When learning a new language such as French, people often only practice the language in class. It is important to take some time to practice the language on your own time as well. This will help you improve and learn the language much quicker. If you are wondering how you could practice your French outside of class, the following tips are just for you!

Watch French Movies/Shows

Watching movies in French is a great method to practice your French. It is a good way to learn different expressions and vocabulary, as well as listen to how different words are pronounced. You could watch your favourite movies or shows in French with English subtitles or vice versa. This would depend on which one you’re comfortable with. It may be helpful for you to watch a movie or show that you have already watched in English. This will help you understand what is going on, especially if you choose to watch it in French without the English subtitles.

Listen to French Music

Listening to music or the radio in French is a very helpful way to practice the language. You could start by listening to current hits and later explore different artists and genres. Lyrics to songs are pretty easy to memorize. This is because they are very repetitive. It may be difficult to memorize the French lyrics at first, but the more you listen to the song, the easier it will be. You could also translate the lyrics from French to English to better understand the song. It will help you learn new words and possibly some French slang!

Read in French

Reading in French is another amazing way to continue practicing your French outside of French class. It can help you learn new vocabulary. If you are a beginner, you may want to read something that has many pictures. You may choose to read comics or magazines. There are also books written for French learners. They have translations from French to English and some also include CDs or audios for you to listen to while reading. There are also many books for advanced learners. French books could be found online or at a library.

Find People to Practice With

Being able to practice your French with others can be very helpful. If the other person is a native French speaker, you can learn from them. If you are both learning the language, you can learn from each other. You could find and attend French events taking place in your city. There are also free apps that will connect you to others that also want to improve their skill in the language. You could find French people that are looking to improve their English and the two of you could help each other. If you can, you should also travel to French-speaking locations. This is a good way to get yourself out of your comfort zone and speak the language.

Practice Everyday

In order to learn a new language, it is very important that you work on it every day. It can be for as little as ten minutes. Don’t be afraid to talk to yourself in French. Try to narrate your daily tasks. You could also talk to your pets or respond to movie characters in French. It can be very easy to forget a language especially if you are not fluent. With time, including French in your daily life will become a habit and it will help you learn much quicker and more efficiently.

Practicing French in class as well as on your own time will have you easily speaking the language in no time! From now on, try to incorporate French into your daily life. Your future self will definitely thank you for your time and dedication.

Do you want to practice right now? Click the red “En Franćais” button at the top of this page to read the French version of this article. Open it in another window to read the English and French versions side-by-side. Bonne chance!

Resources

Alpine French School. “Great ways to practice outside your French lesson.” https://alpinefrenchschool.com/blog/great-ways-to-practice-outside-your-french-lesson/#

Bibard, Frederic. “10 Best Learning Tips Shared By French Learners.” Talk In French. https://www.talkinfrench.com/advice-learning-french/

Centre International D’Antibes. “10 tips to learn French fast.” https://www.cia-france.com/blog/tips-to-learn-french/tips-to-learn-french-fast/

Haslett, Jamie. “Practicing French…Outside the Classroom.” French Cultural Center. https://frenchculturalcenter.org/2018/10/15/practicing-frenchoutside-the-classroom/

Richards, Olly. “10 Tips To Learn French Fast Even if You’re A Language Learning Newbie.” StoryLearning. https://storylearning.com/learn/french/french-tips/learn-french-fast