How to Learn French On Your Own?

How Can I Learn French by Myself? (In Just a Few Months)

Here are the tips of an experienced online French tutor to help you learn and practice the French language.

1. Join a French Conversation Group

An excellent way to put into practice and memorize the French language that you are learning is to join a conversation group in Paris.

Not only will your French improve significantly, but you’ll probably meet some interesting French speakers along the way. you get an opportunity to have one-to-one conversations with French speakers.

Get to meet the locals, become more fluent in French and make friends in Paris. A novel way to learn and connect with people! Here is a list of French conversation groups in Paris for your consideration. This activity can be combined with a more formal French language training.

2. Learn a New Vocabulary Word Every Day

French is an extremely rich language when it comes to vocabulary.

Beginner French learners may focus on the words (nouns, sentence connectors, verbs, prepositions, etc.) that they use in daily conversations in their native language. Then, you can start learning them!

For more intermediate and advanced French learners, it would be beneficial to find out more alternative expressions and synonyms.

Reading in French can greatly increase the learners’ exposure to new and thematic vocabulary. Newpaper and magazine articles can help you diversify your word choice. You could read one short article per week and make notes of the words that you see often or that you might like to employ in concrete sentences.

3. Master the Rules of French Grammar

French is a difficult language when it comes to grammar. There are almost twenty tenses, three types of verb conjugations without counting the irregular verbs and feminine and masculine forms to take into consideration.

You may try to learn a new conjugation or tense every month, practicing it as much as possible. This practice will help you retain the information without feeling overwhelmed.

To better understand the language rules, you may also watch some videos on the youtube channels dedicated to French grammar such as “Learn French with Vincent” or “Learn French with Alexa”, for instance.

4. Listen to One Hour of French Audio Every Week

You don’t have to go to France to listen to French, but you need to listen to the language regularly to have a better grasp of it.

At first, it is normal to have difficulties to follow a dialogue between native speakers. French learners sometimes become stuck on words or expressions that are unfamiliar and miss the rest of the conversation.

Therefore, beginning French learners should focus on training their ears to become accustomed to the language.

For all learners, we recommend one hour of active, focused French listening. Here is a list of podcasts that will help you strenghten your comprehension skills.

5. Learn About a New French Artist Each Week

Paris is still a hot spot for writers, poets, painters and other types of artists. The rest of the Francophone world has contributed greatly to the arts.

To take your French to the next level, you should learn about French singers, writers, poets and painters all the time in order to increase your exposure to the French language’s artistic heritage. Every week, choose new artists that interest you. Visit a museum if possible, explore their works and read a biography of their life history.

6. Get Your Daily News in French

Your French expression skills will better serve you if you can support your opinion using source material.

You may follow a quality French newspaper and read it every day. In my French lessons in Paris, I often incorporate extracts of recent news articles to discuss current event with my students and to help them expand their vocabulary.

In addition, many online videos provide easy access to French news and allow you to rewind and review information as needed. Websites such as RFI and TV5monde broadcast the news, along with quizzes to assess your understanding. Write down notes while you watch the news reports, and pay attention to how people are using their vocabulary naturally.