French Language Now

If you would like to begin learning French for the first time, or to relearn it after years away from classes, figuring out where to go or what to look for can be overwhelming. So, what follows is a pros and cons list of things to consider when choosing your French beginners lessons, to make it easier to sort through all of the possibilities.

ONLINE COURSES:

• PROS:
  • Inexpensive – At only about $100 for the entire package, they cost much less than one semester at a local college or a few hours of private tutoring.
  • Flexible – you can learn at your own pace, and at any time of the day or night. Plus, you don’t have to wait weeks or months until the next college semester starts to begin lessons – you can start learning five minutes from now!
  • Interactive – the best programs include audio and visual media, so you can see, hear, and practice the language.
  • Access to help 24/7 – With the included learners forums and the option to email instructors, there is no need to wait a week for help as you may have to do with a college course or tutoring.
  • Enjoyable – Instead of the angst that usually goes along with the classroom setting, you can learn while playing games in your pjs at home.
  • Risk-free – The better programs offer free mini-courses so you can try the program before paying any money for it.
• CONS: If you like to learn through live, face-to-face interaction this won’t be the best option for you.

CLASSES AT A LOCAL COLLEGE:

• PROS: Interactive environment with live help during classes.

• CONS:
  • Class times are fixed, so there may not be classes at times that fit into your work and family schedule.
  • Practice time (listening and responding in French) is limited to the time you are in class.
  • Pricey, since it takes many semesters to become fluent.
  • Speed at which you are taught is limited – you can’t go faster or slower than the pace offered in the course.
  • There may not be college classes in your area.

PRIVATE TUTOR:

• PROS: Personalized attention, potentially with a native speaker.

• CONS:
  • Expensive – averaging $40 per hour!
  • Practice time (listening and responding in French) is limited to the time you are with the tutor.
  • There may not be tutors available in your area.

I may seem very biased towards online courses, but there are many good reasons for that! Comparing the time I spent studying in a classroom years ago as a beginning French student with the newest online programs, I feel like most of the time in the classroom was a waste of time and money, and I see how much more quickly I could have become fluent from home. Not to mention, the online courses are just so much more interesting and engaging than the French lessons for beginners classes I took.

I am a huge fan of the Rocket French program, as it’s so much more reasonably priced than Rosetta Stone, and it has all of the bells and whistles (plus free, automatic updates to the software).

Here is a more comprehensive article I wrote a while ago regarding French beginners lessons, in case you’d like to read more:

Almost all adult education centers will have some manner of French lessons for beginners. These tend to be run with many people in a class and with a trained teacher. This is all very well and you will get the benefit of a native speaker to help you. However, some people may be unable to attend on a regular basis and the classes are quite time consuming. They also involve speaking a foreign language in front of others which can be a little daunting to say the least.

French lessons for beginners don’t have to be difficult or scary. You don’t have to throw yourself in at the deep end and get utterly confused by everything you hear and see. You could opt instead for a program that’s been designed by experts; a French beginners lessons program that gradually builds up your skills and confidence so that you never feel out of your depth. Your local adult education center or college certainly doesn’t have any of these.

An online program is just what a beginner might need and you can have a go whenever you have the time or patience. They are much cheaper than the real world alternative since they do not require you to pay a tutor for their time and neither do you have to travel to the center at a given time each evening. You can set it up easily by turning on your computer and then spend as long as you like. I don’t remember being offered a coffee at the adult education center, either.

The online approach is a much more interactive way of learning and is a really useful tool if you want to practice French as well as just being filled with endless phrases by an audio CD or book. By using the language and practicing it with some games and other fun resources, you will firmly lock in all of that new vocabulary and will never have to stutter your way through a conversation again.

This approach is certainly going to keep you interested and will enable you to follow this golden rule: French beginners lessons are most effective when they are done often. This doesn’t mean you have to spend hours per da,y but rather follow the golden rule of little and often. In this way you can add a little bit every day and you won’t have to take up too much time. This makes you more likely to follow through with the course right to the end. By keeping yourself interested in French you will concentrate a lot more and feel more alert. Nothing is more frustrating that not being able to find the words you know are in there somewhere.

With the most effective French lessons for beginners your language will progress rapidly and you will soon be needing some more advanced French lessons. Using an online resource could make your French more fluent in a much shorter period of time and is well worth a try. It’s not as expensive as non-virtual classes and thus I would sincerely recommend you give it a go.

Click here for the easiest, most convenient French lessons for beginners!

Oh là là, impressive, being able to speak French!  Very few people in the English speaking world have this skill and it is a very sensible attribute to have under your belt.  Not many people know a second language at all in today’s monolingual culture and this is not a good thing.  Only as much as 30% of the world speaks English and French is the language of European diplomacy.  So perhaps we have a good use for some French language classes?

There is no doubt that learning a language presents its fair share of challenges, but if you get some good French language classes you will soon be well on your way in the French speaking world.   So what kind of French language classes exist and how can they be of use to you?

