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Best ways to learn french

What are the best ways to learn french for AS focusing on learning vocab, speaking and essay writing.
Reply 1
Practicing on an internet websites with native speakers.
Original post by Vanny17
Practicing on an internet websites with native speakers.


Je parlez a petit peut en francais, etoi? Lol
I was **** at french tbh
Reply 3
Original post by cbreef
Je parlez a petit peut en francais, etoi? Lol
I was **** at french tbh

Lol, you tried, don't beat yourself up. Oui, Je étudié le français à l'école. Stopped at GCSE level though. What about you?
Original post by Vanny17
Lol, you tried, don't beat yourself up. Oui, Je étudié le français à l'école. Stopped at GCSE level though. What about you?


The same,
Reply 5
Original post by cbreef
The same,


At least we are both conversant in it! :smile:
Original post by Vanny17
At least we are both conversant in it! :smile:


I can understand basics which would really help me if I wanted to properly learn it and use it.
Reply 7
Original post by cbreef
I can understand basics which would really help me if I wanted to properly learn it and use it.


Which is what languages are all about tbh. Me too, I can decipher what native speakers are saying when they speak French, although not when they are speaking fast lol.
Original post by Vanny17
Which is what languages are all about tbh. Me too, I can decipher what native speakers are saying when they speak French, although not when they are speaking fast lol.


I havent done it in 3 years, for now im ok but i reckon it could be very useful if i learned it fully one day. Perhaps in the military
Original post by Callanbrz
What are the best ways to learn french for AS focusing on learning vocab, speaking and essay writing.


Speaking as a teacher, the best way to learn for AS French is by consolidating the foundation - i.e. the grammar. I know that it seems that work on speaking and essay writing (like learning useful phrases by heart) will be more effective in the short term but, believe me, working on the structures behind these will give long-term results. My students really like this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/French-Grammar-Essential-Sixth-Beyond/dp/095706120X which gets results.

For learning vocab, there are various strategies:

- topic-based: make lists of vocab according to their specificity; group vocab together is smaller related groups. For example, if you're studying the topic of health, you can make various sub-groups: healthy food; unhealthy food; exercise; science (eg nutrition) etc. Just organising the vocab helps you learn it! Then you can try using words from each group in sentences.

- families: when you learn a word, learn other derived words. For example, if you take the word "conduire", go to a dictionary and get the other words that relate to it: le conducteur/la conductrice; la conduite. Again, just doing that basic research will help fix the vocab in your mind but you will also find that your range of vocab suddenly expands massively with very little effort.

- then there's the classic "Write, Look, Cover, Repeat" method. The physical act of writing down words helps you memorise them. Take a piece of paper, draw a vertical line down the middle and write the English word on the left and the French equivalent on the right. Memorise the list, then cover the French side and tick off all the ones you remember. Then repeat until you know them all. It is important to do this several times with each list so that the vocab goes into your long-term memory.

Hope this helps - bon courage!
Original post by Callanbrz
What are the best ways to learn french for AS focusing on learning vocab, speaking and essay writing.

As above, but I couldn't personally be bothered to do any of that. I found what helped me was speaking to French people or other A-level students on here in French; they always corrected me (as I'm about to do below) and I learned French expressions etc from them. Practice is the key to improving, and working on your weak parts also. Don't worry too much about grammar, especially in the oral exam as speaking confidently is much more important than speaking in perfect French.

Original post by Vanny17
Lol, you tried, don't beat yourself up. Oui, Je étudié le français à l'école. Stopped at GCSE level though. What about you?

You mean J'ai étudié, but J'étudais would be more accurate.
Original post by rileystringer1
As above, but I couldn't personally be bothered to do any of that. I found what helped me was speaking to French people or other A-level students on here in French; they always corrected me (as I'm about to do below) and I learned French expressions etc from them. Practice is the key to improving, and working on your weak parts also. Don't worry too much about grammar, especially in the oral exam as speaking confidently is much more important than speaking in perfect French.


You mean J'ai étudié, but J'étudais would be more accurate.


No, you are wrong as well. It's j'étudiais not J'étudais
Original post by cbreef
I havent done it in 3 years, for now im ok but i reckon it could be very useful if i learned it fully one day. Perhaps in the military


I have not spoken it properly since 4 years now I think. So my french is a bit rusty. Yes, learning languages are always useful, it might come in handy. Of course, it would be vital in the military I assume.
Read French books or watch French TV shows. Try to implement the language in your daily life where you can.
As a French, I would recommend to watch some of the movies and music my country produces. If you want, I can give you a list of interesting films and albums (not the ones of poor quality) that may help you with both vocabulary and expression (maybe accent, I do not know). Trying to understand what the actors and artists say is a huge boost in one's oral comprehension.
Also, practicing with a native speaker (or at least someone good enough to fake it) is the absolute best way to learn how to actually talk.
You could also try to read some easy French novels...

In fact, trying to do a couple of (if not many) things in French, like turning a video game Language settings in French for instance, is helpful. And rewarding!
Original post by Callanbrz
What are the best ways to learn french for AS focusing on learning vocab, speaking and essay writing.


www.quizlet.com or memrise.com :wink:
Search vocab and stuff, if you pm me after you've set up an account I can lead you to all the AS French study Vocabulary sets I've been learning (on quizlet rn).
These also include key speaking phrases, essay phrases and general good stuff to use.
Soon I'll be making a load of grammar ones as well.
These really help me learn stuff and get me A grades in AS at the moment :smile: !
:biggrin:
Original post by Vanny17
No, you are wrong as well. It's j'étudiais not J'étudais

Missed the i, thanks for that

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