If you’re serious about learning French, you NEED to learn Reflexive verbs

Why?

Reflexive verbs, also known as pronominal verbs or “se” verbs, and called “les verbes pronominaux” in French, are verbs that need a reflexive pronoun.

They usually are confusing for students.

But don’t worry if you feel lost

In today’s article you’re going to learn everything you need to know about Reflexive verbs in French.

Let’s do this.

1. Specific grammatical terms

Before we start, let’s be clear on a couple of specific grammatical terms:

subject pronouns and reflexive pronouns.

Do these two different types of pronouns ring a bell? You probably studied them at some point but it might be all a bit blurry now… Well, it won’t be for long! Here’s a quick reminder.

 

A) Subject pronouns

A subject pronoun determinates either someone or something that is doing an action (the action being illustrated by the verb).

For example, in the sentence “J’apprends le français” (I learn French), J’ (je) is the subject pronoun.

Subject pronouns can either be feminine or masculine, and singular or plural to agree with the noun they replace.

For example: “le garçon est mignon” (the boy is cute) can be replaced by “il est mignon” (he is cute).

 

The French subject pronouns are:

	Singular	Plural
1st person	Je → I	Nous → We
2nd person	Tu → You	Vous → You
3rd person	Il → He, it Elle → She, it On → One, we, they	Ils, elles → they

 

B) Reflexive pronouns

Reflexive pronouns indicate that the subject is doing the action to itself.

For example, in the sentence, “Je me regarde” (I look at myself), me is the reflexive pronoun.

Reflexive pronouns are used with pronominal verbs, agree with the subject in number and gender and may be direct or indirect objects.

The French reflexive pronouns are:

	Singular	Plural
1st person	Me, m’ → myself	Nous → Ourselves
2nd person	Tu, t’ → Yourself	Vous → Yourselves
3rd person	Se, s’ → himself, herself, itself	Se, s’ → themselves

So, you are now clear about the fact that a conjugated verb needs a subject pronoun and that a pronominal verb is a bit more greedy as it takes a subject pronoun as well a reflexive pronoun.

 

2. Pronominal verbs 

        A) Why are there some « se »verbs?

Unlike in English where the person who receives the action (if it’s the same as the person who does the action/the subject pronoun) is often implicitly understood, in French, you must use a pronominal verb.

Look at the following example :

Je me lève → I get up (meaning I get myself up).

If you don’t use the pronominal verb se lever but its non-pronominal version lever, you totally change the meaning of your sentence !

Je lève → I raise

 

B) Three main types of reflexive verbs

There are three main types of pronominal verbs.

I have listed a fair amount of the main ones on my « French reflexive verbs lists and exercises » PDF. Have a look!

 

a) Reflexive verbs

To make things easier, we can say that reflexive verbs either :

• Reflect the action back onto the subject ( e.g. Je m’habille → I dress myself / I am getting dressed).
• Have the meaning of « each other » (e.g. Ils s’embrassent → They kiss each other).
• Often have to do with one ‘s relationship, body, or clothes.

Regarding that last point : when a reflexive verb refers to a part of the body, some grammar rules differ from English to French.

In English, you would use a possessive adjective to say that the part of the body mentioned belongs to the subject (the owner of that body part).

I brush my teeth → Whose teeth am I brushing ? Mine (the ones belonging to I).

My is the possessive adjective.

In French, things are slightly different. Indeed, you don’t use a possessive adjective to refer to the owner but a pronominal verb (well a reflexive pronoun and a definite article to be more precise).

Je me brosse les dents.

Me is the reflexive pronoun and les is the definite article.

 

b) Reciprocal verbs

Reciprocal verbs being a type of pronominal verbs, they have the same characteristics as reflexive verbs.

However, they have a distinctive feature: the reflexive pronoun indicates that the action of the verb happens between two or more subjects which have an impact on each other.

For example :

Ils s’aiment → they love each other.

Vous vous battez → you fight with one another. 

 

c) Idiomatic pronominal verbs

This last type of pronominal verbs uses a reflexive pronoun to change the meaning of the non-pronominal verb. Other than that, the reflexive pronoun serves no purpose.

For example :

Elles s’entendent bien → they get along.

Elles entendent bien → they hear well.

Now It’s Your Turn

French reflexive verbs are usually a bit tricky to get. I hope this blog has helped you understand better.

Try to do some of the exercises I have created on this topic !

Remember, good practice makes perfect !

Let me know by leaving a comment below.

This article features the top 25 French blogs that every French learner from beginners to advanced level should read.

The Internet!

Such a wonderful and useful tool. Can you imagine living without it?

No?

Me neither!

You can find more or less absolutely everything when you browse the web! From videos to music, from learning about gardening to learning a new language.

In other words, basically, everything. Okay, that’s fab but the only downside from it all is that you can get lost very easily in the huge amount of websites. Discovering the rare gem isn’t always easy.

Well, congratulations you have actually just found THE blog which lists the top 25 French blogs to follow!

If you got on my page, you are very likely to have been looking for the best podcasts, websites, and resources to learn French Online. Look no further! I have searched the web to find the best learning sites to learn French.

These are inspirational and incredibly useful French blogs to increase your learning of French whether you have just started your learning journey or already are an advanced learner. I have listed great blogs hosted by the best bloggers out there!

Whether you are a French student looking to improve his/her level of French, a teacher looking for fantastic resources or simply just curious to see what some people passionately create to help others,  these blogs will inspire you!

So here’s my list of 25 best French Blogs in no particular order

1. Talk in French

Talk in French is a great blog hosted by Frederic Bibard. He creates fun and easy French lessons for learners of all levels. Not only will you learn the French language itself, you will also learn about the wonderful French culture. Frederic usually adds about 2 posts per month.

Have a look at this great website https://www.talkinfrench.com/

You can also follow him on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

2. FluentU French

Another gem right here just for you!

On this blog, you will have the wonderful (and ever so precious) opportunity to learn French through authentic resources. You will have plenty to choose from! Indeed, it gathers music videos, movie trailers, news, and inspiring talks. The possibilities are endless!

I love the fact that you can learn French in an engaging and immersive way. That really is their secret weapon!

Here is the website link https://www.fluentu.com/french/

Give them a like on Facebook and/or follow them on Twitter!

3. Learn French

In this reddit , you will be able to learn the language of love thanks to many different articles on many various topics. You can also become the teacher and post your own lessons! And remember, you can learn so much when teaching others!

Click on the following link if you like the concept of this blog!

https://www.reddit.com/r/learnfrench/

4. Français Authentique

 

In his blog, Johan, your host, will help you speak French. This blog is mainly aimed at learners who already understand French but struggle with its speaking part. And we all know that speaking is the hardest part of learning a language (with writing probably) . First, you understand, then you start speaking. Well, Johan has many tricks up his sleeve to help you on your online French learning journey!

Here is the direct link to his blog https://www.francaisauthentique.com/blog/

You can also follow him on YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter!

5. French Today

 

French Today’s blog features 500+ exclusive articles. Mainly aimed at adults, the articles (published weekly) cover French vocabulary, grammar, verb conjugations, culture, easy bilingual stories and more. French Today features both traditional and modern French, and prepares you for real interactions with modern French people.

Register and download their free 2.5 hour audiobook and receive weekly tips and exclusive lessons here: https://www.frenchtoday.com/register.

The French Today audiobook method actually gets 4.91 out of 5 on 496 reviews from verified customers! They have free Android, IOS and Desktop apps to learn French in your pyjamas or on the go.

Have a look for yourself https://www.frenchtoday.com/blog

You will also find them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest!

6. Transparent French Language Blog

Here is another very busy French blog as their hosts add about three posts per week!

Based in the USA, this blog is great for absolutely everyone. Indeed, if you are a French student, you will find whatever you’re looking for thanks to their scientifically proven methodology, their wide variety of high-quality learning material and their use of real-life French spoken by native French speakers.

If you are a teacher, you will get the opportunity to join the thousands of K-12 educators, schools, and universities! Not bad, is it?

