I am a French lady, no more living in Paris but Britany, in love with American English language as you are for French language . I really congratulate you for for your perfect French accent as well as your beautiful accent in English not a NewYorker accent.! Glad to know you love my country. Long live to American and French friendship. For sure mastering a language is a lifetime work. Merry Christmas. Joëlle
Bonjour et merci merci pour votre commentaire. C'est vraiment gentil de votre part :-) Félicitations à vous aussi pour votre anglais parfait ! Et oui, Vive l'amitié franco-americaine ! bisous, Karen
I have really struggled with learning French. I give it a good try, get discouraged, then quit. Try again. Quit again. But your video gave me rejuvenated motivation to keep going. I would LOVE the diagram for pronunciation of un/on/en - I really struggle with that (as I'm guessing most of us do). I thought I could find it easily with a quick google search...mais non.
Bonjour, thank you for this thoughtful note. I feel you, and in fact my journey was similar. I dropped my studies for more than 10 years, basically forgot everything and started over. Then had to start over again to learn "real daily French" after I got my diploma ha! First off, follow @prononciation_avec_christophe on IG. He is a specialist in pronunciation and he's a delight. Next, I will see if I can find the diagram or I'll just make one haha and I'll try to post a video about it soon. I have been so shocked so many times in French to find out that just when I thought I was doing everything right, nope! But that's part of the journey. You can do it et il vaut la peine ! Bonne continuation :-)
In order to learn French, one of the first thing you have to do is: do not try to remember what is feminin and masculin; it does not matter if you have all the gender mixed up, people will understand you even you say "Un fille" instead of "une fille".
Thank you so much for this truly helpful comment! Lots of us French learners get very nervous about not knowing the gender of nouns, but it's true--people will understand and as you practice, you add more and more words that you do know :-)
Wow. I'm hoping to retire in France in about 6 years and have just started looking at learning the language. I took Spanish in high school (and from a horrible teacher so only 2 years). I do want to get a tutor a year or two before my move but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just start paying for one now instead of using apps. Your journey is incredible....but also terrifying!
Bonjour ! How amazing that you want to retire in France. It is a really beautiful and rewarding place to live. If you have the resources, I would absolutely suggest getting a tutor. You might be able to find one online (I found my current amazing advanced teacher on Instagram!) or through a local French language school if you have access to one. Then I would suggest if you can, to spend more extended time in France before your move, and to make sure to include language learning in that time. For years I came to France twice a year and took weeks or months of classes in varying schools and it really did boost my confidence. Now that I live here, I realize what a gift it is to already have had that foundation when arriving. Because when you move to a new country, everything is new. You will feel a bit overwhelmed (in really wonderful ways!) but it's a good idea to be as prepared as you can in any ways that you have a chance to control before you get here. The French love and respect anyone who tries to speak the language. I have a completely different experience even as a foreigner by birth because I have spent so much time learning. They always comment on it and it opens doors everywhere. Plus it makes me feel a part of things in a way that I just couldn't if I didn't know what was going on. Bon courage !! You can do it!!
Hi Karen, I've been teaching French for 27 years in London and now online (I'm a native French speaker from Boulogne) and will share your témoignage on my platforms, it's the kind of success and inspiring story I love to share to encourage other learners! Merci and bravo!!
Oh Karen, life learning for sure, I learned german by reading and then I found a neighbour friend who helped me. Then I taught english and could explain in german and now I teach german to immigrants. It takes so long to get comfy but it does come together eventually. Nice to hear your journey with french 😊
I don't know how your vid popped up but I had to watch it till the end. It must be really lovely for you to live in France and to be able to speak the language that well. I'm fluent in English, but I'm still learning it even if I have been a teacher for 15 years or so. You can never stop learning a language when it is not your mother tongue, the lexicon is just so big. As for French, I spent 4 years learning it at grammar school, but I never really used it. I only remember bits, but still I tried following your French sentences. It was fast and sometimes I had to rewind to get the English translation. :) Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. My life is changing dramatically at the moment, so I may brush up my French knowledge to divert my thoughts and to boost my self-esteem. I don't know if you can recommend some apps or webpages where I can start French mainly from the basics. As a mom of four I can't go to school now or have private lessons but I would appreciate any help very much. Thanks from Hungary. :)
Hi! Yes working on another language can be so fun and inspiring, especially when you’re in transition in life. Duolingo is a great app and I’ve heard good things about Lingoda too In the description I also put some other RUclips channels and I also really like the Lawless French website - she has a free newsletter you can sign up for with lots of good stuff. Wishing you the best w your French and your new chapter in life Bon Courage😊💕💕💕
Love your story. So much in common, French language usage-wise. I was intimidated after quite a time studying French and even a 6-week long immersion course in Quebec back in 1980 and 1985. 39 years late this year May 2024 in Normandy I enjoyed myself and my revived freedom from intimidation (speaking and enjoying my surroundings) immensely. What a difference when I decided to release my self-judgment and self-appraisal and just enjoy.
J'adore ce commentaire ! You put it so beautifully. I wish everyone would "release self-judgment and self-appraisal and just enjoy" because a lot more people would be a) speaking more French and b) having fun in life!
This is a brilliantly stark, honest, but inspiring representation of the true struggles of language learning (but also how one can overcome those struggles). It was incredibly validating to hear that someone else had had the same experience as me with the "oh you speak x language, when we're in x country you'll be able to sort everything". I'd been learning French academically for maybe 4 years, so my writing and reading were at a decent level, as was my understanding of basic grammar (tenses, agreements etc.). Yet, similar to you, I couldn't complete a task as basic as ordering in a café, or finding a bus! My listening comprehension was ok with pre recorded clips, pronounced slowly and clearly, specifically made for language learners - but when it was native speakers talking in an everyday situation, I was completely and utterly lost. I also couldn't speak for the life of me; forming sentences on the fly was difficult and terrifying. This of course seems crazy to a non language learner who might think "well if you've learnt French for 4 years, why can't you speak it?" Well I'm glad to say that, although I'm still learning, I've finally started to notice the progress from immersing myself in the country (moving to France to study abroad) and constantly listening to the language. A lot of it is about mindset. Some people will say that mindset is a "wishy washy" topic, but in fact I think it would be a terrible idea for anyone to ignore it. When you remind yourself of the small wins you are having daily, that intrinsically motivates you to continue. Language learning is a brutal thing. Really, it's unfair how difficult it is. For so long, there can be so little reward for so much effort (especially if your mindset is wrong). It's incredibly likely that someone could learn 1000-2000 words in a language and still not be able to speak it - and learning that many words isn't quick and easy. They could also learn every tense inside out and still not understand a single word when listening; native speakers are just simply too quick for them to understand. If this was a video game, nobody would want to play it, because why waste 100s of hours for seemingly no reward? You're also probably not even getting paid for that time. But the fact that language learning is so objectively and undeniably unfair, is one of the things I find most profoundly rewarding. It's unfairly difficult, yes, but when those breakthroughs do start to come - well there isn't a feeling like it on earth. To be able to connect with other people in a different country, and understand another culture on a deep and intrinsic level is one of the gifts of the human experience. That's what makes me love language learning.
