What to Consider Before You Learn French Again
5 powerful questions for a fruitful adventure with the French language
If after a break, you’ve recently decided to give French another chance, this is the blog post that will guide you towards a more pleasant and efficient experience.
You’ve always loved the French language and culture, and although you’ve learned it in the past, you must sadly admit that it is no longer part of your list of active assets… but not for much longer!
Whether it’s the call of the French croissants, or the desire to immerse yourself in Southern France this summer, you’re ready! It’s time to prepare your own roadmap and decide how you’re going to approach this rich and complicated language, and there are several things that surely have crossed your mind :
Which books should you buy? Do books even work?
What method is the best for you? Should you learn French in 3 months, or can you skip that part and go solo, or hire a 1:1 conversation tutor?
Should you learn in a brick and mortar school, or are online communities the way to go?
Here are 5 powerful questions that will help you make the best of this new exciting activity!
#1 - Why do you want to learn French?
In any project you take on, deciding on the road you will take depends on the destination you’re hoping to reach + the reason behind your journey.
So, I’m asking you, why?
Why do you want to learn French again? What are you trying to achieve? How do you believe that reaching your goals will make you feel? And what meaning do you attach to this achievement?
Most people stay on the surface of these questions and they miss the opportunity to truly understand the root of their motivations.
Yet, these “roots” contain important information about what you value the most in the activity of learning the language:
Is it the fact that it helps you feel CONNECTED to the world?
Or that it brings UNITY in a world that is always more divided?
Or perhaps it’s because you value SELF-GROWTH
Or is it because you’re trying BELONG to a culture - that may be part of your heritage, for instance?
In these examples of “deep” reasons why we learn languages, you can see that the motivations each honor a value.
When you put words on these deep inner motivations and you connect to them emotionally, it gives you unshakable drive, even when the road gets bumpy.
And additionally, you also get a clearer idea of the kind of method that will serve the most these values.
For instance, if you mentioned belonging, you might feel better learning French in a group of close-knit learners that have similar interests and values to yours. If you mentioned self-growth, learning in an environment that promotes self-development will resonate with you best.
#2 - When are you going to practice?
One of the mistakes that we often make when starting a new project, is that we forget to consider the time we actually have at our disposal during a normal week. Meaning, not during a holiday.
I don’t know how many times I've made plans to learn a new language during holidays only to realize weeks later, frustrated and disappointed, that I simply did not have the time that I imagined I would.
It doesn't mean that we can’t learn languages if we’re busy, of course. Simply we must take into consideration the reality of our lives, and not an idealized version of them.
For instance, as a homeschooling mom of 2 kids and an entrepreneur, there’s no way I can commit to Jonathan Huggins’ 30 Day Challenge, even if I find this idea wonderful and I know it’s effective. I just cannot record myself every day for 30 days : my days are too unpredictable. Instead, I need a gentler approach that is more forgiving with my consistency.
If your days are packed, choose how you’re going to make room for this new meaningful activity in your life.
Perhaps you can do some meal prep at the week-end to gain time during the week? How else can you optimise your time, without creating more stress and overwhelm (i.e. without multitasking)? What are you willing to let go to make space for French? Remember it doesn’t have to take you hours every day.
Just 2 hours a week would already be very beneficial.
#3 - How do you learn best?
The good news is that since you’re not a beginner at languages, you already have a sense of what works or doesn’t work for you.
Do you prefer to self-study? Are you disciplined enough to engineer your whole learning plan, your would you benefit from being assisted and use ready-made resources that you find interesting?
Do you prefer to study online or in a brick-and-mortar school?
Do you thrive when you study alone, 1:1 with a tutor, or in a group?
Do you like being part of a community?
You can also mix and match!
Forget about what online ads tell you is “the best method”. Every method is potentially the best method for one person, and the worst method for someone else.
My membership LA BULLE is definitely not for everybody, but it is the best for you if you’re a sensitive soul who needs a gentle and intuitive approach of the language + you’re into self-development.
If that’s you, you will THRIVE in it.
But if that’s not the case and you prefer an active and outgoing environment, you might feel lost and inadequate
Aside from carefully reading who the programs and methods are best designed for (and if a method says “for everyone”, run!) another good indicator to know if something is for you is to simply tune in to your sensations of wellbeing.
If something feels good, if it brings you vibration and joy, then it’s worth giving a shot.
#4 - What are your specificities?
The key when choosing a learning method is to really tune in to YOURSELF:
What are your needs? Do you prefer being corrected at every turn, or does that provoke anxiety in you?
What are your learning specificities? Are you a visual person, or would you rather talk talk talk? Are you neuro-divergent?
What’s your personality? Are you more of an introvert or extrovert? Do you thrive with structure and order, or do you prefer more intuitive approaches? Or perhaps a mix of both like me?
What’s your energy type? I love Human Design as a tool to understanding ourselves and each other, and depending on your energy type, you will love taking shortcuts and learning fast, or you’ll need lots of alone time to process.
All of this is going to determine what is THE best approach for you.
#5 The Result or the Process
Finally, consider what you need the most in your life right now : focusing on the results and having a sense of achievement, or focusing on the process and giving yourself the gift of slowing down?
There’s no right or wrong answer!
If you’ve recently lost your job and learning French is a way for you to prove to yourself that you’re capable, then you will need something that is more goal-oriented, with a tutor or a community that keeps you accountable, and a tad of pressure to keep you going.
But if you’re burnt out with too much pressure already at work or with your busy family life, know that another path exists and French could be just the thing to help you invite more mindfulness, ease, and flow in your life, as in LA BULLE.
Know Thyself
The bottom-line is you need to know yourself.
We are at an era where you can access so many different approaches and methodologies to language learning: the only way to make the best of that opportunity is to know yourself and find something that is adapted to you, instead of trying to adapt yourself to a “standard”.
Using the 5 questions I’ve shared with you today, you’ll gain back the power of choosing the way you want to approach this beautiful new journey.
Jessica, these are such powerful questions to ask. They help in setting intentions and help us actually learn. Too often we set out without a sense of what we want to do with our languages and we don't set intentions. Intentions and clarity are THE greatest " hack" to learn languages because you have a sense of direction and you're not relying on outside elements like tutors, effective courses, motivation etc.