Check their blog out on https://www.transparent.com/ or follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

7. Fluent French Now

Created by Stanley Aléong, this blog is aimed at all levels. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced learner, you will find exactly what you are looking for. There are many authentic resources on which Stanley comments. You will also find transcriptions and translations to download.

This blog is pretty well organized as the articles are classed in three main parts: “how to articles”, “methods and strategies for learning French”, and “learning from the common mistakes in spoken French”.

You won’t find many illustrations as most posts are mainly text-based but, realistically, the quality of the articles will make you forget about that!

Here’s the website’s link http://www.fluentfrenchnow.com/

8. Learn French with daily podcasts

First of all, do you know what a podcast is? Basically, it is a digital audio or video file which a user can download and listen to. The great thing about podcasts is that you can download them and listen to them wherever and whenever you want! And what is even better is that you will be able to download podcasts for free on this blog and you can get a PDF transcript too!

Don’t waste any more time. Go and download some French podcasts on http://www.dailyfrenchpod.com/

9. FrenchConnect – Speaking a language is about connection, not perfection

Based in India, this blog is hosted by Swati Rastogi who is a French teacher. She won’t only teach you French though but also many different aspects of the French culture. She writes about four posts per week to teach you French through videos, images, and audios that will stimulate your imagination and bring out the creativity in you!

Here is the direct link to her website https://swatifrenchconnect.wordpress.com/

10. French Together Blog

This blog is hosted by Benjamin Houy, a language learning expert and a French native speaker (which always is a bonus). He will teach you “the 20% of French you need to understand 80% of conversations”. You’ll learn French you won’t find in textbooks!

Follow this link https://frenchtogether.com/blog/ or find him on Facebook and Twitter!

11. French Crazy

As his host says it perfectly well, French crazy is “a site designed for French teachers, French learners, and French culture enthusiasts”!

You will have the choice between plenty and more articles to learn French grammar, vocabulary but you will also get to know some very interesting facts about the French culture. I personally love the bit about French music!

To explore this great blog, simply click on the following link https://frenchcrazy.com/ or go on Facebook !

12. Love Learning Languages

The host, Jennifer, who taught French for 15 years at university, is now located in Béziers, in the South of France. She offers immersion courses but also online ones!

You can learn French for free on her YouTube channel or on a Facebook page! Her website is very well made.

13. Lawless French

Another blog bursting with great resources. Created by Laura K. Lawless. This blog will help you learn about essential French grammar and vocabulary. Laura also writes weekly posts about French expressions and idioms which can be very useful! Not only this though, she will also help you improve your pronunciation and listening and reading comprehension.

Check it out here https://www.lawlessfrench.com/

14. French Video Audio Lessons

The name of this blog could not be any clearer! It’s all written on the tin! Its host, who posts new lessons and articles about once a week, will help you learn French thanks to videos and audios. Bonus: you can also download French PDF lessons!

Have a look, you won’t be disappointed! http://youlearnfrench.blogspot.fr/

15. Oui, c’est ça

Packed with fantastic resources, this blog has been created by a French teacher who owns a Master’s degree in French literature and a bachelor’s in French language. She has taught French in many countries across the globe. Saying this lady knows what she is talking about is, therefore, an understatement, don’t you think?

She uses her great teaching skills to transmit her knowledge thanks to very interesting resources written in English. You’ll learn about the French culture, language, French songs, news and so on.

Check it for yourself https://ouicestcadotcom.wordpress.com/learning-french/

16. The French Blog

This is an excellent blog! I like the fact that you will find fantastic content. This blog, hosted by William Alexander, author and IT director, bursts with great articles and videos! Articles are on a lot of different topics such as everyday life in France, cooking, news…

You don’t want to miss his “Wordsmith Wednesday” and “French Food Fight Friday”.

Have a look at his website to find out more www.thefrenchblog.com.

17. Oh, la, la, I speak French!

You will find a wide variety of material to learn French and have fun at the same time! French resources include written posts, exercise sheets, as well as many funny videos! You’ll be able to work on your speaking, listening, and writing skills and will laugh. A lot!

Here is the website link https://www.ohlalaispeakfrench.com/

18. Tex’s French Grammar – la grammaire de l’absurde

After having read the name of this blog, you probably already have an idea of what most articles are about. Yes, you’ve got it: this blog deals mainly with French grammar. It was originally built for the University of Texas students as a French grammar guide but quickly got the approval of many more students and started to be used by any learner of French!

If you are the organized type, then you will love this blog. Indeed, every specific grammar item is categorized and everything is very clearly explained and defined!

Not only this though, you will also be able to follow the love story of Tex and Tammy, two star-struck armadillos.

With this blog, you are sure to learn many things and to have a lot of fun!

Like them on Facebook or have a look at their website http://www.laits.utexas.edu/tex/index.html

19. The Linguist on Language

The host of this blog, Steve Kaufmann, who has a channel on YouTube, is rather extremely impressive. He learnt French at school but was far from being fluent at the end of his studies.

He, therefore, decided to find a way to learn languages outside of textbooks and created, with his son Mark, an online language learning system and Web 2.0 community, whose members from all over the world help each other learn up to 21 languages.

Today, Steve knows 16 languages and can speak more or less fluently 12 of them!

What’s his secret?

Has he got a magic wand?

No…

Just a passion for languages and a very effective way to learn them. His method is mainly based on communication. He teaches you French from what you actually are interested in!

I won’t reveal too much though. Go and discover him on his website https://blog.thelinguist.com/ or read his book The Way of The Linguist: A Language Learning Odyssey.

20. The Heart of an Artichoke

 

Aimed for English and French speakers, this blog will teach French and the French culture in a light-hearted way and with a lot of humor! You will also learn about literature which is rather unusual in blogs like this.

The authors of The Heart of an Artichoke, Claire Lerognon, and Linda Phillips Ashour have a fabulous experience when it comes to languages and more specifically French.

I let you find out more on their website http://theheartofanartichoke.com/blog/#.WpxfG3ciGM8

21. Au son du FLE

Just in case you don’t know what the acronym FLE stands for, here is its full meaning: Français Langue Etrangère. In other words, French as a foreign language.

This blog’s host, Michel Billières, is a teacher at the University of Toulouse, France. In his blog, Michel pays a particular attention to French phonetics and how to master it.He uses a method called la méthode verbo-tonale d’intégration phonétique (MVT). What does it consist of, you may ask? Well, it basically helps French learners to understand corrective procedures to help them with their pronunciation.

If you and French pronunciation aren’t best friends, then you should definitely visit this blog! https://www.verbotonale-phonetique.com/

22. Le français entre quat’z’yeux.

 

In this blog, Federica, an Italian lady who studied French, will not only teach French vocabulary, grammar rules or even idiomatic expressions, she will also give you the opportunity to have fun while learning.

In her blog, she regularly recommends TV programmes, books, videos and (which is extremely important!) she gives you their transcriptions and/or subtitles.

Basically, you will get all the tools you will need to understand everything you will read and watch! That way, you will learn French and enhance your French cultural knowledge in a great way.

Check it for yourself https://lefrancaisentrequatzyeux.blogspot.fr/ and like her on Facebook.

23. ProfMichelle

This blog is more specifically aimed at French teachers but not only. As a learner of French, you will find very useful resources.

In 2009, Michelle, the host, went on a professionnal development course to learn how to use computers and other technological resources in her classroom. From that day, she has totally changed her teaching methods. On her blog, she shares all the resources she creates.

They are mainly made for beginners and teenagers (A1/A2 level).

Here’s the link http://www.profmichelle.com/

24. Chez Jérôme

 

This blog is rather similar to the one above in its concept (educational blog) except it is aimed at intermediate to advanced learners.

Jérôme, the host, first created this blog for his Italian learners of French. Thanks to his blog, he establishes a real link between the French teachers’ community.

You will find articles about the news, history, exam preparations…

He also shares loads of good links, websites, and resources to improve your level of French but also to discover, listen to an read about anything to do with French learning.

