How to Speak French Without Feeling Stupid
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- čas přidán 16. 05. 2024
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It’s normal to feel stupid or embarrassed when speaking a foreign language like French. In this lesson, we’ll talk about three main reasons why you might feel stupid when speaking French. And you’ll learn how you can avoid them!
Learn what to say when you forgot a French word, when you misunderstand someone for the third time, or when you don’t know how to pronounce something properly… Say “au revoir” to worrying about your mistakes!
=== Previous Episodes to Catch Up On ===
FAN FAVORITE VIDEOS
Video + full written lesson with even more French expression, vocabulary, culture, and extra resources.
Just for you, for free, and no subscription needed. :)
FRENCH FRIENDSHIPS
→www.commeunefrancaise.com /blog/french-friendship
IMPROVE WRITTEN FRENCH
→www.commeunefrancaise.com /blog/how-to-improve-written-french
FRENCH FEMINIST RESOURCES
→www.commeunefrancaise.com /blog/french-feminist-resources
=== The Extra Mile: Recommended Playlists ===
Our curated playlists, just for you.
Get better now with the French that YOU need.
- “Quick First Steps to Speak French with Confidence”
- “Classic Embarrassing Mistakes From Expats and French Learners”
- “French Slang 101”...
And many more!
Click here, pick your favorite, improve your French skills →
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ABOUT GÉRALDINE
Hi! I’m Géraldine Lepère, the founder of Comme une Française (= “Like a French woman”) and your new French best friend. :)
Each Tuesday, I share a fun, fresh and bite-sized lesson on French language and French culture-from embarrassing mistakes to avoid to pop-cultural references to “get” !
For over five years now, with millions of views and students in over 56 countries, I’ve been helping people just like you gain the confidence to really talk in French. And better than the “textbook” French from high school!
When I speak French and the person replies back in English I feel that they are trying to save me from making a bigger fool of myself.
:))))))
This is my biggest issue with my language learning: I just feel like a fool trying something outside of my comfort zone
@randall2020 I take comfort from the fact that French people correct other French people.
I learned a long time ago that there is no real learning without some stress. That is part of the process. Repetition is brainwashing. One does not learn one's religion. One learns mathematics or a foreign language. One integrates one's native language without stress and that is akin to brain washing in the same way that one's religion is taught. The level of stress of learning or being comfortable with another language, religion or point of view is avoided according either the intelligence or the social difficulty of acquiring something new.
same
Merci Géraldine
I lose my confidence when a French speaker switches immediately to English but what is worse is when I say a phrase or word perfectly and still get a blank stare
Mois aussi
I've only ever experienced that once in my many years of visiting France. Most people are kind and understanding!
Tell them: Parlez pas en anglais si vous ėtes à la France.
@@chrisreid1644 "Mois" means "month".
happened to me as well. when i was trying to impress the teacher by asking the time (que l'heure est-il). it was most likely my accent. and i had ot point to my watch before she was able to finally get it. and even then she seemed annoyed hahaha .. oh well ...
Traveling through France, I found that everyone was so kind, friendly and appreciative of my attempts to speak French. A smile, and an attempt is so warmly welcome and received.
We travel to France two times each year just because the
people are so kind. Love them!
Linda weddle and bonnie Reeves, you two had very nice experienced travel to France. I never been in France but if I travel there I don't think I will have the same luck of you both it would be the other way around I guaranteed that.😊
@Hugy Ugy
He's saying the two people who shared their experience on their travels to France won't be as good as for him, if he were to go there.
When we had a French student - pretty small child like 10 years old - staying at our home because my children study French at school. We have had an exchange like that for several times now. Those children didn't speak English and I asked like million times for some very simple words and they patiently repeated but I felt stupid. And to be honest disappointed with my French skills. With adults you can ask 'Comment on dit a chair en francais '. With children you cannot use that as they don't speak English. Each child stayed about one week or so. Extremely stressful and extremely satisfying still. Very nice kids, we had a lot of fun. After a couple of days with the first one I found myself thinking in French at work: J'ai besoin de ... Speaking French had 'gone into my system' although I still didn't know very many words.
All you said in the video I can assure is true, because I tried that with those kids. We went outside (winter time) and I said 'On peux faire...' and paused and the exchange student continued ' ...un bonhomme de neige'. That's exactly how it works. Deducing from the context.
