Anyone that speaks English as their mother tongue should consider learning French if they are thinking about acquiring a second language. To begin with, the two languages have much in common. For instance, many words in French and English are spelled the same and have the same meaning. This gives the English speaker an immediate advantage when learning French. It will also help you improve your understanding of English.
French is spoken throughout the world and on most continents. It is considered as one of the official world languages and many organizations, like the UN recognize this fact. Thus fluency in French can enrich your personal life and even stand you in good stead for career opportunities. So if you are decided that French is the language for you then you probably want to learn it as fast as possible. Being able to speak to people is the best part of learning a new language so it's easy to understand why people want to be conversant as quickly as possible.
Communicating with other people can serve to motivate the student and improve their learning. The other things, like learning vocabulary or how to form verb endings, are pretty monotonous but important nonetheless. So what is the best way to learn French so that the tedious stuff is minimal and the good stuff is accented ? This article will deal with the best way to learn French.
The general consensus is that the best way to learn conversational French is to do an immersion course. Learning French in a country where it is spoken natively is the principle behind immersion learning. So many people immediately think about learn French in France but you could also consider doing it in Canada (Quebec), Belgium, Switzerland or any other country where it is recognized as the first language.
However, going to a foreign land just to take a language course is not a practical option for many people. To start, you need plenty of free time to do something like this. Many people might do something like this in a gap year in between school and college. Thus you have to be free of responsibility, so many people may contemplate this option as part of annual leave or in between jobs. It can also be quite expensive, given the cost of the course, accommodation and traveling expenses.
But the benefits are certainly there. Two main reasons spring to mind why immersion learning is a good method. The first is that you have to talk French. No one will be speaking your language so you have to speak theirs. You lose the habit of thinking in English that is hard to lose if you are still living in your native country. You stop being worried about sounding silly or even being initially misunderstood. All the seemingly trivial obstacles to speaking fall away when you live in the country and have to speak French.
The other reason is that the hard work you do to learn a second language has a point. You can actually use what you have been learning. This acts as further motivation to continue learning the language, even the tedious stuff like grammar. So interacting with real people in real situations like in a restaurant will keep you going. And all the real smells, sounds and sights make your classroom learning come to life and help you understand more. Speaking to real people will also give you more confidence too.
Learning through an immersion course is the best way to learn French but it takes commitment. It will add up in terms of price and free time. This may simply not be an option for many people that have commitments in their own country. Therefore many people are attracted to other methods like night classes or even home study courses. In fact, some people even prefer to take a home study course as a primer before they undertake an immersion type course.
There are many self study courses available for French, Rocket French software gives you an in depth review of this popular course. It covers the Rocket French mp3 component and with Michel Thomas vs Rocket French compares it to another popular course.
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