I love everything about this comment and I so agree that it is one of the great gifts to be able to connect on a deeper level by making this huge effort. Also, as time goes on, I've found that in the intermediate stage I had a constant headache and could only stand to speak/listen for limited time periods. Luckily that has passed and I don't feel exhausted at all when speaking French. I still do learn numerous new words every single day! Thanks so much for this thoughtful writing and bonne continuation to us both :-)
Love this video and appreciate that you shared your journey. Stopped my study in French 35 years ago after a semester in Tours (which I loved). Now, after 18 months living in Portugal I’m preparing for my B1 Portuguese exam this summer. After that it’s time to resume my French journey and prepare for moving to France. Very inspiring. Merci Beaucoup!
First off congrats on the Portuguese! Next, you'll be surprised at how much you still remember of your French once you get back to it. Bon courage et bonne continuation !!
Good for you. Like learning musical instruments and the formalities of written music a language is a vast undertaking. Nothing other than work will let you succeed. My French is also a work in progress due to long breaks since my initial studies. No matter. The challenge of becoming more literate and conversant are part of why I am moving to France next spring. Thank you for your videos.
Congrats on your upcoming move and you will be surprised once you're here how much you remember. Just really jump in and try to do as much as you can in French. I for example have a French accounting team who speak English, but I committed to doing everything in French, even when I am really struggling. It's the only way to really progress! Thanks a lot for watching and wishing you a bonne continuation !
Do not give up!!! Refuse to give in and just GO FOR IT. Work hard at it and make sure to make it fun. I even think it's funny when I make stupid mistakes and I always tell the embarrassing stories b/c after the fact they are hilarious haha. Bonne continuation--come back here if you need more encouragement. Allez ! Let's goooooo!!!
This is one of the best RUclips videos I've seen on any subject because of your rare authenticity. I really felt like you're somebody I could be friends with even though we will probably never meet in this lifetime. Thank you for sharing your journey to fluency! ❤
Awww, this is so kind of you. It's wonderful when we can discover and help one another. If you are studying French, I wish you bonne continuation--I just had a lesson today and got a whole list of the mistakes I made but you know what? Petit à petit ...:-)
Thank You for sharing your story ~ it runs so similar to mine…C’était mon rêve a douze ans as well…several solo trips to Paris, shocked that my conversational skills were so deficient when my grammar skills were ~B1 after 6+ yrs of study. I’ve been a writer as my base profession for 30+ yrs in corp America and have been really wrestling with the idea of how to become ‘as conversant’ in French as I feel in English as we make the move to an area of France where fewer folks ‘naturally’ switch to English than they do in Paris (It’s taken me this long to realize they weren’t doing that bc my french was dreadful but bc they wanted to practice their English!). The L’Alliance Francaise, Lyon course, DELF Exam, & Sorbonne course you recommend are all new info to me. The encouragement to get a tutor - and the reminder that many French people adore our American accent…Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!!
Salut ! How exciting that you are following your dream. I can tell you after all my studies, and a DALF C1 diploma (the DALF is a bit different from the DELF), plus private tutoring, the thing that helped me most was to shove myself into as many really difficult situations and force myself to speak "Franglish" -- meaning my every sentence has a French intention with basic verbs and as much of my vocab as possible, and then just to insert an English word (with a French intonation if possible) wherever needed. That works a whole lot of the time, and it really builds confidence. Also, I suggest once you arrive you ask at your Mairie (Town Hall) for a list of "associations" which are local groups for culture, charitable works, even sports that you can join to dive right in to French culture. I promised myself to speak to my French accountant only in French and I had my French teacher send me a list of that vocab and I just plow through it, with no regard to whether I am making mistakes. They understand me and correct me when needed. But it takes a lot of energy to do this. In the beginning when you move, you have to be gentle but firm with yourself. If you fall into all expat relationships and just watching English language TV series on your screen, you won't move as fast as you'd like. As for the accent, yes! I consider it my secret weapon. But it is important to really learn the rhythm of the language and which syllables to accent--that changed my whole life in French and it's something no one ever taught me in all my years of learning before living here and finding a pronunciation tutor. Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am wishing you every good thing for your move--bon courage et bonne continuation !!