I’ve studied French for a long time and am finally living in France and this video brought tears to my eyes! I wish I watched this my first day off the plane. It’s so embarrassing when you don’t understand someone right away in French and it’s really hard to get your confidence back afterwards. J’aime vôtres vidéos!!
Forgive me for correcting you, but it is "J'aime vos vidéos!!" "Votre"(singular, both masculine and feminine) and "vos"(plural, both masculine and feminine) mean "Your" and "Le vôtre"(singular masculine), "La vôtre"(singular feminine) and "Les vôtres"(plural, both masculine and feminine) mean "Yours".
i think natalie more experienced in spoken french than written
Mon Dieu, I have all of those mental blocks 🤦♀️ I understand a lot when I read and listen, but I don’t have a habit to use all of those words in conversation. The other day I was telling a small story and I forgot words like “drive” and I’m already in the middle of B1. I admire people who don’t afraid to make mistakes and just talk, practice... I’m seriously thinking about moving to France for at least a year pour améliorer mon niveau de français
Salut! C'est très normale d'oublie des mots en français. Je travaille dans une entreprise française en République Dominicaine, et aujourd'hui ma collègue oublie comment écrire "A tout a l'heure". Je ne connais pas beaucoup le français, mais avec les vidéos de Géraldine en Comme une Française, et "working in a french environment", mon français s'améliore chaque jour. :) Merciiiiiiiiii
@Ric O’shea De rien
Understood your message except for the word ameliore
@da96103 s’améliore means improves
I did the iOS app duolingo for one month, doing every lesson before travelling to Paris. I went from zero hours of learning and understanding to feeling like I at least know some basics. Have not really done much past that. But these videos are helpful. Nelson, I understood everything, but did not KNOW the word ameliore (except for english ameliorate), but totally understood it in context. But yea, I cannot SPEAK worth a darn. Fast French LISTENING>.. forget it... too.
Vous vous êtes très bien exprimé, Nelson!
I was checking in at a hotel in Reims and managed a two sentence conversation with the man behind the counter about my reservation and the weather. He then spoke two or three sentences very quickly. I asked him "Vous me pouvez la repeter, s'il vous plait?" - he sighed deeply them said it again slowly in English but with an impatient tone! It turned out he was telling me the breakfast times, where my room was and how the parking worked but I felt so embarrassed and ashamed. I avoided him for the whole of my stay.
I studied abroad for a semester in Aix-en-Provence. I remember that one day, when I visited the pharmacy, I couldn't find what I was looking for, which meant I'd have to ask. But I forgot the word for "toothpaste" and ended up asking for "the thing you use to brush your teeth." They understood after a while and we all chuckled about it.
I completely fall apart on the telephone in French ! Even when I ask the caller to repeat their sentence I often continue to be unable to understand them.
I know that I can SAY anything in French, but I have to take a long route to make my point because I do not know any of the direct ways or common-speak ways. For example, if I were to describe my occupation to a French person, I would say, "I am a writer. I live in the United States and I write about horse racing for a magazine that is very popular." I do not know how to say, "I'm a horse racing writer for a well-known publication." Usually, it's far more complicated than that example." Sometimes, on your channel, I see the way you say things and they are very different from the way I would say them because you say it in real French and I say it in baby French. What's really crazy is that I learned French when I was a baby, ( my grandmother and aunts spoke it) so when I speak, I have almost no accent, but I don't know the words of a grown up person so I sound like a mentally slow person. That causes me a lot of anxiety.
"...so I sound like a mentally slow person" Haha, you are being way too harsh on yourself. But at least you made me chuckle :-)
@@2002RM Let me try - I'm a student of French - I think I'll say: J'écris sur les courses des chevaux dans une revue très connue - Does it sound any French??
I’ve noticed in French will just break things up into short sentences or phrases. I’d just say “J’écris pour une publication. C’est très connue”.
@@2002RM LOL - but it's sadly true. If I had an Anglo-American accent, people would understand why I speak haltingly. But without any accent, I sound like a simpleton. People murmur, "What's wrong with him?"