Let’s see what you think on http://chezjerome.over-blog.com/

25. Les Z’experts FLE

Last but not least, another fantastic blog to find great resources to learn French. In this blog, you should find about one new free post per week! Fab, isn’t it?

It’s aimed at all learner’s levels. It is packed with very interesting articles about conjugation, grammar, learning games, vocabulary, posters… This website was so successful that it has expanded. There is now the Zexpertistan. On that site, you can share your own resources and even find jobs!

I give you both links

https://leszexpertsfle.com/

https://leszexpertsfle.com/espace-auteur-invite/

Now I want to hear it from you:

So here you have it, a very comprehensive list of the top 25 best French language blogs!

Let me know by leaving a comment below right now on which of these French Blogs helped you in your online French learning journey!

 

Learning a language is a great yet challenging experience.

Indeed, even though motivation definitely is a key factor to success, everyday life sometimes gets in the way and despite you wanting to become fluent (or at least grasping the essential of a language), you might not have time to get out there and sit in a classroom.

So what can you do then?

Giving up?

Of course not!

Our generation is extremely lucky to have that wonderful tool called the Internet. Yes, but how exactly can you learn a language sat behind a desk? Nowadays, you can find fantastic websites hosted by  devoted and very experienced modern foreign languages teachers.

In this article, I will help you find people to practice speaking and writing French online.

Online language exchange

What is online language exchange? Well, just like you want to learn a foreign language (French in your case), some French people want to broaden their knowledge, widen their cultural experience or simply go and see the world so they want to learn another language.

And as it happens, they might want to learn your language. Perfect as you want to learn theirs.

You can therefore help each other and learn from each other! You’ll become a teacher as well as being a student. It’s an experience I have led with my classes and it works a treat! Like the Wall Street Journal said it is “one of the best ways to learn a foreign language”.

Let me explain.

It basically is a modern penpals exchange as instead of writing letters, you communicate either by emails, messages or voice chat. This type of learning practice offers the possibility to speak and write to a native speaker.

Therefore, not only will you make progress in your language learning (grammar, vocabulary and syntax), you will also get an important (and essential) cultural immersion.

You will also get to learn typical slangy phrases which you are unlikely to learn from a school textbook and, believe me, these expressions are crucial to know as more and more French people use them all the time!

Moreover, an important aspect of online language exchange is that the native speaker you are conversing with is in the same boat as you:

1. (s)he wants to learn a foreign language.
2. (S)he therefore knows exactly what you are going through (that sounds a bit dramatic, I’ll admit it, but, yes, learning a language is difficult so we are allowed to sound a bit like drama queens!). (
3. S)he knows all the difficulties you encounter and can put himself/herself in your shoes and give you tips (s)he might have found to overcome these language learning problems.

You will learn from each other and you will grow together by helping each other reaching your own personal goals. It is extremely rewarding and satisfying! And who knows, you might actually become friends!

Okay but where can you actually find a French native speaker who wants to learn your language and what are you going to speak about you might say? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered as I have found a very useful website!

 

My language exchange

Indeed https://www.mylanguageexchange.com/learn/french.asp is the website you should visit if you are interested in online language learning.

It provides “free, helpful guidelines and tips on how to do a language exchange, as well as free lesson plans designed by an expert in language exchange learning. The activities are fun so you can easily “break the ice” with your new learning partner and get effective practice”.

 

Conversation exchange

https://www.conversationexchange.com/ is another great website to help you find people to practice speaking and writing online. The good thing about this website is that you can find local native speakers living in your area.

You could therefore start by writing to each other and end up actually meeting up! If you cannot find any native speaker in your area, this website also has an online community of native speakers from all around the globe so you can organise your online penpals exchange.

Its database gathers people using many different text, voice and video chat such as Hangouts, Skype, Conversation exchange chat, etc.

 

Interpals

Here’s another website I find interesting for online language learning : https://www.interpals.net/.

On this site, instead of looking for native speakers living near you, you look for French language partners who have similar learning goals at you. You’ll have to create your online profile and specify what you want to achieve.

By precisely explaining what your language level is now and where you want it to be soon, the online search will find you your perfect matching language learner! A person who has the same learning wishes and drive as you.

But no, even though you’ll find your perfect match, it is not a dating website (just so we’re clear!).

 

Italki

Rather similar to Interpals, Italki also offers online courses for around 10€ / hour. However, if you are not interesting in signing up for an online course, you can stick to finding a language partner and, in that case, it is free.

Just like Interpals, you will have to indicate which language you want to learn (French) and which language you speak. You will also have to give details such as your age and where you come from.

The online search engine and its self-assessment system based on European Framework (levels A1 , A2, B1 , B2, C1 and C2) will do the rest and find you conversation partners with similar level as you.

This site gathers rather a lot of members so you are more or less sure to find native speakers matching your needs and goals. Here’s the website link https://www.italki.com/home.

Speaky

This completely free website is a bit similar to Facebook in the way that you can have a nosy at people’s profile before getting in touch with them. You can check their spoken/studied language, nationality, sex, age, interests, etc.

This is actually useful if you don’t want to start a conversation with someone who doesn’t like the same things as you.

Having said that, I personally think it is interesting to speak to people with different interests as you as you can broaden your knowledge on many different topics but each to their own.

After having quickly register (you can use your Facebook or Google account), you will be able to find conversation partners who are online.

The online chat can correct your mistakes. Sounds good to you? So have a look at their website https://www.speaky.com/.

 

 

 

HelloTalk

Last but not least : HelloTalk https://www.hellotalk.com/. If you rather use your phone or your tablet instead of your computer, this app is perfect for you.

Indeed, you can converse with native speakers over short written and audio messages (a bit like you would on WhatsApp) and if you wish to speak longer you can always go on other app (such as Skype) once you have found your conversation partner.

This app offers a voice, translation and correction system.

Conclusion

I think that all the all useful websites mentioned above will definitely help you find a French conversation partner to improve your speaking and writing skills. Of course, there are plenty more on the web but I’m hoping this list will save you time and allow you to start your learning journey!

For a very long time, the French education system was known as one of the best in Europe, if not worldwide.

However, over the past few years, this affirmation has become rather questionable. Indeed, every three years every French 15 years old pupil undertakes a test in reading, Maths, and Science and so do pupils from other countries.

Their tests’ results are then compared to each other in order to determine rankings of the best education system. It is the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test. The latest one dates from 2016. Its data gathers results from over 500, 000 pupils all over the world.

France arrived 26th out of 70 countries. It has lost a place in these rankings as it was 25th in 2012. This makes the French education system average compared to other developed countries. Moreover, France seems to perform really badly and owns the dunce’s cap when it comes to giving students equal opportunities.

Reducing this inequality of opportunities is something the French government is actively working on.

In this blog, I will introduce you to the French education system. More precisely, I will highlight the different French courses and their various levels and I will present you the different type of schools and their diplomas/degrees.

1) Level of French language evaluated in “Le cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues” (CECRL)

Before I start to underline the French education system, let me bring out the “cadre européen commun de référence pour les langues” (CECRL) as it is commonly used in France and actually displayed in languages classrooms.

It is also known as the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR). The European Union, which is a multilingual group, has for objective to promote communication within Europe.

For this reason, the Europe council, as well as the University of Cambridge, have created the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages. Firstly used in Europe, it is now used worldwide to evaluate students’ levels in any language and plays a central role in language and education policy.

It contains a series of descriptions of abilities, 6 to be exact. They help teachers and students to set clear targets and to know exactly what a pupil is able to do or not, what is his/her language proficiency level. Here are the six descriptors:

1) Level A

This first level is divided into two parts: A1 and A2. A1 corresponds to beginners and A2 to elementary. Learners falling in one of these two groups have usually just started learning a language.

Description of each level of French language proficiency:

French language level A1 beginner

French language level A1 syllabus
→ Listening:

– Understanding everyday words and very basic expressions.

→ Reading:

– Understanding everyday words and very basic expressions (adverts, posters or brochures).

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Communicating in a simple way provided the interlocutor repeats and speaks slowly.
– Asking and answering questions about everyday topics or about yourself.

