When you start to learning a new language, it can be very stressful and learning French is no exception! You probably feel like you are so far from learning French fluently, but let me tell you… I have felt like this so many times and it’s something a lot of people feel. When you’re struggling with something in chapter 3 of a 25 chapter French 1 book, it’s easy to throw your hands up and quit. Don’t let it get to you, everyone feels like this about something or another.

That’s why I’ve decided to share some tips I’ve found useful in learning French. These tips aren't just for learning French, either. These are useful tips for learning just about any language!

One of the best ways I’ve found in learning French is to watch the news in French. You’re not going to understand much of what they’re saying, but there are a lot of French words that sound similar and mean the same as English words that you may recognize. The news also has a lot of pictures and videos up in the corners to kind of guide you. Also, there are many commercials between segments on news shows which also allow those learning French to see visual aids while listening for new vocabulary words and learning sentences structure. Commercials are another way to learn more about French culture.

There are also many French television shows which are helpful in learning French. It's ais a great way for learners to learn conversational French which is very helpful for communicating with French people. I suggest learning vocabulary from the news first as those learning French won't be able to understand very much just from a sitcom and may find themselves totally lost and not having fun!

Another great thing to use is a colloquial dictionary. You’ll want to be careful so that you’re not saying something offensive, but this is a great way to get interested in a language and learn how to really communicate! It’s the difference of saying “Hey, do you have the time,” instead of “Excuse me, good sir, can you direct me as to the time,” to a teenager. There is this great book called Hide This French Book (Berlitz Hide This Book) that I recommend for learning French colloquialisms. The book has really interesting (and dirty) words to learn and makes it fun with some weird facts about France. If you, for some reason, have no interest in learning the French language but still have the daunting task ahead of you, I suggest starting out with this book. It’ll definitely spark some interest.

With learning any language, you will learn a lot of new vocabulary words. There are two awesome ways to learn new words. The first way is to write them on index cards. You can always buy index cards with words already written on them, but it’s just not the same as writing them for yourself. It’s kind of like writing definitions to words in middle school, you really learn a lot from the old do-it-yourself, even if you don’t necessarily want to do it. Also when you read the words, say them out loud. The other great way to remember vocabulary words is to force yourself to say these words when you’re out an about and see objects. For example, when you see a car say “voiture.” This is really great when you’re grocery shopping as well. People may think you’re crazy, but you’re on a mission, right?

If you’re just not in the mood to learn French, then don’t do it. There are two really good reasons for this: You won’t learn anything. If you’re not interested in what you’re leaning it’ll just be a pain and a waste of time. Also if you force it then, you’ll be less likely to want to continue learning it in the future. If you find yourself not interested at all in learning the French language, you might want to identify why and try to find a way to solve the problem. Basically, you’ll want to find a way to make you interested in the language. Immerse yourself in French culture and see if that helps!

Get a workbook! Like I said, it’s easier to learn a language when you’re forced to write it down. If you an your spouse both need a workbook, don’t share it, because one of you won’t be able to write in it, and instead, will see the other spouse’s answers already written. Just get two books if there are two of you. It doesn’t cost that much more and the value of learning the language outweighs the cost anyway. I personally recommend French Now! A Level One Worktext because of it’s approach. It’s also one of those books that are fun to complete.

I’m always open to more tips, if you guys have some really good ideas, leave a comment or some fan mail and I will be sure to add them!