Are you hesitant to interact in French because you’re afraid of not understanding or not being understood? Does the thought of answering a phone call in French make you anxious? If so, you’re not alone. Many language learners struggle with comprehension issues, but there is a simple solution to overcome them and communicate more confidently.
In this article, I’ll share with you a strategy for overcoming comprehension issues in French, so you can react serenely in any communication situation.
How to overcome “comprehension issues” in French?
The key to overcoming comprehension issues is to brainstorm vocabulary ahead of time. By doing so, you can confidently explain the situation and ask for help when needed. Let’s take a look at some examples.
Situation 1 –
You are talking to someone and the person often repeats the same word that you don’t know.
1- Explain
“désolée, je ne comprends pas le mot «blabla »”
2- Ask for help
« qu’est-ce que ça veut dire ? »
Situation 2 –
You just asked a question but you didn’t understand the answer you were given.
1- Explain
“désolée je n’ai pas compris votre réponse”
2- Ask for help
“vous pouvez répéter s’il vous plait ” ?
Troubleshoot the 5 most frequent comprehension issues!
By troubleshooting the 5 most frequent comprehension issues, you can prepare yourself for any communication situation. Make a list of the 5 most frequent communication situations or issues you’re most afraid of. For each situation, look for the vocabulary you need to clearly explain the problem (step 1) and ask for help (step 2).
Translation tools like Reverso Context, Deepl, and Linguee can be helpful in finding the right vocabulary to overcome comprehension issues.
Conclusion : By expanding your vocabulary and preparing ahead of time, you can face communication situations in French with more serenity.
Share in the comments the phrases you’ve found to be helpful in overcoming these situations.
