French the natural way: is it OK to translate?

Coucou les French learners,

This week, I got a good question from a new member who struggles to acquire French. This new member wants to remain anonymous and he is a total French beginner. He commented in the Chat:

I’m struggling to understand anything without translating every single word.

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abisproduction230 acquire50 acquiring18 advanced beginner472 authentic168 autonomouslearner231 babystage24 beginner french28 beginnercourse68 cicommunity110 community184 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 course124 dailyfrench219 dailyreading32 fall17 fall lessons2 fle298 fluency107 freewrite50 frenchacquisitionforall34 frenchcommunity256 frenchculture295 frenchfluency19 frenchforall222 frenchjourney20 frenchreaders66 improve19 improvement15 inputaloneissufficient252 intensive176 intermediate736 journey195 language acquisition258 learner246 lefrancaisensemble235 listen312 live62 liveclass98 natural194 novice168 novice high270 novicehigh355 online learner216 process22 produce12 production44 progress130 reading281 reboot99 selftaught48 slow french340 speak85 speakfrench208 teenstage16 tips50 tpr19 translate7 translating6 translation4 upper beginner449 write59

French the natural way: 5 tips to improve your French pronunciation

Coucou les French learners,

Two weeks ago, I posted Antony’s question about having the correct pronunciation in French. The challenge of the French language is pronunciation. It is challenging to read in French because spelling does not match pronunciation.

There are also all those “weird”

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abisproduction230 advanced beginner472 authentic168 autonomouslearner231 babystage24 beginner french28 beginnercourse68 cicommunity110 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 course124 dailyfrench219 dailyreading32 expressfluency80 fall17 fall lessons2 fle298 freewrite50 frenchcommunity256 frenchculture295 frenchforall222 frenchreaders66 improve19 improvement15 inputaloneissufficient252 intensive176 intermediate736 language acquisition258 learner246 lecture28 lefrancaisensemble235 lisenfrançais211 listen312 natural194 novice168 novice high270 novicehigh355 online learner216 progress130 prononcer5 pronounce31 pronunciation11 reading281 reboot99 selftaught48 slow french340 speak85 speakfrench208 storyasking15 summercourse8 teenstage16 tips50 upper beginner449 write59

French the natural way: back to you!

Coucou les French learners,

Here we are after a much needed summer break! Here are a few pictures about our family time on the beach and in Spain (Galicia & Navarra).

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abisproduction230 advanced beginner472 authentic168 autonomouslearner231 babystage24 break6 cicommunity110 classes39 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 course124 dailyfrench219 expressfluency80 fall17 fle298 french lessons7 frenchcommunity256 frenchforall222 frenchreaders66 frenchtraditions29 fvr53 holidays10 inputaloneissufficient252 intermediate736 language acquisition258 learner246 lecture28 lefrancaisensemble235 lessons36 lisenfrançais211 listen312 live62 natural194 novice168 novice high270 novicehigh355 online38 online learner216 personal13 reading281 reboot99 selftaught48 slow french340 speak85 speakfrench208 storyasking15 summer28 summer20222 teenstage16 timeoff1 upper beginner449 write59

French the natural way: French reboot

Coucou les French learners,

Est-ce que vous profitez de l’été ? Are enjoying summer?

Un tournesol ( lisez l’histoire du tournesol ! ), un château de sable au bord de l’océan Atlantique et un coucher de soleil.

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abisproduction230 advanced beginner472 authentic168 autonomouslearner231 babystage24 cicommunity110 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 course124 dailyfrench219 dailyreading32 expressfluency80 fle298 freewrite50 frenchcommunity256 frenchculture295 frenchforall222 frenchreaders66 frenchtraditions29 fvr53 inputaloneissufficient252 intensive176 intermediate736 july4 july20221 language acquisition258 learner246 lecture28 lefrancaisensemble235 lisenfrançais211 listen312 natural194 novice168 novice high270 novicehigh355 online learner216 reading281 reboot99 selftaught48 slow french340 speak85 speakfrench208 storyasking15 summer28 summer20222 summercourse8 teenstage16 upper beginner449 write59

French the natural way: listen to songs

Coucou les French learners,

June 21 is the official start of summer, youpi ! And to celebrate the longest day of the year, we have La Fête de la Musique. Live music is everywhere in parks and in the streets of cities and villages in France.

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abisproduction230 apprendre14 autonomouslearner231 chanson31 chansonfrancaise31 cicommunity110 comprehend52 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 conference5 conferenceinthecloud3 dailyfrench219 fête de la musique5 film41 fle298 flow9 fluentinfrench58 frenchcommunity256 frenchforall222 frenchmovie20 frenchmusic4 frenchonline68 frenchreaders66 frenchwithstories101 inputaloneissufficient252 intermediate736 keeplearning42 keepmotivated202 language acquisition258 languageflow4 learner246 lefrancaisensemble235 lisenfrançais211 listentostories41 live62 liveclass98 motivationbreak177 movie20 muguet10 music27 online french22 online learner216 optimalfrench57 optimalinput74 parlerfrançais24 reader174 reading281 selftaught48 slow french340 song29 speakfrench208 stories40 subtitles5 teen18 teenstage16 thinkfrench28 thinkthat10 understand67 understanding22

French the natural way: let’s watch French movies!

Coucou les French learners,

Do you still remember the lines from your favorite movie? Well, you can do the same with a French movie.

Watching a movie in French gives you lots of input, although not all comprehensible! Watching French movies helps you experience the culture and French as it’s actually spoken by real French speakers.

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abisproduction230 apprendre14 autonomouslearner231 cicommunity110 comprehend52 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 conference5 conferenceinthecloud3 dailyfrench219 film41 fle298 flow9 fluentinfrench58 frenchcommunity256 frenchforall222 frenchmovie20 frenchonline68 frenchreaders66 frenchwithstories101 inputaloneissufficient252 intermediate736 keeplearning42 keepmotivated202 language acquisition258 languageflow4 learner246 lefrancaisensemble235 lisenfrançais211 listentostories41 live62 liveclass98 motivationbreak177 movie20 muguet10 online french22 online learner216 optimalfrench57 optimalinput74 parlerfrançais24 reader174 reading281 selftaught48 slow french340 speakfrench208 stories40 subtitles5 teen18 teenstage16 thinkfrench28 thinkthat10 understand67 understanding22

French the natural way: a state of flow

Coucou les French learners,

C’est le printemps, ça se sent ! It is spring, we can feel it!

Sweet spring comes back, and revives the birds, zephyrs, and flowers, and my voice.

This weekend, Angus shared his French journey in the Community Chat:

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abisproduction230 apprendre14 autonomouslearner231 cicommunity110 cocreate22 comprehend52 comprehensiblefrench270 comprehensibleinput260 comprehension279 copy3 dailyfrench219 enmaifaisdufrançais9 expressfluency80 fle298 flow9 fluentinfrench58 frenchcommunity256 frenchforall222 frenchonline68 frenchreaders66 frenchwithstories101 inputaloneissufficient252 intermediate736 keeplearning42 keepmotivated202 language acquisition258 languageflow4 learner246 lefrancaisensemble235 lisenfrançais211 listentostories41 live62 liveclass98 may challenge7 maychallenge12 motivationbreak177 muguet10 online french22 online learner216 optimalfrench57 optimalinput74 parlerfrançais24 pleasurereading139 reader174 reading281 readingispower21 recordings13 selftaught48 slow french340 speakfrench208 stories40 teen18 teenstage16 thinkfrench28 thinkthat10 understand67 understanding22