Many adult education establishments can offer French lessons and there are also many private tutors around who can help you pick up the language. Even though these options give you access to a fluent speaker, you will certainly have to pay far more than you have to. You could find yourself paying anything up to $50 an hour for a private tutor.  This is ridiculous, and learning French should not be so expensive.

There is another option, however.  Online language courses are becoming more and more effective and can be a really efficient way to spend your time if learning French is your aim.  They are so much cheaper than a tutor or non-virtual French lesson, and you can do them at your own convenience.  This could save you time and money and you can fit them around the other things in your life.

Online French language classes are interactive and relevant.  They will teach you the language that you need to know and are not as obsolete as many of the French textbooks on sale are.  The audio files can help you fine-tune your pronunciation to perfection and I’m sure you won’t miss the expense of an hour of a tutor’s time.

The interactive nature of these courses is really quite impressive.  It is a good way to learn and will help you get in some practice with some practical applications of the language you are learning.  It is certainly an advantage to try some French language classes online and you may pick up the language very quickly.  These courses are designed by experts in the language learning field who will guide you through the process in a methodical way.  It is truly the best way to learn a language.

Online French language classes are by far the most cost effective way to learn a language and are also very fun and effective.  This beats sitting in a classroom by far, and is much cheaper than a private tutor as they really know how to charge.  Learning a language like this is as fun and interactive as it is effective and is by far the best way to approach a difficult task.

Click here for the most effective French language classes available!

There aren’t many of us who haven’t gotten a CD from the Sunday papers and thought we could use it to become fluent in a language.  This isn’t quite the case and it’s really not a great option.  I would cede that it is necessary to hear the language in order to understand its pronunciation, but these methods are so very one dimensional.  They just fire French at you at a million miles per hour and chuck in their English translations as well.  French audio lessons are slightly lacking sometimes, but are there any better alternatives?

The one thing that a standard audio CD lacks is the ability to interact and practice.  You can repeat everything they say, but this is still not an effective way to learn.  If you really want to learn how to speak French, then there are many ways of doing so that are more effective.  These will ensure you remember your French.

There are many online French sites that have French audio lessons as part of their inventory.  They help you to understand how you would hear French in a francophone country, but they do this in a more three-dimensional way.  These programs give you the chance to interact with the language for yourself and try out the words that you are hearing.

The best way to learn a language is by applying it yourself to real life situations and by using it in place of just hearing a CD blast out some phrases.  This is also a more long-term strategy as it allows you to bury the information firmly in the center of your brain where it certainly can’t escape.  This makes the online approach more long-term and worthwhile; there is no point spending several hours on something you are likely to forget very quickly.

These are just as convenient as the audio CD and they come with so much more as well.  Online courses have French audio lessons and use these in conjunction with other resources to make your experience well-rounded and complete.  You just don’t get this with a standard audio CD and many of them are outdated.  You can be pretty sure the internet is up to date and relevant.

These courses will guide you through the process of learning a language and ensure you are never put out of your depth.  They will support you where you need it and give you all the information you need to make sure you learn French as effectively as possible while spending as little time as possible doing so.

French audio lessons are all well and good, but you need to have the whole package if you are going to become truly fluent.  Online courses are great for this and will give you all you need to become fluent in your chosen language, whether it’s French or otherwise.

Click here for the ultimate French language program!

Beautiful, elegant and classy; three words that fit the French language perfectly (belle, élégante et classe, in case you were wondering).  They sum up the language that has given us so much in terms of culture and literature.  It is the leader in terms of fine arts and sophistication, yet so very few of us know how to speak the language, and this is such a shame.  But, with some French language lessons you can make yourself stand out from the crowd.

French language lessons don’t have to be dull or difficult or even expensive.  Many people are put off as they think it will require too much effort or because it may be a little costly.  It really isn’t that difficult or money-burning, and you can get hold of some quality French language lessons for a very reasonable price.  Many other methods are either very expensive or just plain ineffective – some are even useless.

I would really not advise you to try any of the silly self-teaching books or guides that adorn our bookshops as these are not effective in the slightest.  You will not ever gain fluency from a textbook and you will find the experience completely boring to say the least.  These ways are not effective and if you really want to learn French and if you are really determined to do so, I would suggest you find a much more effective program.

French language lessons rarely get more effective than the very interactive and relevant ones that you can find online.  These have a more interesting user-interface than a book and are much more up to date and modern.  They only teach you the language that you actually need to know and will have you speaking fluent French in no time.

These online programs are really useful and can be easily worked around your busy lifestyle.  They are more effective and thus require less time than any other French language lessons.  The way you can interact with these course makes them fun and thus much more enjoyable.  The chances are that you will want to continue with this type of program and not just give up due to boredom.  If you can keep it interesting then your motivation to spend a few minutes here and there learning French will be much higher.

French language lessons are not always so difficult or expensive after all.  You can get some great quality lessons online and these can be really effective.  It is a nice way to learn a language as there is no pressure and you can enjoy the language in a more relaxed and casual manner.  This has to be worth its salt and is by far more effective than a silly guide or CD course.  Only the most determined will see the end, so make sure you are one of them with some enjoyable and effective courses.

Click here for the most effective French language lessons available!