Basic French Language for Beginners

Mastering basic French language is not difficult if you have the right tools and information.

I imagine that you feel excited but also rather daunted and maybe a bit confused about where and how to begin and which course to start with - there are just so many French courses to choose from!.

Well just relax as my aim is to guide you on how to find the best basic French language method to suit you and before you know it you will be holding conversations in basic French and looking for an intermediate course.

We were/are all beginners at some time. Make use of those who have done it before to help you through the maze of basic French language courses � that's where I hope I come in!

This is one of the newest basic French language courses to hit the marekt and it is proving to be extremely popular. Their major selling point which I really like is the tools they give you which allows you to retain vocabulary and to learn ultra fast. It works on the principal of visualisation and word association. So for example the French for THE RABBIT is LE LAPIN - therefore imagine a RABBIT LAPPING at a bowl of water.

The French courses are available in a choice of SOFTWARE CD-ROM, AUDIO CD, or MP3 AUDIO formats. If you need French for travelling, for business or for schoolwork, this could be perfect for you. The whole course coves all the major grammar points you need for effective communication, including all major grammar points for GCSE. It is especially suited to those who want to learn beginners French fast and who find the text book method rather dry. Find out more about Linkword Languages

TELL ME MORE offers a complete pakcage in that you get a boxful of goodies that will take you fromm beginners to advanced. Also inlcuded is a headset and mircophone. What makes this package really special is its speech recognition technology that recognizes and analyzes your pronunciation and tells you where you have gone wrong. You will need a computer. TELL ME MORE French -Language Learning Software

Linguaphone have been around for a long time so they have a lot of expertise behind them. They work on the principle of listen - understand - speak.

They have 2 types of basic French language courses: French allTalk which is a totally hands-free language learning course, consisting entirely of audio CDs and French Pro which really is the cr�me de la cr�me. Whereas French allTalk will take you to average conversational standard, French Pro will take you far and beyond. This is serious stuff. The basic French language pack contains CD's, course books and access to their online resource material. Find out more about Linguaphone

However don't immediately dismiss this basic French language course either as it has a good following and some excellent reviews.

It consists of either a download or you can order CD's (20 of them!). This learn beginners French course is narrated by an English male voice and a French female voice. The pace is good and the presentation keeps your attention.

What I liked about this basic French language course is that you can score your progress as you go along and there is a forum which I always think are invaluable for support. Plus there is a weekly newsletter with great tips and interesting snippets. Find out more about Rocket French

French Before You Know it! - Basic French Language is perfect if you want to learn beginners French fast without lots of fuss. It focuses more on voacabulary than grammar so is great for basic everyday French.

It uses a system called Perfect Recall. Words and phrases are divided into lists by category. The user selects a word list and then goes to the activity of choice to learn the contents of that list.

What I especialy like about this basic French language program is that it allows pronunciation practice, with the ability to record your own voice and compare it to native speakers.

There is a free downloadable basic version so you can try before you buy which is a great idea.

BYKI can be downloaded to your computer and BYKI Deluxe also includes the Before You Know It system for Pocket PC and Palm PDA plus POD MP3 Audio. Just load them on your ipod or MP3 player and listen on the go. Find out more about French BYKI! (Worldwide stores)

If you are serious about learning French, then I would definitely recommend that you check this one out. There are 2 course levels ranging from basic French language level to intermediate and the course comes on CD-Rom or online subscription which gives you the ability to study anywhere you have an Internet connection. They have a US store and a UK Store

Choose your basic French language learning method carefully. Not every method is suited to everyone. Some people learn best by listening, others prefer to read and others need to be pushed along by fellow learners of a teacher.

If you need to be able to communicate quickly and to a fairly average standard then I would strongly recommend that you have a tutor either as one to one or in a group.

Learning with a tutor can quickly improve your pronunciation skills, quickly address all your grammar issues and give you confidence as you get to practice speaking for real. The amount of hours you do per week will obviously reflect how fast you progress.

My ideal scenario would be an intensive 2 week course (minimum) in a francophone country followed by self study and some regular basic French language conversation either socially or with a tutor.

If you can't afford the time or cost to participate in an intensive French language course then there are lots of learn basic French language courses for those wishing to learn basic French language � in fact beginners dominate the market so you are not alone!

Tips & Tricks that work!

Set yourself realistic goals. Can you really practice 3 hours every night when you have a family?
Mastering spoken French is always the hardest. Find someone to practice with. If you can't find someone, practice reading a text in French out loud. Look in the mirror when you do it and pretend you are talking to someone
Watch a French film once a week or listen to French songs. You may not understand much but it will do wonders for improving your accent.
Read kids books in French. The language is perfect for beginners.
Put sticky name labels on items around the house or at work. You will eventually remember them.
Learn 5 new words every night before going to sleep. That's 35 a week and 1,825 per year! Plenty to have a conversation with.
Log on to a French news website. See how many words you can recognize on the main page. As time goes on you will suddenly realize you are recognizing groups or words and then sentences and then�..
When you feel confident enough, get a pen pal. It's a fantastic way of improving your written French and the other person can improve their English.

Basic French Language - For Beginners -

Basic French Language
- For Beginners -