→ Speaking continuously:

– Using simple expressions and sentences to describe where you live and people you know.

→ Writing:

– Writing a small postcard, when on holiday for example. – Filling in a questionnaire (name, nationality, address).

French language level A2 Advanced beginner French language level A2-1 syllabus

→ Listening:

– Recognising simple texts already read and heard in familiar situations. – Understanding numbers.
– Understanding simple words describing people in a very short story.

→ Reading:

– Understanding written texts already encountered before.
– Understanding the overall of a wording in a personal letter.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Conversing about easy and familiar situations (meetings, asking information) without the interlocutor having any understanding difficulties.

→ Speaking continuously:

– Introducing yourself and your family and friends (identity, job, hobbies…) in a few simple sentences.

→ Writing:

– Transcribing a simple spoken information in a couple of sentences.

French language level A2-2 syllabus
→ Listening:

– Understanding simple wordings never heard before but about familiar topics. – Understanding clear and short instructions.
– Understanding numbers said in sentences.

→ Reading:

– Understanding the most important points of very short and easy texts containing only very short amount of new structures and new words.
– Finding information in an informative document dealing with one or several familiar topics.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– In a short conversation, asking and answering, briefly and without personal opinions, questions about familiar topics

→ Speaking continuously:

– Describing in a few sentences and in a simple way your personal situation.

→ Writing:

– Writing a short and easy note or message to communicate an information using documents and a dictionary. Some mistakes can appear but the overall text stays understandable.

French language level A2-3 syllabus
→ Listening:

– Understanding the main topic of an everyday conversation.
– In a short text, understanding simple sentences and recognising words or groups of words indicating tense changes, as well as the most common link words.

→ Reading:

– Understanding the main points of a text or of a simple and short letter dealing with one or several familiar topics.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Communicating in a simple and common situation, after having prepared it.

→ Speaking continuously:

– Describing in a few sentences a recent experience (past tense).

→ Writing:

– Writing a personal letter to introduce yourself, thank someone or speak about yourself.
– Writing a short note or message to answer a question.

2) Level B

This second level is also divided into two parts: B1 and B2. B1 is called intermediate level and B2 upper intermediate level. At the end of college, students are usually expected to reach level B2 in their first foreign language (they have to learn two languages in France).

French language level B1 Intermediate

French language level B1-1 syllabus
→ Listening:

– In a brief story, recognising the framework of the events and linking the characters and places to these events.
– In every other type of audible text, understanding the main information.

→ Reading:

– Recognising the structure of a simple and rather short text or letter.
– Understanding the main events and essential ideas in a text or post dealing with familiar topics.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Speaking about your own personal situation (family, hobbies, job, studies).

→ Speaking continuously:

– Coherently describing, in a few sentences, an experience or an event. – Expressing your opinion.

→ Writing:

– Writing a simple and coherent text about a familiar topic. – Writing a personal letter.
– Being able, when proofreading, to correct the most obvious mistakes.

French language level B1-2 syllabus
→ Listening:

– In a less than two minutes long conversation, understanding the opinion of each character. – Noticing and understanding specific information in an informative document.

– In a longer story, understanding the events’ framework (when the topic is familiar).

→ Reading:

– Understanding information about work, family life or about a known topic.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Taking part in a conversation without many difficulties when interlocutors speak about known topics (you might still need to look for some words or to ask your interlocutors to help you express yourself).

→ Speaking:

– Briefly and coherently explaining your opinions or plans.

→ Writing:

– Relating events, giving a report on a course or an experience and describing your thoughts in an at least ten lines text without using a dictionary (at least not too often).

French language level B1-3 syllabus
→ Listening:

– Understanding details of an at least two minutes long story on a known topic. – Understanding technical information about products or services.

– Understanding arguments formulated by different protagonists of a discussion when they are clearly said.

→ Reading:

– Understanding the main points of every text or post which don’t exceed 40 lines and which deal with a known topic.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Being able to speak about the majority of situations you can encounter when traveling in a French-speaking country.
– Being able to speak about everyday life and personal matters without any preparation.

→ Speaking:

– Telling the plot of a film, book… and describing your reactions with the use of connectives.

→ Writing:

– Writing without any difficulties a personal letter or a simple and coherent text about familiar topics and making sure there aren’t many mistakes.

French language level B2 Advanced

French language level B2 syllabus
→ Listening:

– Understanding a speech of a certain length and an argumentation about a known topic.
– Understanding most newspapers, TV programmes and films (spoken in an informal language).

→ Reading:

– Reading articles in which authors express their point of view. – Understanding a literary contemporary text in prose.

→ Taking part in a conversation:

– Communicating rather spontaneously which makes a discussion with a French native person possible.

→ Speaking:

– Expressing yourself clearly about many topics.
– Developing an opinion about currents events.

→ Writing:

– Writing detailed texts about most topics related to things you like.

3) Level C
French language level C1 and C2 Expert

This last level is, like the first two, divided into two parts: C1 and C2. When students get to these levels, they are more or less bilingual (level C2) or at least understand long and difficult spoken and written texts and are able to speak clearly and with a wide range of vocabulary (level C1).

II) The different type of schools and their diplomas/degrees

1) The years before entering school

Nursery, “la crèche”, doesn’t actually belong to the French education system but I thought it could be interesting mentioning it as a lot of children go there before entering school. Indeed, many mums have to go back to work quickly after having had their baby.

Ten weeks to be precise which is rather depressing I must admit (well it was for me…). Parents have the choice between different types of childcare. There is “la crèche” which is a nursery.

These are daycare centers which keep babies from two months to three years old. It is very complicated to get a slot in a nursery as they are so popular (mainly because mums have to go back to work when their baby turns two months old). In fact, parents are advised to try and book a slot as soon as they are pregnant! Other options are available such as “les assistantes maternelles”. These are qualified women who can look after three or four babies at their house. They are officially recognized by the French state.

It is a better solution in my view as they are more flexible than a nursery. Moreover, they meet up with other “assistantes maternelles” to organize activities for children so they can develop great social skills too.

2) “La maternelle” (preschool/kindergarten)

In France, children start school rather early at the age of three years old and sometimes at two and half years old.

Even though most children attend “la maternelle” at that age, school is actually compulsory from 6 years old when pupils start “l’école élémentaire” (primary school/elementary school). There are three classes in the French preschool system: “la petite section”, “la moyenne section” et “la grande section”.

Over the past couple of years, a new level has appeared: “la toute petite section”. This class is for children aged 2. It is primarily developed in deprived areas, mainly to help children developing their speaking.

Unlike preschool in many other countries, “la maternelle” is not just a place for children to develop their social skills. Indeed, its curriculum contains specific knowledge to be worked on such as reading (letters and phonemes), writing and numeracy.

A foreign language is also offered in French preschools. Everything is based on games. Artistic activities are also very present as they help children developing their creativity and imagination while playing.

3) “L’école élémentaire”

Children go to this school for five years from 6 to 11 years old. There are therefore five levels: CP (cours préparatoire), CE1, CE2 (cours élémentaire 1 and 2), CM1 and CM2 (cours moyen 1 and 2).

They spend about 24 hours in class Monday to Friday. It is up to the local town hall to decide whether children have to attend school on Wednesday morning or not and therefore split the 24 weekly hours over four or five days.

Like in most countries, the French curriculum includes literacy, numeracy, a foreign language (mainly English, even though teachers don’t seem to put a big emphasis on that subject…), PE, History, Geography…

4) “Le collège” (secondary school)

Every child, aged 11 to 15, go to secondary school in France. The four classes, corresponding to grades 6 to 9, are called “sixième”, “cinquième”, “quatrième” and “troisième”.

Pupils receive a very general learning as it is only at the end of secondary school that children are oriented and that they can therefore slightly specialize in a certain learning area.

The curriculum includes French, Maths, PE, two foreign languages (mainly English and Spanish/German/Italian), Arts, Music, History, Geography, Civil Education, Technical Education, Science, Physics, and Chemistry.

