Five practical tips to start learning French

Want to learn French, but not sure where to start? In this article, we'll take you through French grammar in a few steps. If you approach this in a structured way, you'll be able to form simple sentences in no time. And once you have a good foundation in French, you'll naturally want to learn more.

 
1. Build the foundation

A language has no beginning and no end. To learn the language in a logical order, you can start by learning the words and grammatical rules that you use most often in simple situations.

The best way to start your journey through the French language is with this French grammar:

• Personal pronouns such as je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils and elles.
• The most common verbs: être (to be), avoir (to have), aller (to go) and faire (to do/make).
• The order of a French sentence.

With these grammatical ingredients, you can already tell people who you are, where you live and what you are going to do today.

2. Learn French grammar with examples

You can memorise dry rules, but you learn best by applying them directly and recognising them in existing texts and dialogues. The more often you recognise the grammar, the faster you will pick up the structure of the language. So look for example sentences for the grammar rules.

3. Step by step through French grammar

Do not try to learn all the rules at once. Build up your knowledge gradually and practise in between. A good second step is to learn the following parts of French grammar:

• Regular verbs ending in -er, such as parler (to speak), aimer (to love) and habiter (to live)
• Articles (le, la, les, un, une, des)
• Nouns in singular and plural
• Basic prepositions such as à, en, de, sur and avec

4. Speak French out loud

You learn French by speaking. Hearing yourself speak gives you a better feel for the language. You practise your pronunciation and can compare it with that of native speakers. At Regina Coeli, for example, we often work with recording a text, which you then listen to together with a text recorded by a native speaker. Find the differences and improve yourself.

5. Making mistakes is essential!

If you don't make mistakes, you won't learn anything new. Accept that you will often say something incorrectly. But all those mistakes will ultimately lead to a good knowledge of French. You don't have to be perfect. The French make mistakes too.

Continue building your French

Once you have reached A1 level, you will have a foundation in the French language. You can then learn more verb tenses such as the passé composé and the imparfait. You will discover how to combine sentences with conjunctions such as parce que and mais and how to sound much more natural with small words such as “y” and “en”. Learn to talk about your work, travel and everyday situations. Once you start, there's no end in sight!

Every step brings you closer to fluent French. It won't happen in a day, or even in a week, but if you persevere, stay curious and ask for help from time to time, you'll get there.