Hello Karen, Au départ, je voulais écrire ce commentaire en anglais. Cependant, je me suis ravisé en songeant qu'il serait peut-être plus agréable pour vous de mesurer votre apprentissage du français écrit (?). J'ai trouvé tellement de points communs entre nos deux expériences dans la difficulté d'apprendre une langue. Sauf que pour moi qui suis français, c'est avec l'anglais que j'ai ce problème. Je précise que j'ai 56 ans. Je n'ai pas poursuivi de longues études. Ma connaissance de l'anglais s'arrête donc à la 4ᵉ collège (8th grade). Pourtant, grâce à internet, à force de regarder des vidéos comme la vôtre, j'ai réussi à faire beaucoup de progrès en anglais. Mais, comme vous, avec le français, à une certaine époque de votre apprentissage, dès qu'il s'agit de suivre une conversation ou un film en anglais, là, ça se complique. Avec certaines personnes qui naturellement parlent lentement et articulent bien, ça va, j'arrive à peu près à suivre, car mon vocabulaire a grandement évolué. J'attrape quelques mots dans la phrase et j'arrive à comprendre le sens de celle-ci. Même si souvent, je dois mentalement remettre les mots dans le bon ordre (ce qui a dû être l'inverse pour vous avec le français, lol). Mais, avec d'autres personnes, c'est « la croix et la bannière. » C'est comme s'ils parlaient une autre langue ! 😅 Et, comme vous, lorsque vous avez croisé ce Français dans le bar, dans ces moments-là, je me sens frustré. J'ai l'impression que j'ai fait tout ce travail d'apprentissage pour rien. En réalité, j'ai compris qu'il faut de très longues années de pratique pour maîtriser une langue. Ce n'est jamais « un long fleuve tranquille ». Ainsi, je découvre votre chaîne et vais m'y abonner, car je vous trouve très sympathique et très courageuse d'avoir suivi le parcours qui a été le vôtre. Bonne continuation,
Bonjour ! Merci pour ce magnifique commentaire que j'ai vraiment apprécié et dont j'ai beaucoup appris :-) Oui, nous on a tous vécu ces moments "dans le bar" mais il ne faut pas désespérer. En fait, pour moi, c'est ce type de situation qui nous aide tellement, parce que (après la déception ha!) ça nous motive ! OK I will write a little bit in English, too, since you so kindly wrote me in French. I read your beautifully written comment and I hope someday to write as fluently as that, with humor and insight. Just remember to treat yourself well and to focus on 1) your achievements so far and the effort you're making and 2) putting yourself into increasingly difficult situations (that challenge your current level a bit) to stretch your ear and your speaking. As we'd say, "it's no walk in the park," but it's worth it in the end. I'm wishing you all the very best and I thank you sincerely for taking the time to write such a lovely and thoughtful response. It means a lot to me. Keep up the practice, one step at a time!
@@karenbussen Thank you, Karen, for your kind and encouraging words. Like I said, I don't need a translator to read your English answer thanks to the internet, which has taught me so much. It's a fabulous way to expand our knowledge and communicate with people from worldwide. I hope you have a pleasant evening.
What a nice video. I was struck at the end when you talking about accent. My French is still pretty terrible, but as I am kind of a myna bird, my accent is FANTASTIC! So I enter a shop or something with a polished sentence set up and ready to go, do so in my superb accent, and of course then the recipient hammers away in hyper French that I cannot understand more than 10% of. Then we both laugh when I explain, "c'est tout" that was it!
I absolutely share your opinion that properly using a foreign language in all aspects of life requires many years of intensive involvement and especially a cultural immersion. On YT I listen to many people claiming to have acquired proficiency in one ( or even several) foreign language(s) within one year, and I feel stupid myself. You Madame however , have told a story that was much more similar to my own experience. I am grateful, thank you.
I know what you mean. I too find it frustrating when people flaunt their short journeys to "fluency" because frankly, I know it's not possible for 99% of people. It just takes time and effort and pushing yourself. Bonne continuation and thanks so much for being here :-) Un salut de Paris !
That was an interesting story, thanks for sharing! Come to think about it, French shares so many words with English that one would think learning this language would be a walk in the park! I wish! :) Btw, maybe your French teacher was brilliant, but making you lose heart was really mean, I think.
Yes there are a lot of similar words and also some « faux amis » or words that sound and sometimes are spelled alike but don’t mean the same thing at all 😂…and yes as for my teacher, I’m sure she just meant to motivate me but it did stress me out❣️😃
Hi! I'm so happy you commented. It's easy to struggle with French in school. The more I learn, the more I think they should completely change the way we study. If you do want to pick it up again, I might suggest starting with very simple phrases you'd use in a market or café, or in practicing a little script for how you'd introduce yourself to someone new (where you're from, what you do for work, your interests, etc). But definitely let go of the belief that you're not "good at" it. It just takes time and effort. Yesterday I spent a half hour transcribing a 2-minute movie trailer for my French teacher and it was a challenge, but every little bit helps!!! Bonne continuation xoxo
Thank you for the video. Like you, I had some background in French in junior high and high school. When I took a college course, I asked the teacher (who was great) the best way to learn French, and she said "Go there." So, in November 2023, I finally did and loved it so much, I went again this year for 15 days 10/31 through 11/15. About a year of watching shows on Lingopie (especially "Le Juge est un femme") and doing drills on this foreign service program I found, I was only a little bit better at speaking and understanding people. Also, a guy I met in Clichy knew as much English as I knew French, so he was able to fill in gaps for me, but I guess if I want to get serious about becoming fluent I need private tutoring. What can you recommend for someone whose budget is a little tight?
Hi! First off, you're doing great--congrats on working hard on your French. It takes YEARS, even if you live here. But if you want to work more intensely, as in with a private tutor, one site I like a lot is languatalk. You can watch videos of all the teachers before choosing one, and from the standpoint of private classes, they are quite affordable in my experience. If you want something less expensive than that, I'd suggest finding a meetup group in your area with native speakers that meets on a regular basis to practice. Sometimes there are "Franglish" groups that help French who want to learn English and vice-versa. Their events give equal time to both, where each side helps and gives corrections to the other. Also, read French news sites (the news is repetitive, so helps with vocab and also introduces you to politicians, actors, musicians and other cultural figures which helps with references all the time). In addition to your drills, watch series in French with English or French subtitles. But my biggest advice is to try to find a group that does conversation practice b/c in the end it's all about communicating with other people and that will be very helpful! Don't give up, allez ! Bonne continuation et merci d'être venue :-)
@@karenbussen Thank you for such a detailed and helpful reply. I will look into languatalk. I could look into meetup groups here, but the area where I live is a bit of a "French desert." I know they don't offer courses at either the university or the community college nearby. We had the eclipse here on 4/8 with 5 minutes of totality, and I had lots of fun showing people in France my video of it (Conaissez-vous l'eclipse de Nord America le 4 Avril?).