In their last year, pupils undertake an exam, “le brevet des collèges”. This exam has totally lost its value as it is so easily obtained…

5) Le lycée (sixth form/college)

Students go to college from 15 to 18 years old. The classes correspond to grades 10 to 12 and are called “seconde”, “première” and “terminale”.

There are three types of college they can be oriented towards, mainly depending on their school results and their professional wishes: “lycée général”, “lycée professionel” and “lycée technique”.

During their “lycée” years, pupils prepare to sit for their final exam: “le baccalauréat”, very often shorten to “le bac”.

Supposedly, every “lycée” in France offers the same educational standard and the same chance to their students.

However, each year a sort of survey highlights the results of the “bac” for each college in France, basically showing which schools are the best. The same ones come back to the top of the list every year. They are the Lycée Louis-le-Grand or Lycée Henri-IV in Paris, the Lycée Fermat in Toulouse, and a handful of other famous public lycées.

6) Le lycée professsionel

Students who wish to learn a manual or clerical job may choose to study in a “lycée professionnel”.

Their academic syllabus is rather reduced as they principally focus on learning usefull skills for their chosen career but they do have to study French, Maths and a foreign language.

At the end of their three years in a “lycée professionnel”, students also take “le baccalauréat” but it is called “baccalauréat professionel”.

Some extra knowledge:

The success rate of the “baccalauréat” in June 2017 was 87.9% which is a bit less than the previous year. With less than 13 percent failure, it is considered by many French people as a far too easy exam… Some even go as far as saying that it is actually given to students… Nonetheless, it is a rather rigorous exam with oral, speaking and written parts and students are evaluated in many subjects. It lasts up to six days.

Every year, in June, media discuss the subjects in Philosophy which always is, as some sort of ritual, the first exam that students have to take. To obtain his/her “baccalauréat”, a student must have at least 10/20 (average mark).

If (s)he gets between 8 and 10/20, (s)he goes to the “rattrapages”. They can basically resit the exam. There are three distinctions (“mention” in French) when passing the “baccalauréat” :

“Bac with mention assez bien” (rather good): between 12 and 14/20 “Bac with mention bien” (good): between 14 and 16/20
“Bac with mention très bien” (very good): 16/20 and more

7) Higher education

In most countries, going to university is considered as the pinnacle of education. Not so much in France. Indeed, anyone can go to uni as long as they have their “baccalauréat”. Moreover, universities are underfunded compared to international standards.

Having said that, French universities actually do a remarkably great job in terms of productivity (ratio between investment per student, quality, and the results obtained). At university, students take their “licence” (three years degree).

Once they pass their bachelor’s degree, they can take a “maîtrise” also called “master” (an extra two years studying). Finally, they can take, if they pass their Master’s degree, a “doctorat” which is a Ph.D. However, the crème de la crème in higher education in France is the “Grandes Ecoles” which teach to tomorrow’s “haut fonctionnaires” (senior civil servants), leaders of industry, top military brass, top politicians, engineers, physicists and others.

After having obtained their “baccalauréat”, students have to take a competitive exam to enter those very elitist schools. They prepare this exam in the “classes préparatoires” which are also very selective.

Two of France’s Grandes Ecoles (ENS and Polytechnique), but no universities, are listed in the 2018 QS world’s top 100 universities listing. L’ENS (école nationale supérieure) of Paris comes 43rd and the Ecole Polytechnique 59th.

So here you have it: the French education system and its various courses and levels.

Conclusion

Please do share your in which level are you in the comment section on your experience/difficulty in learning each levels to study French

Side Note: Want a light introduction to French Courses Online? Check Out Our French Courses Online for Beginners

French Homophones are words that are pronounced the same but spelt differently.

They also have a different meaning.

Affirming that French is the language with the most homophones would be risky and I could be totally wrong as I do not know every single language spoken in our Earth’s vast lands.

However, I can definitely confirmed, as a French native speaker, that yes French intrinsically has quite a lot of homophones !

They are all French children worse nightmare during spelling tests !

Let’s take a closer look at the most common ones.

First, we can mention verbs endings.

Indeed, with the second person singular, “tu” (“you” in English), one has to add an “s” at the end of the verb. However, you do not pronounce this added “s”. Same difficulty appears when it comes to the third person plural, “ils” ou “elles” (“they” in English).

You must add -nt at the end of the verb but again, you do not pronounce it.

Why make things easy eh? Thus, if we wanted to conjugate “manger” (“to eat”) in the present tense, we would say:

Je mange / I eat

Tu manges / You eat (informal you) Il, elle, on mange / He, she, it eats
Nous mangeons / We eat
Vous mangez / You eat (formal you)
Ils, elles mangent / They eat

“mange”, “manges” and “mangent” are spelt differently, refer to different persons but are pronounced exactly the same.

Most of the time, the last consonnant isn’t pronounced in French which can make things rather complicated! Indeed, we can think about the following words : Sans / s’en / c’en / sens / sent / sang / cent or quand / quant / qu’en / camp / khan.

These are just examples among so many others!!

Not always easy to understand what someone is speaking about without seeing the words written down. This possible meaning confusion led to the lovely story of Cinderella. The beautiful princess wore, in the Honore de Balzac version, the once fashionable pantoufles de vair (slippers made with squirrel’s fur).

 

 

However, Charles Perrault mentioned some pantoufles de verre (glass slippers).

This difference between both stories versions has, ever since, created a big debate: what type of slippers did Cinderella wear?!

In 2016, the French government wanted to institute a new reform about word spelling. They wanted to get rid of the circumflex accent. You know the little hat “^” on top of either the letter “i”, “o” or “u” in some French words?

The government wanted to make French spelling easier. Well… that did not go down very well with the French population. And quite rightly so. You will understand why with the following couple of examples!

Please excuse the very familiar expressions!

“Salut, je suis sûr, ta femme, elle est heureuse !” (Hey, I’m sure, your wife, she’s happy!)

« Salut, je suis sur ta femme, elle est heureuse ! » (Hey, I’m on top of your wife, she’s happy!)

« Salut ma belle ! Je vais me faire un jeûne demain ! » (Hey beautiful, I’m going to abstain myself from eating tomorrow!)

« Salut ma belle ! Je vais me faire un jeune demain ! » (Hey beautiful, I’m going to sleep with a young lad tomorrow ! »)

 

Not quite the same meanings…

Sometimes, it can even get more tricky than this !!

Some expressions can be only made with homophones such as « un vieil armagnac » (« an old Armagnac/Brandy ») and « un vieillard manique » (« a fussy old man »). They are called « holorimes ».

Let’s look on the bright side though : yes, the French language has some asperities but it does allow us to play with words and have some fun !!

 

Conclusion

Please do share your story in the comment section on your experience to study French

Side Note: Want a light introduction to French Courses Online? Check Out Our French Courses Online for Beginners

When you learn French online you set your own pace to best suits your busy lifestyle.

Learning a language is extremely demanding.

Going to classes, visiting a tutor, going out and buying books take a lot of time.

And I know that as a parent, as a partner and with your everyday job and life, it’s not always possible.

Well, in fact, it can sometimes be totally impossible.

However, this should not mean that you should give up on your will, on your dream to learn French. How can you juggle everything then you might ask?

Your best option is to lean French online from the comfort of your own home.

Peacefully in your pyjamas on your sofa with a coffee.

Sounds perfect?

That’s because it is not only would it make your life easier and stop you from running around to be here, there and everywhere trying to squeeze everything in, it would also provide a familiar and reassuring environment.

In these conditions, you would feel much more relaxed and mentally more ready to learn. Your brain would memorize information so much better and quicker if you simply feel mellow rather than stressed out!

A peaceful mind maximizes your learning capacities. Moreover, learn French online from home would make you a self-directed learner.

You would take responsibilities of your own learning and be in charge of your learning program!

So how can you do this then?

Where should you start?

Your starting point should definitely be the Internet!

It is a wonderful source of information which contains so many useful and interesting resources. So many though, that’s often the problem!

