Is there anyone here who learned French as a second language, especially as an adult, and achieved some level of proficiency? How did you get to this level? How long did it take?
Do you have some tips for improving in areas such as listening comprehension? For now I'm trying to increase my vocabulary and I have signed up for lessons with a French teacher and use TV5Monde website for some lessons.
Thanks very much in advance!
a dose of humility, repeatedly listening to language videos, rote memorization (anki, cuecards, etc), attempting to speak the language, good teachers, and a desire and commitment to learn in spite of setbacks or how bad you think you speak the language.
I think the biggest problem is most people give up too soon. They expect immediate results. This stuff takes years: a few years to get a foundation to even begin making sentences, and a few years of conversation to be proficient and confident.
I think it really depends on how deeply you immerse yourself into the language. Of course, you'll learn faster if you lived in a french speaking nation.
I endorse what Derrick has said. There is no quick fix, the time scale is years.
I used to listen to French radio. There is a lot of material available now on the internet. Put aside an hour each day to listen to French. It can be done without actually living in a French-speaking environment, although no doubt that would help.
