61 and I've been at French for 2 years .... I love how challenging it is, and the progress I've already experienced, but you're right that this negative voice we all have in our heads can really get in our own way!
Merci pour cette vidéo bien que je n'ai pas un grand âge, elle me rend très reconnaissant que j'apprends cette langue dans ma jeunesse. Tout le monde, ne soyez pas découragé si vous vous trompez ou si vous êtes trop 'vieux'. Vous n'avez qu'une vie alors profitez-en et chassez tes rêves! Dans cette langue plein d'exceptions et de mots compliqués, soyez résilient jusqu'au bout!!
Thank you Alex for all you do! I totally agree with you. Take any chance to speak French that you can and any interaction (no matter how choppy) as a win. I gained confidence in my French when I traveled to French Polynesia, Corsica, Antibe, and amazingly Barcelona (all separate trips). In French Polynesia, I spoke with a lovely older lady who runs a shop in Raiatea who insisted we speak in French once she found out I had some understanding. In Corsica in a small village called Piana, I surprised a restaurant owner when I ordered in French. When in Antibe, my husband ran out of cigarettes when we were visiting so I had to find a place that sold cigarettes. My husband doesn't speak French so it was up to me to get the directions to a Tabac or some other place that sells cigarettes. In Barcelona, we went to restaurant where the server refused to speak English but it so happened that she spoke French. This instance is crazy because at some point in the evening, I could have sworn that she switched to English and I couldn't understand why my husband wasn't joining in on the conversation. After we left, I asked him and he said, "You're kidding me, right? There was no English being spoken. You and the server were speaking French the entire time." I was floored and that gave me an extra boost in confidence. Granted, the Sangrias may have helped...but only because it allowed me to just go with the flow rather than overthink it. While you may not speak perfectly, getting your meaning across is a big win and should be celebrated. Husband and I are visiting Paris at the end of August and I can't wait!! Paris has been a dream of mine since 1992 and now it's happening!
Wowwwww, you totally didn't realise you were speaking French that whole time? That's incredible. I don't have a story like that. That comes from a lot of immersion and when you're present, you're really present and not in your head. Well done and thanks for sharing! What's your name?
@@FrenchinPlainSight That's the crazy thing, I haven't had a whole lot of French immersion. I studied French from Jr. High all the way through High School but that's about it. So apparently the cerebral groove in my brain for French is pretty deep. LOL! I was one of the only classmates in my French class that actually started dreaming in French. My name is Chris. Again, thank you for your videos! I greatly appreciate what you're doing.
Unsolicited grammar point alert: 'Advice' is uncountable in English, as in Your advice applies to every learning challenge. The best advice I've ever received was about the importance of washing behind my ears. God bless. Hail Mary! Kumbaya.
Alex merci beaucoup. If I could like this video a million times, I would. You have described me in so many ways its uncanny. I'll follow your advice. You know I should write this comment in french, however, im scared.
I'm 62 and been at it for 9 months. My Nth star is simple, it's for brain health and fun. IMHO The worst Nth star is to become fluent...too much pressure. Thanks Alex
Merci, Alex. C'est un sujet qui reste toujours très important et actuel, que ce soit dans l'apprentissage d'une langue étrangère ou dans n'importe quel autre domaine. Ce que nous recherchons constamment en tant que grands singes, c'est la relation avec les autres. Nous voulons être aimés, estimés. Nous devons partager nos capacités avec les autres, sinon tout cela n'a aucun sens. Je pense que chacun doit se poser la question suivante : mon apprentissage du français contribue-t-il à trouver l'amitié, l'amour ? Est-ce que le français m'aide le plus dans ma quête du bien-être ? Je suis sûr que tout le monde aspire au bonheur. Le français est un chemin parmi des milliards de chemins qui peuvent nous aider à trouver la chance dans la vie. Si cela en vaut la peine, personne ne le sait… ;) Cordialement, Michel
Tout à fait d'accord avec toi Michel. C'est clair que tu réfléchis aux sujets importants de la vie, pour que tu ne perdes pas ton temps à faire ce qui ne t'apporte rien. C'est justement ce que j'essaie de faire aussi et je m'améliore un peu chaque jour à cet égard. Parfois, il est facile de se perdre dans les questionnements inutiles. Alors ces discussions-là nous rappelle de relativiser et se remettre sur le bon chemin vers la paix intérieure. Bonne journée à toi.
