My favorite part of planning a trip is learning the language (beyond just "please" and "thank you" -- two words that come in handy no matter where you travel). After deciding to take a trip to France, I had seven months to prepare. Besides a desire to read street signs and restaurant menus, I wanted to communicate with our hosts in Lyon. Attempting to learn their language will help show my respect for them and their culture. I am certainly no expert, but I've learned a lot and wanted to share some tips.
If you are interested in learning a second language, my best tip is to diversify. Not everybody learns the same way, and if you aren't sure what your best learning method is, try a variety. There are books, audio and video resources, and live classroom instruction. Here is my take on the different genres:
Live Classroom Instruction
It would have been great to have had a person to practice with, and make corrections. The challenge with this method is that you can only progress at the same pace as the instructor and other students. And, since my primary learning time was on the train, this was not an option for me.
Books
You cannot avoid books. The reason, especially with French, is that the written word in French is usually far different than what one hears. English gives us a few curveballs, like "through" (phonetically "thru"). But French gives us "croix" (something like "cwah") as just a simple example. There are also the words that sound the same but are spelled differently. For example, moi (me), moins (less), mois (month) - all sound the same. Without the written word, it would be hard to distinguish. Another benefit to books is that they can be used at your own pace.
Recommendations:
Barron's Learn French The Fast and Fun Way
Berlitz French Phrase Book & Dictionary
French For Dummies
Audio
Audio is a necessary supplement to books. Most language books today come with audio CD's or audio content that can be downloaded. Audio resources help one learn to mimic the sounds of the French language, but as importantly it helps with the identification of French words. After all, in order to be a French speaker, one must also be a French listener. The challenge to audio, even after you've found a good product, is that it is a linear tool and cannot easily be used at your own pace.
Recommendations:
My favorite audio resources are both podcasts. They also have advanced subscriber lessons and websites, but I just used the basics which were freely downloadable from iTunes.
Coffee Break French
Beginning with Season 1, this is a good beginner's resource which gets progressively more advanced. It is taught by a Scottish polyglot and was a fun and interesting resource.
Learn French By Daily Podcast
This podcast is taught by a native French speaker named Louis, and is immersive. In other words, Louis explains advanced words by defining them with other French words. He tries to minimize his use of the English language, so you the listener can improve your French. I really enjoy his style, since it primarily consists of reading a short paragraph of the day's news, and then breaking it down for you. This is highly recommended, but is only useful if you already have the basics.
Video
Video resources can combine the best that books and audio have to offer. A quality program can display the written word while a native French speaker pronounces the word. In addition, they will often provide cultural information which helps keep the lessons more interesting when the vocabulary and grammar points become too dry.
Recommendations:
Imagiers (Learn French with Vincent)
Vincent is one of the best. He has a clear speaking voice and helps you learn French with his visual aids plus his audio repetition of the language. There are an abundance of free resources on his website, so it may seem overwhelming. Try it out and find what works best for you.
French In Action
This is one of my favorites -- it is an immersive French language "TV show" from the late 80's. This program consists of 52 free videos that were filmed 25 years ago. If you want to go the full Monty, then there are also accompanying books that are still available on Amazon.com. But for me, this program reminded me of PBS programs from the era. It tells the story of a Parisian girl and her family, and her interaction (and love affair?) with an American boy. It is an immersive program, so it is challenging for beginners. While I miss more than half of what is said, I enjoy watching it since I can understand what is happening just by the video. And besides, the lead actress is sublime.
I am far from fluent in French, but I feel much more confident than I was seven months ago. And learning a foreign language is a great way to exercise the brain and ward off age-related memory problems. Keep those synapses firing, folks! I encourage everyone to take some time to learn another language, even if you are, like myself, no longer a student.
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