Do you want to improve your French?
We give you our 5 tips for learning a language effectively:
1 – Taking lessons with a teacher
Taking courses in French is the most effective way to make progress in French while staying in France. This solution promises rapid and effective progress, and training adapted to your pace, with a qualified teacher who will accompany you throughout your project to achieve your objectives.
With a teacher, you will not be afraid to make mistakes, you will practice communicating both in writing and orally, and the teacher will give you all the tools to succeed!
In order to adapt to everyone’s needs and desires, our Sherwood School training centre offers 1to1 french lesson :
video courses: this is the ideal solution if you wish to take courses from home, without having to travel. You take a video course, generally on Skype or zoom, with a native teacher who teaches you from his or her country of origin. You can take private lessons, group lessons or prepare for an exam, all from your computer!
2 – Immersion abroad
There is nothing more effective than total immersion to learn a language and make rapid progress in French!
If you have the opportunity, we advise you to go abroad for one or more weeks to learn the language of the country. Even if you go for a short time, you will be immersed in the country and will have to practise the language both in lessons and in everyday life.
To enable you to learn a language abroad, Sherwood School has developed language stay!
We take care of everything!
A language stay is an unforgettable experience, rich in encounters and discoveries, and allows you to significantly improve your language level in a short time.
3 – Watching films or series in OV to make progress in French
You’ve probably already heard it, your teachers have told you, watching films or series in the OV is very effective!
The advantage is that you can combine work and pleasure! You’ll be looking forward to seeing the next part of your series or watching a new film, and every day you’ll be working on the language without even realising it!
You can start by leaving the subtitles, then little by little you will get used to putting the subtitles in French, until one day you won’t need them at all! Even if you don’t understand everything, the main thing is to understand the whole context. You will learn more and more vocabulary and expressions as you go along.
If you are afraid of not understanding, don’t hesitate to watch a film or a series you already know, in the original version.
This will allow you to hear the pronunciation of words, discover different accents and get your ear used to it. You will learn more vocabulary, but also expressions used in everyday language and conversations.
4 – Listen to podcasts and videos
Whether you watch videos, listen to podcasts or listen to the radio, anything is good for practising listening to a new language! Set aside time each day to listen to a podcast and work on your listening skills. It’s a great way to practise the language while enjoying yourself and listening to content you like.
There are thousands of podcasts and videos on Youtube that will help you learn a language, for free! You can watch or listen to content about learning the language, or videos in French or any other language on any topic that interests you.
You can easily make this habit part of your daily life and listen to the language you want to learn every day, whether it’s for 5 minutes or over an hour!
Thanks to your smartphone, you can listen to podcasts or videos at any time, wherever you are! Whether it’s in the car or on public transport on your way to work, during your lunch break, while jogging, while doing the housework, … the opportunities are numerous!
Please note: this solution only works if you do it regularly, and if you stay focused on what you are listening to.
5 – Reading books to progress in French
Reading a book in English or another language is an excellent way to practise reading comprehension and to improve your level. It will help you improve your spelling and quickly learn new vocabulary.
Each day you can read a chapter of your favourite book in the language you want to learn, and take the time to understand the sentences and the story you are following. As you read, you can take notes and look up vocabulary words you don’t know.
There are some collections that allow you to choose a book that is suitable for your level, and books that translate certain words into French to help you as you read.
There is no secret to learning a language. You need to be in contact with the language as often as possible: listen to it, speak it and read or write it as soon as you have the opportunity. Practising even 5 minutes every day will make a big difference in the long run!
Persevere, believe in yourself and you will achieve your goal!
Having trouble staying motivated? Check out our article on 6 tips to stay motivated to learn a language!
