moggers

hi everyone, i really need some help with learning french!
im finding it difficult to communicate!

Scots in Treignac

A lot of people like Michel Thomas (tapes and discs)- I found it a bit contrary to what I had been taught at school, but he does have a good system.

My wife has taken the OU Intermediate course. It is quite a lot of work and it's not cheap, but it has given her confidence a boost. Listening and talking is much easier for her. Another plus is the topics about French life and society. Many of the topics on forums like this one are covered.

moggers

thank you very much, i'll look into it!

cmread

I'm a bit shy when I speak French, so I find it difficult to talk to people, even though my French isn't that bad.

One way around that is to interact with people online. There are forums for all manner of interests. You have time, then, to read whatever is said and to formulate a response. After not all that long a time, your use of the language becomes more automatic, and your confidence grows as a result of that. In some forums people work together on projects, so there is quite a bit of interaction. I contribute recipes (in French) to a particular forum every once in a while.

Another way, is to play video games in French. I have my Wii set to French, for instance. It's a good way of picking up terms you might otherwise think to look up.

You can play online games with others in French, as well. I play an MMORPG in French and it has really made me work hard on improving my skills. It's great because we only type to each other, so my mistakes are chalked up to typing errors.

There are also on-tutors who use Skype.

Reading also helps. Read something every day in French. A newspaper article, a bit of a book, a web site, whatever : as long as it is in French.

If you have a smartphone, get a dictionary app or two. I find them to be invaluable for quickly looking up a word. They are much better than hauling around a paper dictionary. If you have an iPhone, the French Gender app is an excellent one for teaching gender.

You might also consider BDs (bande dessinées), that is to say, graphic novels. You can get them everywhere in France and if you are having trouble following the language, the pictures can help you to see the meaning. There's also plenty of manga translated into French.

Speaking of Japanese things, there's loads of animé with French subtitles. These provide an excellent way of improving reading speed because, unless you speak Japanese, you will have to read and read quickly, to understand the story.

If you like sport, join a club, because it's a great way to meet people and improve your French. I was, until I injured my back, a member of a martial arts club.

smithyandlisa

Hi Moggers,

I don't know how old you are, but if you are of working age, sign on at your local Pôle emploi. You're in no danger of them finding you a job, we've been signed on for 4 years!! Wo did not want, neither can we get any benefits, but what we did want was French classes.

We were each awarded 240 hours of free French lessons. They were fantastic. Back at school with my rucksack, 3 mornings a week, books on the desk, priceless.

We have lived here 4 years now and both have a high standard of French, but the classes we received really were invaluable, and we met some great people. We were the only Brits, so it was very interesting.

Regarding your other post about integrating, we volunteered to work in the community. As the OP said, it's always much appreciated, and that's really how we met all our social circle.

We have only met one English couple in the 4 years we have been here, so we certainly had to work hard to make a life for ourselves. You really have to be prepared to work hard, and leave your embarrassment indoors. The French really don't care how many mistakes you make, only that you try.

Be assured that nothing and nobody is going to come and knock on your door. Put yourself out there and you will be amply rewarded.

Good luck!

moggers

thankyou smithyandlisa, my partner and i are 35 & 30. we'll definately sign on with the pole emploi. what do you need to take with you to sign on? thanks

smithyandlisa

Hi Moggers,

It's been such a long time I can't remember, but for sure you'll need your passport and the obligatory EDF bill. If I were in your situation I would also take a very large dictionary. We always took it with us in the early days, and it got us out of many a hole.

Sorry just edited this. You'll probably just go and make an appointment in the first instance, so the first time will not be so tough!

Let me know if you get the lessons!

jonkemp

I have bought many books on 'Teaching Yourself French' but have come to the conclusion, it is no use just buying them, you have to read the damn things!

moggers

lol

punktlich2

Indeed. My grad school mentor at the Belgian uni where I was studying railed against students who photocopy with abandon, never read the stuff, and presume that they know the content just by having copied it.

If you qualify, grad school is really cheap. I paid fees of £100 a year; only the last year, the defence of my thèse, was more expensive at around £1000. In fact they spent more than that flying the outside member of my jury in from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. There were, for those who needed it, courses in French.

How successful, and how fast you will be in learning depends on reasoning ability (tested by the MLAT) and on your memory for words and patterns. Since linguists don't respect the memory part (not intellectual enough) they don't actually test for it, and it makes the MLAT only partly valid. If you want to get really discouraged, read this NY Times article about teen-age polyglots: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/11/ny...ellowship.html

MillieF

You could twinned with my family! Michel Thomas might not be for all, but he really helped my comprehension. I did the OU Intermediate and loved it, it was hard work but working to a deadline gave me the push that I needed and stopped that normal, slump comfortably on the sofa with language course and a glass of wine Bermuda Triangle!