Learning French can be hard but speaking it seems harder. Even with this belief, most people have developed interest in learning the language for reasons best known to them. French is both beautiful and romantic and this has been a major reason why many people are interested in learning it. In the real sense, learning French can be easier if the right learning approach is used.
In most cases, the difficulty of a language will depend on the learner. Whether you believe the language is hard or not and if you have the right motivation. The key to learning any language easily is understanding what makes the language difficult and finding ways to overcome the difficulties. Once you know that, get a learning method that is fun and works best on you. The following are reasons why French is considered a hard language and how to overcome them.
There are so many silent letters
The French language is filled with silent letters and this can be scary when in written form. You don’t know how to remember the letters to ignore and what should be pronounced. Take for example the word “beaucoup” which means a lot or many. This word is pronounced as “bo-kü”. In roux (red) x is silent.
The good news is that most French pronunciation rules are consistent. In the word beaucoup, p is silent which is weird but in French language, p is always silent when located at the end of a word. The eau makes the “oh” sound in every word. Once you memorize such rules, you will know how to pronounce any words with the letters anytime you meet them in writing.
Every noun has a gender.
In most Romance languages such as French, Spanish, Portuguese, Romanian, and Italian, all nouns are either masculine or feminine. In every case masculine nouns are preceded by un (a) or le (the) while feminine nouns are preceded by une (a) or la (the). Everything in French has been assigned a gender be it a person, an animal, a career or an item.
In French there feminine and masculine versions of certain words. The ending of a word can help determine whether it is feminine or masculine. Most feminine words end with unaccented e. For example a female actor is une actrice while a male actor is un acteur. To be on the safe side, learn the rules of gender and do a lot of practice.
Sentence structure is different from English
In French, the word order in a sentence is different as compared to English. Adjectives appear after the verb in French as compared to English where the adjective comes before the noun. This makes it harder for a new French learner to remember the order of words in a sentence.
Despite this, the good news is that French has the same parts of speech as English. A French sentences have subjects, verbs, adverbs, adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and objects which are also found in English sentences. As a beginner, learn the basic sentence structure before diving into adjectives and adverbs. Learning bit by bit will give you more understanding and protect you from confusion.
There are accent marks
Unlike English language which does not have accent marks, they are prevalent in the French language. Most people shy away from pronouncing words with accent marks. You need to learn how the accent marks are used, what they mean and what they are all about. This will help you know when and how to use them.
French accent marks are only 5 thus easier to remember. The accent marks are very important as they help you to accurately pronounce French words. They ease the pronunciation of French words and also help you understand the meaning of a word. Once you have memorized all the 5 French accents, learning French will be very easy.
There is a large number of verb tenses.
There are different verb tenses in all languages (past, present, and future). French verbs in the present tense are self-explanatory and you are only needed to memorize the rules. The problems comes in when you have to talk about the future or the past as each scenario requires a different verb tense. Verb tenses are very many and knowing which one to use becomes a problem.
Learning and mastering all French verb tenses is very hard and will take a lot of time. Practicing as much as possible is the only way forward.
French etiquette and the formal and informal address.
There are different ways to refer to a person in the formal or informal way in French. This might be a little confusing especially to English speakers as ‘you’ is used to refer to the second person in the formal or informal context. The way you refer to your friend, your sibling, or your classmate in French is different from the way you refer to your boss, your elder, your in-laws, or your professor.
The pronoun tu (you) is used to refer to a single person in an informal way while the pronoun vous (you) is used to refer to more than one person where it means you all. It is also used to address someone in a formal way. Someone who is in a position of respect, authority, or someone you don’t know well.
French spelling is hard.
Similar to French pronunciation, French spelling is also hard. You are required to know the spelling of words some of which are not pronounced as they appear as some letters are silent. Apart from the silent letters, you are expected to remember all the accents used and abbreviate all nouns according to their gender.
To improve your spelling, ensure you practice as much as possible as practice makes perfect. The more you practice the better you become. Use any free time you have to practice the spelling of different French words ensuring know the meaning of each word and how it is pronounced correctly.
Counting in French is a bit hard
Counting in French from 1 to 60 is a little bit easy and straight forward. The problem comes when you reach 70 as Vigesimal system is used from there to 99. They do not have a version of 70 and “soixante-dix” which means sixty and ten is used. “Quatre-vingts” is used to refer to 80 which means four twenties and when you reach 99, “quatre-vingt-dix-neuf” is used which means four twenties, ten and nine.
This can be hard but as long as you accept everything without questioning, you will be on the safe side. Memorize and remember everything as it is no matter how strange it seems from all the other languages you have learnt. Every language is different and beautiful and should be accepted the way it is. Do not overthink anything.