You could easily get lost in the amount of information available on the web. In this blog, I will guide you towards some apps, podcasts, PDF, YouTube videos and websites I find particularly good and helpful.

1) Learn French fast with these apps

 

Learning a language used to be synonym of carrying loads of textbooks and very heavy dictionaries … and pay for them obviously!

Well not anymore!

Like most people, you more than likely own a smartphone.

This little technological wonder is all you need and it will get you to speak the language of love in no time!

All you have to do is to download an app.

Before I tell you about a few apps I like, let me list some benefits of studying French with apps rather than with a more traditional method using books or going to classes.

First of all, you can learn whenever you want and wherever you want!

Going to work using public transport?

Make the most of this dull journey!

Click on your app and start learning.

Not only would this save you from being bored, it would also stop you from wasting your time. Why do nothing when you can pass the time doing something useful such as studying?

Our phones are always with us so it seems normal to use them intelligently, doesn’t it? A lot of people (including me…) tend to go on their phone before going to sleep (yes we are so addicted to our phones it can sometimes be worrying…).

Why not revise some French vocabulary or grammar structures just before bed?

Another advantage is that you are not constrained to attend a course on such a day at such a time. Instead, you can learn French on your own pace whenever your mind and body feel the readiest for it.

Traditional methods seem, for most of us, boring and therefore not very effective. Methods using new technology, pictures, videos and sounds are however a lot more fun and consequently much more motivating.

Let’s now see a few good apps.

 

 

 

 

1. Apps for Android

• “Memrise: Learn Languages” has been awarded the best 2017 app. Download it and you’ll understand exactly why. It does make studying and learning very fun and will more than likely help you progress in no time!
• “Learn French” is a free app mainly aimed at beginners and travelers. It contains about 800 commonly used French words and expressions. It also allows you to work on your pronunciation as you can listen to these terms in an authentic pronunciation and repeat them. You can store your favorite sentences too.
• “Learn Languages: Rosetta Stone” is another free application for Android. Its method is based on first language learning. Its creators help you to learn French the way you learnt your native tongue: without translation. You start speaking French straight away. You also get feedback on your pronunciation.
• “Learn French 6,000 Words” is a free and easy app to learn new vocabulary. It contains illustrated words, phonetic transcriptions and pronunciation recordings by native speakers as well as games which makes it very fun!
• “Learn French with Babbel” is a free innovative app which includes a wide variety of courses designed by experts and a speech recognition. It is made for all students so whether you’re a beginner or a more advanced learner, this app should help you to acquire an even better level in French!

2. Apps for iPhone

• “French 101, by 24/7 Tutor” includes interesting interactive programs. As part of its various features, it contains puzzle games, flash cards, multiple choice quizzes and write-in tests. It also lists vocabulary in categories such as family, friends, travel, home and more.
• “French Audio Flashcards” by Declan Software. This app is amazing to work on your pronunciation as it has over 4,400 words and phrases said by native speakers. It also helps you to develop some memorization techniques thanks to its many flashcard reviews and exercises.

• “Lingopal French-talking phrasebook” by Lingopal. The first advantage of this app: you access it without an Internet connection. It is specially designed for those who need phrases to get by. It includes audio files.

• “AccelaStudy French”, by Renkara Media Group, Inc. One of the best features of this app is that you can keep track of your learning thanks to its automatic statistics so you know exactly how well you’re progressing which is very motivating!Furthermore, it includes audio files made by native speakers (great to work on your pronunciation), over 2,400 words (all levels, from beginners to more advanced ones), quizzes, flashcards and a dictionary.

• “iSpeak French”, by Future Apps. This iPhone app basically is a speaking dictionary. Type any word or phrase and it will translate them and tell them out loud in French.This is great to learn how to pronounce perfectly and very handy when traveling as you can just write what you need to know and simply repeat correctly the translation you’ve just heard or even cheat a little and just ask the person you’re speaking to to listen to the translation…

 

 

2) Learn French fast with these Podcasts

 

Before I start, let me very briefly define what a podcast is.

Basically, a podcast is an Internet radio on demand. It allows you to listen to it whenever you want which is perfect when you have a very busy schedule!

That way, you can study and revise when it suits you best, when you’re the most inclined to learn in a relaxed and calm environment or when you’re on the go headphones in!

Why exactly should you study with podcasts though?

Listening to French, to a lot of French even, is a fantastic way to memorize new vocab and grammar structures. Thus using podcasts is considered as being one of the most efficient ways to learn French. So now let’s have a look at some very helpful ones.

• “Coffee Break French” by Radio Lingua Network is one, if not the one, most appreciated podcast by learners. If you’re a total beginner in French, this podcast is made for you! However, it also suits more advanced learners as the difficulty of each lesson increases.Each lesson focuses on what you actually need to know to be understood by a French person. They last about 15 minutes which is great if you don’t have much time. Its content is divided into seasons. Season 1 is the easiest one and it gradually increases in difficulty as the seasons progress.

• “Frenchpod101” is a must! Made for all levels from beginner to advanced, this podcast is hosted by two persons, a French native speaker and an English one. Their lessons include realistic conversations (which is obviously very useful as you want to learn things you’ll actually need! No time for messing around!). They also contain slow speed recordings, translations and various explanations about the language itself and the French culture. All this is divided into topics.

My next three chosen podcasts are rather aimed at intermediate and advanced learners as they contain more French language. Don’t worry though, they also have transcriptions and translations!

• “Français authentique”. Like most learners, you might understand (if not master? If not, you will soon!) written French but might find it difficult to actually grasp spoken French. If that’s the case, this podcast would be perfect for you. Indeed, its host speaks slowly about French expressions, motivation and lots of interesting topics.

• “One thing in a French day”. This podcast deals with everyday life. The host tells you about her daily life in France which is good to learn about vocabulary as well as the French culture.

• “Learn French with daily lessons” by FrenchVoila. Last but not least, this podcast is very interesting as it enables you to brush up on your French thanks to the news. The host speaks about recent events and explains it all in slow French.
•  Loads of examples and synomyms are used to help you understand better

 

3) Learn French fast with these websites

Whether you’re a beginner learner needing to start from scratch or a more advanced one who just needs to refresh on a few French grammar points, websites are a great place to learn. However, you can easily get trapped in the thousands and thousands of existing links! Luckily, I got you covered and chose a few good ones for you!

• https://simplefrenchwords.com/learn-french-pdf-free/ This website is fab as it contains many printable PDF on many useful topics. Great to get you started!

• http://www.bonjourdefrance.co.uk/learn-french-online/grammar/choose-level I really do like that one! Before starting on this website, you have to choose which level of the European scale of French level you want to study at (A1, A2, B1, B2, C1 and C2). Knowing your level is a necessity if you want to carry on your studies in France (or in most European countries) as specific levels are required to enter university (at least level B2). It contains grammar lessons and exercises to practice what you’ve learnt.

• https://www.fluentu.com/ This is another great website as it offers real-world French videos (music, videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks turned into French lessons). Perfect to learn French in a total immersion. And not only will you learn the ins and outs of the language itself, you will also learn so much about the French culture. Indeed, these videos were originally created for French native speakers. They are therefore filled with a lot of informal everyday French speech and many cultural aspects of the French society.

• http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/ One of my all-time favorite website! Yes, I know, I sound a bit (a lot) geeky but this online dictionary is so useful. So much so I, in fact, recommend it to my students, from beginners to more advanced ones, every single year. This website doesn’t only just translate words. It goes a lot further than that. You type a word and it will give you its translation as well as all the expressions containing that particular word. And if you can’t find the phrase you need, there is a forum on which you can ask any related question you want!

4) Learn French fast with these YouTube videos

 

As I said previously, listening to French is a great way to learn it but listening to it and watching videos at the same time can add a bit of fun to your learning journey.

While there are a lot of videos on YouTube, many contain far too much English which, yes, it can make things easier to understand but what’s the actual point in listening to English when you want to learn French?

I have selected some helpful videos to stop you browsing the net for hours and therefore concentrate on what matters the most: you learning French! I have divided my selection into two parts: channels for beginners and channels for intermediate and advanced learners.

