How to learn French by yourself as a hobby in a year
Have you ever woken up and decide to do or try something new? To challenge yourself? That is what happened to me in December 2016, when I was packing my bags to move to France. One week before my flight I bought two learning french books in a cheap price in a book bazaar. And that’s how it started a challenge that ended successfully when I received my Delf B2 in November 2017.
During this year I met a lot of expats from different countries struggling to learn french. We shared our experiences and plenty of funny stories.
At the time I bought the books, I couldn’t speak or understand french at all.
When I had to go to the super market I needed google translator and body language.
In the offices I had to smile and wave asking for someone who can speak english.
In the restaurants I used to order with no clue of what I would eat. Well, I had to eat eggplant once which I hate.
The good part is that I mastered the body language and I found ways to communicate creatively.
Now it was the time, beginning of 2017 and my first two books were set in my desk.
I really enjoyed them! I learnt all the basic categories of vocabulary and grammar.
I used to study one to two hours per day:
- one chapter from the vocabulary book
- one chapter from the grammar book
- 10 to 15 minutes listening and writing from a website with fairy tales in french https://www.thefrenchexperiment.com/
After the first month and especially after finishing the first two books, I could see my progress.
I could understand and say basic words, which partially solved my problem in the supermarket.
The damn thing with french though is that a lot of words have totally different meanings but very small differences in pronunciation, which explains the laughter and the weird expressions of some people.
Unfortunately till now I can’t tell you what did I say wrong, it will remain a mystery.
I went online and ordered the next books of the same series, along with a detailed grammar for newbies. I kept my routine and my rhythm.
In parallel I started reading articles from french newspapers and listening to french music in youtube.
Reading was hard and time consuming, but it helped me a lot to increase my vocabulary and the quality of my writing.
I still remember vividly, one evening in the bus going home and reading the news. The only thing I understood perfectly was the forecast, so the next day I took my umbrella with me.
Don’t bother if you don’t understand everything and don’t be discouraged if you remember only a few words. Practise, practise, practise!
You can, potentially, start writing a diary in french. It works pretty well for some people.
Another good source for learning is the internet. I found a great website with endless material for B1, which became my main studying platform.
For listening I used an online free program launched by TV5 monde. There is a big selection of videos and exercises per level A1 to B2. Personally I found most of the videos very interesting and informative.
At that point my daily learning routine consisted of:
- one hour vocabulary lists and exercises from the internet
- learn new grammar rules weekly and do some exercises daily
- four to five french videos per week
- read a chapter from a simple french book or an article daily
- grab any opportunity to talk in french with people.
In the end of March I decided to subscribe for the B1 exams in the beginning of June.
I had one and a half months to get familiar with the exam style and reach the level needed. I ordered online a preparation book which is all you need in order to pass the exam (Les clés du nouveau Delf).
During the last month of preparation I focused completely on this book.
I didn’t pursue any new knowledge, instead I repeated as much as I could the grammar, expressions and vocabulary I had already known and I did all the example tests.
For the speaking part I was lucky as my partner is french, so I could train at home. I also tried the language exchange partner communities and you can benefit a lot while meeting new people and learning new things.
In the end learning a new language is part of experiencing a new culture. Meeting new people is a gift.
Back to me, after the successful experiment of B1, I ordered the same book for B2.
At that point, my level in communication had increased, although I had still some issues to understand and to speak.
One morning a plumber came home to fix the sink in the bathroom. He was speaking very fast and I couldn’t follow so I explained that french is a new language to me and I asked him to speak a bit slower. He started talking very loud. I wanted to tell him that I am not deaf but I think it was inappropriate given the effort he put, so I smiled.
For B2 I introduced to my studying an advanced grammar book and another preparation book for B2 from the alter ego series. I was very satisfied with both of them.
In my opinion Les Clés du nouveau Delf series is an excellent tool to prepare for an exam. It will give you all the necessary tips and rules. From the other hand the alter ego series will expand your knowledge in french. A thriving combination if you ask me. A grammar book is a must also!
Useful links:
- https://el.pons.com
- Conjugaison
3. Bonjour de France
Try also some comic books. There are a lot that you can find only in french. My favourite:
Do your own research! There are a lot of websites with different styles that might much you better. Experiment with different learning techniques and see which one works for you.
There are a lot of french movies and series that you might be interested. I really liked Amelie, although I watched it years ago with english subs.
My plans for 2018 include a french series. I don’t know yet which one.
I can proudly tell you that last month I attended a conference on risk management in the United Nations and I could easily follow the french presentations. I can also finish my paperwork and answer mails and phone calls in french with no problem.
Looking back, I am so satisfied with my decision and progress. I plan to set a new challenge to myself for 2018, so as to increase my knowledge and my productivity.
PS: You can download my notebook here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/19eFhZCoIM0yzWGgYqbO5ReNHCFqXCWTQ/view?usp=sharing
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