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Learning to speak French

by Phil
written by Phil
French tricolour
After having lived here for a few months now, I am still by no means fluent in the French language. But I am improving day by day, little by little, at my own snail’s pace. As many people do, I struggle to find the time to devote to learning another language. I have tried a few methods now with varying results of success. Sometimes, it seems that the more I learn, the more I still have to learn.
 
I had not spoken any French since leaving school over 20 years ago. Apart from the odd weekend break in Paris. It is fair to say my grasp on the French language was minimal at best when we arrived here in Provence. As many people do, I started off by downloading an app for my phone to get me started. There are many to choose from, some of which are very good at what they offer, particularly for free. But I settled on a popular app called Duolingo, to begin with, and I am still using it to some degree months later.

Duolingo

Duolingo is intuitive and fun and designed with beginners and intermediates in mind. The mobile app offers a wide variety of languages to learn. Even including Klingon and Valerian in its vast catalogue. 🙂 I recommend it as a good starting point for anyone wishing to learn a new language.
Duolingo mobile app

Duolingo mobile app

The next step

The next step I took in attempting to learn French was to find a tutor to help me. In the UK we have Gumtree and other small ad’s where people can find foreign language teachers. A quick internet search in France led me to a similar website here called Leboncoin.

This website has proved useful in many ways during my time here. It’s ideal for used second-hand items especially. I started sending a few messages to local tutors offering “cours francais”.  Soon enough I found myself a reasonably priced French tutor to attend regular lessons with. Hourly rates can range from €10-30 depending on location and skill level. Somewhere around €20 seems to be the norm.

Taking French lessons

I must admit, at first I was probably looking in the wrong place here. Most tutors were offering lessons in the French language for younger French children. Aimed for those struggling in school rather than English/French lessons. A better search would have been for French people teaching English. Or the more obvious language specific tutors. But they tended to be at the more expensive hourly rates. After a few messages back and forth I found myself attending an hour weekly lesson with a tutor. We started at a very elementary level of basic French, all very helpful stuff. Talking about the weather(how British) telling the time and simple basic sentence etc.

I began to struggle

After a few weeks of attending these lessons, I found that my learning speed started to suffer. The difficulty level was beginning to increase. I was struggling with basics slightly above the bottom level. Verbs and male/female connotations were particularly tricky.
 
Other than that, there are hundreds of words that don’t have a direct translation from English to French. More like similarities or variations. In other ways the reverse is the same. The French will tell you learning English is just as hard. We use several different words to describe things where they would only ever use one word. I started to become frustrated that my learning speed had become stagnant. Then I began to lose interest altogether. Reverting back to using the mobile app Duolingo for only 10-15 minutes a day.
Camili Books & Tea Avignon

Camili Books & Tea Avignon

Not giving up

Having taken a break from one on one French lessons of a few weeks, I decided to give it another try. This time I found a local tutor who runs an English bookshop and tea room in Avignon called Camili Books & Tea.
 
The owner of the shop, Camille is very welcoming and friendly. She soon introduced me to a group meeting that is held at the shop for language exchange. Every Wednesday(Mecredi) and Friday(Vendredi) from 5 pm to 7 pm the group meets to chat in English and French.
 
The group is free to join and informal enough that you can come and go as you please within the times that we meet. I also arranged to have a weekly one on one session at the shop with Camille. So far these lessons are proving very helpful. Camille is a very experienced teacher. Speaking both French and English allows her to give explanations on the differences.
French children books

French children books

Trying new things

One of Camille’s first recommendations was to buy some children’s books. Another suggestion watch french children’s television programs, with French subtitles. I do for this both English and French TV shows, as well as listening to French radio stations. It wasn’t long before I found myself perusing the children’s books in 2nd hand stores and table top sales. I was surprised by how quickly these tips started paying off. Also, I found this youtube channel very helpful in explaining certain elements. I would pause and replay the videos several times until I understood things myself.

French television programme with subtitles

French television programme with subtitles

People often say the best way to learn a new language is to move to a new country, and this could not be more true. But beyond this, I have found it’s the complete immersion in that country that is more rewarding. Its not just enough to live there. You have to get out there and experience it every day. Push yourself out of your comfort zone, join local groups, clubs and societies. Listen to the language in everyday use, every single day, and you will be amazed. Over short periods of time you will pick things up you didn’t even realize you knew.

Useful Links

So far in my attempts to master French, I have used the following resources, and I urge anyone else also trying to learn the language to give them a try too…

Duolingo Mobile phone App for learning French and other languages
Youtube Channel “Learn French with Alexa”
Camili Books & Tea private one on one French lessons in Avignon 
French TV channel offering free videos and lessons online

 

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Learning to speak French while living in Provence, using various methods including private lessons, online courses, books and mobile phone apps.

Learning to speak French while living in Provence, using various methods including private lessons, online courses, books and mobile phone apps.

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2 comments

Kat (Wandering Bird) 01/11/2018 - 7:35 pm

Great post! We have just bought a house in France and we split our time between the UK and France. It is so hard to learn- especially when we’re not immersed. Love the idea of the French/ English cafe- wish we lived closer! Perhaps in a few years I’ll be able to type this message in French….!!

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Phil 02/11/2018 - 10:13 am

Thanks, yes it is hard but don’t give up! Its so worth while, especially if you are planning on spending a lot more time here 🙂

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