How can I learn French by myself?
I want to start learning myself French in the holidays so I can prepare to get taught after the holidays. How can I learn myself in the best way?
To be honest with you, if I weren't French, I wouldn't have had the courage to learn the language. It's very tough, and its pronunciation is very different from that of English. But don't be discouraged! Some of my students found that they weren't learning enough in the classroom, and they asked me this exact question.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Get French movies and put the English subtitles on. You'll be listening to the words, and you'll be seeing what they mean. This is the best way I've found to teach yourself a language.
Not only will you not get bored or sleepy like you'd get by reading French grammar books, but you're hearing the correct pronunciation of the words. Plus, you can always go back to a sentence and hear it again.
Here are a few French movies I know for sure you can rent at Blockbuster:
- Le diner de con
- Amélie
- Paris, je t'aime
They're good movies. “Le dinner de con” is a very popular comedy. “Amélie” and “Paris, je t'aime” are filmed in Paris, which is nice because you get to see some of the city's beautiful places.
- Check out the newspapers or online if there are any groups of people who get together and speak French. I know a few in my city. They get together every other week and talk about stuff they don’t always understand in French. The group is mostly people trying to learn French, and there are at least 2 or more French native speakers there to help you.
- Don’t buy the super-expensive online $200+ “Learn how to speak a new language” stuff. You said you’d be learning French soon, so you’ll just be throwing your money away.
Buy Rosetta Stone.
References :
Comment by Circular — June 29, 2009 @ 5:49 pm
Hello,
Try these websites:
http://www.livemocha.com
http://www.francaisfacile.com
http://www.babbel.com
http://www.busuu.com
http://www.myhappyplanet.com
http://www.polyglot-learn-language.com
http://www.french-chat.com
http://www.abroadlanguages.com
I hope that these last ones can help you.
Good Luck.
References :
Comment by thaliabarbararadia — June 29, 2009 @ 6:25 pm
Michel Thomas' Audio CD is very good to learn French. It does cost quite a bit (around 50£ on amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Michel-Thomas-Complete-Course/dp/0340780630 ) but you could get it on Ebay( http://shop.ebay.co.uk/items/?_nkw=michel+thomas+french&_sacat=0&_trksid=p3286.m270.l1313&_odkw=michel+thomas&_osacat=0 ) for less than that! As an english teacher in France, I really think it's good.
References :
I'm an English teacher in France
Comment by Eliot — June 29, 2009 @ 7:02 pm
dont use the rosetta stone its terrible.
Try looking for My French Coach on the Nintendo Dual Screen
References :
Comment by James L — June 29, 2009 @ 7:40 pm
Hi.
It really depends on you and what you think is best.
If you want to use a text book, go to a book store to see what they have.
Or maybe CD's.
Someone said My French Coach on Nintendo DS, I have that game, it's pretty good but you don't learn too much, just verbs, vowels etc. not actual sentences.
Also, you can buy books that are just for that! For going on holiday, it has useful sentences you will need on holiday and it's really simple, you can also get them at any bookstore!
Oh, and check Ebay and type in: French Speaking and see what it comes up with. It will show everything from books to games!
Whatever suits you best. I think textbooks would work and the one that is meant for holidays (3rd paragraph)
Hope it helps.
References :
Me.
Comment by MKA<3 — June 29, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
To be honest with you, if I weren't French, I wouldn't have had the courage to learn the language. It's very tough, and its pronunciation is very different from that of English. But don't be discouraged! Some of my students found that they weren't learning enough in the classroom, and they asked me this exact question.
Here are a few ways to do it:
- Get French movies and put the English subtitles on. You'll be listening to the words, and you'll be seeing what they mean. This is the best way I've found to teach yourself a language.
Not only will you not get bored or sleepy like you'd get by reading French grammar books, but you're hearing the correct pronunciation of the words. Plus, you can always go back to a sentence and hear it again.
Here are a few French movies I know for sure you can rent at Blockbuster:
- Le diner de con
- Amélie
- Paris, je t'aime
They're good movies. “Le dinner de con” is a very popular comedy. “Amélie” and “Paris, je t'aime” are filmed in Paris, which is nice because you get to see some of the city's beautiful places.
- Check out the newspapers or online if there are any groups of people who get together and speak French. I know a few in my city. They get together every other week and talk about stuff they don’t always understand in French. The group is mostly people trying to learn French, and there are at least 2 or more French native speakers there to help you.
- Don’t buy the super-expensive online $200+ “Learn how to speak a new language” stuff. You said you’d be learning French soon, so you’ll just be throwing your money away.
References :
Born in France, raised in French and English;
Personal tutor in French for university students for the past 3 years.
Comment by Frenchie in LA — June 29, 2009 @ 8:41 pm
If you are going to be taught from the start in school, it is likely you will learn the language through themes or topics, so here is an easy way to be a step ahead, without having to read a lot about grammar and not understand it, and get frustrated.
Plus, you won't be spending too much money on books or cds !
All you need is a English-French/French-English dictionary. A dictionary is actually better than the online translators, just make sure you double check your words.
For example if you are looking for the word "cow" in French, you will find "vache". A good idea is then to go to the French to English section of your dictionary, and double check. If they tell you "vache" is a cow in the first or second meaning, it is pretty safe.
Get yourself a nice copy that will be your own French copy for the summer. Depending on where you live (I'm in Ireland and I think UK is similar for school French), the topics usually studied are as follows, in no particular order :
numbers
names of places/towns in France
objects in the classroom
animals (farm/pets/and a few wild ones)
clothes (+ a few accessories like glasses, wallet, keys, belt…)
objects in your bedroom
house (rooms, objects, and describe your house/garden)
food (veg, meat, fish, fruit, desserts…)
the weather (wind, sun, rain, clouds…)
places in town (swimming pool, school, firestation, police station…)
shops (butcher's, bakery, grocery…)
hobbies/sports
There are more but probably harder to study on your own.
Now what I'd suggest you do, is go one topic at a time.
Try and think of all the objects/things in English, draw pictures or cut out photos of the thing in a catalogue or magazine, use your dictionary, and write the French on it. Then you can learn as many things as possible at one time, and go back to it later.
So for example if you are describing a classroom you would have the words : blackboard, pen, pencil, ruler, table, chair, door, clock, chalk, schoolbag, etc… all in the one spot. Instead of a copy, you could even make a right good looking poster of them, and post it on your wall for the summer.
Ideally like another person suggested, you could get a textbook, and copy the stuff from the textbook into your own copy. That would mean that you wouldn't only get words, but also sentences.
But the words are a good start, and you can concentrate on the grammar and verbs better once you'll have a teacher to explain and help !
If you go for the topics thing, you could also try to type "classroom objects, French" into Google, and some teacher's lessons will probably come up, so you'll be able to double check you got the right words, and maybe even be able to hear them (some sites have the pronunciation).
References :
French and French teacher
Comment by anne m — June 29, 2009 @ 8:47 pm
hey have a look at http://www.Frenchspanishonline.com it is free
References :
Comment by jorge c — June 29, 2009 @ 9:37 pm