“I feel like I speak like a textbook,” surely a phrase we’ve all uttered to ourselves. We've probably also sheepishly said this to friends and family who compliment our progress, or to a classmate who understands how deeply real the struggle is trying to sound authentically French.
Getting a grasp on phonetic functions such as liaisons, glidings, elisions is no walk in the park. Plus, there are other factors to tackle such as intonation, cadence, silent letters, colloquial words and expressions, slang...the list seems to go on and on.
Does this make for quite the to-do list if we want to speak how the French do in real life? Yes. But is it a realistic goal? Sure is! While conversing with a native French speaker is one of the best ways to improve your spoken French, this isn’t an option most of us have — especially after we wrap up our studies and no longer have our French professors.
Thankfully though, with the right resources and a commitment to practicing, we can get many of the benefits of speaking with a native French speaker without needing to know one.
So, then, what are the “right” resources?
I don’t claim to know all of the options available out there; after five years of digging through the internet though, I’ve found several particular learning resources that I would recommend to anyone who wants to sound more authentic and speak more fluently.
French Today
Photo Credit: Camille Chevalier-Karfis of French Today
French Today is, as far as I’m concerned, a godsend. Heck, I was practicing with it for an hour this morning before writing this post. Hands down, Camille Chevalier-Karfis, the creator, has put together the most useful learning method I have ever come across. What’s more, it’s suited for complete beginners all the way up to advanced learners. There is truly something of value for everyone.
What makes the French Today method so good is that it’s an audiobook method that focuses on teaching French how it’s actually spoken today in France. I can confirm that this isn’t just advertising trickery; I hear words and phrases used in her audiobooks all the time in France and during conversations with my French friends. When I try new vocabulary that I’ve learned from the audiobooks, I don’t receive quizzical looks like I said something overly formal or completely outdated.
The audiobooks center the dialogue around a fictional protagonist, Mary, who lives in Paris with her friends. The series follows her life, starting in college and progressing into her late twenties/early thirties. New vocabulary and grammar concepts are thematically presented as you progress through the series. What’s so useful is that the dialogues cover relatable real-life scenarios, such as: renting an apartment, expressing surprise and emotions, going to the hairdresser and discussing looks, and much, much more — not to mention loads of small talk along the way. It is material that is actually useful in the real world. Each audiobook contains about 10 hours of audio recorded at different speeds (enunciated and modern), which includes the dialogues plus a review of each chapter’s vocabulary, grammar and phonetic concepts, and exercises for practicing.
Personally, I really appreciate how well Camille explains French grammar and phonetic concepts. She has a way of unpacking even the most difficult and confusing concepts in human (and English) terms, clarifying everything from the intricacies of the subjunctive tense to why le ne expletif is even a thing, and just about everything else that you would want or need to know.
So, there are two ways you can take advantage of all the great material available from French Today.
First, there is a section on the website titled “Free Lessons” which is chock-full of articles on the following topics: How to learn french; French vocabulary; French grammar; French pronunciation; French verb conjugation; French stories; French food & wine; French culture; and French poetry. There is a wealth of information to be found on the website, all for free, and new articles are regularly posted.
Second, there are the French audiobooks. There are eight audiobooks in total and are bought in pairs for around $80 (list price is $99 but they are frequently on sale). The first pair is a beginner level, followed by intermediate, upper-intermediate, and advanced. In addition to the main series, Camille has developed other audiobooks, including French Verb Drills to practice verb conjugation and pronunciation, as well as subject-specific audiobooks, focusing on material such as pronunciation or asking questions.
Frankly, even though I’ve been learning and speaking French for 9 years now, I still find useful information, vocabulary, and grammar explanations from the 2nd audiobook on up. Do yourself a favor and go check out the awesome work being done over at French Today.
Website: https://www.frenchtoday.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frenchtoday/
Honorable Mentions!
Nathalie FLE
Similar to French Today, Nathalie FLE focuses on teaching French as it is actually spoken in France. I find her work to be incredibly helpful. Her material differs from French Today in that it is targeted specifically for intermediate-level/low-advanced French speakers, all of her lessons/blog content/videos/etc are solely in French, and she does not center her instruction around an audiobook method.
Photo Credit: Nathalie FLE
Fantastic for building colloquial vocabulary, identifying common speaking errors and how to avoid them, learning proper pronunciation, and improving grammar, I highly recommend the material on her website to anyone who identifies their level of French as intermediate or above. Her youtube channel is really well done as well, so be sure to head on over to it and explore her work!
Website: https://nathaliefle.com/
CLE International: Progressive (Textbook Series)
I know, I know, the suggestion of a textbook is far from exciting. In fact, you may have already used this textbook in class (I came across it at the Beaver Store after all). But, when I found the Vocabulaire Progressif du Français A2/B1 and B2/C1.1 textbooks, I swooped them real quick. If a limited vocabulary is one of your weak points in spoken or written French, then these books are a worthy addition to your collection.
What I love about these textbooks, particularly those on vocabulary, is that they are full of useful vocabulary and expressions that are thematically organized. Also, the book is full of little illustrations that accompany much of the vocabulary presented.
This is very helpful for creating a visual connection between word and object/action. Since everything is written in French, the illustrations help bypass the sluggish and ill-advised learning method of translating from New French Word —> English meaning/translation —> French meaning, and instead, encouraging us to learn following the preferable method of New French Word —> French meaning.
I’ve asked some of my French friends if they think the vocabulary presented is useful, and they were surprised at how quality the material was. Personally, I’ll take that confirmation and run with it.
Website: https://www.cle-international.com/recherche/collection/progressive-604 (some but not all books can be found on Amazon as well)
There you have it, my suggested (and favorite) resources for improving your spoken French after OSU or right now!
What do you use to improve your French? We would love to hear what has worked for you, so please share in the comments below!
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