Why Is French Considered Easy To Learn
French and English share the same alphabet: the only difference is that youll find accents on vowels and le c cédille . Other than that, all 26 letters remain the same.
While English is originally a Germanic language, the language has evolved throughout the centuries under the influences of other Germanic languages, including Latin and French. Old English started developing during the Middle ages following William the Conquerors conquest of England in 1066, and the language has evolved ever since.
The French lexicon has significantly contributed to English. It is estimated that one to two-thirds of modern English vocabulary has French roots. There are many similarities between both languages, although some words have changed spellings and pronunciation .
The opposite is also true, as English has become the most spoken language in the world: many French words are of English origin .
As a native English speaker, these words are significant assets to expand your vocabulary. Beware of false friends some words look identical in both languages, but their meanings are very different!
How Autocorrection Can Help You With Conjugations
I found that writing French is a little harder than speaking for this reason. If you focus on speaking and you dont practice your writing, you will find that it can be pretty tricky to write a text message to someone in French, even once you speak the language well.
A trick you can use here is that you make sure you use the auto correction on your smartphone. When you want to write you eat and youre not sure if it should be tu manges or tu mange, you just write tu mang.. and most of the time it will show you the verb conjugation which is most likely to be correct.
In this case, the suggestions for the word are manger and manges. As manger is pronounced differently Im pretty sure the right conjugation for tu here should be manges.
You could say that Im cheating here, but why not use technology when its available? Texting in French is also a fun and useful way to practice your writing skills.
Watch Movies And Tv In French
Movies are an excellent tool for learning foreign languages. If you love watching movies in your free time, why not watch them in French? This activity will help you better understand the communication patterns of the language and get a grasp of the culture. An additional benefit of watching French movies is that they stimulate your brain to think in French.
We recommend you watch movies with French subtitles at first, but try turning them off after time so you can improve your listening and comprehension without relying on reading. Also, dont hesitate to pause, take notes, and repeat some phrases. This comprehensive list of movies for learning French will come in handy.
Pro tip: While it may be tempting to deep dive into original French TV series and movies, it might be easier to start with English language movies you know already that have been dubbed in French . This is so that you dont have to worry about following the plot while understanding the French.
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Is French Hard To Learn For English Speakers
Native English speakers have trouble pronouncing it. Because French is a multilingual language, it receives more attention than Italian at first.
If some parts of a word are stressed while others are not, this may result in some pieces being insufficiently distinct. Conversely, the French language is not very difficult either. To become fluent in this language is not as difficult as you might think. Identifying the correct way to pronounce English is difficult.
French Verbs Are Much Easier Than Italian Spanish German And Most Other European Languages
In English our verbs pretty much stay the same, no matter who is doing them. I speak, you speak, we speak and so on. The only exception is he, she or it, who actually speaks.
In French, things look deceptively different, although actually its pretty easy. The verb parler, which means to speak looks like this:
je parlevous parlezils/elles parlent
At first glance this might seem intimidating. But in actual fact, four of these are pronounced exactly the same way. Because s at the end is silent, je, tu, il and elle all really just parle, and the -ent in ils parlentand elles parlentis also silent, so sounds exactly the same as jeparle.
That leaves three endings: parle, parlons and parlez.But things get even simpler when you realise that vous parlezis pronounced exactly the same as the infinitive formparlerwhich means to speak.
So that leaves parlons, which is the most different of all the forms. But to make matters even simpler, French people rarely if ever say nous parlons. Instead, they just use the word on, which sort-of translates to one, and follows exactly the same pattern is il/elle parle. So we speak is on parle in colloquial French.
So when learning the verb parler , the only forms you really need to learn are parle and parlez, which sounds the same as the infinitive, and is only used for formal and plural you.
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Weird Spelling And Twisted Accents
As I mentioned earlier, the French way of spelling words is not exactly straightforward. Each sound can be spelled in several different ways, and we use a set of special characters that dont exist in English, such as ç, é, ê, and à, just to name a few.
Heres a list of all the special French characters:
- Accent grave: à, è, ù
- Accent circonflexe: â, ê, î, ô, û
The good news is that out of the twelve possible combinations of accentuated characters , only a few are commonly used, while the rest are rather marginal.
On a regular basis, youll deal mostly with é, è, ê, and à, and thats it!
- If youre not afraid of the more complex aspects of the language, jump right into our list of the most common mistakes you make while learning French!
