Improving Your French Without Lessons
So, I realize that most people who have ever tried to acquire a second language may not believe me, but languages are more similar than they are different. Well think about it, language is just a construct that we, humans, use to communicate. The key word is “humans”. While cultures may be different, the human condition is similar, so we express ourselves in similar ways, it’s just that often the words, grammar rules, phonemes, and syntax are different.
On a big-picture level, the key is to find similar patterns and develop rules based on said observed patterns. I have some tedious but necessary suggestions and some more intuitive tips. Let’s start with the tedious parts.
Memorization is key to acquiring any language and there is no way around that. To speak well you must memorize verb conjugations of the most frequently used tenses, high-frequency vocabulary words with their correct pronunciation, and to a lesser extent the gender of nouns. While gender isn’t necessarily the first battle to tackle, it becomes important as you move on to using pronouns.
Study the sounds of the alphabet for correct pronunciation. The goal isn’t to sound like a native. You won’t. It’s to be understood while speaking.
Once you’ve memorized some of the basics, it’s time to put what you’ve learned into practice. Work on all four language skills which are listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Listen to French songs or watch French newscasts. Read French articles on topics that you’re interested in. Write in French to an online pen pal. Speak in French to an online language exchange via Zoom or WhatsApp.
For the more intuitive tips, see language as a game and don’t take yourself too seriously. You’re not in school so it’s okay to make mistakes. Consider the following.
When you are speaking, if you’re at a loss for a word, guess. About 45% of English words are either similar or the same in French. A key to which words might be exactly the same, remember that very often the bigger the word is, the more likely it is the same in both languages. For example, to improvise is improviser. Incarceration is incarcération. So, when you guess, you have close to a 50% chance of being either correct or close enough to being understood.
Learn with your eyes and observe first. The key to fluency is speaking without translating in one’s head. So when you learn new vocabulary, associate the meaning with a visual. Also when native French speakers are talking, observe the situation as well as listen. Try to associate words or phrases with situations, not English words.
Before one can speak, one must understand. This concept applies whether we are learning our first language or our fifth. Be patient and listen to native speakers first. Stay quiet and listen out for vocabulary you already know. How do they use it with other words? Pay attention to their pronunciation. See if you can catch the words they use that are exactly the same in English. Lastly, try to remember some of what you heard to use later.
Language is a game, play it.