I started as a pure beginner in French when I was 20 years old during my second year at the University of Oregon. All I hoped for was to do the bare minimum, survive through this Bachelor of Arts language requirement, and possibly erase the curious Spanish-ish accent that invaded my mouth and chased every word that came out of my mouth.
Fast-forward 10 years, and I’ve earned a bachelor’s degree in French, lived in France for a total of 2 years between sAtudying and working, worked that ill-placed Spanish-ish accent out of my system, and signed on to being a life-long student of this wonderful and exciting language. Never in my life would 20-year-old me have anticipated developing such a cherished bond with the French language, people, and culture. La vie est pleine de surprises ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Reflecting on my journey of learning French, I think I’ve come away with some bits of advice, insights, and thoughts that are relatable, and I hope worth sharing as you move along through your own French-language journey. So, for 10 years of learning French, here are 10 pieces of advice and insights that I hope you can connect to and find helpful.
Where it all began for me in Angers, France
1) Be an active participant in your classes and use this time to practice your speaking ability, regardless of your level! I wish I took this advice from day one myself. You have multiple opportunities a week to engage with a native or advanced-level French speaker (a hard thing to come by outside the university setting in the US), so take advantage of this valuable resource!
2) On the subject of resources, jump on attending office hours to clarify tough points on what you’re learning, or to simply take advantage of speaking with an advanced or native French speaker. Engaging with them one-on-one in person/over Zoom can be an invaluable resource to overcome sticking points in your knowledge of French since you can get personalized attention to your questions without feeling rushed. Plus, it’s really motivating to add a new competency to your list!
3) There are many false peaks in learning a language; once you think you’ve reached the summit of what there is to know about French, you will see that there is much more to climb. Don't be discouraged by this. Rather, be open to being a life-long learner. Progress is really quick in the beginning and feeling like you're stalling once you're at an intermediate level is normal! Be patient with yourself as you keep working on those skills.
5) Try not to rely too heavily on Word Reference, Google Translate, Deepl, or whatever you use to check if you're using words right while you’re speaking with people. This is not to say that these tools are not useful or important to reference. Rather, it’s to underscore how it is invaluable to stay present in your conversations, develop your ear, and learn to trust it when reproducing what you’re hearing. Practice inferring meaning from context, and if you need to, check on what confused you at the end of the day. Also, vocabulary misuse will happen on the road to fluency. It’s a part of the process, and your classmates, teachers, and native speakers will recognize that 9 times out of 10!
6) That being said, when you really don't understand what someone is saying and aren’t following the conversation, let them know! It's better to let someone know you need them to slow down, use more simple speech, or explain a different way than to nod along with a dear-the-headlights look and pretend you know what's being said. I’ve tried to pretend with native speakers, and I’ve been consistently encouraged to simply speak up and let them know that I’m not following or confused.
Help them help you when you need it so you can both carry on with the conversation and enjoy it!
7) We are our own biggest critics — be easy on yourself when you're not as fluent as you'd like to be or think you should be. I promise you, people are infinitely more understanding, patient, and kind with us than we often are with ourselves. Remember, the French grow up learning English or another second language from middle school through high school. Also, people in other francophone-speaking countries are often multi-lingual too. So, they really do understand the challenges of speaking in a language that isn’t your own and will be genuinely appreciative (and often times impressed) that you are making the effort to communicate in their language.
8) When feeling overwhelmed or freezing while speaking, don't forget to slow down, simplify, smile, and speak up.
9) I am a huge proponent of immersion experiences in French through living in a francophone speaking country. However, it may be that living in another country holds little interest for you, or does not align with your life's schedule, or is a desired experience but is currently out of reach for whatever reason. There are other ways to find and take advantage of the benefits of immersion without leaving your community or straining yourself financially. Take advantage of online tutoring to connect with native French speakers, see if there is a local Alliance Française branch in your area to become involved in, indulge in French media, movies, tv shows, podcasts, etc. It takes a bit of searching, but there are avenues close to home to connect you to the French language, as well as francophone cultures and people!
10) Speaking a language is not like riding a bicycle. Without regular practice, you will get rusty and forget many things that you've learned. Regular practice doesn't necessarily mean long, grueling study sessions! Short and consistent beats long and infrequent practice (remember, sustained immersion is the key). Create a plan, set small achievable goals, and make it happen!
Bonus!
11) Learning a language takes bravery, humility, a sense of humor, and tenacity. It requires us to be vulnerable, to put ourselves out there, and express ourselves to the level we are capable of. Be proud of your effort, and be willing to laugh at our inevitable little moments of clumsiness along the way.
12) It's a lot of work, and it so fun and rewarding! You're learning how to connect with more people — how freaking cool is that?! It's easy to overlook what you can do now with ease but felt totally lost on a few weeks ago or a whole a year ago. So pat yourself on the back regularly for reaching new milestones, and take time every here and there to reflect on your growth because it is incredibly encouraging.
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