How to Learn French for Beginners

French is one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world. There are more than 100 million French speakers and 33 countries that have French as the official language. If you want to participate in the many cultural and literary offerings of the French language, you need to start at the beginning. French is closely related to English in much of its vocabulary, but grammar and pronunciation differ greatly and can be a challenge. However, with patience and practice, the beginner can be successful at learning French.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• French-English dictionary Introductory French textbook Simple French texts

Steps to Learn French

1. Obtain the resources you will need for your language study: a French-English dictionary, a textbook with grammar explanations and a selection of beginner-level French-language readings.

2. Decide if you want to learn in a class, with a tutor or on your own. You might find the group interaction in a French class beneficial, or you might prefer the one-on-one attention provided by a tutor. Learning on your own is also possible, but you will have to work hard to keep motivated.

3. Seek out opportunities to practice French. Try to write short stories or letters in French to practice your writing skills. Find others who can speak French with you.

4. Have fun with it. Learning a language can be difficult, and you will get discouraged if you don't have a little fun. Look for reading samples that interest you, and find friends who can help make your French learning fun.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have the time and money, look into traveling to a place where French is spoken. Immersion in the language will greatly speed up your learning. Set reasonable goals for language learning. You won't learn to speak French fluently overnight, but you can get there if you work in small increments.
• Watch out for French words that look like English words but have a different meaning. For example, "travailler" means "to work" in French, not "to travel."

References

• Information about the French language
• Listing of French language-learning sites
• Directory of academic resources for learning French

Resources

• French language-learning site with detailed lessons and pronunciations
• Multimedia French-language learning and resources from the BBC

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