@@FrenchinPlainSight Merci, Alex, pour ta réponse ! Je ne pense pas que questionner les choses soit inutile ou une perte de temps. On questionne trop peu, et c’est une des causes des plus grands maux dans notre monde humain. Ton entreprise rend des gens heureux, et la plupart n’a pas besoin de se poser des questions existentielles… C’est bien ainsi. :) Cordialement, Michel
I started learning French in 1965. Never tried to speak it until 2012. Living retired in France since 2017. Now find I can follow most of conversations in group, but often the big picture eludes me. Seems strange but often details get repeated but the subject or context of the conversation is often not repeated, I look for opportunities for one on one conversations. It is difficult to get conversations at my level though. But 1: 1 I can ask for clarifications. Luckily I live in an environment where all my daily contacts are in French. But there are not as many as I would like. Pronounciation is a problem. People are always helpful, but I am aware how apparently minor pronounciation errors can make my French un-understandable. I see the equivalent in my wife's English. Now to go read the newspaper.....
Hi there. Groups are far harder to engage with than 1:1. So, don't feel too discouraged by that. Seek out 1:1 opportunities or groups which are designed for learners. That way, people don't talk over each other too much, and it's a French you can follow. Did you consider my program, the CFSC that I mention in the video? If you meet the requirements for the minimum level, it could be the perfect fit to give you the opportunities to speak that you're lacking. Working on pronunciation is something that can you can do whenever you're practising speaking. It just takes dedication and a willingness to repeat repeat repeat. Of course it's only a significant problem when it causes people to not understand you. If they do, then working on it further is just for your own personal reasons. Here's the link to the CFSC if you want to check it out. Enrollments are ongoing until 21st August: learn.frenchinplainsight.com/progress? Enjoy the newspaper!
@@FrenchinPlainSight Just found your amazing channel. I feel inspired to restart improving my french. I m a millenial born in the 80s so maybe it snot too late. Thank you!
@@purplebutterfly4078 I have so many students who are 60+. You're born in the 80s like me so you've got decades to keep improving. There are ups and downs. They are NECESSARY. You just need to focus on the things that bring results. Good luck! It's also the last day to enroll for the CFSC to transform your French in 12 months. learn.frenchinplainsight.com/progress?
Thanks Alex for this video. My why has been clear for a long time … to speak French to colleagues at work in our regular monthly meeting .. challenge for me is I have not quite got there yet … not taken the plunge! I have a tutor and will ask her how my French sounds - I liked that idea. I think it will give me the confidence to be brave even if I don’t have all the vocabulary. Another colleague kindly offered to help me with my French but I have done nothing with the offer so my action will be to ask if I can put in a regular call with her maybe starting at 15 minutes just to get going. What do you think?
Hey Alex. I love your YT and your IG. I’m almost to A22, according to Duolingo, so I am not ready for your program yet. Why am I learning? I am learning in hopes of retiring somewhere in France. English is rampant in France, but I don’t want that crutch, especially when visiting smaller towns. I also take weekly, in person classes at a local French school.
