versed with the English language, you may not find it very difficult to learn French, as there is a surprising similarity between the two languages, due to centuries of interaction. Depending on your natural verbal and linguistic cognitive abilities, you can learn new languages on your own in a quite short amount of time.
You may want to invest in a good language-tutoring software. You can have the material copied on your mp3 player, so that you can learn the language even while on the move. Listening will also help you to improve your pronunciations. Initially you may find it difficult to comprehend every word, but when you do invest some time in it, it will get progressively easier. You may also come across online groups or forums, where the aim is to learn the particular language. Joining such forums will also be beneficial.
The next step is to start practicing a few words everyday. You can make flash cards with typical words, phrases, sayings, etc., and carry them with you. Try to remember as many as you can. Keep working on it repeatedly. One of the best ways to learn at home is to stick translations of various household items on the items itself―for instance, the translation of refrigerator (réfrigérateur), spoons (cuillère), forks (fourchette), etc. Doing this will help you with memorizing those words.
If you know someone who speaks French, interact with them. At the same time, ask the person to correct you when you make mistakes. This will give you the confidence to speak the language confidently. You can make use of common phrases while interacting with the person. As a matter of fact, one of the best ways to learn any language is to interact with a fluent speaker. Make sure you always have a dictionary handy, so that whenever you are stuck for words, you can look it up in the dictionary.
The best way is to devote a considerable amount of time to learning the language. You will have to give it at least an hour and a half everyday.
