| There are two wonderful moments in the | | | | of je partirai. |
| process of learning French. The first is when you | | | | The four most important verbs in French are: |
| spontaneously understand when you are being | | | | être, avoir, aller and faire. They come up in |
| spoken to. It's the wow moment when you | | | | every conversation. Make you sure you know |
| suddenly realize you didn't have to translate or | | | | them really well. |
| strain to understand. Everything was crystal clear. | | | | Don't worry about your accent |
| The second wonderful moment is the reverse of | | | | If you are learning French as an adult, you'll just |
| the first. It's when you open your mouth and out | | | | have to accept the fact that you will probably |
| comes effortlessly a well-formed phrase that is | | | | have a tell-tale accent in French for the rest of |
| totally understood by the person you're talking to. | | | | your life. You can work on it, but it won't go |
| It could be just ordering something in a | | | | away totally. Actually, it's not such a bad thing. If |
| restaurant, buying tickets for a show or asking | | | | your grammar and vocabulary are impeccable, |
| for directions. You see that the other person | | | | people will be really impressed. I guarantee you |
| understands you totally and responds immediately. | | | | that people will congratulate you on your French. |
| No puzzled look on their face as they try to | | | | Immerse yourself |
| figure out what you are saying. No asking you to | | | | If you want to speak French fluently, at some |
| repeat what you just said. | | | | point you have to spend some time in a |
| Unfortunately, it's not always like that. A lot | | | | French-speaking area. This may be France, |
| people learning French get discouraged by the | | | | Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and certain parts of |
| complexity of the language. They hit a wall and | | | | Canada. There's nothing like seeing and hearing the |
| give up. At best they end up in what I call the | | | | language around you. The language comes alive. |
| intermediate rut. It doesn't have to be that way. | | | | Things you have only seen in books all of a |
| French is not an easy language. But no language is | | | | sudden become real. So, plan a trip to a |
| easy. Every language has its challenges. | | | | French-speaking destination. |
| Something that a lot of teachers don't emphasize | | | | In the meantime, there is much you can do to |
| enough is that once you get over the | | | | add some French to your life. The Internet is a |
| intermediate wall, French is actually not that | | | | fabulous gold mine of resources. I highly |
| difficult. It becomes easier and even fun. | | | | recommend you join a French-language meetup |
| How do you get there? How do you get over the | | | | group on the Internet. They get together |
| wall? How do you go from being at an eternal | | | | regularly to practice speaking. On the Internet you |
| intermediate level to real fluency where you feel | | | | can also find language-exchange sites where you |
| comfortable speaking French? Here is what I call a | | | | can practice with other learners. |
| road map to true speaking fluency: | | | | Another excellent idea is to rent DVDs with |
| Maintain a positive attitude | | | | French subtitles or sound tracks. You can switch |
| Make no bones about it; French grammar is | | | | between languages and repeat passages until you |
| complicated, especially when compared to English. | | | | understand everything. |
| It's easy to get discouraged and give up. Keep | | | | Probably the best form of immersion is to actually |
| your eye on the prize. Perhaps you are learning | | | | work in the language. This, of course, is not easily |
| French just for the pleasure of culture and travel | | | | done if you don't speak the language really well. |
| or meeting people. Or maybe it's for professional | | | | Consider volunteering in a French-language |
| purposes. In this case, keep in mind that true | | | | environment. |
| fluency in French is so rare that it becomes a | | | | Always carry a notebook |
| valuable career-enhancing skill. | | | | You should always have a little notebook with you |
| Whatever the case, fluency in French will open up | | | | in which you can write down things you see or |
| a vast world of culture and knowledge. Some | | | | hear. You can also make a note of phrases or |
| people even believe that learning a foreign | | | | idioms that you want to remember or work on. |
| language is an excellent way to exercise the brain | | | | Make a habit of using something every day |
| and slow the onset of dementia. Who knows? In | | | | You've heard the expression "Use it or lose it". |
| the meantime, there is no doubt that speaking | | | | That's true, but there's another variation "Use it |
| French fluently can only enhance your quality of | | | | to learn it". There's a rule of thumb that says that |
| life. No one ever regrets being multilingual. | | | | if you want to learn a word or phrase, you have |
| Master the basics | | | | to use it at least three times. Every day make a |
| French grammar is very complicated, The verbs | | | | point of learning something new. This is where the |
| are a nightmare. There is something called the | | | | notebook is handy. Look up a word in the |
| subjunctive mood that few people ever | | | | dictionary. Choose an idiom that you like. Or |
| understand. Or the passé simple that is used in | | | | maybe you heard a neat turn-of-phrase that you |
| writing but never in speaking. And every rule has | | | | would like to make your own. Whatever you do, |
| a ton of exceptions that you have to learn by | | | | make the point of using that element at least |
| heart. | | | | three times that day. |
| This is true, but there's a secret I tell my | | | | Listen actively and imitate |
| students: you don't have to know it all before you | | | | One of the best ways of attaining fluency is to |
| can speak. There is a core set of basic elements | | | | imitate speakers that you respect. Listen carefully |
| that you have to know really well. The others | | | | to how they speak. See how they put words |
| you can work on as the need arises. | | | | together to build sentences. Pay special attention |
| Verbs are a major area of complication. Again, | | | | to how sentences are connected together in |
| you have to really master the basics. Don't try to | | | | order to keep everything flowing. See how they |
| memorize all those verb conjugation tables. Only | | | | use idioms and play with language. If you hear |
| certain tenses are really important. For example, | | | | something you like, write it down and put it into |
| you can avoid the future tense most of the time | | | | your language notebook later. |
| by using the verb aller as in je vais partir instead | | | | |