Here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DIDx9aiNnsP/?igsh=bDY2NjhzMDJlbHVr

I'm posting something exactly about this on my Insta tomorrow! 😉

I'll add the link if you're interested... 😊

Yes I agree! Good luck with your progress!

Hi! 👋

As a teacher, I also recommend the series "Progressif/ive" (published by CLE International Editions) for students who want to practice by themselves! (Vocabulary, Grammar, Communication... the series is wide!) It's very clear and straightforward (left page: explanations / right page: exercises).

Other books are also very good: I think about the "100% - Essentiel/le" series (published by Didier Editions), where the range of exercises is wider and more interesting than in the "Progressif/ve" series, according to me anyway...

That being said, I insist on the "practice" part: if students are self-learning, using solely grammar books like these would be very theoretical in the end... It's important to study in a certain context, having specific communication goals, etc.

Good luck with your learning everyone!

What do you usually like to read? I have some good titles but not sure if it will match your preferences...

Pardon, c'était ironique... 😅 Mais difficile de lire l'ironie à l'écrit... Mes préférées : "Angie" et "You can't always get what you want". 😉

Ah bon ? 🤔 Jamais entendu parler ! 🤷‍♀️ 🤣

Avec plaisir ! 😊

Un proverbe très bizarre (mais que j'aime bien) :

"Pierre qui roule n'amasse pas mousse."

À l'origine, il avait plutôt un sens négatif (être toujours en mouvement ne permet pas d'acquérir la stabilité), mais aujourd'hui il peut être interprété positivement (toujours avancer pour ne pas s'enliser dans la routine).

Hi! 👋
You can check this comment:

https://www.reddit.com/r/FrenchLearning/comments/1jg16rz/comment/miyg0ca/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button

Just saw this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/learnfrench/s/KPURZxpJ9r

Thought it could be a match... 😉

You're right.

Sentence 1: Indeed, both versions are grammatically correct, but yours is actually better (in the way we speak normally anyway).

Sentence 2: Again, both versions are correct, people do say that (with "là-bas" first). For me, the problem regarding the relative pronoun having to follow directly the noun it's refering to is mostly to prevent you from placing another noun before the pronoun, thus creating confusion.

For example: "J'ai regardé le chien du voisin qui aboie." is weird, because it seems that it's the neighbour who's barking. But: "J'ai regardé le chien noir qui aboie." doesn't allow any confusion (the color black cannot bark). Same goes for: "J'adore le chien du voisin que je caresse.", meaning you're petting the neighbour. But: "J'adore le chien noir que je caresse." is not a problem.

Maybe this subject needs further investigation/explanation, but I think another thing to consider is also rule VS actual use...

Hi! 👋

First of all, I am terribly sorry that you had this experience... I understand the frustration, and as a teacher myself, I feel really bad for you... 😓

Alliance française is, indeed, the most well-known French teaching institution around the world. I actually worked there for 10 years myself! 😊 Of course, each school is different (administration, teachers, material...), but the ones I've been working for were top quality! The choice of using only French can be explained, pedagogically speaking. It's actually an efficient way to immerse yourself in the language. However, it doesn't suit everybody, and the teacher ought to apply efficient teaching strategies to help you get on board! I've been teaching complete beginners since forever, using French only (90% of the time), and except for a handful of students, all of them moved to the next levels no problem.

That being said, let's not forget that, as students are all different, the same goes for teachers: you'll encounter some "better" than others, or just a better match for you... I'll add that it's crucial the students follow the teacher's advice in order to progress, so I hope you'll find a good one you can trust, and that you'll feel more confident about your learning!

Also, maybe group learning just doesn't match your learning style, and it would be good for you to start with a private tutor, at least to get started...

I hope I could help a little bit, feel free to reach out if you feel like it!

Edit: I agree with u/LittleMexicant about another reason why we don't use English in class (I forgot to mention it, so thank you). It's indeed also not to "discriminate" students who don't speak English and who might feel rejected as well... (but that's mainly if you study French in a French speaking context I guess...)

Hi! 👋

My opinion as a French teacher is that you should definitely start from A1 anyway, especially if you've never studied French before.

However, no doubt that you will be able to move way more quickly towards A2, because you seem to be good at languages and of course because French and Italian have so much in common.

But you don't want to miss out on some important things that you will need later. I always say: you don't build a house starting with the roof! You have to build strong foundations first... 😉

OK. Do you have any homework you need to prepare from one class to another? Can you maybe ask your teacher for extra assignments? Is there any conversation workshop, language exchange nights or something like that you can attend?

I also recommend you watch French movies and/or TV series with subtitles (best in French, but you can start with English or another language you feel more comfortable with). You can also read books: a French translation of a book you've already read in your language is a good start (my ultimate recommendation is always Harry Potter!).

