Learn French in France
By
Jon Lewis
Do you want to learn French? Everyone knows it’s just the
sexiest language on the planet, and the ability to speak French
is a real plus – if you want to be chic and add a little
je ne sais quoi to your life!
Well the best place to learn French is France, of course. But
if you only have a week or two free to go there, you need to get
the maximum from your time here. Here are a few guidelines about
how to get the most from you stay.
Try to find an international class If you are American
and you go to France to learn French with a group of Americans,
you will find that most of the time you spend in France will be
spent speaking English, and not French. I can tell you from
experience that when given the choice, nearly everyone, myself
included, will take the easy option. If you join of group where
English is not the common language, you will have to communicate
in French, and the more you practise, the more progress you will
make.
Do some research about France You might think that you
have to go to Paris to find a language school. Of course, Paris
is one of the most famous, and beautiful, capitals in the world
and well worth a visit. If you are learning English for business
purposes, Paris or one of the other major cities will help you
to adopt a business-like attitude. If you want to learn French
because you love French wines, for example, forget Paris and
look for a school in the region of your favourite wine. This
will give added motivation to learn. Just think about being able
not only to enjoy a glass of wine right there on the territory,
but being able to discuss its qualities in French!
Make sure that there is lots of conversation in the course
French grammar is hard. But studying grammar is not the best, or
the fastest way to learn a language. The ideal language course
will get you involved in living the language, through
role-plays, discussions, and games. Ask the school about what’s
on the syllabus, and try to find out a little about the
teachers. If they are all academic types with only a teaching
background, the course might be a little dry. But many teachers
of French as a foreign language still have an adventuring
spirit, and have taught abroad. These ones will have plenty of
interesting ideas to get you talking
Learn as many words as you can before you go Don’t go
if you are an absolute beginner. Spend a year learning
vocabulary and how to ask questions. If you know anyone who
speaks French, practice with them as often as possible. That
way, when you arrive in France to learn French, you will already
have a solid foundation on which to build.
Jonathan Lewis has lived and worked in the south of France
for four years. As a language teacher, he offers invaluable
advice to anyone wishing to learn a new language. Visit his site
on
learning languages and on his blog,
learning English.
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