How to be a good language learner: some tips

Learning a second language is a demanding task, but it can bring great pleasure and, if approached in the spirit of discovery, can open up vast new horizons for you.
The opportunity to learn a new language brings you an exciting second chance to interact with other people in the world, to help shape events, and to further the progress of mutual understanding and tolerance. After all, communicating is sharing.
Finding out how to learn, practise, monitor, revise, see patterns, and so on, will help you to become a more effective language learner. In the paragraphs that follow, you will find some practical tips to help you on your way. Other petits conseils concerning language learning techniques and strategies will be found in many of the chapters of Bonne route !

Take risks. Any learning situation, precisely because it is a new experience, involves risk-taking. You should expect to make mistakes as part of the learning process, and know that you will learn from these mistakes, and often get a good laugh from them, too!

Attend to meaning. Try to remember that meaning does not come from the sum total of words tacked one upon the other. Meaning is a global awareness of what is being communicated, and a good language learner attends to words, voice, gestures, the situation, and a host of other factors that make up a speech event. Above all, meaning is contextual and, as we have already pointed out, is often socially or culturally determined, so you must be attentive not only to what is being said, but also to how, when, where, why, by whom, to whom, etc.

Attend to form. Try to be aware that form is the means by which a message is conveyed. Words are forms, and so are sentences, paragraphs, and so on. It is important to note that such combinations and patterns are based on rules, in this case, rules of grammar, style, and register. A change in form signals a change in meaning, for example, I give, I gave. Almost anyone can communicate by means of gestures, shrugs, and grunts with some basic vocabulary thrown in, but real communication occurs with the mastery of form. We must try to do more than simply get the message across. We should try to communicate with accuracy and efficiency.
Attending to form means concentrating on details, as you read, write, listen, and speak, and requires extensive practice such as verb conjugations. The practice components of this text are designed to be as interesting as possible, but only you can acquire these structures for your own active use by bringing a concentrated effort to your practice sessions. This means for example, that whenever you write something, you should expect to make several drafts, and to revise and correct your work. All good writers do this, particularly so in a second language.

Expose yourself to French. Take every available opportunity to listen to French radio, watch French television, go to French movies, or find a French equivalent of whatever type of magazine you enjoy in English. Do not expect to understand every word, especially at first. Indeed, you should congratulate yourself if you have followed the general meaning. Little by little, you will find that you are understanding more and more of what you watch and read.

Be persistent! Try as much as possible to work on your French on a daily basis, even if only for a short time. As in most endeavours, nothing replaces steady work. Before long, you will be rewarded for your efforts – both linguistically and culturally.

Back to Study Resources