Hi Karen, first of all I loved your video. It was so truthful about the ups and downs of learning language. I am currently at a level B2 and living in the south of France, where not very many people speak English, so it’s great for practicing. I realize that I am weak in conjugation and past tense verbs, would you suggest getting a book to study or getting a French teacher? Side note: within the next year or so I would like to start getting my masters in French so I realize that I need to up my French game before pursuing an education in France. Thank you in advance for any input you might have. Allison
Salut ! First off, thanks for writing. Next, yes living in a place where you can easily drop in and use your French is the very best thing, but I know it still requires a lot of effort. As I always say, I try to put myself in every possible difficult situation to improve my French, like just deciding that at your next chiropractor's appointment (or wherever) you're going to try to do it all in French. Then you prep for that meeting beforehand with vocab and likely questions and just give it a go and struggle through. At B2 the more you do this, the quicker you'll make that next important jump. As for the past tense and verbs, etc., I feel you! I'd definitely suggest a private teacher if that's within your plans, because you can direct the course and you can say to the teacher, I want to tell stories in the past to work on my conjugation (that's what I did!) and then in your conversation with the teacher you'll really be talking about your own life and what you're doing which is what you'd be doing when talking in your every day friendships, etc. After each lesson I always aim to come away with a list of phrases and corrections that apply directly to my own life (what I do for a living, my hobbies, how to talk to my accountant, how to offer food and drinks to guests in my home, and the like). I think that's one of the best ways to get the most value out of classes rather than just doing exercises. I have found reasonably priced and great teachers on LanguaTalk (online platform), but there's also SuperProf, and a number of others. A book/workbook can also be really helpful if you're someone who will sit down and read it/practice, because (as you know) written French is so different from spoken French and if you plan to get your Masters, you'll have to write and you'll really need to get up to speed with accord, pronouns, questions, and all that jazz! How wonderful that you'll be studying for an advanced degree. I really admire you for that. Wishing you all the very best and bonne continuation !
Merci Karen, pour parteger votre expérience.... J'aime aussi Hugo de InnerFrench. Il est facile a apprendre... Est-ce que vous aimez "Learn French with Vincent"? Sa voix et trés calme(?)..
Hi, I wanted to ask you how should I do to learn English through movies, TV series and songs, what methods should I apply, how should I approach these tools and how can I put them into practice? Ditto for books/audiobooks/podcasts and videos on youtube, where should I start if I'm at zero?? Nb: I'm a 20-year-old boy and I haven't decided which path to take yet but at the moment I'm more oriented towards languages and I would also like to go and live in England!!!!!
I don't believe you're at zero, your written English is good! With podcasts, I suggest choosing a short one or a "slow news" podcast where they read the news at a slower pace. For movies, use the subtitles in English so you can see and hear the words. I think the key is to find things you're interested in in life and watch videos/read books about those things because your interest will keep you going. Wishing you the very best, and thanks for commenting! I hope you make your dreams come true :-)
Bonjour Karen. Toutes ces choses que vous mentionnez me sont arrivées lorsque j'étudiais aux États-Unis et ce fut l'expérience la plus horrible de ma vie. Je vivais à Chicago et j'étudiais mon doctorat et mon conseiller m'a forcé à donner des cours de chimie en anglais (je suis mexicain) et je suis parti en pleurant parce que mon anglais était horrible et tous mes étudiants riaient. Cela s'est produit parce que lorsque j'ai passé mon examen TOEFL, qui est l'examen qu'ils exigent de nous au Mexique, j'ai obtenu un C1 et j'ai promis de ne plus JAMAIS me soucier d'un diplôme ou d'une certification. Heureusement, j'étudie le français avec un natif et j'apprends à parler français et ma motivation est que je regarde des films et que j'ai des conversations (nous utilisons beaucoup de liaison) et bientôt je visiterai Paris et je veux parler français. Une certification n’est pas quelque chose à retenir, mais dans la vraie vie, il faut parler la langue et utiliser des expressions idiomatiques. salutations
Bonjour ! Merci pour votre commentaire. C'est vrai qu'à l'école on n'apprend pas forcement ce dont on a besoin pour bien communiquer...mais votre français est super--du coup, je pense que vous avez trouvé la bonne solution avec votre prof natif. Pour moi, savoir parler, c'est la chose la plus importante. Bonne continuation et bienvenue en France pour votre visite :-)
Hello! If you want an in-person class or teacher, I would search "French lessons YOURTOWN" or "French Teacher YOURTOWN" If you want an online teacher (I have had a lot of success with this over the years, as you don't have to travel to your classes and the cost is generally less), you can search on Instagram or online in general, or use sites like Superprof.com -- I think you have to pay for a subscription to Superprof, but it gives you profiles and ratings for a bunch of teachers so you can find the right person. If you live near a big city, you might find a French language school nearby and they can guide you as well. Hope this is helpful and bon courage !!
Il n'y a que deux façons de parler couramment le français : vivre en France ou rester à la maison et trouver une petite amie française. i have spent 20 years studying french and i am that person you were. i am proud of what i know but i know i will never be totally fluent.
Exactement :-) And as I always say, learning a language is a lifelong pursuit. There's always something left to learn because after the grammar and the conjugations, there are the idiomatic expressions, the jeux de mots and then des références culturelles ... But the journey is worth it if you ask me! Thanks for this great comment and bonne continuation !
@@karenbussen `thank you so much for your kind reply, i totally agree the journey is worth it , it is now my past time and every day i think and learn. je te souhaite bonne chance dans la vie
@@karenbussenJe vous en prie. C'est une faute que font beaucoup de "native speakers" aujourd'hui, hélas ! : elle était beaucoup plus rare il y a cinquante ans. Sinon, bravo pour votre français !
En fait mon mari l'a déjà fait, et il dit que ma famille vient 100% du nord-ouest de l'Allemagne :-) Mais je suis sans aucun doute française du cɶur 🇫🇷 👩🎨
I love how authentic and warm you are, It is so encouraging to hear your story. Thank you
Bonjour ! Thanks so much for this lovely comment--you made my day, and if I can get fluent, anyone can! Bonne continuation :-)
I am a French lady, no more living in Paris but Britany, in love with American English language as you are for French language .
I really congratulate you for for your perfect French accent as well as your beautiful accent in English not a NewYorker accent.! Glad to know you love my country. Long live to American and French friendship.
For sure mastering a language is a lifetime work. Merry Christmas. Joëlle
Bonjour et merci merci pour votre commentaire. C'est vraiment gentil de votre part :-)
Félicitations à vous aussi pour votre anglais parfait !
Et oui, Vive l'amitié franco-americaine ! bisous, Karen
Do you like Cajun French &’Cajun English’from S of Louisiana ?
Karen, your video was both instructive and warm. Thank you.
Bonjour ! It makes me so happy to know that you found it helpful. Thank you for taking the time to comment :-)
I have really struggled with learning French. I give it a good try, get discouraged, then quit. Try again. Quit again. But your video gave me rejuvenated motivation to keep going. I would LOVE the diagram for pronunciation of un/on/en - I really struggle with that (as I'm guessing most of us do). I thought I could find it easily with a quick google search...mais non.
