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How to Learn French for Kids
by Lisa Parris
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Overview
Learning to speak French while you are still young is one of the greatest favors you can do for yourself. When we are born, we have a remarkable ability to learn and speak languages, but as we get older, we gradually lose this skill. We find it increasingly difficult to pronounce words in languages we are not familiar with and cannot hear our own mispronunciations. We find it more difficult to remember new vocabulary or to connect to a language in a meaningful way. The sooner a language is established, the greater the odds of overall success. The guide below outlines the steps you need to take to help your child (or yourself) learn French.
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Step 1
Learn the most important words first. Begin with the words that are used the most, such as: hello, goodbye, please, thank you, yes, no, who, what, why, where, when, how and the numbers one to 20. Once you have mastered these, move on to simple phrases or short questions, such as, "My name is..." and "How are you?" Also, take note of words that are similar or the same as they are in English (known as cognates), such as "bleu," which is French for "blue." These will add to your overall vocabulary, but are super simple to remember.
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Step 2
Practice every day. This is very important. Even if you only spend five minutes a day on French, you must make time for practicing. Focus on topics that interest you. Read along as you listen and record yourself speaking. When you play the recording back, you can listen to your pronunciation. The more time you invest in reading, listening and practicing French, the sooner you will master it.
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Step 3
Make it fun. If you look on the Internet, you will find numerous websites dedicated to learning French. They have loads of cartoons, songs and games, such as Bingo and Tic-Tac-Toe, that you can play against other online players, versus the computer or with a friend (see Resources).
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Step 4
Use different materials. If you're getting burned out on audio CDs, then use printed materials for a few days, or watch French movies to improve your listening skills. The greater the variety of materials you expose yourself to, the more connections you will make to words and phrases and how to use them.
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Step 5
Listen while you sleep. Before you go to bed each night, load a lesson or a group of French songs on your MP3 or other personal listening device. Put the buds in your ears, turn the volume down low and fall asleep to French. Not only will you begin dreaming in French, you'll remember more of what you learned when you're awake.
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- Voice-activated recorder
MP3 Player or other personal listening device
- Voice-activated recorder
- MP3 Player or other personal listening device
- If you really want to give yourself a goal, plan a trip to France and imagine yourself running around Paris, using your French to order food, get a hotel room, shop and sightsee.
Make use of free internet lessons before you purchase additional materials.
Don't give up! If you keep working at it, you can succeed.
- If you really want to give yourself a goal, plan a trip to France and imagine yourself running around Paris, using your French to order food, get a hotel room, shop and sightsee.
- Make use of free internet lessons before you purchase additional materials.
- Don't give up! If you keep working at it, you can succeed.