 

1. Channels for beginners

• “ Frenchpod101” In the podcasts’ section, I told you about Frenchpod101. It is also a YouTube channel which will teach you everyday words and sentences and will help you to improve thanks to listening exercises.
• “Comme une française” is based on the same principle. However, the French host, Géraldine, will also teach you French cultural habits and the related vocabulary.

 

2.Channels for intermediate and advanced learners 

• “Français avec Pierre”. In his videos, Pierre chooses common French idioms and explains them. Then, he interviews French native speakers to discuss these expressions as well as other topics (cultural, grammatical…). Great channel if you already speak a bit of French and want to dig further inside the ins and outs of the language and if you want to learn how French people think.

• “Easy Languages” is rather similar to the previous one as the host also interviews French people about all sorts of topics. It’s interesting (if not funny) watching how wound up some French people can get when debating! It’s a great channel if you want to learn more about giving your opinion.

There are tons of great resources to learn French online but I hope my selected ones will help you on your online learning journey!

Conclusion

Please do share your story in the comment section on your experience to study French

Side Note: Want a light introduction to French Courses Online? Check Out Our French Courses Online for Beginners

You should study French! Don’t believe it?

Learning a language, any language shall I say, is extremely enriching. Linguistically and culturally.

1. It extends your travelling possibilities
2. It develops your communication abilities
3. It opens your mind
4. It makes you accept differences.

The list goes on.

Being multilingual can also sometimes be compulsory at school and essential at work, even more so with the importance of today’s globalization.

Yes!!

But there are so many different languages to choose from. Why pick French over Spanish or German or even Italian? The answer is simple: French is one of the most spoken languages in the world.

In fact, let’s highlight some interesting facts stated by the International Organization of Francophonie.

1) Significant aspects of the French language

The International Organization of Francophonie, which counts 84 member states and governments all over the world, gathers and analyses data about the French language.

Every four year, it publishes them in “La Langue Française dans le monde” (“the French language in the world”). Its last publication dates from 2014.

The report shows that French is present over the 5 continents. French is the official language in many countries. 29 to be precise. These are mainly old French colonies.

Moreover, French is commonly spoken in another 8 countries despite not being the official (or one of the official) spoken language. In 2014, French was spoken by 247 million people around the globe which makes it the fifth global language after Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic.

There are two different types of Francophones: people who speak French as a foreign language (mainly when you go abroad or speak with French people) and people who use French as their everyday language. Let’s take a deeper insight at the re-partition of French speakers: 7.6% live in America and Caribbeans, 36.4% in Europe, 54.7% in Africa, 0.3% in Asia and Oceania and finally 0.9% in the Middle East. This represents an increase of 7% of people who use French as their everyday language between 2010 et 2014. Speaking French is, therefore, a real advantage for your studies, your professional career, your everyday life as well as your access to information. If all these numbers don’t convince you choosing French when learning a language is the best option, let’s bury ourselves in more interesting facts!

 

2) Studying French

French is the second most learned language in the world. 125 million people study it each year. Among these 125 million people, 76 million study French as their educational learning language and 49 million as a second language.

More and more French teachers are required all over the planet as learning French as a second language has increased by 6 % since 2010.

In fact, we can be more precise and look at the evolution on each continent: + 2% in America and Caribbeans, – 8% in Europe, + 7% in North Africa and the Middle East, + 44% in Sub-Saharan Africa and + 43% in Asia and Oceania!

Today, we count about 900 000 French teachers in the world. This rise has a significant impact on the development of the French language itself. Indeed, as any other language, it evolves. Thus, to meet the needs of the growing French-speaking population, the dictionary of the French Academy went from 40 000 words to 60 000 words over the past 50 years.

 

 

3) The importance to Study French language in international media and on the Internet

It goes without saying that French holds a crucial place in the international media and on the Internet. Indeed it is globally used to communicate. Thereby, there are 6 international French television channels (Euronews, Arte, TV5 monde, A24 and France 24) and many more French international radio stations.

180 million people surf the Internet in French which makes it the fourth most used language by Internet users. It holds the sixth place for the number of visited Internet pages (fifth place on Wikipedia and third place on Amazon which is incredible when we know how popular these two websites are!).

 

4) The French language and your professional career

French is the official working language for many international organisations such as the United Nations, UNESCO, NATO, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), the International Labor Bureau, the International Olympic Committee, the 31-member Council of Europe, the European Community, the Universal Postal Union, the International Red Cross and the Union of International Associations (UIA).

French is also the dominant working language at the European Court of Justice, at the European Tribunal of First Instance as well as at the Press Room at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium.

It is the third spoken language in the international business community after English and Chinese. But why is it so important for you to study French? As we mentioned previously, French has clearly made its way up the “most globally used and spoken language” rankings.

Global expansion is happening fast nowadays, faster than ever in fact. The globalization of the workforce is more predominant than ever before and this will only carry on increasing in the forthcoming years. Not only businesses are expanding abroad with thousand offices opening daily all over the world, there is also a significant increase in various business operations throughout the world thanks to the use of the Internet.

Being bilingual, if not multilingual, has, therefore, become a must when searching for a job. It will help you maintain a competitive career advantage. Even though most businesses are still conducted in English, the global business landscape is changing.

French, being the third most spoken language after English and Chinese in the business community, is clearly one of (if not THE) best option when deciding to learn a language.

Let’s summarize why it is vital for you to study French to enhance your professional prospects : international businesses choose more and more to hire multilingual people, knowing one or more foreign languages may give you an edge when competing for an important position, thanks to globalization, opportunities abroad are increasing daily, being able to speak another language makes you more marketable with companies doing business internationally and last but not least communicating with people in their native tongue demonstrates that you have some knowledge regarding the culture and rituals of those people.

 

5) The economic weight of French-speaking countries

In 2014, countries belonging to the International Organization of Francophonie represented 16% of the global population, 14% of the global gross income and 20% of the international trade.

The United States of America, which obviously has a massive impact on the international economic scene, has countless trading partners. The first one is the European Union in which France is located as well as Belgium and Switzerland (French is spoken in these three countries).

Their third trading partner (after China) is Canada with 544,894 million US dollars in 2016. France comes 8th with 77,706 US million dollars in the same year.

The economic relations between the United States and France are mutually beneficial as they allow growth and job creations in both countries. Trade in goods and services between the two countries reached $120 billion in 2016, according to Eurostat. There is a bilateral direct investment between the USA and France. In 2015, the French direct investment position in the US reached $251 billion, and the American direct investment position in France amounted to $80 billion, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA).

 

6) The impact of the French language in Science and Technology areas

France is one of the leader countries when it comes to Science and Technology. For example, France is a leading exporter of nuclear technology.

The country has many universities and colleges that offer courses in basic and applied sciences (we can think of the prestigious Palais de la Découverte and Cité des Sciences both located in Paris).

Pioneers in the automobile industry, today France is the third largest car producer in Europe. Three worldwide known automobile brands are French (Peugeot, Renault, Citroën) and create jobs all over the world. France holds many other technological assets including the TGV (the fastest train), Ariane rockets which put most commercial satellites into space, fiber optics which is one of the most advanced systems of telecommunication in the world… French also are avant-gardists in terms of medical advance.

Indeed, French doctors and scientists are one of the main leaders in the medical community. They have, as a case in point, isolated the AIDS virus. Medical genetics research has also tremendously progressed thanks to the French Genome Project located in Paris.

Another very important area in which the French community is largely represented is the army. The French army, officially known as the Land Army, is composed of about 123,000 people and is present in 15 countries to try and keep peace around the globe.

After having underlined some significant and essential facts about French and the predominance of this language around the world, it now seems crystal clear that speaking French is a safe bet and a must. Thanks to all this food for thought, we hope you are now as convinced as we are on the importance of choosing French when studying a language.

 

 

 

 

 

Conclusion

Please do share your story in the comment section on your experience to study French

Side Note: Want a light introduction to French Courses Online? Check Out Our French Courses Online for Beginners

Knowing French is great, but how to learn French quickly?