Learning a new language requires a lot of effort and motivation as every new language has its difficulties. You can overcome French difficulties through practice and exposure especially in the areas that are viewed as difficult. Keep your expectations low and create small specific goals that will guide you in the learning process. Take one step at a time and with determination, you will meet your goals one after the other. Practice! Practice! Practice! This is your greatest weapon at mastering all the rules in the French language.
Benefits of learning French
French is an international language spoken by over 300 million people in the world. It is the fifth most spoken language in the word and it is the official language of 29 countries. French is taught in nearly all countries and there are French speakers in five continents and it is one of the most popular European languages. French has many benefits and it is a top choice for anyone interested in learning a new language. The following are some of the major benefits of learning French.
1. It is a language of international relations.
French is an official language and the working language of the United Nations, the European Union, UNESCO, NATO, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross, and the international courts. It is also the language of Strasbourg, Luxembourg, and Brussels which are the three cities where the EU institutions are headquartered. If you are considering getting a career in any international organization, French is the best language choice for you.
2. An advantage for studying abroad.
Having learnt French, there are better opportunities of learning in best French universities and business schools. Some of these institutions are racked as the best institutions offering higher education in Europe and the world at large. Studying abroad helps you experience the different ways of lives lived by people in other countries and also helps to improve your knowledge in the French language.
3. It is a career asset.
Having a good command in the French language can improve your ability to communicate with clients, employees, employers and vendors from all over the world. Being able to speak more than one international language increases your marketability as most employers and institutions prefer hiring a person who can speak more than one language.
4. A language for travel.
Travelling will be easier and enjoyable when you can express yourself in the French language. You will be in a position to communicate with people at hotels, restaurants, and transit systems. With more than 300 million French speakers, you will be more comfortable visiting any country with French speakers. It will be easier for you to interact with people with different cultures and learn a lot from them. You visit countries like France, Switzerland, Monaco, and many African countries without the fear of language barrier and learn from the locals in these countries.
5. The language for culture.
Language and culture go hand in hand. On the other hand, French is the international language of visual arts, architecture, theatre, dance, fashion and cooking. Having the ability to speak, read, and understand French enables you to access great works of literature from original sources, films, songs and written sources in their original language.
6. A language for international job market.
If you can speak French and English, you are in a better position of securing a job on the international job market. You can apply and get a job in France and other French speaking countries. France has one of the largest economies in the world and thus a leading destination for foreign investment. It is one of the best economic partner countries in the world.
7. It is a world language.
French is spoken by more than 300 million people in the five continents. It takes the second position after English when it comes to most learned foreign language. French is the fifth most spoken language in the world. The language is also taught in all countries in the world and there are many online sources providing French courses.
There are close to a million learners learning French-language courses in international network of culture institutions in France. France operates the biggest such institutes in the world. The IOF which is an international organization of French-speaking countries has a membership of 88 states and governments.
8. It can be a stepping stone to learning other Romance languages.
Learning French is not very hard especially to English speakers. You can use French as a bridge towards learning other romance languages as it is very similar to these other languages. The languages include Italian, Romanian, Spanish, and Portuguese. Learning a new language improves your confidence in tackling the challenges involved in learning a new language. It will be easier for you to learn a new language in the future.
9. Learning one language is never enough.
Speaking only one foreign language is not enough. If you can speak several foreign languages, you have better chances of studying abroad and getting jobs both locally and internationally. Learning any new skills helps to enrich your brain and expand your intellectual horizons. Learning a new language helps in keeping your brain alert and flexible even as you grow old.
10. Build and improve your business.
Due to the modern technology and especially the internet, the world is more connected economically that it was a few year before. Due to globalization, many companies and organizations can now freely operate across international borders and boundaries. Learning French will ensure you stay competitive in the global market. You can connect with individuals whom you major in the same or related field of production all over the world and learn from each other. You are in a better position of meeting new investors, clients, and partners from any country and this will help grow your business.
11. It is a language that opens up the world.
Learning French will give you the ability to view the world in a different way. You can view the world from the point of view of other people by following French thinkers and leaders from any part of the world. Listen to news from the leading international French media such as Radio France Internationale, France 24, and TV5Monde. This will give you first-hand information on what is happening in others parts of the world.
French is a wonderful language to learn as it makes a lot of positive impact on our lives. French helps grow our minds, our career, our social life, our academic life, and can also help grow our businesses. If you have the opportunity to learn the language, stop procrastinating and start learning right away. If you have already started learning, you are on the right path to a successful life. If you are a student learning French and you have any problems with your French assignments, contact Assignment Essays for assistance. We offer French assignment help services at a fair price.
Getting French assignment help from us will ensure you have more time to concentrate on learning and practicing. We will hold your hand through from the time you begin your lessons to the time you graduate. We will ensure you deliver all your French assignments on time and get high grades. Contact us immediately if you need any help with your French assignment or any class work and you will be assisted with the shortest time possible.
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