@Melissa Streeter Thank you - :)
A situation I often lose my confidence is when I am in the middle of a sentence and I can't think of a word I want to use. I have learned to say "comment dirais-je...." which allows me some time to think, or the other person to fill in my sentence.
Thanks for the great video :) Je suis très reconnaissant.
And..... listening online to French radio stations helps to keep ears in tune to get familiar with the language. And the music is wonderful with artists we don't hear in in the US.
Linda Weddle I learn a lot from French music actually
You might get AM radio from Quebec at night. AM 940 has music.
Where I keep making mistakes in French is putting all the small words together,
"Je ne souviens plus" Au lieu de -> "Je ne ME souviens plus".
I enjoyed your lesson. In France, I find speaking French almost impossible as the French want to try out their English on me. I speak wonderful English but I can never find a French person to speak English to me in railway stations. There it is French only and I am so surprised I forget "ma droite de ma gauche!" or the French attendants rattle off times and platforms and how much does it costs tres vite and I then have to work out the French numbering system and anything over 60 scares me stiff. I had to say "eighty four" in French It takes time to work out four twenties four and 1999 is even worse. Let me try mille neuf cent quatre vingt dix neuf? It was only on my fourth visit to Paris I found out I had paid much too much for my paper as when I asked how much? the price came out so fast I just did not understand. The one phrase I really needed in The Gardens of Versailles and was unable to come up with was "Cet homme me suit pastout". That is the one phrase every girl needs. I was lucky I found two young students who spoke delightful French to me as I insisted back to the Palace but I was extremely lucky as it was scary. They said I was quite good mais jsuis nul en francais! This actually is a good opening line. One day my French will get better.
14:01 I paused to read the whole thing. ROTF! OMG! I can't wait to share that with my french class.
The number 1 problem with French is the amount of the unpronounced letters ! U go like : blah blah blah and I go like : huh? What ? Then u write it and I am like : oh! Ok. That’s easy! 😱
Merci beaucoup! ❤️
This helps a lot!!! Merci!
Merci pour une autre superbe lecon.
Merci bien
Merci beaucoup mademoiselle for giving such useful tips.
Merci beaucoup! 👍
J’adore votre manière enseigner! Merci merci merci beaucoup pour votres vidéos!
I don't get embarrassed enough to stop speaking and making mistakes. I just laugh at myself and go on, even if I've tied myself in knots trying to get an idea across. I also think that if I like their accents in my language, they will like mine in theirs (no matter which language I'm massacring at the time :D). That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Love your channel, just found it.
Mercibeaucoup. j'aime ce video.
Thank you. Such a huge help. Those were my fears that stop me from having conversation with French native.
Thanks a lot! Really helpful. I am studying French for quite a while, but still speaking fluently in French is a challenge for me as I don't have much speaking practice. For me, mental blocking is a usual thing when I'm trying to say something in French, quite a long process and I feel myself a dummy). I think that the most scary thing for me is to talk on the phone with someone in French. It implies additional problems as there may be problems with connection, you might not hear everything clearly and it's obviously hard in this case to explain something using gestures or describing something very long. That's why I wonder if there are any useful tricks for phone conversation except asking a person to contact you via email). Thanks !
Merci beaucoup, vous êtes magnifique!
Les phrases extrêmement importantes !!!
MERCI Geraldine!!!
Cela rend l'apprentissage amusant…:)
This is SO helpful. And you are so cute! I love your channel.
I was recommended to your webpage by my French teacher as she thought it was so helpful and I have enjoyed it for quite a few years thank you
Salut, Geraldine! Cette lesson est très intéressante!
c'est tres utile .. mil merci
Thank you so much for that french video lesson ! Merci !!
Excellent, UPLIFTING lesson. MANY thanx.
Merci.
Merci I am taking notes 😊
As someone who has worked with many different nationalities, I personally love these “embarrassing” moments. I was once trying to explain that I really liked a musician from England to one of my Mexican coworkers in Spanish and could not remember how to say it in Spanish. I tried describing the location and still no luck hahaha. Knowing the languages are very similar I used the French word instead and we were able to figure it out. True this only helps in limited scenarios but it worked so 🤷♂️ why not lol
I love the music!!
Bonsoir Madam
Merci Beaucoup pour tout le videos.
