subject: Tips For Learning To Speak French [print this page] Textbooks aren't the only way of learning a language. The important thing to remember is that one way is not better than the rest. You need to approach the learning experience with an open mind and access your learning strengths and weaknesses. Some people are aural learners. You may comprehend visual lessons more faster. You may be one of the people that enjoys group learning in the classroom as opposed to tapes and books. Identifying your learning style and then using that knowledge to approach your language study is the fastest and easiest way to learn a new language. Here are some hints to help you if you aren't sure where to start your language learning process.
Try to get some help from anyone who is fluent in French and willing to do it. It is a good idea to have someone who intuitively understands the language to help you with your pronunciation and usage. If you do this, you'll find yourself much more comfortable and less concerned about making the mistakes you're sure to make. It'll be a lot more fun with this friend helping you along the way. Your friend will probably understand you and your learning style and will know what the best way for you to approach your new language will be. He (or she) can tailor your lessons to your learning style to help you learn more quickly and completely. Getting a tutor can also help. A good tutor can allow you to make much faster progress. Tutors know how to teach French the way you would learn it in a classroom without your having to actually attend classes. Getting a tutor may be the best solution for you if you have found it hard to make progress studying on your own and yet don't feel comfortable signing up for a class. If you plan to travel to a place where French is spoken, a tutor can help you acquire the conversational ability and knowledge of grammar that can be very useful!
If you really want to learn a new language, learn to think in it. When you find yourself thinking something, do a translation in your head into French. Eventually you will become accustomed to thinking in French. If you are able to think in French you will have a much easier time communicating in it. What this does is get you speaking the new language internally, which makes it much more natural when you speak out loud. When starting out, it can be confusing when choosing to method to use to learn French with because of the various methods available. Try a few types of methods until you find what works the best. Never Quit! You can do it!