Bonjour, thank you for this thoughtful note. I feel you, and in fact my journey was similar. I dropped my studies for more than 10 years, basically forgot everything and started over. Then had to start over again to learn "real daily French" after I got my diploma ha!
First off, follow @prononciation_avec_christophe on IG. He is a specialist in pronunciation and he's a delight. Next, I will see if I can find the diagram or I'll just make one haha and I'll try to post a video about it soon. I have been so shocked so many times in French to find out that just when I thought I was doing everything right, nope! But that's part of the journey. You can do it et il vaut la peine ! Bonne continuation :-)
In order to learn French, one of the first thing you have to do is: do not try to remember what is feminin and masculin; it does not matter if you have all the gender mixed up, people will understand you even you say "Un fille" instead of "une fille".
Thank you so much for this truly helpful comment! Lots of us French learners get very nervous about not knowing the gender of nouns, but it's true--people will understand and as you practice, you add more and more words that you do know :-)
Wow. I'm hoping to retire in France in about 6 years and have just started looking at learning the language. I took Spanish in high school (and from a horrible teacher so only 2 years). I do want to get a tutor a year or two before my move but now I'm wondering if I shouldn't just start paying for one now instead of using apps. Your journey is incredible....but also terrifying!
Bonjour ! How amazing that you want to retire in France. It is a really beautiful and rewarding place to live. If you have the resources, I would absolutely suggest getting a tutor. You might be able to find one online (I found my current amazing advanced teacher on Instagram!) or through a local French language school if you have access to one. Then I would suggest if you can, to spend more extended time in France before your move, and to make sure to include language learning in that time. For years I came to France twice a year and took weeks or months of classes in varying schools and it really did boost my confidence. Now that I live here, I realize what a gift it is to already have had that foundation when arriving. Because when you move to a new country, everything is new. You will feel a bit overwhelmed (in really wonderful ways!) but it's a good idea to be as prepared as you can in any ways that you have a chance to control before you get here. The French love and respect anyone who tries to speak the language. I have a completely different experience even as a foreigner by birth because I have spent so much time learning. They always comment on it and it opens doors everywhere. Plus it makes me feel a part of things in a way that I just couldn't if I didn't know what was going on.
Bon courage !! You can do it!!
Hi Karen, I've been teaching French for 27 years in London and now online (I'm a native French speaker from Boulogne) and will share your témoignage on my platforms, it's the kind of success and inspiring story I love to share to encourage other learners! Merci and bravo!!
Bonjour et merci ! Ça me fait tellement plaisir de lire ce commentaire :-) greetings from Paris and thank you for watching!
Oh Karen, life learning for sure, I learned german by reading and then I found a neighbour friend who helped me. Then I taught english and could explain in german and now I teach german to immigrants. It takes so long to get comfy but it does come together eventually. Nice to hear your journey with french 😊
thank you so much for this!! What a great story and yes, it is a whole journey isn't it? greetings from Paris
I don't know how your vid popped up but I had to watch it till the end. It must be really lovely for you to live in France and to be able to speak the language that well.
I'm fluent in English, but I'm still learning it even if I have been a teacher for 15 years or so. You can never stop learning a language when it is not your mother tongue, the lexicon is just so big.
As for French, I spent 4 years learning it at grammar school, but I never really used it. I only remember bits, but still I tried following your French sentences. It was fast and sometimes I had to rewind to get the English translation. :)
Anyway, thanks for the encouragement. My life is changing dramatically at the moment, so I may brush up my French knowledge to divert my thoughts and to boost my self-esteem.
I don't know if you can recommend some apps or webpages where I can start French mainly from the basics. As a mom of four I can't go to school now or have private lessons but I would appreciate any help very much. Thanks from Hungary. :)
Hi! Yes working on another language can be so fun and inspiring, especially when you’re in transition in life.
Duolingo is a great app and I’ve heard good things about Lingoda too
In the description I also put some other RUclips channels and I also really like the Lawless French website - she has a free newsletter you can sign up for with lots of good stuff. Wishing you the best w your French and your new chapter in life Bon Courage😊💕💕💕
Very nice Karen, I moved to Quebec just to learn french.
Maybe I should look for a French speaking Girl.
Love your story. So much in common, French language usage-wise. I was intimidated after quite a time studying French and even a 6-week long immersion course in Quebec back in 1980 and 1985. 39 years late this year May 2024 in Normandy I enjoyed myself and my revived freedom from intimidation (speaking and enjoying my surroundings) immensely. What a difference when I decided to release my self-judgment and self-appraisal and just enjoy.
J'adore ce commentaire ! You put it so beautifully. I wish everyone would "release self-judgment and self-appraisal and just enjoy" because a lot more people would be a) speaking more French and b) having fun in life!
Vous avez un super accent, on voit que vous avez bossé dur pour apprendre le français ^^
C'est gentil, merci :-)
This is a brilliantly stark, honest, but inspiring representation of the true struggles of language learning (but also how one can overcome those struggles). It was incredibly validating to hear that someone else had had the same experience as me with the "oh you speak x language, when we're in x country you'll be able to sort everything". I'd been learning French academically for maybe 4 years, so my writing and reading were at a decent level, as was my understanding of basic grammar (tenses, agreements etc.). Yet, similar to you, I couldn't complete a task as basic as ordering in a café, or finding a bus! My listening comprehension was ok with pre recorded clips, pronounced slowly and clearly, specifically made for language learners - but when it was native speakers talking in an everyday situation, I was completely and utterly lost. I also couldn't speak for the life of me; forming sentences on the fly was difficult and terrifying. This of course seems crazy to a non language learner who might think "well if you've learnt French for 4 years, why can't you speak it?"
Well I'm glad to say that, although I'm still learning, I've finally started to notice the progress from immersing myself in the country (moving to France to study abroad) and constantly listening to the language. A lot of it is about mindset. Some people will say that mindset is a "wishy washy" topic, but in fact I think it would be a terrible idea for anyone to ignore it. When you remind yourself of the small wins you are having daily, that intrinsically motivates you to continue.
Language learning is a brutal thing. Really, it's unfair how difficult it is. For so long, there can be so little reward for so much effort (especially if your mindset is wrong). It's incredibly likely that someone could learn 1000-2000 words in a language and still not be able to speak it - and learning that many words isn't quick and easy. They could also learn every tense inside out and still not understand a single word when listening; native speakers are just simply too quick for them to understand. If this was a video game, nobody would want to play it, because why waste 100s of hours for seemingly no reward? You're also probably not even getting paid for that time.
