Learn How To Speak French
Anyone that speaks English as their mother tongue should consider learning French if they are thinking about acquiring a second language. For starters, French has many things in common with English. An example of this is that many words are the same in both languages. This can be a tremendous advantage when learning French. And it can even help you learn a bit more about the English language too.
The French language can be heard on every continent. It is viewed as a world language and this is seen by the number of world organizations like the UN and IOC that recognize it as an official language. Thus you can have a more varied personal life and have enhanced career opportunities if you are fluent in French. So if French is the second language for you then you probably want to learn it quickly. Speaking to people is the fun bit of learning a second language so there is no surprise that you want to learn quickly.
Communicating with people is a good way to learn and can motivate you to work harder. The other things, like learning vocabulary or how to form verb endings, are pretty monotonous but important nonetheless. So what's the best method to reduce the tedious nature of learning an new language and focusing on the good stuff ? This article will deal with the best way to learn conversational French.
So, I would suggest that the best way to learn French is to take an immersion course. Learning French in a country where it is spoken natively is the principle behind immersion learning. So many people immediately think about learn French in France but you could also consider doing it in Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland or any other country where it is recognized as the first language.
However, doing a language course in another country is often not an alternative for many people. To begin, you need to have a good amount of free time. Many people might do something like this in a gap year in between school and college. Thus you have to be free of responsibility, so many people may contemplate this option as part of annual leave or in between jobs. It also adds up in financial terms as you have to travel and live in the country and pay for the course.
But the benefits are certainly there. I think there are two reasons why French immersion learning is good. The first and foremost is that you must talk French. Nobody will speak your language so this focuses your mind on learning and speaking the language. You stop thinking in English, which is a habit that holds back your French learning. You stop worrying about having a funny accent or being misunderstood. All the seemingly trivial obstacles to speaking fall away when you live in the country and have to speak French.
The other reason is that the hard work you do to learn a second language has a point. You can use what you have learned. This acts as further motivation to continue learning the language, even the tedious stuff like grammar. So interacting with real people in real situations like in a restaurant will keep you going. And the tangible smells, sounds and sights that you see at a cafe or in the street reinforce your learning making it easier to understand. Speaking to real people will also give you more confidence too.
Doing a French immersion course is the best way to learn French in my opinion, however it is no idle undertaking. It will come at a considerable cost in both time and money. This may not suit everyone or even be practical for some lifestyles. Therefore many people are attracted to other methods like night classes or even home study courses. Indeed, some people will take a home study course before an immersion course to get their feet wet, so to speak, and give them more confidence when they take an immersion course.
There are many self study courses available for French, Rocket French software gives you an in depth review of this popular course. It covers the French audio component and with Michel Thomas versus Rocket French compares it to another popular course.