Have you found Intensive weekly courses to be of benefit? Salut &nbsp; I would like to attend a one week intensive course in Paris this summer and I will stay with family near there. Have you been on

Gillian

Have you found Intensive weekly courses to be of benefit?

Salut

I would like to attend a one week intensive course in Paris this summer and I will stay with family near there.

Have you been on any similar short intensive classes and found them good to help you learn a language? I have elementary French and need to have a boost to my skills. I lack speaking confidence and need to get back to learning again due to some issues that stopped me learning.

Thanks

Jul 3, 2015 5:09 PM

Comments · 7

Bonjour Gillian,

I have done one intensive course in Spanish a while back.

By the way, just like you, I have now booked a 2 week intensive german B2 course in Germany in August, so I guess I think it is worth it!

Here are a few comments/ suggestions though , organized in the form of DOs and DON'Ts

DO:

Do brush ahead of time on your french, so that the intensity of the crash course will not exhaust you

I guess learning language is like exercising a muscle. Too much is not good

Do plan your trip so that the logistics and contacts around the intensive course is as conducive to learning as possible. In my case, through my contacts (and couchsurfing.com, and maybe italki), I am planning to meet up locals and loosen up after the course while still learning

DON'T

Don't hang-out with people from the intensive course, unless you are really desperate for company or drink companion. Being foreigners, this is not the people you will learn the most from.

Don't expect too much either. 1 week is very short, 1 month would be best. So the learning will be just as much what you do before and what you make of it after the course.

Take care

Xavier

July 6, 2015

Hello Xavier

Thanks so very much! That is realy helpful tips for me, I really appreciate your experiences and information.

Yes I am now doing more French again, as I had a glitch for a while! I took my first italki lesson with a informal tutor at the weekend and that was great as it made me see that I can do it and though it will take time I will do it. I plan to talk again with people on italki as well and to go to a French conversation class in a local cafe (The latter I will only do once I have done some more practice!).

Yes I plan to meet some local people and to speak with my in-laws when I visit my family. I will be staying with my daughter and husband, he is French. So the next time I will say - please we must speak some French and they usually only will spek English when there!!

My sister lives in Munich so I really wish you well with your next intensive lessons:)

July 6, 2015