Learning French again .....?

Question

Growing up I went to a french school. When I got to high school, I left the french one and went to an english school. I am fairly good in french, I can somewhat carry on a conversation. I want to perfect it again. What should I do?? Do i buy a french/english dictionary and start learning the words again? start reading french books and watching french television. Any suggestions?

Answer 1

Watch films (better without subtitles, but if you really don't understand, watch it with subtitles, preferably French one)

Read newspapers, magasines (there are so many, I'm sure you'll find one you like). You can read online newspapers online as well (Le Monde; quite difficult), and magazines (go to virgin.fr)

Read novels or short stories if you like literature.

Watch French TV programs. Canal + is my favourite channel (I'm French, but live in London, and can watch plenty of programs):
http://www.canalplus.fr/
Go to "Videos, bandes annonces" (right hand side)
Here, some of the programs are just trailers, but here's an overview:
In CINEMA:
L'hebdo cinema (TV show where they invite actors, etc)
In DIVERTISSEMENTS:
En aparte (guests; the woman doesn't speak fast)
Salut les Terriens (I really like that one)
- a few of the stuff in there can be seen in the one below
In DOCS INFOS:
Le grand journal de Canal plus (I watch it all the time - these days, they have a lot of politicians; you can always skip some of the sequences, anyway; I also like "Le petit journal"- the guy's very funny)
Anyway. Browse around, you'll probably find something you'll like, I think.

To watch Canal +, you'll need to log in. It's free. They ask for part of your address, so for town, choose "Toulon" and for the post code "83000".

There's also:
http://www.france5.fr/videos/
More serious programs. UBIK was quite good (haven't seen it in a while, though). They give a summary of what the program is about, anyway.

Hope that helped! Might be a bit difficult at first, but some of the presenters don't speak too fast, so it should be ok.

Answer 2

In addition to my mother tongue, I have studied more than 7 languages; I mastered some and I can manage using some. Also some are dying, Example: I used to be fluent in French, but since I have not used it for over 25 years it has almost completely disappeared. I am a bit upset. I want to be good in French again. What am I to do? We, both are on the same boat. What to do, then?

Well, deriving from my young-age experience and how I succeeded in learning more than one language, I would suggest:

1. Watching the news in French.

2. Watching movies subtitled in French. This is how I learned English; having a notepad and a pencil writing in the movie theater darkness (no videos and DVDs during my time) what I wanted to learn.

3. In order to learn swimming, you should through yourself into the water. In your case, you are already familiar with the water; therefore you won't be afraid of drowning. Go to Quebec, anywhere, where there is no other language spoken but French. Thus forced, you will have to learn in order to live.

Learning the words again by buying French/English dictionary won't help that much. A language is a living entity, not words confined to a book. Moreover, French is known for irregularity, constructions, idiomatic expressions, etc. the understanding of which, will not be absorbed unless you live them on daily bases.

Good luck!

Answer 3

You know ( I'm French ) I started learning English when I was 7 ( pretty early ) and I love talking English
so I watch american channels , American movies , I read a lot U know I do a lot of stuff to learn all I can, to improve again and again ! U should do it if U don't wanna lose your French !
See you !

Answer 4

bonjour. i would recommend watching movies in french with english subtitles. you learn really fast that way. also, start reading some french literature and look up words that you do not know. i'm taking french at high school, and my teacher says that to learn french, a person should watch movies in french and practice the verb conjugations by buying a french workbook.

espérez que des aides! (: i hope that right. i have really bad french grammar. -_-x

Answer 5

Go to France (or Quebec).