Tons Of Study Material
France is the country of arts and rich in culture. There are a lot of movies, books, magazines, music and its easy to find them. Just pick up any materials interesting to you. You can learn and enjoy at the same time.
Do you feel less scary to learn French now? Of course, it takes effort to learn any languages, but dont give up to learn a language just because it seems hard. It may not be as difficult as you imagine.
Lastly, try our app LingoCards to make your learning easier.
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French Pronunciation Is Difficult
Beautiful is a word commonly use to describe the French language. You must be able to correctly pronounce the language of love to speak it properly. For English speakers, this may be a challenge. Pronunciation in French can be difficult for English speakers.
It is hard for native English speakers to pronounce French at first because there are simply sounds they arent familiar with. In general, French stress patterns are more even than English. The emphasis on the words does not differ as much as in English because some words are stressed.
The nasal vowels in French, back of the throat vowels, and silent letters are some of the biggest obstacles to learning French. These problems can be overcome by practicing. The one from the best ways to learn languages quickly is to practice pronunciation and speak it from Day 1.
English Words Of French Origin And Pronunciation
The second thing to watch out for when thinking is French hard to learn is the pronunciation of words.
The French accent, as many people claim, can be challenging and might frighten you a little bit as a native English speaker.
Guess what, though?
There are so many English words of French origin that will make this easier!
The English language has borrowed up to 40%, perhaps 45% of French words. This means that approximately 80,000 English words already exist in the French language.
Some of the most common French words that have been adopted into the English language include:
The fact is, since so many beautiful French words have been assimilated into the English language, this will make recognising them in their written form so much easier!
Youll definitely have no problems when reading the nouns of the French language with a little bit of practice.
What you might find a bit challenging is the pronunciation.
This might give us a slightly different answer to the question is French hard to learn?
Because, even though there are so many English words of French origin, they are all pronounced in a completely different way. And one of the most challenging things about French is the French accent.
French pronunciation tips
Working on French pronunciation from the very beginning is crucial.
Words might seem to blend or blur together so its important that you try to listen to French audios and listen to how French natives pronounce each word.
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A Language For Travel
France is the worlds top tourist destination and attracts more than 87 million visitors a year. The ability to speak even a little French makes it so much more enjoyable to visit Paris and all the regions of France, and offers insights into Frances culture and way of life. French also comes in handy when travelling to French-speaking parts of the world.
Silent Letters And Pronunciation: What To Watch Out For
Heres the final factor to consider with French difficulty: those challenging silent letters.
Just how difficult are they when learning how to speak French as a beginner?
The fact is that French isnt phonetic. This means that, unfortunately, we cant easily sound words out as we might be able to with the Spanish or Italian language.
In French, we have a few letters that are classed as silent letters. These types of letters are not pronounced in certain circumstances.
These silent letters can be grouped into different types to help you.
Tips for French silent letters
Silent letters have their own rules that can help you learn French more easily and practice pronouncingor not pronouncing silent letters.
Here are two of the rules to keep in mind when learning.
- Consonants that are found at the end of a word are normally not pronounced.
However there are a few exceptions to this rule. The letters r, q, l, f, c and bare all pronounced when you see them at the end of certain words.
So, in the word avec, the final letter cis pronounced. Its ah-vekk, and not ah-veh.
- E and h are not pronounced when they are found at the beginning of words.
Sometimes when theyre at the end of a word. Take the word hôtel, or héros, in both of these cases, we dont pronounce the letter h that comes at the beginning of each word.
We would say oh-tel to pronounce hôtel and eh-rho to pronounce héros.
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You Will Speak Earlier Than You Think: French Is Simpler To Pronounce Than English
Consider this.
If tomb in English is pronounced toom and womb is pronounced woom, then shouldnât bomb be pronounced boom?
Iâve got another one for you.
Enough, rough, tough and then⦠slough!
How about those homographs! These are words that are spelt the same but have a different meaning. Examples include:
âI lead the dog to the water bowl that is made out of lead.â
âShe wound the bandage around the wound.â
â¦What?!
English is not consistent when it comes to pronunciation. If youâre like me and you grew up speaking this language, rules like this will come naturally to you. You learnt them over time, through trial and error.
However, this can be extremely confusing for new learners. All languages have many rules. The problem is, English has about as many exceptions as there are rules themselves!
French pronunciation can seem difficult at first. Like English, there are a lot of silent letters. Nouns can be pronounced differently depending on whether they are masculine or feminine.