Thanks a lot my sweet teacher, God bless you forever 🙏
Merci beaucoup pour expliquer ces phrases en français! I have struggled for years to find someone who can explain how to say just these things. Youre the best! I appreciate your videos!
I would like to say that I am loving this channel and I have subscribed. I used to speak French at an intermediate level but I have been living in the UK for the past 6 years and I completely forgot the spoken part of the language. I am preparing for an interview which won't be specifically in French but it will be with a French speaking interviewee and this specific lesson is making me feel much more comfortable knowing I won't be as near as good as I used to be!
Thanks for your excellent video!. Something you might want to check out: I can hear static with headphones, maybe it is the mic you are using.
I love it! Thank you so much. Once I learned to use what I know without fear, I made a quantum leap. A beginner who was not afraid who interacted very well taught me this! I am a French major.....:-)
madam, you are so kind and disarming, and in my book, that makes you a treasured and valued teacher. thank you for helping.
I really struggle with knowing when and how to use the word "en" - like, "j'en voudrais..."
Could you maybe explore this in another video, if you haven't already?
Merci bien ! :)
It kinda means “it”
Je (ne) sais pas : I do not know
J’en sais rien ( or je n’en sais rien ) : I know nothing ( about it, about that topic )
Je voudrais... : I would like...
J’en voudrais : Yes I want it too ( works as an answer to someone offering smth)
J’en veux a quelqu’un also means I blame someone
There is one use for quantities :
J'en voudrais -> I'd like some
J'en prends -> I take some
Tu en as ? -> Do you have some ?
Il y en a -> There is some
It is also used as a substitute to "about something"
J'en ai marre -> I'm fed up about this
J'en ai parlé -> I talked about this
J'en rigole encore -> I'm still laughing about that
J'en chie (vulgar) -> I'm struggling with it
Also used like "in", "inside", "within"
C'est en moi -> it is inside me (rare / literal)
It could be a location (country or region) indicator :
Je vais en Normandie ou en Hollande -> I'm going to Normandy or to the Netherland (doesn't work with cities for a reason).
Also used to indicate a moment :
Q : Le saumon est servi quand ? A : En entrée -> Q When will be the salmon served ? A : As an entry
En première partie du spectacle -> In the first part of the show
Or a transport mean :
J'y vais en train -> I take the train (in the sense I will use the train to go there)
J'y vais en bus -> I'm taking the bus
Also used to indicate something that you're doing while doing something else (+ ...ant) :
Je mange en regardant la télé -> I'm watching the TV while I'm eating
Je me douche en chantant -> I'm singing when I take a shower
It could be a state of someone or something :
être en retard/to be late
Être en joie/to be joyful (rare)
Être en panique/to be panicking (not sure about the translation :/)
La voiture est en panne/the car is broken
And I'm sure I missed some.
.....
So yeah, it is maybe one of the most difficult word in french.
en usually means 'some' so when you say j'en voudrais = i would like some ..
Arnaud Nyme bless you
@@BreakingBad13 Very generous response, Arnaud.....many many thanks
These are very important tips which I greatly appreciate. The challenges also apply to me because I have a significant hearing loss and miss a lot of what is said even in English where I have to ask people to repeat what they said (in a louder voice). Je suis sourd. So - learning French is also a bigger challenge for me which I hope to have achieved before I am totally deaf and not able to hear how words are pronounced. Your lessons are wonderful and I enjoy them all.
Great video
I am so grateful to find your lessons!! Wow, very very helpful!!! Je vous remercier, Geraldine!!! J’habite en le Languedoc-Roussillon et le Françoise ici en peux different comme l’autre dans l’ecole. On doix pronouncer the é au fin des mots et aussi temps du temps en g sûr loins et mots qui se fins avec -ions.
Mme Lepere, I just finished making 15 flash cards of your 15 expressions, as a warm-up for your 30-day course to begin tomorrow! Merci beaucoup!
Bonjour! Je vous remercie pour cette video! Pour répondre à la dernière question: j'ai des difficultés et je m'inquiète quand je fais un appel téléphonique et la personne ou moi-même ne comprennons rien. C'est plus compliqué dans le cas où on ne peuvent pas regarder les gestes des autres.
