Updated on January 8, 2024
The 6 best ways to learn French
So, you’ve decided to dive into the wonderful world of French! You won’t regret it: Whether you want to learn this romance language to enjoy French arts and culture, make new friends or open the door to business opportunities, knowing French will enrich your life.
Trying to figure out the best way to learn French can be overwhelming. Where do you start? How do you make sure you’re doing everything you can? Not to worry: Let’s break down a few French language learning tips to get you on track to French fluency! So, what’s the best way to learn French fast? If that’s the question on your mind, keep reading!
The first thing you should do when you’re ready to start learning French is to sign up for a language course like Lingoda that will give you a solid foundation. If you don’t use the right tools and methods right from the start, it’ll be hard to make much progress, no matter how much you study. But what’s the right course? Here are a few things you should look for in the course you choose:
Your French language course should offer classes 24/7 so you have the option to schedule classes when you’ve got the most energy, time and motivation. For that reason, we think the best way to learn French is through online learning. The course you choose should also let you decide how intensively you practice. While some language learners prefer a flexible, pay-as-you-go system, others find more success in committing to a stricter schedule for a certain amount of time.
Whichever course you pick should give you the opportunity to learn from qualified, native-speaking language experts. Better yet, find a course that allows you to learn from various teachers that come from different locations, so you can hear a variety of French accents and language learning tips.
Have you ever taken a class that just had outdated, irrelevant materials? Nothing can kill your motivation faster than topics that just don’t matter in the real world. Make sure you pick a French course that produces high-quality materials and designs curricula that will help you communicate in real life.
When you’re learning any language, face-to-face feedback from the teacher is crucial to help you perfect your pronunciation, vocabulary use, grammar and more. If your class has too many students, you might get lost in the crowd. Make sure you choose a course that offers small classes (no more than five students) so your voice is always heard.
Okay, now that you know some of the things to look for in a French course, let’s dig into a few tips to get the most out of your French lessons!
The best way to learn French fast is to make sure you practice regularly and consistently. If you start skipping days here and there, you’ll slow down your progress, lose motivation and eventually fall behind or give up. To be consistent, try to schedule your practice around the same time every day (if possible), and have a dedicated study spot (a bedroom, an office, a coffee shop, etc.). Having a specific time and location for studying will signal to your brain that it’s time to get serious and get down to business.
To make sure you stay interested in learning French, try to find materials that are interesting to you. For example, go online and find French blogs about topics you enjoy, like music, cooking or history. Or try to watch your favourite movies and TV shows – but in French. Interested in world news? Check out some French news websites to learn all sorts of new vocabulary. If you’re into games, try playing those in French, too (a game like Scrabble is perfect for this).
Do whatever you can to make French a part of your life. For example, put French labels on everything around your house or in your bedroom so you immediately start thinking in French whenever you see them: That’s not your bed – it’s ton lit! You’re not walking to the kitchen – you’re going to la cuisine!
Another fantastic way to immerse yourself in French is to change the language settings on your devices: This works great for things like Netflix, GPS and the apps on your phone. Nothing will get you thinking in French faster!
Writing regularly is one of the best ways to learn French. Here are some things you can do:
Regularly write about the events of your day or describe your feelings. It will help you improve your written vocabulary and grammar.
Write down new vocabulary words and include definitions in your own words. You should only write down words you’ve heard or read in real life – not just random French words from a list of vocabulary you might never use.
Once in a while (every week or two, for example), try writing a short composition and including something specific you’ve learned. For instance, if you’re learning business vocabulary, try writing a passage that includes 10 business words. Or if you’re learning about participe passé (past participle), try writing a composition using that verb form.
Many people will tell you that the best way to learn French is to start speaking. There’s really no better way to practice your skills and gain confidence than talking to others. You can read words on a page or watch as many shows as you want, but until you start speaking, you won’t really be able to communicate.
On top of speaking with classmates and your French teacher during lessons, try to find other opportunities to talk to people. You could look for French learners’ groups or meetup groups on social media to find a video chat partner. Or if you’re in a French-speaking area, simply going to the supermarket or a coffee shop and talking to the staff is a great start. Any amount of talking is better than none at all!
You want to make sure you follow the best French language learning tips – after all, no one wants to waste time or money on methods that just don’t work! By choosing a course like Lingoda and following the tips above, it won’t be long before you reach your French goals!
