10 Tips to Improve Your Conversational French
Many of my students complain that they can understand and read French but they struggle to speak it. Indeed, language learning often focuses more on aural and written comprehension as well as grammar, but opportunities to put oral skills into practice are more limited. Here are 10 very effective tips to help you practice and improve your conversational French.
1- Grab every opportunity to speak right from the beginning
If you are learning the language in a French-speaking country, seize every opportunity from the start to address natives in French. Whether it is shopkeepers or taxi drivers, every chance you get to express yourself is an opportunity to put into practice what you're learning.
Are your conversations limited? Probably, but everyone starts somewhere. The more you progress, the longer your discussions with others will become. If you are learning the language in a group class, make an effort to speak up in front of the group.
2- Overcome the fear of speaking; no one is judging you
To become comfortable speaking in French, you must first overcome the fear of speaking. Not everyone faces this problem, but some people fear making mistakes, being put in difficult situations if they don't know how to respond to a question, or simply fear looking ridiculous.
Learn to overcome this fear. No one is judging you; people are much more forgiving than you think. You'll feel validated by your efforts. And know that the more you speak, the more confident you'll become. Here are 5 tips to overcome your fear of speaking French.
3- Learn to pronounce correctly
Good pronunciation is essential because it encourages your interlocutors to continue the conversation in French. I regularly hear students complain that when they speak French, their interlocutors respond directly in English, which is upsetting since they are making the effort to speak in French.
It's well known that in France, especially in Paris where a good portion of the population speaks French correctly, people will gladly respond to you in English if they feel your pronunciation isn't clear enough. My advice is as follows:
-Work on your pronunciation from the beginning, whether with a group teacher or online with an app. With the app "How to Pronounce," you can easily check the pronunciation of a word or phrase and memorize it.
- If a French speaker responds to you in English, use this phrase: "Je suis en France pour pratiquer mon Français, est-ce que vous pouvez répondre lentement ?" - I am in France to practise my French. This way, you will show your motivation to continue the conversation in French.
4- Learn spoken French, not just textbook French
Expressing yourself fluently in a language assumes that you can master common expressions used by natives, idiomatic expressions, and perhaps even some slang.
Learning from a textbook is useful, but make sure the dialogues are as natural as possible, not artificial or overly formal. If your level of French is already at an intermediate or advanced level, you can, for example, watch series.
The Lingopie platform offers a wide selection of videos and series with transcriptions. Learn French with FrenchPod101 targets everyday situations and transcribes real French conversations. You can use them in context later.
5- Learn with private French lessons in-person or online
Private French lessons with a teacher are ideal. By speaking with your teacher, you'll quickly gain confidence and fluency. Nothing beats a private French lesson for boosting your confidence and overcoming your fear of speaking. At French à La Carte, our in-person and online teachers prioritize a conversational approach.
5- Use the voice function of Chat GPT
We dedicated a post a few months ago to Chat GPT: our 5 tips for using Chat GPT to learn French. A new feature of Chat GPT, the voice function, is now available on iPads or mobile phones (not on computers), allowing you to chat with AI and practice your conversational French.
You can ask AI questions and engage in almost natural conversation. For this discussion to be effective, you must first specify your level of French: beginner, intermediate, or advanced, and guide the conversation with the AI on topics that interest you. You can also ask for advice or request grammatical, syntactical, or vocabulary corrections.
Even though Chat GPT offers fantastic opportunities to practice your conversational French, it should not replace human interactions. Chat GPT will never replace real teachers!
7- Learn useful grammar if you are A1,A2,A2+ level
If your goal is to improve conversational French and your level is beginner (A1), elementary (A2), or pre-intermediate (A2+), focus on essential grammar from the start, the grammar you will use when speaking.
Learn only the most useful tenses (present, passé composé, imperfect, near future, future simple), syntax (the order of words in a sentence is important), ask questions, use negation, use simple pronouns (qui, que, où), and focus on the most useful verbs.
8 - Find an online language learning partner
Language exchange apps can be incredibly useful. For many people, speaking is the hardest part of learning French, and it is often the area that is neglected the most! Finding a language exchange partner can be a wonderful way to get some speaking practice.
The goal of these apps is that you connect with someone who speaks French fluently, and in return, they connect with someone who is fluent in English (you). You then chat in both languages. HelloTalk and Tandem are both free apps.
9 - Read Aloud
If you are used to reading in French but don’t really pronounce words out loud, or get a chance to speak with others, the exercise of reading aloud can be really useful.
Reading is the best mode to deal with the complexity involved in the language of France. It helps learners to note the composition of sentences and French dialogue. You'll also become familiar with pronunciation.
Obviously, when you read aloud, you're not communicating with anyone, but you’re hearing your voice, different intonations (surprises, questions, etc.). Your brain mobilizes different areas unlike when you simply read silently.
10- Don't Translate into Your Native Language
One of the biggest mistakes we make when we start speaking a language is to first construct our sentences in our own language before translating them into French. This is a mistake for several reasons: firstly, it’s a waste of time; secondly, literal translation doesn't work 100%; and finally, the more you train your brain not to rely on a second language when you speak, the better!
Learn French with French à La Carte
Our tailor-made private French lessons in person or online can be effective to improve effectively your conversational French.
We offer personalized lessons in person in Paris or online with highly qualified native French tutors.
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Lessons in the evening & on the week-ends
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