So, I learnt French for a year and a half over four years ago. And I was really good at it; it just came so naturally to me. There was a point when I was teaching my friends and dreaming in French. But then, I had to stop taking the classes. I tried to keep in touch but apart from an occassional conversation with a francophone, once or twice a year, I couldn't manage it.
Now I'm supposed to travel to France in ten days. I'll be there for a month and I really want to be able to speak the language. It will be very disappointing if despite knowing the language once, I can barely scrape my way through the trip. I'm trying to revise from my old books but it just isn't the same. It seems so unfamiliar now.
Has anyone had a similar experience? If you have, did you manage to find your way back? And if you did, how? I'd really appreciate any help.
Thank you.
Hello,
Don't worry about that !
After 15 years without hearing a word in German, I went for a 4 days trip in Germany. At the beginning, I was lost, even if I was able to recognize the "music" of the language. After a couple of days, I could understand more, and even speak a little bit and find words I didn't know I could remember..
Our brain is magic, so use it !
For that, you need to be relaxed and confident, and take your time to remember what you knew once.
And of course, it is great to immerse yourself in the language before your trip with websites for instance. Try this one, everything is free (I use it for English and Spanish) : http://www.francaisfacile.com/
Enjoy your trip !
For any language, re-immersing yourself (through reading, watching tv, talking to yourself, any combination of methods that you prefer) will bring back the language faster than you can imagine. Even after essentially a 4 year hiatus, you will find you are actually better than you were years ago, as when the human brain learns any languge, its capacity to communicate and remember improves in all languages, including the dormant ones.
Don'y be embarrased or upset with yourself, just keep speaking French! En cette esprit, je te dis bonne courage!Ne regrette rien!
Keep revising. The French is somewhere in your brain, in deep slumber, waiting to be awakened. Just study French all over again like you never knew it, and you'll actually find that it is going to rush back pretty quicky.
I'm French.
I think you can learn some basic vocabulary.
French don't like to speak English and prefer that people speak French.
French language has a lot of grammar (also for a French).
you can try to learn vocabulary about a subject that you like by writing a notebook in French. Some people can correct you here.
I am learning like that vietnamese to increase my vocabulary.