Hey Christopher. Lean in to that "I don't want that crutch" angle. It'll form an extremely powerful "why". It's personal and hits you on an emotional level. Use that for when the days get tough. Between A2 and B1 it gets a bit steeper. Keep enjoying it and don't forget to listen a lot to native French to prep your ears. :)
Coucou Alex. J’espère que tu es en forme ❤. Merci du fond du cœur. Ces ‘pep talk’ tombent bien car même si je parle français assez bien, j’ai bloqué de temps en temps. Peut-être tu connais la méthode Coue (Émile Coue). Du coup j’ai des mantrastius les jours. Tous les jours, à point de vue, je vais mieux en mieux. J’aime aussi ‘J’accepte de faire des erreurs en français. C’est normal’ Merci pour tous. ❤. Bon courage
Salut Kerry. En fait, je ne connais pas la méthode Coue. Fondée sur l'hypnose, c'est ça ? Intéressant ! Est-ce que tu trouves que tu dois toujours "travailler", c'est-à-dire, faire un effort pour apprendre de cette manière ? On peut croire que l'hypnose est comme de la magie vu que notre esprit conscient n'est pas responsable du travail. Qu'est-ce que tu en penses ?
@@FrenchinPlainSight Coucou Alex, je te propose que tu cherches sur Google Émile Coue. Il était un psychiatre mais bref il a sorti cettte citation La pensée positives attire le positif. Du coup quand j’ai manqué la motivation (c’est normal pour les apprenants de français), je me conseille que j’ai confiance en moi et je m’améliore tous les jours pour me booster. Try it ! La pensée positive c’est la clé perso.
@@FrenchinPlainSight Par contre Alex, si l’hypnotisme était efficace pour arriver à parler français, je suis partante alors mais malheureusement c’est plus facile à dire qu’à faire. Bref on continue et prend le plaisir. Je crois que c’est le meilleur moyen pour apprendre n’importe quelle chose soit une langue étrangère soit un instrument ou un sport.
Peut-être est-ce vrai pour vous, mais grâce à Internet, il est tout à fait réalisable d'acquérir des compétences linguistiques à domicile à partir de votre ordinateur. Il y a une grande diversité de ressources disponibles, telles que les vidéos d'Alex, pour ne citer qu'une seule ressource. J'habite en Angleterre et j'ai acquis une grande quantité de connaissances sans bouger de mon fauteuil ! Une bonne astuce est d’écrire de petits commentaires comme celui-ci ,en français. Un simple geste comme celui-ci peut avoir un effet cumulatif et je pense que c'est une excellente manière de perfectionner son français.
I agree and disagree with Elly. If you live in France, you have a lot more opportunities. The results depend on the learner's attitude/personality. There are so many people in France who don't improve. It's not because of lack of opportunities. It's because they don't take them. It might sound cold, but it's true. If our French husband or wife isn't a good resource, we must go elsewhere. The ideal is if French just happens as part of our day, but in reality, we have to find the discipline to build French into our life, and in the beginning that takes a lot of effort.
A little yea... but then again, there's joy in overcoming challenges. If they taight it "right" in school, it wouldn't be something to overcome... Yep, I'm choosing to see it like that because the other option is not an option for me :p
61 and I've been at French for 2 years .... I love how challenging it is, and the progress I've already experienced, but you're right that this negative voice we all have in our heads can really get in our own way!
Keep going Brent! Embrace that love for the challenge, recognise your progress, and don't give in to the negative voice.
@@FrenchinPlainSight Thanks .... love the contribution that you make. Must feel great. Keep it up please.
Merci pour cette vidéo bien que je n'ai pas un grand âge, elle me rend très reconnaissant que j'apprends cette langue dans ma jeunesse. Tout le monde, ne soyez pas découragé si vous vous trompez ou si vous êtes trop 'vieux'. Vous n'avez qu'une vie alors profitez-en et chassez tes rêves! Dans cette langue plein d'exceptions et de mots compliqués, soyez résilient jusqu'au bout!!
J'adore le message inspirant dans ton commentaire. Merci. Il faut qu'on se soutienne quand le français ne se passe pas bien.
