June 2012 Culture Lesson: Tips for learning French in France
Think French Grammar Corner is brought to you by Camille Chevalier-Karfis. Camille has
been teaching adults in private and group classes for over 15 years. After years of observing her students struggle with existing teaching methods, Camille developed her own
French method geared towards adult speakers. To complement this unique teaching approach, Camille has written two audio books and has created more than 60 hours of French
audio training material. All of Camille’s audio books, podcasts, audio lessons can be found
on her site www.FrenchToday.com.
Vacationing in France to practice your French
A lot of people want to enjoy a trip to France, with the idea of having a nice vacation AND practicing their French.
Unfortunately, they often come back saying “as soon as I started to speak, the French would answer to me in English”.
Here is my advice on how to pick the right place to practice your French.
1 - Avoid Paris and major cities
It’s the same all over the world I think: people in cities tend to be busy, in a hurry, and they won’t have the time nor
the interest to chatting with you. You will probably not be the first foreigner they see... And even in bars and restaurants, your waiters might get tired of becoming French teacher for desperate tourists - it’s not really part of their job
description...
2 - Avoid major vacation spots
Same reasoning here. Yes, la Provence is lovely. And that is why so many foreigners live there. So make sure your
expectations fit your destination.
3 - Go off peak season
France has many, many coast lines, mountains, lakes... and is therefore a major destination for tourists in the summer. People who don’t like the heat go to Brittany, people who love it go to Provence. And towards the end of the
summer, all the retailers, sea-side cafes and restaurants are extremely tired after a very demanding season: so not
the best time to find people to talk with. On the contrary, try a sea front café in Brittany in the heart of winter: you’ll
be the only customer there, the waiter will be glad to have some company, and the sightseeing in Brittany is even
more beautiful in winter :-)
4 - Go to the countryside or smaller towns
On the contrary, I got many tales of students going off the beaten path, to Corsica for example, or Correze, or taking
a biking tour in the Loire valley and staying in tiny villages, or going to Pays Basque, and meeting local French folks,
intrigued to see a foreigner in these remote parts of the country. In the deep countryside, many French people don’t
speak English and are very happy to encourage the newcomers to communicate with them in French.
5 - Don’t hesitate to say “merci, mais je préfère parler français, s’il vous plaît”
French people think that it is polite to speak a foreigner’s native langue if they can. And also, they want to practice
their English... Most of them don’t realize you actually came to France to practice your French, since a lot of tourists
are relieved when someone speaks English. So say that you prefer speaking in French. Say it politely, with a smile, and
they should get the message.
How to Pick the Very Best Learning Method - and Avoid Scams
Many people who want to learn French turn to a class, a tutor, a self-teaching program or consider going to France for
immersion. It can be a great learning experience or a total waste of time and money. Today, I’ll tell you what I think
of the different learning methods, how to pick the best one for you, and how to avoid scams.
1 - GROUP CLASSES
Pros: Not too expensive.
/ Cons: Not enough personal attention, curriculum not adapted to your real needs.
If you are an advanced student looking for a French conversation class, group classes can be a great option. If you are
“good” with languages, and know how grammar works, you can also do well in a group. Otherwise, in my experience,
group classes are a waste of time and money. Why? they won’t adapt to your needs, and often won’t check whether
you are getting your needs fulfilled or not. Here are some tips on what to look out for: 1.) The number of students.
2.) Teachers. Some unscrupulous schools will hire anyone. Do check the accent of your teacher before signing up for
a class. 3.) The so-called placement test. Who interprets your level? 4.) Group level. If you end up in a group with
various levels, it’s going to be quite impossible to have a coherent group class.
2 - PRIVATE TUTORS, ONE ON ONE CLASSES, PHONE CLASSES
Pros: curriculum totally adapted to your needs and learning abilities
/ Cons: price, danger of bad tutors
As you know, I give French lessons by phone and Skype, so I can tell you from experience. There are a lot of people
out there that claim they can give French lessons, but cannot. You really have to check references and see for yourself
before you commit to a large number of classes. A good tutor should be able to tailor a program specially adapted to
your strengths and weaknesses, and help you make the most of your time with him/her. You’re good with grammar?
Then you can study most of it by yourself, and concentrate on practice and pronunciation during the lessons. You are
too shy to speak? Your tutor has to reinforce natural everyday chats.
.
3- SELF-TEACHING METHODS
Pros: Cost. Convenience. Fun to use.
/ Cons: You will not learn French. No feedback. No grammar.
Who has not seen a box of Rosetta Stone for sale in a mall? While self-instruction methods can be a great complement to a formal instruction, I strongly believe none of them can teach you French by itself. Why? No feedback. How
will you know you pronounce the words correctly? The voice graph? Talk of a scam! They pick up your voice modulation, not your pronunciation... Worse, these methods often lack any solid grammatical structure, and you cannot
master French without it. Other languages? Maybe. But not French. And everything is being “fed” to you: you’ll never
come up with a subject of conversation: and training on this is essential to develop your confidence in the language.
So, again, let me reinforce my message: they make great complements of lessons: I myself have written several
French audio books: you’ll learn new vocabulary, they will reinforce things you’ve learned, they are fun to use.
4 – FRENCH IMMERSION PROGRAMS
Pros: Surrounded by the language and its culture. Many opportunities to speak / Cons: Price. “Fake” immersions.
There are some great immersion programs out there: check out immersion at a teacher’s house: this is the best of
the best, because you are guaranteed to speak a lot of French, and have someone who can explain your mistakes and
correct them. I highly recommend this option, it’s the best and fastest way to learn French. Be careful though: there
are some scams out there, so always check references, ask for a signed agreement stating clearly the conditions of
your stay, pay a deposit but most of the money when you get there and you actually see your quarters and meet the
teacher. If you decide to go to a school, check the age of their students. Being surrounded by teenagers might get a
little dull for a grown-up. Check their reviews, their curriculums, ask if they have an audio lab, what kind of outside
activities they offer... And again, a deposit is fine, but pay most of the money once you’ve actually visited the place,
met the teacher(s) and your host family.
Read more at Camilles, website here:
http://www.frenchtoday.com/blog/how-to-pick-the-very-best-learning-method-and-avoid-scams