(Disclaimer blah blah, Backpack Bug is not affiliated
or sponsored by any of the companies/websites below, this is our opinion only. As
much as I’d like these companies to pay me to write about them, unfortunately this
is not the case…)
At the moment I’m living in France and attempting to
learn the language. I have the freedom in my life to be able to leave a place
at the drop of a hat and move to another country. Hence why I now live in
France, because I want to be able to speak fluent in French. However, been in
France has taught me it will take much more than just living here to improve my
language, so here are some ways you can improve without having to pack up your
life and leave your country.
1. Skype Exchange
– Skype exchange is probably the most effective way to improve your
language if you aren’t surrounded by it every day. At the moment I use the
website www.conversationexchange.com
where I search for native French speakers from France who want to learn
English. You can chat via Skype, email or even face-to-face. I tend to type
chat on Skype the most, as it still does take a lot of confidence to call
someone up, but the people you speak to are aware of your language ability, and
no doubt they will make mistakes in English so you just have to go for it! I
tend to chat half and half when I speak to someone. So we chat for 30 minutes
in French, then 30 minutes in English. I also really encourage people to
correct my typing and my speech, otherwise it’s pointless. Some people feel too
rude to correct you, so make sure you tell them to please correct you. If you
aim to chat to someone at least twice a week on Skype, your language will
improve massively as your ears are adjusting to a native way of speaking and
you have to think on your feet.
2. AnkiDroid
Flashcards – I write down any French word I learn, but to actually remember
all of the words is the main task. At first I had paper flashcards but they
piled up quickly and when I saw a pile of 200+ cards I’d easily put them off.
Therefore I downloaded the app ‘AnkiDroid flashcards’ on my mobile. You add
flashcards to the app then you rate how easy they were to remember, so if a
word was tough it would ask me it again in 10 minutes, but if it was really
easy it would ask me the word again in a month’s time. I now have 600+ words
and phrases on my app but I’m only ever looking at my flashcards for a maximum of
10 minutes a day. It’s a great way to refresh your memory and keep you up to
date with what you know.
3. Lang-8 –
www.lang-8.com is a site where natives
correct your written language. I write a kind of journal most days, just saying
what I did the previous day, and then native French speakers correct my grammar
and phrases. The more you correct other peoples work, the more your work will
be corrected.
4. Podcasts –
I listen to ‘Learn French By Podcast’ which is completely free on iTunes. Even
though you have to pay for the lesson script, I choose not to. The podcasts go
through typical scenarios you may experience, for example, hiring a car abroad,
going to the doctors etc. etc. The podcasts are usually 10-15 minutes and they
help me put a lot of verbs in context. I also listen to another French podcast
which teaches me a lot of idioms in French. This is a bit too difficult, but it’s
still taught me a lot.
5.
Couchsurfing – Overall, as much as you know a dictionary of vocab, or you
can recite every verb ending in past tense, it’s all kind of pointless unless
you can put it into spoken context. Therefore, one of the best ways to learn a
language is to just talk with natives. Couchsurfing is a great way to meet
other people in your area, and probably a good way to find out if any other nationalities
are nearby. I use the site a hell of a lot in France to meet French people my
age who want to go for a drink. A lot of the time I don’t have a clue what
anyone is saying, but my language has definitely improved just by meeting some
Frenchies for a coffee or a glass of wine. Also, so far everyone I have met has
been extremely patient and so nice with me, so don’t think you’ll annoy people
with your poor language ability, if anything they’ll be happy to help.