But the fact that language learning is so objectively and undeniably unfair, is one of the things I find most profoundly rewarding. It's unfairly difficult, yes, but when those breakthroughs do start to come - well there isn't a feeling like it on earth. To be able to connect with other people in a different country, and understand another culture on a deep and intrinsic level is one of the gifts of the human experience. That's what makes me love language learning.
I love everything about this comment and I so agree that it is one of the great gifts to be able to connect on a deeper level by making this huge effort. Also, as time goes on, I've found that in the intermediate stage I had a constant headache and could only stand to speak/listen for limited time periods. Luckily that has passed and I don't feel exhausted at all when speaking French. I still do learn numerous new words every single day! Thanks so much for this thoughtful writing and bonne continuation to us both :-)
Love this video and appreciate that you shared your journey. Stopped my study in French 35 years ago after a semester in Tours (which I loved). Now, after 18 months living in Portugal I’m preparing for my B1 Portuguese exam this summer. After that it’s time to resume my French journey and prepare for moving to France. Very inspiring. Merci Beaucoup!
First off congrats on the Portuguese! Next, you'll be surprised at how much you still remember of your French once you get back to it. Bon courage et bonne continuation !!
Good for you. Like learning musical instruments and the formalities of written music a language is a vast undertaking. Nothing other than work will let you succeed. My French is also a work in progress due to long breaks since my initial studies. No matter. The challenge of becoming more literate and conversant are part of why I am moving to France next spring. Thank you for your videos.
Congrats on your upcoming move and you will be surprised once you're here how much you remember. Just really jump in and try to do as much as you can in French. I for example have a French accounting team who speak English, but I committed to doing everything in French, even when I am really struggling. It's the only way to really progress! Thanks a lot for watching and wishing you a bonne continuation !
Best video ever. Everything you said was spot on. Bon accent. Parfait. Merci. Bien fait.
Merci ! You made my day. Bonne journée à vous :-)
Thanks for sharing, I was just thinking of giving up on French, again. This is validating - it is really hard.
Do not give up!!! Refuse to give in and just GO FOR IT. Work hard at it and make sure to make it fun. I even think it's funny when I make stupid mistakes and I always tell the embarrassing stories b/c after the fact they are hilarious haha. Bonne continuation--come back here if you need more encouragement. Allez ! Let's goooooo!!!
This is one of the best RUclips videos I've seen on any subject because of your rare authenticity. I really felt like you're somebody I could be friends with even though we will probably never meet in this lifetime. Thank you for sharing your journey to fluency! ❤
Awww, this is so kind of you. It's wonderful when we can discover and help one another. If you are studying French, I wish you bonne continuation--I just had a lesson today and got a whole list of the mistakes I made but you know what? Petit à petit ...:-)
Thank You for sharing your story ~ it runs so similar to mine…C’était mon rêve a douze ans as well…several solo trips to Paris, shocked that my conversational skills were so deficient when my grammar skills were ~B1 after 6+ yrs of study. I’ve been a writer as my base profession for 30+ yrs in corp America and have been really wrestling with the idea of how to become ‘as conversant’ in French as I feel in English as we make the move to an area of France where fewer folks ‘naturally’ switch to English than they do in Paris (It’s taken me this long to realize they weren’t doing that bc my french was dreadful but bc they wanted to practice their English!). The L’Alliance Francaise, Lyon course, DELF Exam, & Sorbonne course you recommend are all new info to me. The encouragement to get a tutor - and the reminder that many French people adore our American accent…Thank You!! Thank You!! Thank You!!
Salut ! How exciting that you are following your dream. I can tell you after all my studies, and a DALF C1 diploma (the DALF is a bit different from the DELF), plus private tutoring, the thing that helped me most was to shove myself into as many really difficult situations and force myself to speak "Franglish" -- meaning my every sentence has a French intention with basic verbs and as much of my vocab as possible, and then just to insert an English word (with a French intonation if possible) wherever needed. That works a whole lot of the time, and it really builds confidence. Also, I suggest once you arrive you ask at your Mairie (Town Hall) for a list of "associations" which are local groups for culture, charitable works, even sports that you can join to dive right in to French culture. I promised myself to speak to my French accountant only in French and I had my French teacher send me a list of that vocab and I just plow through it, with no regard to whether I am making mistakes. They understand me and correct me when needed. But it takes a lot of energy to do this. In the beginning when you move, you have to be gentle but firm with yourself. If you fall into all expat relationships and just watching English language TV series on your screen, you won't move as fast as you'd like.
As for the accent, yes! I consider it my secret weapon. But it is important to really learn the rhythm of the language and which syllables to accent--that changed my whole life in French and it's something no one ever taught me in all my years of learning before living here and finding a pronunciation tutor.
Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I am wishing you every good thing for your move--bon courage et bonne continuation !!
Hello Karen,
Au départ, je voulais écrire ce commentaire en anglais. Cependant, je me suis ravisé en songeant qu'il serait peut-être plus agréable pour vous de mesurer votre apprentissage du français écrit (?).
J'ai trouvé tellement de points communs entre nos deux expériences dans la difficulté d'apprendre une langue.
Sauf que pour moi qui suis français, c'est avec l'anglais que j'ai ce problème. Je précise que j'ai 56 ans.
Je n'ai pas poursuivi de longues études. Ma connaissance de l'anglais s'arrête donc à la 4ᵉ collège (8th grade).
Pourtant, grâce à internet, à force de regarder des vidéos comme la vôtre, j'ai réussi à faire beaucoup de progrès en anglais.
Mais, comme vous, avec le français, à une certaine époque de votre apprentissage, dès qu'il s'agit de suivre une conversation ou un film en anglais, là, ça se complique.
Avec certaines personnes qui naturellement parlent lentement et articulent bien, ça va, j'arrive à peu près à suivre, car mon vocabulaire a grandement évolué. J'attrape quelques mots dans la phrase et j'arrive à comprendre le sens de celle-ci. Même si souvent, je dois mentalement remettre les mots dans le bon ordre (ce qui a dû être l'inverse pour vous avec le français, lol).
Mais, avec d'autres personnes, c'est « la croix et la bannière. » C'est comme s'ils parlaient une autre langue ! 😅
Et, comme vous, lorsque vous avez croisé ce Français dans le bar, dans ces moments-là, je me sens frustré. J'ai l'impression que j'ai fait tout ce travail d'apprentissage pour rien.
