Welcome to our feature on improving your French skills.
Improving your French skills
Features of the French language:
- It is one of the hardest Latin-based languages to learn, especially for English speakers.
- The most challenging part of French learning seems to be pronunciation.
- French has sounds that English speakers aren’t used to.
- This is why French is forever marked as a difficult language to learn.
- Neither English nor French is a phonetic language. This means that the spelling doesn’t always match the pronunciation, but French takes it to next level with much more silent letters.
- Learning french GCSE pronunciation will better help you to easily familiarize yourself with the lingo and even make you an expert in the end with a little bit more work.
- This, of course, doesn’t mean French cannot be learned. In fact, with the right strategy, learning French is more than possible.
- The question is HOW?
Boost Your French Learning
As I mentioned earlier, French is not one of the easiest languages to learn. To make it simple and quick for you to learn the language, breaking your learning process into smaller bits might be a better option. In addition, you might also have to make use of some French-based innovative tech tools to help you along the way.
So how can you break down your French learning?
Speaking French & Listening
Do you want to sound like a native French speaker? No problem! All you have to do is put some effort to try and sound better. The best way to master French pronunciation is to listen to native speakers in songs, podcasts, etc, and try to imitate them. Children’s songs are a perfect way to start learning a language because they are catchy, use simple words, and are interactive. One more thing to do is to record yourself whilst speaking French. Try to pronounce everything slowly. Learning these tones will better help you to easily familiarize yourself with the language and even make you an expert in the end.
-
Listen/Watch Video Lessons
Through listening and watching French learning-based lessons, you can obtain knowledge in all the necessary rules and attain communicative competence in the language. This way, you’ll not only be able to grasp the language but to use it to speak with others, make conversation, and interact with all native French speakers.
-
Slow Down Speed on Video
One of the best features of YouTube and similar social media platforms is being able to slow down the speed at which the video rolls and therefore reduce the speed of people’s voices. This allows you to catch certain phrases and their pronunciation more efficiently. Another great app you could use for this is Duolingo. It is completely free, helps you learn French and you can repeat sounds and words at a reduced speed as much as you like.
-
Make Chinese Friends
The first rule of mastering French- Find someone to talk to! When you speak French on a daily basis with someone, studying is just a piece of cake! If you don’t already have French friends, making one now should be one of your top priorities. There are so many places to find beginners and acquaintances who speak French at your level. Try finding someone from a Facebook Group or by using Club House or any other social media application. Having French friends will help you communicate better in French.
Reading French & Writing French
Make Use of Apps Designed for French Learning
In your spare time, you can try using an app specifically designed for French learning. There are many platforms to choose from nowadays. Just take your peak and spend around 15 minutes per day on the application. It is not so time-consuming, you can even do it whilst cooking or cleaning. There are many people who consider learning with a tutor the best way to study a language. Whilst everyone has a different idea of the best language learning techniques, learning a language online or face-to-face with a tutor can certainly take you to the next level. If you think that choosing a professional tutor is your Stairway to French learning, then my best advice is to go for TutorExtra. Students can choose from more than 10000 subjects and there are a number of qualified teachers who know amazing learning techniques and have a lot of experience.
Practising reading French
The learning process may seem a little hard but practising French reading can also be a great way to accelerate your French skills.
Typically, reading is one of the necessary language skills we need to develop. And if you think about it reading skills are absolutely a must when visiting a French-speaking country. If you can’t read well, you won’t be able to understand direction, choose a meal, or even check a catalogue with products. Reading helps us develop our writing skills, and it’s also the same with Chinese. The more you try practising French reading, the better you become at forming new and well-strung sentences in the language.
Learn Non-Verbal French Expressions and Gesticulation
You may not know this before, but getting to know the non-verbal expressions associated with a language (and, of course, a culture) can help you to better grasp and understand the culture of a certain nation. Additionally, gestures in one country could be considered offensive whilst in another country, they can be wildly popular. Learning the communication signs in French can actually make it relatively simple for you to interact with and understand what’s being said by others. So the lesson here is simple – OBSERVE! To master a language you need to focus not only when listening to native speakers but also when you watch them talk to each other and OBSERVE their way of communication.
-
Writing Down French Words
Everyone has a different way of learning and improving their skills to better remember new information. For some people listing is the trick, for others is watching and finally, there are those people that remember best when they write down words and sentences more than once in a notebook. Writing is not difficult but it is time-consuming. However, with consistent writing, you can take more information and enrich your French vocabulary.
THE LATEST GCSE past papers
- Our latest 2022 GCSE exam papers including 2022 Maths past papers to aid your 2024 GCSE Maths revision.
- FIND OUT what the 2024 GCSE pass mark will be and how GCSE pass marks are calculated.
- THE MOST USEFUL 2023 past GCSE papers, plus popular GCSE videos.
- When is the 2024 GCSE Results Day?
If you can’t find what you are looking for here, then we suggest reviewing the full range of School Entrance Test past GCSE papers.