Thank you Alex for all you do! I totally agree with you. Take any chance to speak French that you can and any interaction (no matter how choppy) as a win. I gained confidence in my French when I traveled to French Polynesia, Corsica, Antibe, and amazingly Barcelona (all separate trips). In French Polynesia, I spoke with a lovely older lady who runs a shop in Raiatea who insisted we speak in French once she found out I had some understanding. In Corsica in a small village called Piana, I surprised a restaurant owner when I ordered in French. When in Antibe, my husband ran out of cigarettes when we were visiting so I had to find a place that sold cigarettes. My husband doesn't speak French so it was up to me to get the directions to a Tabac or some other place that sells cigarettes. In Barcelona, we went to restaurant where the server refused to speak English but it so happened that she spoke French. This instance is crazy because at some point in the evening, I could have sworn that she switched to English and I couldn't understand why my husband wasn't joining in on the conversation. After we left, I asked him and he said, "You're kidding me, right? There was no English being spoken. You and the server were speaking French the entire time." I was floored and that gave me an extra boost in confidence. Granted, the Sangrias may have helped...but only because it allowed me to just go with the flow rather than overthink it. While you may not speak perfectly, getting your meaning across is a big win and should be celebrated.
Husband and I are visiting Paris at the end of August and I can't wait!! Paris has been a dream of mine since 1992 and now it's happening!
Wowwwww, you totally didn't realise you were speaking French that whole time? That's incredible. I don't have a story like that. That comes from a lot of immersion and when you're present, you're really present and not in your head.
Well done and thanks for sharing! What's your name?
@@FrenchinPlainSight That's the crazy thing, I haven't had a whole lot of French immersion. I studied French from Jr. High all the way through High School but that's about it. So apparently the cerebral groove in my brain for French is pretty deep. LOL! I was one of the only classmates in my French class that actually started dreaming in French. My name is Chris. Again, thank you for your videos! I greatly appreciate what you're doing.
Your advices absolutely apply to every learning challenge. Mine, is not just to improve my french, but my guitar playing. Thank you.
I became a reasonably competent flute player after 8 years, practice 4 nights per week.
Rock on!
Unsolicited grammar point alert: 'Advice' is uncountable in English, as in Your advice applies to every learning challenge. The best advice I've ever received was about the importance of washing behind my ears.
God bless. Hail Mary! Kumbaya.
Alex merci beaucoup.
If I could like this video a million times, I would.
You have described me in so many ways its uncanny.
I'll follow your advice.
You know I should write this comment in french, however, im scared.
“Set a rock solid way”, where,who , what, etc., ça m’aide. Merci beaucoup ❤
Plus c'est spécifique plus c'est puissant :)
I'm 62 and been at it for 9 months. My Nth star is simple, it's for brain health and fun. IMHO The worst Nth star is to become fluent...too much pressure. Thanks Alex
Jamais oublie pas, tu dois toujours t'amuser aussi!
Jamais jamais ! On l'oublie trop souvent.
Merci, Alex.
C'est un sujet qui reste toujours très important et actuel, que ce soit dans l'apprentissage d'une langue étrangère ou dans n'importe quel autre domaine.
Ce que nous recherchons constamment en tant que grands singes, c'est la relation avec les autres.
Nous voulons être aimés, estimés. Nous devons partager nos capacités avec les autres, sinon tout cela n'a aucun sens.
Je pense que chacun doit se poser la question suivante : mon apprentissage du français contribue-t-il à trouver l'amitié, l'amour ?
Est-ce que le français m'aide le plus dans ma quête du bien-être ?
Je suis sûr que tout le monde aspire au bonheur.
Le français est un chemin parmi des milliards de chemins qui peuvent nous aider à trouver la chance dans la vie.
Si cela en vaut la peine, personne ne le sait… ;)
Cordialement,
Michel
Tout à fait d'accord avec toi Michel. C'est clair que tu réfléchis aux sujets importants de la vie, pour que tu ne perdes pas ton temps à faire ce qui ne t'apporte rien. C'est justement ce que j'essaie de faire aussi et je m'améliore un peu chaque jour à cet égard.
Parfois, il est facile de se perdre dans les questionnements inutiles. Alors ces discussions-là nous rappelle de relativiser et se remettre sur le bon chemin vers la paix intérieure.
Bonne journée à toi.
