The previous post was about listening, speaking, reading and writing. Now we are going to take a look at how to best learn French vocabulary and grammar.
Learning French vocabulary
Learning French vocabulary can be tedious work, and there is really no way around it. You have to learn plenty of words to speak French fluently. However, you can improve your learning results if you use all your senses in the learning process. See how it goes:
- If you hear a word list, you will remember 20% of it.
- If you see a word list, you will remember 30% of it.
- If you hear and see the words, you will remember 50% of them.
- If you hear, see and repeat the words, you will remember 70%.
- If you hear, see, repeat and write the words down, you will remember 90% of them!
Language learning softwares can be extremely useful when learning French words. You will have to learn thousands of them so you might as well have the best French language learning software to help you in the task.
Studying words as lists isn’t the best way to get them stored into the long-term memory because it doesn’t push the brain to create associations (which is how the brain stores information). Learning French words is done best by using them one way or another, French conversation being the best choice. Imagine how fast you would learn fluent French if you could study French in France! You can try to improve your learning by doing something with the words you are working on. Here some ideas:
- creating sentences or stories; speak French while learning more
- classify or categorize the words
- try to find synonyms or antonyms
- use mnemonics i.e. devices which help you remember and learn French words. Anything goes: you can try them on remembering a word by creating associations, like linking it to some mental image, the funnier the better. You use images to link a word in your language with a foreign language word (example: English: carpet – French: tapis – imagine an oriental carpet with a tap as the central design on the carpet) or to spell the words you find tricky (example: ARITHMETIC: A Rat In The House May Eat The Ice Cream). Have fun with it, the stranger the associations, the easier they are to learn!
Visual ways to study vocabulary:
Use a language learning software.
Imagine a place or a situation where you want to place the words you are trying to learn. Place the words around your imaginary place as advertisement, shop names or street names.
Write the words on colorful pieces of paper. Take one paper at the time and take a “mental photo of the word”. You can make the image stronger by imagining a celebrity holding the paper. You can also pay attention on your eye movements while thinking about that word. Once you know which way you are looking at while thinking of the word, you can find the word later by turning your eyes to the same direction again.
Auditive ways to study vocabulary:
Use a French language learning software.
Read the words in different tones: happily, angry, sad…
Play music while studying.
Over-pronounce the words. Think about how the words feel and sound like.
Come up with situations where you can use the words you are studying.
Kinesthetic ways to study vocabulary:
Use a French language learning software.
Write a lot. Let your hand “save” the word in your memory.
Study the vocabulary while exercising, vacuuming, doing the laundry etc.
Play word games in French.
How to learn French grammar
When studying grammar, remember these things:
- Don’t try to study the rules by heart.
- Don’t just read the grammar book.
- Don’t leave grammar as a separate topic.
- Don’t try to use too many fancy terms.
- Don’t try to learn new vocabulary AND grammar at the same time with the same exercise.
- Don’t forget to ask why it is good to use a certain structure if you are not sure. Once you understand the rules instead of knowing them by heart, you can learn how to speak French.
You can make it easier to learn grammar by..
- understanding English grammar and finding similarities and differences.
- making your own rules.
- trying to figure out when you can use a certain rule
- making sentences about your real life. Write and speak by using the structures you have just learned.
- making yourself grammar exercises.
- using familiar words when you make examples.
- practicing a lot. Remember to write a lot.
- concentrating on essential rules. You cannot learn everything at once so choose the ones you really need.
Following some pre-set learning program like what the language learning softwares offer makes it easier to teach yourself French in the most useful order. Think about taking a free six-day French course! Just fill in the boxes below and you will learn how to speak French in no time!
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Written by Laura
Topics: How to Learn French