So I really, really want to learn French, but the spelling and pronunciation look so intimidating! I am really excited and I already bought my grammar book and found some great lessons on youtube. I started this week and so far I love it, but my fear of the pronunciation is still there. Do you guys have any tips or helpful links that worked for you? :)
PS: If you speak French and would like to have an exchange, please contact me. I can help you with English or Spanish. You don't have to teach me anything, I just want to find someone with whom I could review what I learn and do some pronunciation practice. :)
I agree with Uwaye, you really need to speak from day one, even though you only know enough to last for two sentences. After all, you learn languages to communicate so how better could it be than to speak ASAP?
I am French so I wouldn't know how difficult my language is. But don't be afraid by one language or the other, you can always find a difficult aspect in a given language. Just jump in. The more time you spend questionning yourself, the less you spend actually studying :)
Bonne chance!
Hehe All right, if little kids do it, then I should be fine! :)
Unlike English, French has a very regular spelling-to-pronunciation connection. For example, the combinations "au" and "eau" are always pronounced "oh," whether in beau, faux, or any other word. You'll have to learn some nasal sounds (vowels pronounced more through the nose), but overall I find French much easier to pronounce than other languages I've studied or tried to study (such as Chinese or Arabic or Russian). I still struggle with the "r" but that's the only sound that causes me much difficulty. There's a lot of grammar (verb conjugations) to learn at first--as with any European language--but at least you don't have noun cases to learn also (as you would if you learned German, Greek, or Russian). So, really, French grammar is only difficult in the beginning, and then it gets easy.
French for an English speaker is in the relatively easy group of languages to learn. I don't think that you will have much trouble, as you probably have been exposed to a great amount of French languages in films and newcasts already. The French are a warm, hospitable people and the countryside is very beautiful, so good luck with your studies
Here 9 year old kids learn french ,and they survive it :) You have the advantage of having the same alphabet and a lot of shared vocabulary , you'll be just fine. Of course you shouldn't be content with just speaking it , you should learn how to speak it like the natives , that's where you will feels how good it is.
All the best for you.