Hi! 👋

Progress in the language depends on a lot of factors... We usually consider that about 80 hours are enough to complete A1, but its varies between 60 and 100 hours. It depends on the duration of each class, the frequency, whether or not your work on the side, whether or not you're immersed in a French speaking country or at least immersing yourself in French speaking situations (TV, radio, readings, meetings etc.). Also, each school/institution has its own program and schedule, according to the material they use: some teaching books are "heavier" than others, meaning that in the end, you'll be more A1+ than basic A1 (which is good, but takes longer). I, for example, used to teach A1 in 130 hours (intensive 2 months course), but to be honest, I felt I was rushing it... I would rather have taught 100 hours in 4 months for instance, give my students more time to let the information seek in, to practice, etc. But I was of course following the policy of my school, and had a great time anyway! Most of my students were happy with their progress and completed the A1 no problem.

So when you say "5 hours a week", is it like one class a week for 5 hours? Or twice for 2,5 hours? What do you do one the side? And how would you assess your own progress?

That's just the sign that French is growing on you... 😉

OK well Chinese won't help... 😅 Because Chinese speakers tend to mix /R/ and /L/ (I'm using a capital "L" just so it's possible to read it online but it's supposed to be lowercase actually)...

But if you can picture Spanish for example, I'd say the French /R/ is closer to the sound /x/ in Spanish (la "jota"), spelled "j" as in "jardín", "jamón" or "jirafa".

You can also try and imitate the sound of a tiger! 🐯

But the truth is, according to where the /R/ sound is in the sentence, you don't have to force it so much, and it can be very light, almost absent sometimes...

Practisting is good, but it's better to know how... 😉 Don't hesitate to reach out for help if you need anything!

Good luck!

You're right! 💯
Actually I wasn't trying to say that this is a rule that should be applied everytime, but rather trying to explain why it does change sometimes... I was also trying to find examples for each and every case, but indeed, except for "accueil", "cueillir" etc., there is no other words like this... But still, it exists anyway, so worth being added to the list I guess...
Thanks for helping clarify my comment though! 🙏

Hi! 👋

It's all about what combination of letters produces what sound:

C + A, O, U = /k/

• cadeau
• costume
• culture

C + E, I, Y = /s/

• cerise
• cigarette
• cygne

But you can't cheat the code:

Ç + A, O, U = /s/

• français
• commençons
• reçu

CU + E, I, Y = /k/

• accueil

The same goes for the letter G:

G + A, O, U = /g/

• gâteau
• gorge
• gustatif

G + E, I, Y = /ʒ/

• génial
• girafe
• gyrophare

And you can also cheat the code:

GE + A, O, U = /ʒ/

• mangeant
• mangeons
• mangeur

GU + E, I, Y = /g/

• guépard
• guitare

Even if the Ç, CU, GE and GU can be found in all types of words, these "cheat codes" are mainly used when conjugating verbs, because the form varies a lot.

For instance, in the verb "commencer", the last C is always supposed to be pronounced /s/. But, if I conjugate the verb "normally", regarding "nous", I should write "commencons" and so pronounce /komɑ̃kɔ̃/. However, what I really want to say is /komɑ̃sɔ̃/, so I need to write "commençons" to match the intended pronunciation.

Same with the verb "manger": if I simply write "nous mangons" and follow the pronunciation rule, I should say /mɑ̃gɔ̃/. But again, of course, the verb is /mɑ̃ʒe/ and not /mɑ̃ge/, so I write "mangeons" to get the correct pronunciation /mɑ̃ʒɔ̃/.

Here you go, I hope this helps!

OK, thanks for the details!

Then as I said, don't worry about your /R/ sound: it's just part of your accent and won't prevent people from understanding you...

However, if it's more of a personal challenge and if you really want to achieve it, it's possible to work on it (knowing where to position the tongue is a good start, but it's very theorical... some more practical exercises exist!).

Do you speak another foreign language?

"Nul" is literaly "lame"... But to help you choose the best option, we'll need more context for the sentence ("Il a fait un truc vraiment nul"). What's the story behind the situation?

Hi! 👋

Maybe you can organise practice with your fellow students? Kind of a mock oral exam?

Of course I was not picturing anything of that sort (you forcing your French on them), but more an enthusiastic encounter... 😅 But maybe it was just me projecting the way I would react, sorry...

And, of course, I was also imagining everyone in France being polite and requesting to speak English with you before doing so... (again, something I find normal and would personally do).

Now, I'm sorry to say that I'm running out of ideas... Maybe the "just lie" advice someone posted was the best then! That's actually something I sometimes do when I'm abroad and don't want people from my country to talk to me in my language... Why not give it a try... 🤷‍♀️

Good luck anyway!

What's your native language? Because you said your /R/ sounds English... If that's the case, it won't be a problem at all. The same goes for a lot of other languages, but not all...