En réalité, j'ai compris qu'il faut de très longues années de pratique pour maîtriser une langue. Ce n'est jamais « un long fleuve tranquille ».
Ainsi, je découvre votre chaîne et vais m'y abonner, car je vous trouve très sympathique et très courageuse d'avoir suivi le parcours qui a été le vôtre.
Bonne continuation,
Bonjour ! Merci pour ce magnifique commentaire que j'ai vraiment apprécié et dont j'ai beaucoup appris :-)
Oui, nous on a tous vécu ces moments "dans le bar" mais il ne faut pas désespérer. En fait, pour moi, c'est ce type de situation qui nous aide tellement, parce que (après la déception ha!) ça nous motive !
OK I will write a little bit in English, too, since you so kindly wrote me in French. I read your beautifully written comment and I hope someday to write as fluently as that, with humor and insight.
Just remember to treat yourself well and to focus on 1) your achievements so far and the effort you're making and 2) putting yourself into increasingly difficult situations (that challenge your current level a bit) to stretch your ear and your speaking. As we'd say, "it's no walk in the park," but it's worth it in the end.
I'm wishing you all the very best and I thank you sincerely for taking the time to write such a lovely and thoughtful response. It means a lot to me. Keep up the practice, one step at a time!
@@karenbussen Thank you, Karen, for your kind and encouraging words.
Like I said, I don't need a translator to read your English answer thanks to the internet, which has taught me so much.
It's a fabulous way to expand our knowledge and communicate with people from worldwide.
I hope you have a pleasant evening.
What a nice video. I was struck at the end when you talking about accent. My French is still pretty terrible, but as I am kind of a myna bird, my accent is FANTASTIC! So I enter a shop or something with a polished sentence set up and ready to go, do so in my superb accent, and of course then the recipient hammers away in hyper French that I cannot understand more than 10% of. Then we both laugh when I explain, "c'est tout" that was it!
What a great problem to have!!
I absolutely share your opinion that properly using a foreign language in all aspects of life requires many years of intensive involvement and especially a cultural immersion. On YT I listen to many people claiming to have acquired proficiency in one ( or even several) foreign language(s) within one year, and I feel stupid myself. You Madame however , have told a story that was much more similar to my own experience. I am grateful, thank you.
I know what you mean. I too find it frustrating when people flaunt their short journeys to "fluency" because frankly, I know it's not possible for 99% of people. It just takes time and effort and pushing yourself. Bonne continuation and thanks so much for being here :-) Un salut de Paris !
That was an interesting story, thanks for sharing! Come to think about it, French shares so many words with English that one would think learning this language would be a walk in the park! I wish! :) Btw, maybe your French teacher was brilliant, but making you lose heart was really mean, I think.
Yes there are a lot of similar words and also some « faux amis » or words that sound and sometimes are spelled alike but don’t mean the same thing at all 😂…and yes as for my teacher, I’m sure she just meant to motivate me but it did stress me out❣️😃
I really love your videos. Thank you for sharing your journey.
Merci ! I am so happy and thank you for leaving a comment :-)
Merci beaucoup, cherie!
Merci merci !
I was TERRIBLE at french in school. I think that is why I have no confidence to try and learn. Thank you for your blog
Hi! I'm so happy you commented. It's easy to struggle with French in school. The more I learn, the more I think they should completely change the way we study. If you do want to pick it up again, I might suggest starting with very simple phrases you'd use in a market or café, or in practicing a little script for how you'd introduce yourself to someone new (where you're from, what you do for work, your interests, etc). But definitely let go of the belief that you're not "good at" it. It just takes time and effort. Yesterday I spent a half hour transcribing a 2-minute movie trailer for my French teacher and it was a challenge, but every little bit helps!!! Bonne continuation xoxo
Thank you for the video. Like you, I had some background in French in junior high and high school. When I took a college course, I asked the teacher (who was great) the best way to learn French, and she said "Go there." So, in November 2023, I finally did and loved it so much, I went again this year for 15 days 10/31 through 11/15. About a year of watching shows on Lingopie (especially "Le Juge est un femme") and doing drills on this foreign service program I found, I was only a little bit better at speaking and understanding people. Also, a guy I met in Clichy knew as much English as I knew French, so he was able to fill in gaps for me, but I guess if I want to get serious about becoming fluent I need private tutoring. What can you recommend for someone whose budget is a little tight?
Hi! First off, you're doing great--congrats on working hard on your French. It takes YEARS, even if you live here. But if you want to work more intensely, as in with a private tutor, one site I like a lot is languatalk. You can watch videos of all the teachers before choosing one, and from the standpoint of private classes, they are quite affordable in my experience.
If you want something less expensive than that, I'd suggest finding a meetup group in your area with native speakers that meets on a regular basis to practice. Sometimes there are "Franglish" groups that help French who want to learn English and vice-versa. Their events give equal time to both, where each side helps and gives corrections to the other.
Also, read French news sites (the news is repetitive, so helps with vocab and also introduces you to politicians, actors, musicians and other cultural figures which helps with references all the time). In addition to your drills, watch series in French with English or French subtitles. But my biggest advice is to try to find a group that does conversation practice b/c in the end it's all about communicating with other people and that will be very helpful! Don't give up, allez ! Bonne continuation et merci d'être venue :-)
@@karenbussen Thank you for such a detailed and helpful reply. I will look into languatalk. I could look into meetup groups here, but the area where I live is a bit of a "French desert." I know they don't offer courses at either the university or the community college nearby. We had the eclipse here on 4/8 with 5 minutes of totality, and I had lots of fun showing people in France my video of it (Conaissez-vous l'eclipse de Nord America le 4 Avril?).
Hi Karen, first of all I loved your video. It was so truthful about the ups and downs of learning language. I am currently at a level B2 and living in the south of France, where not very many people speak English, so it’s great for practicing. I realize that I am weak in conjugation and past tense verbs, would you suggest getting a book to study or getting a French teacher? Side note: within the next year or so I would like to start getting my masters in French so I realize that I need to up my French game before pursuing an education in France. Thank you in advance for any input you might have. Allison
Salut ! First off, thanks for writing.
