Your Helen is exactly like me! I wad able to speak French many-many years ago, but totally lost it. I am retired now and want to start speaking it again, as I love it.
These are all great tips. The intermediate plateau is very frustrating. I recommend the InnerFrench podcast. It's entirely in French but focused on French learners. It's motivating to understand 90%+ of a podcast and then review the transcript.
@@ellymeikle5906 No I listen while walking my dog to just the audio. I've occasionally listened and read the transcript when at home for more focused practice, but 99% of the time it's just listening and comprehension practice
Ive found your videos very helpful, particularly the spoken vs written videos, I’ve also found myself practicing sentences in my mind, both whilst I am sitting or when I wake up too early and can’t sleep. Making up my own conversations! I have to think slowly and with your help and practice, I can now identify certain elements of a conversation.
Great video! I'm American, 60’s, and took French from 1st through 12th grades, but of course, that was 50+ years ago. We're planning in retiring and moving to Europe - potentially France - in a couple of years. My wife is German, and speaks it fluently (it was her first language) but no French. I had the 12 years of French but also 4 years (9th through 12th grades) of German. My ears ring, so I generally have on French subtitles for things in French, but I do the same with English subtitles for things in English. NEVER use English subtitles for French (actually annoys me). I can read almost anything and get the gist of it, if not every single word. Speaking, for me, is the hardest because tous les mots sont perdu. Like they escaped somewhere (pas seulement oblier). Sometimes, I feel like I'm decent, and other times, it might as well be Mandarin. I can do ok in sometimes relatively complex conversations, like talking to our flight attendant in French about the engine leak in our number 2 engine. Or understanding the hard to even HEAR announcement that our train is going to be stopped because of damage to the track ahead. Or trying to buy a replacement laptop charger for my Lenovo laptop from an FNAC (entirely in French, and was told my French is very good). Or getting directions underground from Gare de L’Est and Gare du Nord. But then, other times, I can barely even understand the WORDS being said, much less the meaning. Like if I'm watching “The Beau Chateau” channel, and they’re speaking French… I can’t really understand much of what they’re saying. I signed up for Babbel (lifetime) and a year of their “Live” but after probably at least 6 months, I haven’t even had the time - or the energy - to attend a single class. I’m not afraid of making mistakes when speaking; I'm afraid of simply not knowing the WORDS I'm trying to say. Like trying to ask over the phone if they'll replace my watch battery, but having to look up (via Google Translate) how to say “watch battery” before the conversation even starts. Ok if a phone call, but when it is more spontaneous, it becomes problematic. Oh, and I never understood why a lawyer is an avocado. 😂
I am an English blokle who moved to France 12 years ago and still my French is terrible but I have the goal of becoming a French citizen. This is my eventual destination but my first main stop is to have a conversation.
Thankyou so much Geraldine. I am going through such a French learning Journey right now, and im supposed to be Half french myself. I find that i cram alot of French learning from a multitude of sources......for like a few days, then i just STOP .....because its too much, too big, so much to take in and learn. Dont get me wrong, im absolutely loving this language......but i get to a point over and over again where i just think, shit.......i will never master this language ao i stop for a week or so. I so appreciate your perspective on this subject and i look forward to applying your principles
I’m an advocate for not studying conjugation. Children don’t need to study tabular conjugation to acquire their first language, their brains figure it out with guidance from more proficient speakers. Strive for absorption of language, not rote repetition.
There are intuition, 1st language style to learn languages and logic, explicit school style. Implicit, intuition style, however, the explicit style can, if done right, explain the mass of conversations & writings, but NOT substitute for everyday language.
I show you how to improve your French fluency every Saturday. Subscribe here: www.commeunefrancaise.com/youtube-welcome
Your Helen is exactly like me! I wad able to speak French many-many years ago, but totally lost it. I am retired now and want to start speaking it again, as I love it.
As an older person struggling to learn French I really appreciated this video. 🙏 thank you so much.
These are all great tips. The intermediate plateau is very frustrating. I recommend the InnerFrench podcast. It's entirely in French but focused on French learners. It's motivating to understand 90%+ of a podcast and then review the transcript.
