How to Develop your French Awareness
Discover my new 1:1 hybrid program
In my now long career as a language teacher (gosh 20 years already, can you believe it?), I have witnessed too many learners stay stuck way too long in the intermediate learning phase of their language journey.
Not knowing what to do about it caused them more pain than necessary.
I remember that I kept repeating to myself in my own journal : "if only my learners didn't revert only to weekly conversation classes that are clearly no longer being effective, if only they stopped cramming so much information in their minds and started living the language, if only they unlearned the limited methods of traditional education so they could finally enjoy the whole process of acquiring a new language and be proud of their skills."
It was clear by then that I had to do something about it.
I put together the language learning theories of neuro-language coaching + Stephen Krashen's research on natural language acquisition + my own research, experimentation and experience as a learner to create French Awareness.
Adapted to your lifestyle and desires - because I know that just like me, you don't want to be sitting in front of your computer being fed the language, French Awareness is designed to empower you to be at the heart of your language learning journey.
Beyond its scope to free you from the muddy plateau, it gives you a framework of study that you can learn to use on your own when you become the autonomous learner you want to be.
Speaking Fast vs. Slowing Down
Most language courses and programs out there are oriented towards making you speak faster, communicate no matter what.
And when you're starting out with a language, that's super useful : you need to get over the fear of making mistakes and just dive into the waters of conversation!
But once you hit that intermediate plateau, it no longer yields results because your brain has developed all the strategies to "survive" : say what it needs to say, however imperfectly.
Why would it make the effort of using other more complex, precise, accurate language structures if this is working just fine?
That's why in my new French Awareness program, we don't make you speak fast.
We make you speak slow.
We make you observe the language in its natural habitat (= as it is used by French speakers for French speakers), draw your conclusions on how you want to make that your own, give you the opportunity to play with the words, the meanings, the thoughts on paper - which is a super important step.
We offer you with professional feedback and correction to avoid repeating mistakes, and THEN you speak so you can activate your passive knowledge.
We slow down the process, we break it down for you, and we offer you guidance every step of the way.
That's how you get out of any plateau.
In tennis, in drawing, in cooking, in business… and in languages too.
It’s for you if…
If you're fed up of being in a wishy-washy phase of your French expression, French Awareness is the program for you.
You’re learning French for pleasure and you've been eager to dive deeper than the first intermediary levels, yet the waters seem too deep, too wild and you might fear that it will overwhelm you, that it won't fit into your busy life, that you wouldn't know where to start if you were to do this differently (aka without a grammar book and more conversation classes).
The internet is filled with possibilities and resources that could potentially help you, but choosing is exhausting.
You have to make sure it's a match with you, your personality, your schedules, your level... and honestly, you don't want to spend so much money if it isn't even going to work.
Because you're right. Using the same approach won't get you different results.
What doesn't work :
Doing the same thing, but doing it more
Doing the same thing, but doing it less
Telling ourselves we'll do it, some day ("some day" doesn't exist and we both know it)
What works then?
A dedicated time for you to pay specific attention to your French practice
A natural method that teaches you language from highly meaningful context, so it doesn't feel like work at all
A contained structure with human support to nudge you out of passive learning, allowing you to make the language your own.
What French Awareness brings to your life
By dedicating 15-20 minutes a day to your French practice, you set an intention : I AM serious about my language goals, and I'm ready to make it happen.
During our 3 weeks together, you'll dive into authentic French materials to gain a deeper understanding of the French language + to express yourself using what you've learned right away both in writing (journaling) and in speaking (voice chats with your dedicated language coach).
As you do so, you elevate your awareness of French, and your awareness of yourself.
You push yourself gently outside of this muddy intermediate plateau and learn how to spread your confidence wings so you no longer say "I'm learning French", but "I speak French".
What is it? How Does it Work?
French Awareness is a 3 week online program (renewable) that helps you break free from the intermediate plateau so you can finally enjoy exploring French and expressing yourself in French with ease and flow.
The program is a combination of solo and guided study, so that it inserts itself easily into your life no matter how busy you are.
During the 3 weeks of French Awareness, you'll explore 3 French resources (2 vidéos and 1 podcast episode) together with special Study Guides, designed to walk you through understanding the meaning and the language you'll discover.