Next, yes living in a place where you can easily drop in and use your French is the very best thing, but I know it still requires a lot of effort. As I always say, I try to put myself in every possible difficult situation to improve my French, like just deciding that at your next chiropractor's appointment (or wherever) you're going to try to do it all in French. Then you prep for that meeting beforehand with vocab and likely questions and just give it a go and struggle through. At B2 the more you do this, the quicker you'll make that next important jump.
As for the past tense and verbs, etc., I feel you! I'd definitely suggest a private teacher if that's within your plans, because you can direct the course and you can say to the teacher, I want to tell stories in the past to work on my conjugation (that's what I did!) and then in your conversation with the teacher you'll really be talking about your own life and what you're doing which is what you'd be doing when talking in your every day friendships, etc.
After each lesson I always aim to come away with a list of phrases and corrections that apply directly to my own life (what I do for a living, my hobbies, how to talk to my accountant, how to offer food and drinks to guests in my home, and the like). I think that's one of the best ways to get the most value out of classes rather than just doing exercises.
I have found reasonably priced and great teachers on LanguaTalk (online platform), but there's also SuperProf, and a number of others.
A book/workbook can also be really helpful if you're someone who will sit down and read it/practice, because (as you know) written French is so different from spoken French and if you plan to get your Masters, you'll have to write and you'll really need to get up to speed with accord, pronouns, questions, and all that jazz!
How wonderful that you'll be studying for an advanced degree. I really admire you for that. Wishing you all the very best and bonne continuation !
Merci Karen, pour parteger votre expérience.... J'aime aussi Hugo de InnerFrench. Il est facile a apprendre... Est-ce que vous aimez "Learn French with Vincent"? Sa voix et trés calme(?)..
Merci merci à vous ! Je vais jeter un coup d'oeil sur le compte de Vincent ! Bonne continuation !
Hi, I wanted to ask you how should I do to learn English through movies, TV series and songs, what methods should I apply, how should I approach these tools and how can I put them into practice? Ditto for books/audiobooks/podcasts and videos on youtube, where should I start if I'm at zero?? Nb: I'm a 20-year-old boy and I haven't decided which path to take yet but at the moment I'm more oriented towards languages and I would also like to go and live in England!!!!!
I don't believe you're at zero, your written English is good! With podcasts, I suggest choosing a short one or a "slow news" podcast where they read the news at a slower pace. For movies, use the subtitles in English so you can see and hear the words. I think the key is to find things you're interested in in life and watch videos/read books about those things because your interest will keep you going. Wishing you the very best, and thanks for commenting! I hope you make your dreams come true :-)
Tres interesant!
Merci !
I’m studying at CCFS right now! I’m in B1. Wish me luck
Oooh I’m jealous, I really loved it there and I heard they’re in a new building now. Wishing you all the best and bonne continuation ❣️❣️❣️
The nasal vowels are a problem for the southern too.
un/ on/ an/ en !!! :-)
Bonjour Karen. Toutes ces choses que vous mentionnez me sont arrivées lorsque j'étudiais aux États-Unis et ce fut l'expérience la plus horrible de ma vie. Je vivais à Chicago et j'étudiais mon doctorat et mon conseiller m'a forcé à donner des cours de chimie en anglais (je suis mexicain) et je suis parti en pleurant parce que mon anglais était horrible et tous mes étudiants riaient. Cela s'est produit parce que lorsque j'ai passé mon examen TOEFL, qui est l'examen qu'ils exigent de nous au Mexique, j'ai obtenu un C1 et j'ai promis de ne plus JAMAIS me soucier d'un diplôme ou d'une certification. Heureusement, j'étudie le français avec un natif et j'apprends à parler français et ma motivation est que je regarde des films et que j'ai des conversations (nous utilisons beaucoup de liaison) et bientôt je visiterai Paris et je veux parler français. Une certification n’est pas quelque chose à retenir, mais dans la vraie vie, il faut parler la langue et utiliser des expressions idiomatiques. salutations
Bonjour ! Merci pour votre commentaire. C'est vrai qu'à l'école on n'apprend pas forcement ce dont on a besoin pour bien communiquer...mais votre français est super--du coup, je pense que vous avez trouvé la bonne solution avec votre prof natif. Pour moi, savoir parler, c'est la chose la plus importante. Bonne continuation et bienvenue en France pour votre visite :-)
How would find a teacher in Massachusetts?
Hello! If you want an in-person class or teacher, I would search "French lessons YOURTOWN" or "French Teacher YOURTOWN"
If you want an online teacher (I have had a lot of success with this over the years, as you don't have to travel to your classes and the cost is generally less), you can search on Instagram or online in general, or use sites like Superprof.com -- I think you have to pay for a subscription to Superprof, but it gives you profiles and ratings for a bunch of teachers so you can find the right person.
If you live near a big city, you might find a French language school nearby and they can guide you as well. Hope this is helpful and bon courage !!
Thank you for your great ideas Karen. They have been very helpful.
13:49 *On s'casse!*
:-)
Il n'y a que deux façons de parler couramment le français : vivre en France ou rester à la maison et trouver une petite amie française. i have spent 20 years studying french and i am that person you were. i am proud of what i know but i know i will never be totally fluent.
Exactement :-) And as I always say, learning a language is a lifelong pursuit. There's always something left to learn because after the grammar and the conjugations, there are the idiomatic expressions, the jeux de mots and then des références culturelles ... But the journey is worth it if you ask me! Thanks for this great comment and bonne continuation !
@@karenbussen `thank you so much for your kind reply, i totally agree the journey is worth it , it is now my past time and every day i think and learn. je te souhaite bonne chance dans la vie
A Lady ! Merci Madame !
Je vous en prie :-)
"Merci de m'avoir rejoint" -> "Merci de m'avoir rejointe".
hee hee ! Merci de m’avoir corrigée 😂💐
@@karenbussenJe vous en prie. C'est une faute que font beaucoup de "native speakers" aujourd'hui, hélas ! : elle était beaucoup plus rare il y a cinquante ans. Sinon, bravo pour votre français !
Faites une recherche ADN ... Vous avez certainement quelques racines françaises ... Ou alors vous l'avez été dans une vie antérieure ...😂😂😂
En fait mon mari l'a déjà fait, et il dit que ma famille vient 100% du nord-ouest de l'Allemagne :-) Mais je suis sans aucun doute française du cɶur 🇫🇷 👩🎨
@karenbussen 😂😂😂👍👍