Do you listen to InnerFrench podcasts with subtitles?
@@ellymeikle5906 No I listen while walking my dog to just the audio. I've occasionally listened and read the transcript when at home for more focused practice, but 99% of the time it's just listening and comprehension practice
@@joebetz6317 Thank you. I used to listen to InnerFrench podcasts with subtitles, then I stopped. I will listen again this time without subtitles.
Ive found your videos very helpful, particularly the spoken vs written videos, I’ve also found myself practicing sentences in my mind, both whilst I am sitting or when I wake up too early and can’t sleep.
Making up my own conversations! I have to think slowly and with your help and practice, I can now identify certain elements of a conversation.
Great video!
I'm American, 60’s, and took French from 1st through 12th grades, but of course, that was 50+ years ago.
We're planning in retiring and moving to Europe - potentially France - in a couple of years. My wife is German, and speaks it fluently (it was her first language) but no French. I had the 12 years of French but also 4 years (9th through 12th grades) of German.
My ears ring, so I generally have on French subtitles for things in French, but I do the same with English subtitles for things in English. NEVER use English subtitles for French (actually annoys me).
I can read almost anything and get the gist of it, if not every single word. Speaking, for me, is the hardest because tous les mots sont perdu. Like they escaped somewhere (pas seulement oblier).
Sometimes, I feel like I'm decent, and other times, it might as well be Mandarin. I can do ok in sometimes relatively complex conversations, like talking to our flight attendant in French about the engine leak in our number 2 engine. Or understanding the hard to even HEAR announcement that our train is going to be stopped because of damage to the track ahead. Or trying to buy a replacement laptop charger for my Lenovo laptop from an FNAC (entirely in French, and was told my French is very good). Or getting directions underground from Gare de L’Est and Gare du Nord.
But then, other times, I can barely even understand the WORDS being said, much less the meaning. Like if I'm watching “The Beau Chateau” channel, and they’re speaking French… I can’t really understand much of what they’re saying.
I signed up for Babbel (lifetime) and a year of their “Live” but after probably at least 6 months, I haven’t even had the time - or the energy - to attend a single class.
I’m not afraid of making mistakes when speaking; I'm afraid of simply not knowing the WORDS I'm trying to say. Like trying to ask over the phone if they'll replace my watch battery, but having to look up (via Google Translate) how to say “watch battery” before the conversation even starts. Ok if a phone call, but when it is more spontaneous, it becomes problematic.
Oh, and I never understood why a lawyer is an avocado. 😂
I am an English blokle who moved to France 12 years ago and still my French is terrible but I have the goal of becoming a French citizen. This is my eventual destination but my first main stop is to have a conversation.
Thankyou so much Geraldine. I am going through such a French learning Journey right now, and im supposed to be Half french myself. I find that i cram alot of French learning from a multitude of sources......for like a few days, then i just STOP .....because its too much, too big, so much to take in and learn. Dont get me wrong, im absolutely loving this language......but i get to a point over and over again where i just think, shit.......i will never master this language ao i stop for a week or so.
I so appreciate your perspective on this subject and i look forward to applying your principles
Thanks ❤
I like studying grammar for my brain and though I don’t do enough on like so I can get coversattional. Liked the fist part of this.
I’m an advocate for not studying conjugation. Children don’t need to study tabular conjugation to acquire their first language, their brains figure it out with guidance from more proficient speakers.
Strive for absorption of language, not rote repetition.
I remember studying conjugation for english in elementary school...
I wonder why was/is that necessary?
Why have english classes at all
There are intuition, 1st language style to learn languages
and logic, explicit school style.
Implicit, intuition style, however,
the explicit style can, if done right,
explain the mass of conversations
& writings, but NOT substitute for
everyday language.
Meri beaucoup...
Bonjour, am Joseph am from kenya. I did french in high school. Unfortunately i cant raise the money to go for college
Ive been practicing for a year now, consistently around 2 hours every single day
And im probably a0 in comprehension
It sucks
The link above for the .pdf of this lesson is for the 13/9/2024 lesson, How She Became Fluent in French.
Merc.