When you or your children first start learning French, you're all excited to be able to learn a new language. You repeat the new words or the new expressions that you just learned and you promise yourself and your teacher that you will be very serious in learning that language or in helping your kids learn it. Then a few weeks later, some of you, unfortunately, start losing some of their enthusiasm. They begin to lose their interest in learning as sometimes they seem not to notice any progress or sometimes you just feel discouraged. What to do in this case?
Whether it's about hobbies, foreign languages, habits, diets or exercising, most people always start with excitement, eagerness and big interest then after a few weeks they start losing interest in the new things they have started to learn and some of them even drop them altogether. The best thing to do in these cases is to avoid discouragement. How? When it comes to learning foreign languages, there are a few things to do to keep ones' interest high. Here you are some of them:
1-Keep it light. Don't take learning a foreign language too seriously. If you're trying to remember a word and you can't, don't be hard on yourself. The harder you try to remember it, the less likely you will. If you don't remember, that's fine! All you need to be sure of is that you didn't lose it. It's stored somewhere in your brain and it will show up when you expect it the least. So my advice to you is that if you can't find the word and you know that it's on the tip of your tongue, just take a deep breath and forget about it. Change your sentence in a way that you won't need that word anymore. For example: You want to say: "Je m'appelle Paul" because you learned that that's the best way to say " My name is Paul", but you just can't remember " Je m'appelle" so instead of trying hard, just let it go and try to say what you want to say in another way: For example" Mon nom est Paul" Even though, it's better to say " Je m'appelle Paul" than to say " Mon nom est Paul" it's still correct and people will understand you. Very soon, " Je m'appelle" will come back to you: either you will see it in writing or you will hear it in conversations or in songs and then you won't have any problem remembering it anymore. The key is not to get frustrated. It comes when it comes.
2-Go step by step. Start learning simple words, simple expressions, use them as often as possible, master them before you move to more complicated words and expressions . For example, you just learned how to introduce yourself, where you live, what you do for a living etc.. Try to practice saying for example: " Je m'appelle Paul. J'habite à Randolph. Je travaille à la banque" Say it as often as possible before you start learning other things. Here is another example. Let's say that you learned a few names of some colors: rouge, jaune, bleu, vert. Don't learn other names or colors until you make sure that you have learned the basic names of colors. Then, you can start learning: marron(brown), gris (grey), violet (purple), etc...
3-Sing along! I have said it one million times and I say it again: One of the best ways of learning a foreign language is through songs. Go to YouTube and look up some French songs and choose songs that inspire you. I recommend songs with French subtitles. There are many of them for all tastes. I’m sure you still remember “ Frère Jacques” or “Alouette gentille alouette” even if you have never learned French. How can that be possible? The brain has its mystery! We tend to learn more easily things that the brain labels as enjoyable. And what can be more enjoyable than music and songs! When you listen to French songs, you not only improve your pronunciation and your vocabulary, but you also develop fluency and overcome those blocks that prevent you from speaking the language. I have one song for you that you might like:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0feNVUwQA8U&feature=related
Edith Piaf is an icon of La grande chanson française. Her “r” is very pronounced; that might help those who have trouble with this sound.
4-Skype away! If you have never heard of Skype, it is a program that you can download online and that will allow you to talk, chat or video chat with all people in the world. It is free and very easy to install. You can search contacts in France or other French speaking countries and simply drop a line asking them if they want to chat with you in French. A lot of them would be pleased to do it. (A word of caution for children. Do it under the supervision of your parents. Never contact or reply to messages online from people you don’t know)
5-Don’t get frustrated when you can’t talk or understand French. Some students expect to be able to talk or understand everything after a few months of learning French. That’s not possible even with the most talented and gifted students. You have to understand that learning a foreign language takes time and like any other skill, it’s not the goal that matters the most; it’s rather the path you take to get to the goal and the enjoyment you get along the way. Make it fun. When you happen to meet a French native speaker, greet her/him in French and tell him/her that you are learning French and would like to speak with them in French. When a word or an expression doesn’t come easily, don’t get frustrated. Just smile and tell them “ Je ne parle pas encore très bien.” That will get you back in track and words will come easily. Also make sure you ask them to speak a little slower, by saying: “Pouvez-vous parler plus lentement s’il vous plaît?”
There are many ways around frustration. These were only a few ones. Bottom line: Never give up!