@@FrenchinPlainSight
Merci, Alex,
pour ta réponse !
Je ne pense pas que questionner les choses soit inutile ou une perte de temps.
On questionne trop peu, et c’est une des causes des plus grands maux dans notre monde humain.
Ton entreprise rend des gens heureux, et la plupart n’a pas besoin de se poser des questions existentielles…
C’est bien ainsi. :)
Cordialement,
Michel
I started learning French in 1965. Never tried to speak it until 2012. Living retired in France since 2017.
Now find I can follow most of conversations in group, but often the big picture eludes me. Seems strange but often details get repeated but the subject or context of the conversation is often not repeated,
I look for opportunities for one on one conversations. It is difficult to get conversations at my level though. But 1: 1 I can ask for clarifications.
Luckily I live in an environment where all my daily contacts are in French. But there are not as many as I would like. Pronounciation is a problem. People are always helpful, but I am aware how apparently minor pronounciation errors can make my French un-understandable. I see the equivalent in my wife's English.
Now to go read the newspaper.....
Hi there.
Groups are far harder to engage with than 1:1. So, don't feel too discouraged by that. Seek out 1:1 opportunities or groups which are designed for learners. That way, people don't talk over each other too much, and it's a French you can follow.
Did you consider my program, the CFSC that I mention in the video? If you meet the requirements for the minimum level, it could be the perfect fit to give you the opportunities to speak that you're lacking. Working on pronunciation is something that can you can do whenever you're practising speaking. It just takes dedication and a willingness to repeat repeat repeat. Of course it's only a significant problem when it causes people to not understand you. If they do, then working on it further is just for your own personal reasons.
Here's the link to the CFSC if you want to check it out. Enrollments are ongoing until 21st August: learn.frenchinplainsight.com/progress?
Enjoy the newspaper!
Alex, tu es une vraie source d'inspiration et si gentil. 🙂
Le français est un véritable périple ! On doit se soutenir, Heather :)
@@FrenchinPlainSight Just found your amazing channel. I feel inspired to restart improving my french. I m a millenial born in the 80s so maybe it snot too late. Thank you!
@@purplebutterfly4078 I have so many students who are 60+. You're born in the 80s like me so you've got decades to keep improving. There are ups and downs. They are NECESSARY. You just need to focus on the things that bring results.
Good luck!
It's also the last day to enroll for the CFSC to transform your French in 12 months. learn.frenchinplainsight.com/progress?
@@FrenchinPlainSight wow thank you for the kind reply Alex...if I can help you learn german in exchange that d be a deal lol...if you re interested...
Tant que vous êtes en vie, il est toujours temps de parler français. La vie est courte, j'apprécie le processus.
Totalement !
Thank you very Much.
Thanks Alex for this video. My why has been clear for a long time … to speak French to colleagues at work in our regular monthly meeting .. challenge for me is I have not quite got there yet … not taken the plunge! I have a tutor and will ask her how my French sounds - I liked that idea. I think it will give me the confidence to be brave even if I don’t have all the vocabulary. Another colleague kindly offered to help me with my French but I have done nothing with the offer so my action will be to ask if I can put in a regular call with her maybe starting at 15 minutes just to get going. What do you think?
Hey Alex. I love your YT and your IG. I’m almost to A22, according to Duolingo, so I am not ready for your program yet. Why am I learning? I am learning in hopes of retiring somewhere in France. English is rampant in France, but I don’t want that crutch, especially when visiting smaller towns. I also take weekly, in person classes at a local French school.
Hey Christopher. Lean in to that "I don't want that crutch" angle. It'll form an extremely powerful "why". It's personal and hits you on an emotional level. Use that for when the days get tough. Between A2 and B1 it gets a bit steeper. Keep enjoying it and don't forget to listen a lot to native French to prep your ears. :)
Plus ... English is not rampant in France!