Each Study Guides comes with 2 assignments :
after discovering the first video, you'll be asked to journal your thoughts, opinions, feelings, and reflexions following the prompts included and incorporating some of the new words and expressions you just learned. You'll submit your written text into your dedicated Google Folder, where your teacher will find it and give you specific corrections, feedback and guidance within 48hours.
with the notes you've received on how to improve your writing, you'll move on to your second assignment : a short (2-3) minutes recording of you speaking about what you've just written. If your level is low-intermediate, you can simply read your text out loud, but if you're up for the challenge, you'll speak about your text in a spontaneous manner. The recording is sent through WhatsApp, where your coach will give you corrections and guidance on your pronunciation through voice chat so you can work it out. She'll then offer you with one or two follow-up questions to allow for natural conversation, all through voice chat.
Why materials of self-growth rather than movies?
One question you may have is why does the French Awareness program use materials around well-being and self-growth rather than French movies or series.
Of course, this is at the heart of Bubbles of French : I blend French acquisition with self-development and mindfulness. But beyond my preferences, it is also a choice that helps you reach your goals faster.
Adequate levels, adequate topics
Don't get me wrong, I love fiction in every shape (except in politics, but that's another topic).
I myself smoothened my English pronunciation and rhythm by binge-watching the series Friends before binge-watching was even a word. And it was really fun.
But I realized the other day that in 20 years of teaching, I've barely used fiction to teach for a simple reason: it's harder to find the appropriate level of language, the adequate register that you would use in your everyday life, topics that you can relate to,...
The reason why the series Friends worked so well with me is that it had these 3 elements combined : every-day language spoken amongst friends, with a high level of sarcasm and humor which as a 20-something building my social circle, I was eager to copy and infuse in my own life.
But since I wasn't looking to become a doctor or hang out with doctors, Grey's Anatomy didn't do the same brilliant job - although it did make me cry extensive amounts of useless tears. I'm still upset with Shonda Rhimes.
Spoken the way you speak
Since you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the French language in the way it is used to speak about your life, your thoughts, your opinions, your experiences... it's only logical that you would spend time observing how native speakers are using French in the same circumstances.
The beauty with videos & podcasts around wellness and self-growth is that they tend to be mostly described in a direct tone of voice, with clear sentences. The way we speak.
Because of that, I find they're always more approachable and real than fiction.
Always about you
Another advantage of using materials of self-awareness is that they always put you straight as the hero of the story.
For instance, you watch the video about Anne who at 42, realized that her glamorous career was burning her out and making her miserable and finally decided to have a U-turn, study psychology and become a therapist.
Sure, the story is about Anne, but really she's only a mirror of you and your life.
Through her real story, you're able to observe yourself : Is this similar to me? Can I relate? Did it happen to me or do I want it to happen because I'm also not aligned with my career? Is it inspiring? What do I think about this society that drives us to the edges of mental breakdowns for the sake of productivity and a growth economy?
It's highly personal.
And because of that, not only are you going to want to speak French, you're also going to remember the feelings that you felt while you spoke your truth.
Which in turns makes the structures and the words you used stick. That's science : emotion enhances memory.
Forget you're learning French
What's quite magical when we start diving into personal topics that we care about is that we forget we're "practicing a language".
It doesn't feel that way anymore. It's so different from filling up the blanks in a grammar book.
Because you are no longer studying French, you are studying yourself under the lens of French.
You learn to see yourself in a new light, to question the way you've been thinking, feeling, living and finding ways to improve your well-being - which is universal: we all aspire to feel better!
French becomes what it was always meant to be : a tool to connect.
Connect to yourself and connect to others.
When we understand each other better, we plant the seeds of a more compassionate and loving world.
What French Awareness includes
The first edition of the program starts on March 23rd, 2024. If you catch this article later, check the website to see when is our next run :)
It’s completely asynchronous, meaning that you get to follow the program at your best convenience, without having to be “online” at certain times.
Super mindful, super flexible, and yet it keeps you accountable.
What’s included in the program?
Initial 30 minutes mindset coaching session with Jessica (that’s me): together we set realistic intentions, we explore possible fears and blockages to help you make the most of this program.
You'll be working for 3 weeks with Anaïs, a certified French teacher with 10+ years of experience and a ton of enthusiasm.
During this time, you'll be exploring on your own 3 different French materials (2 vidéos and 1 podcast episode) together with Study guides that have been designed to hold your hand on your way towards autonomous learning.
Every week, for 3 weeks, you'll have 2 assignments to send to your teacher: 1) a piece of your writing answering prompts connected to the video or podcast, 2) a vocal recording (2-3 minutes) discussing your thoughts on the same prompts.
Feedback and corrections will help you gain awareness of what to place your attention on so you can improve (so important!)
Access to a rich library of Language Notes that give you simple explanation + practice for the most common difficulties in French.
Enough talking, click on the link below to visit the website and join us if it feels aligned!
And if you’ve got any questions, you can reach me at jessica@jessicatefenkgiruelle.com