What are the Best Ways to Learn French?

Many people ask: what is the right way to learn French?  The answer to that question isn’t so simple–to find success, you will need to choose a method that fits with your own personality and schedule.  There are, however, several tried and true methods to learning French for you to choose from:

• French language software
• hire a private French tutor
• enroll in French class
• participate in a language swap
• immersion in a French-speaking country such as France or Belgium
• other self-study materials, such a books and CDs

Get started by posing the following questions to yourself:

“Would I rather study French on my own, or do I want the interaction of an organized course?  Do I need guidance and motivation from outside sources or can I really push myself to learn?  Can I afford lessons, or do I need a really cost-effective way to learn French?”

Your answers will take you in either the direction of self-study or some sort of student-teacher scenario.

If you’re looking for a bit more help, here’s a run-down of some of the top French learning methods’ pros and cons:

Hiring a Private Tutor:

Pros:  Hiring a private tutor is probably the best way to thoroughly learn the French language (apart from total French immersion, that is).  The individualized attention is invaluable because the tutor will work with you from the level where you are at, and help you learn new material at your ideal pace.  Ideally, with a private tutor, you have the opportunity to hear a native French speaker pronounce words and form sentences.

Cons:  Private tutors are generally very expensive, so this might not be an option if you’re on a tight budget.

Taking a French language classroom course:

Pros: Taking a French class also affords the benefit of learning from a native French speaker.  You’ll have plenty of opportunities in a French class to speak French aloud and hear many other people talking in the language–one of the best ways to learn any language is to practice with others and engaging in conversations.  Being surrounded with other students who are learning French can really help motivate and energize you, too.

Cons:  Taking a French class will probably cost a pretty penny, especially if it’s a college credit course.  You may also find yourself restricted a bit, since you will be learning at the same pace as many other students (you may be able to push ahead faster with a tutor).

Learning On Your Own:

Pros: The vast majority of people who want to learn to speak French engage in some form of self-study, and for good reason: this is the most cost-effective way to do it.  If you’re looking to start out on your own, you have a lot of choices for your materials, such as a multitude of software programs, books, flash cards, tapes and CDs, podcasts, and even internet lessons.

Cons: Like with any form of self-study, learning French on your own requires tons of self-discipline, consistency, and patience.  You need to set your own schedule and try to avoid frustration…self study is not for everyone.  Also, you lose out on being able to partake in real-life French conversations when you so self-study, eliminating the thinking on your feet that really helps drive the language learning home.

No matter which method you choose to kick start your French learning, keep the following tips in mind to ensure that you learn the language thoroughly:

* K.I.S.S. — Keep it simple, stupid!  Don’t try to swim in the deep end with all the complicated grammar and vocabulary before you have a grasp on the basics. Seems like a no-brainer, but this is where most beginners get hung up.  Stay motivated by learning and re-learning all the common words and phrases first.  If you ever feel overwhelmed or lost, retrace your steps and go back to easier lessons until you’ve really absorbed the necessary material.

* Try to speak French as much as possible.  Most people who are learning a language overlook the speaking part.  They get so caught up in listening, visualizing, and memorizing French words and phrases that they don’t realize the importance of actually pronouncing the words out loud, to get a feel for how it all sounds.

* Don’t just listen and read French, but also work on writing, too.  You will absorb some of the subtleties of the grammar this way, and it also strongly helps with memorization and learning sentence structure.

I’ll stress again that you really need to throw yourself whole-heartedly into the learning process.  Patience, consistency, and persistence are extremely important.  Don’t lose sight of your overall goals when you stumble or falter, but instead think of stumbling blocks as opportunities for breakthroughs!.

Learning the French language will be a challenge, but it will also be extremely rewarding!  Hopefully this article has helped you determine the best way to learn French!  In a couple months, you may be well on your way to speaking French with confidence.

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