Coucou les French Learners,
Do you remember the saying? En avril, ne te découvre pas d’un fil. I think the English version of it is “Till April’s dead, change not a thread”. It is especially true right now as it is freezing cold here, in Portugal. It even snowed in Paris this past weekend!
Quelle est ton illustration préférée ?
The cold weather is actually perfect to record and edit the videos for the Teen Stage. My Dear Man and I are now working hard to deliver the Teen Stage sessions soon! This stage will be different from the Baby Stage and the Infant Stage but chut.. C’est une surprise ! Shh… It is a surprise!
The Baby Stage followed by the Infant Stage help you build a strong foundation. There are 61 sessions with exclusive videos, scripts and audio to understand and acquire words and structures which are essential to get by in French. You develop a strong understanding of the French language through compelling stories.
Watch the Baby Stage introduction in English.
I absolutely love Martina Bex post for language teachers about vocabulary. It also applies to language learners. Martina wrote:
Dr. Stephen Krashen posited that “We acquire language when we understand messages; when we understand what people tell us and when we understand what we read”. This acquisition of language that happens through exposure to Comprehensible Input is implicit and subconscious, and it eliminates the need for explicit vocabulary instruction and practice.
That is what the Baby Stage and the Infant Stage sessions are all about. NO need to study, learn and practice vocabulary. Just watch, listen and read stories with the intent to understand their messages. Your brain will do the work subconsciously. #trustyourbrain
Vinay who joined us recently wrote about the Infant Stage:
I like how you have raised the levels of stories from Baby Stage and added poems, and rich vocabulary!! Funny and interesting stories.
Watch the Infant Stage introduction in English.
#trustheprocess
QUOI DE NEUF ?
Commencer à parler français
We continue the series of videos to motivate YOU to acquire French toute l’année, all year long. Each video focuses on one tip or trick to keep acquiring French no matter what!
Our last video helps you to start speaking French. Speaking fluently is our ultimate goal as language learners, it is also the biggest struggle. Why? Because as adult learners, we are very self conscious. We think too much about pronunciation, structure and grammar. We want to speak perfectly without mistakes.
We also tend to start speaking when we are not ready to speak. We force ourselves to repeat sentences when when we should be hearing and reading input we understand. It is SIMPLE: first listen and read, think French then speak naturally (without forcing yourself!).
Start slowly. Don’t rush into speaking. In this video, I show you how to start repeating sounds and words you enjoy. It doesn’t have to be painful. Start speaking when you are ready. TRUST YOUR BRAIN!
Do you feel you are ready to speak? Which sounds and words do you enjoy saying out loud?
Froide_et_chaude commented:
I’m beginning to feel the urge to output in French more, for example speaking. I started talking to myself, narrating my days, things I’ve watched, read, heard, done. Still don’t feel completely comfortable yet. I’ve started reading in French and definitely see how that will fill a lot of gaps in my writing and speaking.
Le club de lecture
Two weeks ago, we talked about the first part of L’île au trésor. In our community book club, we had a lively discussion about summer holidays, attics and relationships with family members. Elodie commented:
I really enjoyed listening to people chat in French. You made it easy to feel connected. I understood more than I thought I would. Merci !
JOIN THE BOOK CLUB
This coming Friday April, 8
5pm UK / 6pm France / 12pm EST / 9am PST
We will be talking about Theresa Marrama’s book, L’île au trésor – Deuxième partie : la découverte d’un secret.
Daniel is spending another summer in Canada where he recently stumbled upon an old map of Oak Island. From the moment he found the map, Daniel was intrigued. He learned that his grandfather knew something about the Oak Island treasure and now Daniel is determined to find out how he knows so much.
Listen to the audiobook too. And on Friday, get ready to talk about treasures and mysterious islands!
Increase your vocabulary and comprehension #readingispower
Reduce your stress #relax
Communicate with real people in French #youcandothis
What are you waiting for? Join us now for as little as 5 Euros/month (so the same as having a nice drink)!
Happy French acquisition!
P.S. Got friends, family, colleagues or clients who want to become fluent in French? Share this with them, they’ll thank you for it!
Bonjour Alice, i agrée with your suggestions. I noticed that the more I hear a certain word or group of words it’s easier not only to remember them but also to use them. The poems by Jacques Prevert that are at the end of the Senior stories are beautiful and helpful. Their phrases are short and use the same words very frequently. For example in his poem, Rue Seine, a woman repeatedly exclaims “dis-moi la vérité, dis-moi la vérité. Not only does the poet help us understand that truth can be elusive, and have different interpretations, but also helps the French learner by fixing the impassioned phrase, it’s words meaning and sound in us.
I can’t believe I went through all the stories. I’m going to concentrate on my favorite ones and listen to them as often as possible. I signed up for your next class and am looking forward to it immensely. Blessings to you and your family, Diane Lundegaard
Merci infiniment Diane. Je suis si heureuse que tu apprécies les poèmes de Prévert. Ils sont si simples et si beaux. BRAVO pour avoir terminer de lire les centaines d’histoires sur notre site. C’est formidable, bravo !