Learning a language is a long and difficult journey.

For this reason, most people quit before becoming fluent.

It’s an absolute shame as, yes, learning a language is tough but, no, it is not impossible!

One important thing to remember before starting learning French is that your learning journey will take you way beyond a simple academic learning.

You will discover a new culture, a new way of thinking that will open your mind and change the way you approach life. Learning French will enrich you.

In this blog, I will give you some useful basic tips to make sure you can learn French quickly.

 

1) Motivation

This might seem obvious but you do need a good reason for wanting to learn a language. Indeed knowing exactly why you want/need to speak French fluently and quickly will keep you motivated and focused. I would advise you to have visuals around your house or simply above your desk, anywhere really as long as you see them every day.

You could,

for example, write in big bold letters your reasons for learning French and hang them up on the wall or put pictures of Paris on your fridge.

 

2) Set yourself goals

One of the most important thing when learning a language is to be rigorous and consistent. You must set some time slots in your diary.

Sticking to your schedule is essential. Having a good reason for learning French and being motivated (as mentioned above) will help you to keep on track. Set yourself precise goals.

You could maybe decide to study French twice a week for one hour and to read or listen to 15 minutes of French daily.

Get into the routine of doing it so it feels part of your normal everyday life.

To come back to the visuals I mentioned previously, I would advise you to actually write down on your calendar or wherever you write what you have to do for the day the following sentences “French learning journey: 1 hour of studying” / “French learning journey: 15 minutes of daily French reading/listening” and tick them off once you have done it.

It will help you to measure your progress and it will be very satisfying to see that you are managing to stick to your plans!

 

3) Be realistic about your goals and about how long it will take you to achieve them

You need to be very clear about what you can and cannot do.

For instance, you cannot strongly believe you will be fluent in two weeks because you really want to and you will give it your everything. No.

You do have a life and everything that goes with it (work, children, family life…).

Learning French quickly is possible but be realistic on what quickly actually means and involves.

Think your language learning journey in stages and plan short and long-term achievable goals.

 

4) Find a learning method that is effective and works for you

Before starting, try to find your learning style. How do you learn best?

We usually count eight different learning styles: logical/mathematical (you enjoy using logic and reasoning), verbal (you need to read a lot and write things down to remember them), visual (using pictures, charts helps you learning), musical/auditory (you prefer sounds and music.

You make songs up to remember new vocabulary or grammar rules), physical/kinesthetic (you need to touch or to do play roles), social (you need to be part of a group, a class to share your understanding of things as well as learning from others), solitary (you prefer selfstudy and concentrate more when learning on your own), combination (your learning style is a combination of these).

Once you will know exactly which method suits you best you will maximize your daily learning journey and you will notice faster progress.

 

5) Don’t focus on grammar

Remember why you’re learning French.

To communicate with people. As an adult learner, you probably don’t want to feel like you’re going back to the good old school days!

And this is exactly how you’ll feel if you start your learning journey with grammar books. Obviously, I am not saying you should avoid learning grammar.

However, I would personally advise you to allow yourself to make grammatical mistakes (you’ll learn from them) as long as you manage to convey your message. This, after all, is the most important thing when you start learning a language.

When you’ll gradually be able to make yourself understood by native speakers, you can start polishing your linguistic skills and study grammar in more depth.

In other words, relax, take it easy and don’t forget that the most important thing when learning a language is to be able to understand people and to make yourself understood.

Perfection will come in time.

 

6) Remember the importance of vocabulary

Like I mentioned it above, it is essential to make yourself understood and to understand native speakers when learning a language.

To do so, you will need to know a wide range of words. As carrying a bilingual dictionary is not always handy nor practical, you will have to go through the stage of vocabulary learning.

And I promise you, it’s not as bad as it seems especially when you know that approximately 70% of French words are similar to English ones (thank you William the Conqueror and your invasion on British soil in 1066!).

I would advise you to make lists of words belonging to the same topic. This will ease your learning and help you memorizing more vocabulary.

For example, you could write a list of the most common words in French, a list of numbers, another one of words needed to introduce yourself

And, if despite learning your vocabulary lists, one day you’re stuck and you dont know a word, have a glance at the following website; Wordreference.

I use it every time I’m unsure about a word or whenever my mind goes blank.

 

7) Immerse yourself

This is crucial. To learn French quickly, you must speak French, think in French, dream in French. French needs to become a very important part of your day.

Whether you read French books, watch French films and/or TV, or listen to French music/radio, you must be surrounded by French.

French, French, French everywhere!

The best thing would obviously be to visit a French-speaking country to hear native French speakers, their accent and the musicality of the language. But if you cannot go to France just yet, make sure you follow my previous advice!

 

8) Speak with French speakers before going to France!

Of course, you’ll get to speak French to French people once in France but practicing speaking French before going over can be very useful as it will get you used to it and it will boost your confidence up!

Your first time speaking to someone in France won’t seem as daunting then! It could be very interesting to speak to local people around you, maybe real native speakers or people who, just like you, have learnt French as a second language.

Indeed, beyond practicing the French language, you will also discover French habits and cultural aspects which is always a bonus before going over there.

Enquire about local meetings which gather people who want to speak French or ask your family and friends if they know any French speaker who would want to have a little conversation with you!

 

9) Have a French pen pal

To carry on what I was saying about immersing yourself, you could have a pen pal. This would obviously help you with your actual learning (grammar, vocabulary, syntax) but not only.

Indeed speaking to a French person either by letters, on Facebook, Skype, WhatsApp or whichever other way you might prefer would make learning French meaningful. It would give it a real purpose as well as making it fun.

 

 

10) Don’t be ashamed to make mistakes nor of your accent

Unfortunately, many people give up learning a language because they feel stupid either because they don’t perfectly speak (yet) or because they don’t have a perfect French accent.

Realistically, who cares about little mistakes or a strong foreign accent as long as you can communicate? No one but you.

People will actually envy you as being multilingual is such an amazing achievement and can take you so far in life.

It shows true dedication and motivation. You should be proud of yourself. And don’t forget, everyone actually finds foreign accents and little mistakes cute (if not sexy!).

 

11) Dispel that false (but unfortunately so fixed and believed by many) idea that French is somehow impossible to learn

First of all, let me be very (very, very) clear: No?

French is not that hard and even less impossible to learn. Learning French is achievable just as long as you are motivated, focused and consistent (which, if you’re reading this, you must be).

What makes learning French (or any other language) difficult isn’t grammar, vocabulary nor syntax. It’s our everyday life and a lack of motivation because yes, as much as you want to become fluent, some days you will not feel like studying, you’ll feel more like watching your favorite TV program because, let’s face it, you’ve had a long day at work so you do deserve to relax after all.

Well, that’s when an important motivation and a very good learning routine come in. In these wandering moments, remember why you have decided to learn French and go and have a look at that beautiful picture of Paris you’ve put on your fridge!

 

12) Don’t give up!

Have you ever been in that awful situation where you’re having a drink (or more likely a meal in France!) with native speakers and conversations are coming from every angle, everyone is talking and smiling and you’re just sat there in your own world pretending you’re part of it all, pretending you understand everything when in fact you clearly do not have a clue what’s going on.

You see people laughing at that joke you’ve not understood so what do you do? Well, you fake a laugh too hoping no one will ask you anything about it or about anything else for that matter…

This situation is psychologically and physically exhausting but do remember: it will not last forever! You need to keep going, you need to carry on learning and socializing with people.

And one day, you will finally get that joke you didn’t understand before, you will gradually grasp more and more of each conversation.

And one day, you will speak French fluently. Never give up and believe in yourself and in your learning capacities!

 

 

Conclusion

I hope these 12 tips will help you on your learning journey and that you will learn french quickly as possible.

And remember, French isn’t that difficult to learn.

You’ve got it sorted!

Either way, leave a quick comment below right now on what are the ways you have tried to learn French quickly?

Side Note: Want a light introduction to French Courses Online? Check Out Our French Courses Online for Beginners