Similarly, there are several rules for French pronunciation that can drive English speakers mad. Indeed, it may seem that French at first glance, is as tricky, complicated and inconsistent as English.
I do, however, have a point to argue against this case.
Here Are Some Tips On How To Learn French:
1) Choose a course that fits your level and learning style.There are many different types of French courses available if youre just starting, a beginners course may be best for you. If youre more advanced, consider a more advanced course or a course with live tutors.
2) Be willing to practice every day.The more you practice, the better your skills will become! Try to set aside time each day to focus on your language learning goals.
3) Be patient it will take some time to get good at speaking and writing in French.dont be discouraged if your French skills arent perfect right away. With practice, you will eventually be able to communicate more effectively in French.
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What Is Your Native Language
Some languages are closer to French than others. Learning French will be easier if your native language shares the same alphabet and many of the same basic grammar rules. For instance, a native Spanish speaker will probably learn French more quickly than a native speaker of Chinese.
That said, dont let this hold you back, because another thing that can make learning French easier is.
Learn French For Travel
Nothing beats traveling to a distant land where your language is spoken. You will feel absolutely out of place if you simply drop by with no idea what is going on. Learning the local language and becoming acquainted with the way of life will make your travels even more enjoyable.
Youll meet more people and find it easier to get around, order your favorite cuisine, and find the coolest areas that are sometimes closed to tourists. Learn French before your next vacation to France!
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Is Spanish Easy To Learn For English Speakers
This question is frequently asked when deciding whether to pursue a language learning program. However, it is a myth that the language is easy to learn. Although it may be the easiest foreign language to learn, it is not the fastest. It will take a long time to master, but it is not impossible.
First, you need to learn the proper pronunciation of Spanish words. There are some exceptions to this rule, but Spanish is an easy second language to learn. Most words end in -o, but you need to remember that these are not the only two possible endings for a noun. Youll get used to the exceptions fairly quickly. Moreover, the English and Spanish verb tenses are the same.
Once youve learned the basics, you can begin learning Spanish verbs. It will help you communicate with Spanish speakers. Using the simple present tense will help you communicate effectively. However, if you want to make your audience understand what youre saying, youll also need to master the conjugations of the other tenses. By doing so, you can express your message more accurately.
Master Basic Grammar Rules
Learning essential words is an important first step you must make on your path to becoming fluent. It is also necessary to structure sentences properly by using correct grammar. There is no single, easy way to learn French grammar, but we recommend you start with these rules:
- Gender of nouns. A noun is either masculine or feminine. Understanding how this works and the patterns to look out for is worthwhile.
- The use of articles. French has the articles la for feminine nouns and le for the masculine l is also used when the following noun starts with a vowel. There are also indefinite articles un and une for masculine and feminine nouns.
- Verb conjugation. French verbs change based on the subject in a sentence. There are standard regular rules and exceptions known as irregular. Learning the rules for conjugation in regular verbs and a few of the most common irregular ones is a great starting point.
- Verb tenses. In French, there are 12 actively used verb tenses. Start by learning the present tense , the past participles , and the irregular forms of future tense.
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How Motivated Are You
When I started learning French, I wasnt the most likely person to do well in my class. Sure, I got good grades, but I had no previous experience with the language, only spoke English, and was slightly hard of hearing, which made learning correct pronunciation harder than it might be for the average person.
But I was motivated! I was fascinated by French culture and history, had a list of books I dreamt of reading in their original French versions, and loved watching French movies. In those early days of the internet, I even hung out in chat rooms where I tried to connect with French speakers.
This meant that I was willing to study, to ask questions, to do extra work, and to keep French in my life on a daily basis through the activities I mentioned in the previous paragraph. And so, I was more often exposed to French, more often thinking and writing in and practicing French than most of my classmates. That, ultimately, is what made me learn French faster than them.
So if youre worried that youre at a disadvantage in some way say you dont speak a native language thats similar to French dont focus on that instead, ask yourself how motivated you are.
Counting Logic In French Vs English
Counting in French isnt the same as counting in English. While cruising from 1 to 60 is relatively straightforward, things turn weird at 70. This is because French uses a vigesimal system after 60. Instead of saying a version of 70 they say, soixante-dix or sixty and ten. And then at 80, it gets even stranger, quatre-vingts or four twenties.
This continues until you arrive at the word for 99, quatre-vingt-dix-neuf or four twenties, ten and nine. French counting can be frustrating at first, but the system has a kind of quirk to it that you accept as strange and even remember it easier because its so different.
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