In teaching French, It’s all about conjugating verbs😳
I used to joke and say to my students , when you’re in a French speaking place , you won’t be saying “je suis, tu es Il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, Ils/elles sont,
I would encourage them to watch French language TV, movies , read the French labels on cereal boxes etc
With a degree in French and teaching French , I still don’t understand spoken French !
Hi Manisha, thank you for sharing your experience. I really feel that academic French and spoken French are two different languages and should be considered as such.
I can really see the difference in understanding between my students who live in France and have learned to speak French with French people in a "non-academic" way, and those who only have formal contact with the language. When you don't live in a French-speaking country, series, podcasts, and videos in natural French can really help, but you have to deconstruct academic French.
What adds to the complexity are all the expressions, abbreviations, verlan, and slang. Do you live in France or a French-speaking country?
In teaching French, It’s all about conjugating verbs😳
I used to joke and say to my students , when you’re in a French speaking place , you won’t be saying “je suis, tu es Il/elle est, nous sommes, vous êtes, Ils/elles sont,
I would encourage them to watch French language TV, movies , read the French labels on cereal boxes etc
With a degree in French and teaching French , I still don’t understand spoken French !
I live in Canada, near Toronto.
I’m retired now from teaching
I’m really enjoying all the French contact on Substack.
That's really great :)
Oh, I would love to visit Canada!
Hi Manisha, thank you for sharing your experience. I really feel that academic French and spoken French are two different languages and should be considered as such.
I can really see the difference in understanding between my students who live in France and have learned to speak French with French people in a "non-academic" way, and those who only have formal contact with the language. When you don't live in a French-speaking country, series, podcasts, and videos in natural French can really help, but you have to deconstruct academic French.
What adds to the complexity are all the expressions, abbreviations, verlan, and slang. Do you live in France or a French-speaking country?
I should have added , than do get the idea but that I don’t understand spoken Fluently