How to Boost Your French Learning in One Month ?
By Nicole Baptista
Do you need to learn French quickly? Of course it is not possible to become fluent in a new language in 30 days, but it is certainly possible to boost your progress in this amount of time with the right techniques. This is what today’s post is about. Maybe you are going on a trip to France, or maybe you have a job interview in French and need to learn as much as you can in a short space of time. There are so many language learning tools available nowadays that it is hard to know what works best. Sometimes it is a case of trial and error but sometimes you just need some expert advice!
Today we’re sharing 5 excellent tips to help you boost your French learning in the space of a month (for A1-A2-B1 levels)
1. Work out what level you are at in French and if necessary do a test
First things first: you need to know what level you are at in French. Usually French is graded from levels A1- C2 according to the CEFR scale. You don’t want to study content that is too easy for you, but you also don’t want to be learning content that is too difficult. If you want to find out what level you are at, you can do a test online- here is one that we recommend. Remember that at French à La Carte you can have lessons suited exactly to whatever level you are at.
2. Boost your French comprehension skills
Aural comprehension is one of the most important skills when learning French (and sadly a lot of French courses don’t focus enough on it!). Remember that to be able to have a conversation in French you have to understand it first. This is why it is essential to listen to as much French as you can. There are various ways to do this.
You can watch French series on Netflix and you can also watch French channels on YouTube. Reading the subtitles will help you to match the written French with the spoken French.
Podcasts are also great because they tend to be slower and easier to understand. There are podcasts for different levels so aim to find one where you can understand at least 70% of the French. Here is a good list to get you started. Slow down the audio if you can and really focus on every word.
3. Learn ‘Real French’
By real French we mean the French that is spoken on a daily basis (not old school French). Many French textbooks also focus on French that is way too formal and when learners actually speak with a native they are shocked because they can’t understand a word!
Learning real French means learning some French slang, filler words and even expressions as they are frequently used by natives. Try to listen to how natives speak; so again by watching YouTube channels and watching movies/series. You will slowly begin to pick up common phrases and expressions.
If you have a solid B1 level, we recommend checking out the French à La Carte blog as we sometimes have posts on expressions and vocabulary used in popular French series such as ‘Call My Agent’ and ‘Emily In Paris.’
4. Make the most of every moment to practice speaking French
The point of learning a language is to eventually be able to speak it, so you need to speak in French as much as you possibly can! Make use of every spare minute you have during the day. You can speak to yourself in French and try thinking in French. Why not label things you see in the house or what you can see outside in French?
An even more effective way is to download a language app where you can actually speak to other people in French. Tandem and HelloTalk are two fabulous options for this. Of course, the best method would be to work with an experienced French tutor. They can guide you on your weak points and correct you when you make mistakes.
5. Prioritize what is relevant and useful for your own learning journey
There are so many grammar rules and vocabulary to learn in French. Of course you won’t learn it all in a month- but you can prioritize what you do need to learn for your main objectives. For example, maybe you don’t need to learn the names of all the animals in the zoo or names of sports in French, but maybe vocabulary about directions and getting around is useful. So focus on that!
When it comes to tenses, learn the ones you will be using the most: the present, the passé compose, imperfect, futur proche and futur simple. There are apps which are great for conjugating and you may create verb tables if they help you to remember the different endings. The same goes for verbs: learn the ones that are most commonly used (aller, être, vouloir etc..).
It is also essential to learn pronouns, prepositions, adverbs and adjectives because these are what help to both construct and make links in sentences. You want to be able to communicate as precisely and as fluently as you can so that you can be understood!
As always, bonne chance!