Coucou Alex. J’espère que tu es en forme ❤. Merci du fond du cœur. Ces ‘pep talk’ tombent bien car même si je parle français assez bien, j’ai bloqué de temps en temps. Peut-être tu connais la méthode Coue (Émile Coue). Du coup j’ai des mantrastius les jours. Tous les jours, à point de vue, je vais mieux en mieux.
J’aime aussi ‘J’accepte de faire des erreurs en français. C’est normal’
Merci pour tous. ❤. Bon courage
Salut Kerry. En fait, je ne connais pas la méthode Coue. Fondée sur l'hypnose, c'est ça ? Intéressant ! Est-ce que tu trouves que tu dois toujours "travailler", c'est-à-dire, faire un effort pour apprendre de cette manière ? On peut croire que l'hypnose est comme de la magie vu que notre esprit conscient n'est pas responsable du travail. Qu'est-ce que tu en penses ?
@@FrenchinPlainSight Coucou Alex, je te propose que tu cherches sur Google
Émile Coue. Il était un psychiatre mais bref il a sorti cettte citation
La pensée positives attire le positif.
Du coup quand j’ai manqué la motivation (c’est normal pour les apprenants de français), je me conseille que j’ai confiance en moi et je m’améliore tous les jours pour me booster.
Try it !
La pensée positive c’est la clé perso.
@@FrenchinPlainSight Par contre Alex, si l’hypnotisme était efficace pour arriver à parler français, je suis partante alors mais malheureusement c’est plus facile à dire qu’à faire.
Bref on continue et prend le plaisir. Je crois que c’est le meilleur moyen pour apprendre n’importe quelle chose soit une langue étrangère soit un instrument ou un sport.
The best way to speak french fluently is to live in France.
I live in Morocco. There's lots of French used here. My wife is a francophone.
Can't say any of it has helped me.
@@Kitiwake really? At least you have a chance to speak French everyday with your wife.
Peut-être est-ce vrai pour vous, mais grâce à Internet, il est tout à fait réalisable d'acquérir des compétences linguistiques à domicile à partir de votre ordinateur. Il y a une grande diversité de ressources disponibles, telles que les vidéos d'Alex, pour ne citer qu'une seule ressource. J'habite en Angleterre et j'ai acquis une grande quantité de connaissances sans bouger de mon fauteuil ! Une bonne astuce est d’écrire de petits commentaires comme celui-ci ,en français. Un simple geste comme celui-ci peut avoir un effet cumulatif et je pense que c'est une excellente manière de perfectionner son français.
I agree and disagree with Elly. If you live in France, you have a lot more opportunities. The results depend on the learner's attitude/personality. There are so many people in France who don't improve. It's not because of lack of opportunities. It's because they don't take them. It might sound cold, but it's true.
If our French husband or wife isn't a good resource, we must go elsewhere.
The ideal is if French just happens as part of our day, but in reality, we have to find the discipline to build French into our life, and in the beginning that takes a lot of effort.
Tout à fait d'accord avec l'astuce de Heather. Chaque petit effort en français contribue à un ensemble.
The best way to learn French is to be reborn in a french family 😂💔
@@rami-sep I completely agree with you. 👍👍👍
Ah oui, dans ce cas, tu as remporté le gros lot haha!
Haha. Yea that's the easy way...
There's no fun in that though in the long term :p. Embrace the journey. Life shouldn't be totally comfortable.
@@shweefranglais7900 😅😅😅
@@FrenchinPlainSight i’m trying since 2017 😓😓😓 but not always with the same effort. French is really challenging and illogically complex
Vous avez le prendre petit a petit
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Alex, do you have a halo, or are you a peacock?
I'll let you decide!
Avec cette image derrière toi, tu as ressembles à Jésus! 😅
Juste faire le
Don't you really feel sorry for school kids who take French as a subject?
A little yea... but then again, there's joy in overcoming challenges. If they taight it "right" in school, it wouldn't be something to overcome... Yep, I'm choosing to see it like that because the other option is not an option for me :p
Peu a peu et avant tu sais tu parles francais
Premiere!
Bravo !