5 Tips to Boost Your French at a B1 level

Nicole Baptista

Have you been studying French for a while and are now at an intermediate level? Are you wondering how to boost your current (B1) level so that you can soon reach a level of fluency? If so, this post is for you.

At a B1 level, you want to move away from simplistic French. You want to start having real- life conversations with other French speakers and be able to understand what they are saying. So what are some ways you can make progress without wasting time? Today we’re sharing 5 tips to help you boost your B1 level French. If you follow these tips you will be on a good path to becoming an advanced French learner. Let’s go!


1.     Make sure you have mastered French tenses

At a B1 intermediate French level, you want to make sure that you have perfected your grammar skills. This means mastering your French tenses: in particular the conditional, future, imperfect and passé composé tenses.

Most French learners I have worked with struggle immensely with when to use the imperfect or the passé composé. Make sure you know the differences! You simply cannot have an actual conversation with a French person if you are not familiar with these tenses. There are many ways to learn your tenses.

You can use apps, flashcards or work with a language learning friend if you have one. Make sure you also learn when and how to use the adverbial pronouns ‘y’ and ‘en’. They are useful for slipping into various phrases.


2.     Expand your French vocabulary

At a B1 level you will want to begin moving away from simplistic sentence structures to more complex structures. This means you need to learn new words, phrases and even popular French expressions and idioms. Learning common French expressions, slang words and idioms will help you to sound more fluent.

Focus on learning vocabulary that you will use frequently in conversations. Learn words that you can use to connect phrases and make them sound more advanced. The more you expose yourself to the French language the more vocabulary you will naturally pick up.

You can expand your vocabulary by reading texts in French and listening to it being spoken (which leads me to my next point).

3.     Practicing your listening is essential

I cannot emphasize how important it is to listen to French. You may be good at reading and writing the language but if you cannot understand what is being said this defeats the purpose. You need to be able to understand French aurally to be able to communicate effectively. If you do not live in a French speaking country it will be difficult to actually listen to it being spoken daily.

 However, thanks to technology there are many tools you can use to practice listening. You can watch movies, Netflix, listen to music, podcasts and YouTube videos all in French. Just make sure you choose something suitable for your level.

4.   Speak, Speak, Speak !

 This might be the hardest part! Many people are afraid when it comes to speaking French. There is the fear of making mistakes and freezing when not knowing what to say. This is actually all part of the process.

At B1 level, you want to comfortably be able to tell a story about a specific event in French. For example, a story about when you went traveling. It’s also important to learn how to form questions in French. You will also begin to work on the speed of your speech.

At levels A1 and A2 you can get away with speaking more slowly but at B1 level you want to quicken your pace.

.

5.     Work with a French tutor or language teacher

In my opinion one of the best ways to progress at B1 French level is to work with an experienced tutor or teacher who is familiar with the grading system. If you can work one-on-one with a tutor you will progress much faster than in a classroom setting. They can guide you on your weak points and focus on your speaking and pronunciation skills.

There is no better way to learn French than to actually speak it with someone. A tutor can correct you when you make mistakes (which you can’t do when learning alone). If you are looking to work with a tutor, French à La Carte has many experienced tutors to help you on your French journey.


Learn French with French à La Carte

We offer personalized lessons with highly qualified native French tutors.

We offer

  • Conversational French

  • French for professionals

  • Lessons in the evening & on the week-ends

  • Immersive lessons in Paris

  • Exam preparation ( TCF, DELF, DALF)

 

How to Learn FrenchFlorence Harangintermediate level in French, boost your B1 level in FrenchComment