When you’re learning French, you probably have plenty of ideas about what you should be doing.
Maybe you tell yourself you should study every day. Maybe you decide that your holidays are the perfect time to work on your French. Or maybe, because you live in France, you try to use every conversation as an opportunity to practice.
All of these French learning strategies sound like a good idea.
And they might be… but sometimes, what sounds like a good strategy isn’t necessarily the most helpful thing for you right now.
Here are three things I often hear from French learners that I don’t usually recommend.
1-I’m going to study French for an hour every day.
It sounds like a good idea…but… the problem is that the goal is often too ambitious.
Almost everyone I’ve heard make this promise to themselves has ended up feeling frustrated a few days later. And when your goal isn’t realistic, it’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking, “I’m failing. I’m not doing enough.”
Those emotions aren’t particularly helpful when you’re learning a language.
So rather than asking yourself what you think you should be doing, I’d suggest asking yourself: What feels realistic for you right now?
Think about both the frequency and the duration of your sessions. Take into account your lifestyle, your level of energy and everything else that is already part of your life.
Choose a routine you can actually stick to.
And start small. If you realize that you have the time and energy to do more, you can always add more sessions later.
The aim isn’t to create the perfect French-learning routine. It’s to find something that feels possible for you and that you can maintain over time.
2-I want to read more in French, so I’ll read a novel.
It sounds like a good idea… but reading a novel in French is much harder than many people expect.
If it’s your first book, there’s a good chance you’ll spend more time looking up words than actually enjoying the story. And that first experience can be discouraging enough to make you give up reading in French altogether.
So why not start with something else?
⬜Graphic novels can be a fantastic option. Books written specifically for French learners are great too.
⬜You can also choose an illustrated book or a non-fiction book about a topic you already enjoy: travel, cooking, sport, psychology…
⬜These types of books can be much more accessible than a novel, especially when you’re getting started with reading in French.
So next time you go to your local library or bookshop, take a few minutes to look around. Have a look at the different types of books available.
You might be surprised by how much choice there is, and by how many books you can actually enjoy reading in French.
I’ve written more about how to enjoy reading in French and why graphic novels can be a great way into French reading.
3-I’ll use every conversation to practice my French.
It sounds like a good idea… but a spontaneous interaction isn’t meant to be a French lesson.
It’s an opportunity to connect with someone, solve a problem, order a coffee, chat with a neighbor or simply enjoy the human exchange.
If your main goal is to practice, your attention can shift away from the conversation itself. Instead of listening to the other person, you start listening to yourself.
You notice the verb you got wrong.
You wonder whether you should correct yourself.
You start thinking about the French rather than about the person you’re talking to.
And there’s another thing to consider. When you position yourself as someone who is there to practice their French, you also position yourself as a learner.
For some people, this can mean that the other person starts taking on the role of teacher. They correct you, finish your sentences or explain how to say something in French.
Of course, they usually mean well. But if you’re someone who is sensitive to being corrected, constantly being put in the position of the person who needs correcting can have an impact on your confidence.
So what would I suggest instead? Create dedicated spaces for practice.
During those practice sessions, you can slow down, make mistakes, repeat sentences and focus on improving one specific point.
And then, when you’re speaking with your neighbor, your colleague or a friend, you can give yourself permission to simply communicate.
Separating the two can make both much more enjoyable.
Conclusion…!
There isn’t necessarily one right way to learn French.
The three French learning strategies above aren’t bad ideas. They might actually work very well for you.
The question is simply whether they are helpful for you, right now.
It’s about finding an approach that puts a little less pressure on you and gives you a little more space to actually enjoy learning and using the language.
If you feel that discovering a different way to work through your French challenges is something you’d like to explore, I’d love to support you.
You can book a free discovery call here.
