Petites lectures

Learning French

7 things that will make your learning experience a bliss

1️⃣ Learn French to embrace a new culture

French is the 🌐 fourth most spoken language in the world. It is used by a number of European states, such as Belgium, France, Luxembourg, and Switzerland. Across the rest of the world, it is also used by many African countries (either as a first or as a second language) as well as by Canada. Therefore, learning French will enable you to:

  • communicate with many citizens of these countries and regions of the world,
  • discover their culture, which comprises arts, beliefs, history, literature, living styles, sciences, sport, etc.
  • understand different mindsets.
Furthermore, French and English are “cousin” languages. Indeed, many English words such as beef, cuisine, elite, exactly, force, pardon, royal, etc. have a lot in common with their French equivalents. As you learn French, you will also be able to enrich your English vocabulary.


2️⃣ Practise regularly

You should spend at least 20 minutes a day on your French studies, excluding any time spent in class.


3️⃣ Be prepared to talk about your lessons

🏡 At home

After each lesson (be it a lesson which took place at school, or a lesson from our book), you should:

  • try to remember what the lesson was about, based on a story, a conversation you had with your schoolmates or with your teacher during the French lesson, etc.
  • use your notes and your book to prepare a little speech, in French, which summarises the lesson. Try to reuse the grammar, the vocabulary and the sentences you learnt as much as possible.

🏫 At school

  • Volunteer to talk about your last lesson when the teacher invites you to do so.
  • Try to be accurate, but do not be scared of making mistakes. Mistakes are part of the learning process, and your teacher is there to help you correct them.


4️⃣ Learn your conjugation tables

There are a few things you need to learn “by heart” if you want to be good at French. Conjugation tables are one of these things.

French verbs have different “flexions”, i.e. forms under which they can manifest. These flexions depend on the verb category (which the French call “group”), the subject, the tense, and the mood. You need to learn these flexions in order to recognise the verbs in a text or in a conversation, and to use them properly when you speak or write French.

We suggest that you focus on the présent de l'indicatif first, before concentrating on the other tenses.

Note that conjugation mistakes can severely impede communication, which is why they are so bad. In a nutshell, learning your conjugation tables is essential if you want to dramatically improve your French.


5️⃣ Read and listen to French people talking about French culture

There are plenty of online resources for intermediate learners that you could use to boost your French. We would like to recommend:

If you are more into reading stories, you may also like:

No matter which resource you use, every time you find a word or a turn of phrase that you like and that you think you may need for your own productions, learn it and use it!


6️⃣ Take part in French conversations

🏫 At school

  • Use every opportunity the teacher gives you to speak French and to reinvest what you have learnt.
  • Always try to express your own opinions when you practise the language. If you struggle, try to explain or to describe them with simpler words or phrases. With the help of your teacher, you will eventually learn how to express your thoughts more effectively.

☕ In private

  • It can be useful to get in touch with a native speaker of your age, so that you can practise French with her/him and share your knowledge of English in return. If you are under the age of 18, you should ask one of your parents for permission and assistance with this.


7️⃣ Look at some past papers (if you are a GCSE French candidate)

The AQA board publishes 🌐 sample papers on their website (sujets zéro), as well as past examination papers (annales). It is useful to work on these materials as the exam draws near, to become familiar with its format.



4 things that will turn French learning into a painful experience

1️⃣ Do the bare minimum for the GCSE

Here are a few reasons why you should not aim for the bare minimum:

  • First of all, no one knows what the bare minimum is. If you get it wrong, you could fail your exam.
  • A narrow pass at the GCSE French does not stand you in good stead for further studies in French, such as A-level studies. You should be aware that the gap between the GCSE and the A-levels in terms of difficulty is significant (and the adjective significant is an understatement). If you aspire to take up A-level studies in French, you should aim for top GCSE grades.
  • Doing the bare minimum will reduce your chances of feeling confident in your abilities to speak French.


2️⃣ Focus on learning the prescribed vocabulary list only

The AQA GCSE French specification is accompanied by a 🌐 prescribed vocabulary list. Thanks to this list, teachers and pupils know the range of words that will be tested through the Reading and Listening papers. It is important that you learn the vocabulary that is included in the list. However, there is a catch...

Vocabulary should always be learnt in context.

If you learn vocabulary from the list directly:

  • You will find that words can have more than one meaning. For example, the word arriver is presented as follows:
    • French: arriver / arriver à + infinitive
    • English: (to) arrive / arriving ; (to) manage + verb ; (to) succeed in + verb / managing + verb ; succeeding in + verb.
  • You will need to think about the manner in which these words are used in sentences, for each separate meaning. Here are a few examples with the verb arriver:
    • Les élèves arrivent à l'école à huit heures. (= they arrive)
    • Est-ce qu’il arrive à faire tout ce que je lui ai demandé ? (= does he manage)
    • Arriver à maîtriser deux langues étrangères en même temps, c’est une performance ! (= succeeding in)
  • You will need to care about all the details. For example, succeeding in + verb is not the same as succeeding in + noun:
    • Succeeding in your exams requires a lot of effort cannot be translated as: Arriver aux examens nécessite beaucoup d’efforts.
    • Instead, it should be translated as: Réussir aux examens nécessite beaucoup d'efforts.

You should never learn vocabulary in isolation from a sentence or a text.


3️⃣ Translate everything you hear or read word for word

There are a few translation exercises in the AQA GCSE French exam. But generally speaking, you should try to think in the language you learn, and refrain from translating everything you hear or read word for word. Indeed, literal translations do not always work. This is especially true for collocations (words that “live together”) and idioms, but also for grammatical structures that are different between English and French (reflexive verbs, for instance).


4️⃣ Lay too much emphasis on grammar

Grammar is important, but it is not the be-all and end-all in French.

  • Remember that you will be tested on your comprehension and expression skills. Therefore, you are not expected to be able to explain grammar in detail, but you should have a working knowledge of grammar.
  • Except for conjugation mistakes, most grammar mistakes will not prevent you from expressing your own ideas in French and making yourself understood by French native speakers. The French are generally delighted when someone tries to speak their language: they will congratulate you on your efforts rather than picking you on every small mistake.