Bonjour! I just discovered your videos and they are wonderful. I am beginning French using both Duolingo and Memrise. I would like to view all your videos starting with the BEGINNING and viewing in order. How do I find your first videos and view in succession?
Super helpful advice, Géraldine. Merci! In general, if a friend is speaking French to me, often times they think I understand every word they’re saying. In these circumstances , their speech pattern is lightening fast, so I don’t even know where to interject the concern that I’m not understanding. I often feel pretty stupid for not being able to keep up. And when the person resorts to English, I feel even more dumb.
J'étais à Paris et je voulais à emporter un café au lait à ma mère, qui se reposait à l'hôtel. Je ne savais pas comment demander et j'ai essayé de parler de la même manière que nous parlons en portugais (Brésil): je voudrais un café au lait ... "voyageant"? La réponse était: oui, bien sûr, un café au lait voyageant (et elle agita les bras comme des ailes). Après la blague, elle m'a appris à parler correctement: un café au lait à emporter. Je n'étais pas fâché. Ici, on dit généralement "je perds mon ami, mais je ne perds pas la blague".
Hahaha! C’est tellement drôle! Je ne pouvais pas m’empêcher de rire!
@@anthonythompson5959 😄😄😄
j'aime l'ordinateur mini avec "comme une français" =]
I find it difficult when at the reception of a clinic at the hospital. I have been learning French for some time and find that speaking to a stranger who speaks very fast I get completely lost and forget the most basic words in reply. This lesson is very helpful, thank you
je suis français, c'est ma langue maternelle, et je m'exprime (j'espère) déjà très bien à l'oral, mais je reste fasciné par la qualité de la prononciation de Géraldine.
Lorsqu'elle parle et qu'elle articule, autant en anglais qu'en français, c'est une musique pour mes oreilles :)
Merci pour ces vidéos, c'est un vrai plaisir de les voir / les revoir.
Et moi ça m'aide avec la prononciation anglaise.
When I'm talking to my friend's bilingual children and they look at me like I'm crazy and then they switch to English to speak to me. .
Confidence GONE! 🤦♀️
Children are rude and selfish. Do not worry! Keep on with what you've done so far.
What?!
No! Most Children are lovely!
My friends kids are not rude at all...
I was just being silly with them...
Thanks for the support though . x
Tell them, aujourd’hui nous parlons en français. Demain, nous parlons en anglais. (Please read the 2nd sentence in future tense) parlerais?
Voici ce qu'il faut faire. Vous souriez de joie et vous vous exclamez "Vous parlez anglais!" And then you start talking like this as fast as you can get the words out:
_I gather from the way you transitioned to my preferred method of locution that my French aptitude may necessitate some edification. It would seem apparent, however, that this approach would only serve to hinder my progress, however deliberate. Nevertheless if this represents your preferred method of communication, so be it._
_So to revisit my original interrogative, could you please elucidate an expeditious means of conveyance to the most renowned collection of art and antiquities in Paris?_
Pause and wait like you expect an answer. There will likely be a look of confusion and terror. If they don't switch back to French, keep using the most esoteric words in your English vocabulary. When you start to feel bad for them, smile and say "On peut parler français si vous voulez"
@@ThorASic 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Savage!!!!!!!!
That would work!!!!!!!!!!
My biggest issue with speaking french in pronunciation of words. Because my first language is English, my brain brain wants to pronounce every letter, lol
Good!
Bonjour, first I would like to thank you for your way in explaining how to speak French, the most embarrassing situation happens to me with the securite soicale, and the bank, asking about some information . Would you please talk about these issues . thanks a lot
Super
I was asking for something in the bakery "au dessous" when I meant "au dessus." People were helpful! Good thought about not only knowing the language but knowing how to use it! Merci!!
Dessous and dessus sound exactly the same to me, so difficult having such similar words for opposites.
@@wudgee the "ou" sound and "u" sound are completely different. "ou" sounds like the english "oo". The French "u" sound doesn't exist in english. It's more of a sharper sound that you need to tighten your lips in order to make.
I was in New Caledonia for a vacation and I had all the 3 problems listed in the video haha
cetait tres utile mademoiselle .bisous de l'inde
I have a problem... I know how to write but its a bit tricky speaking. .. I form a sentence in my head but get confused when delivering the speech
Bonjour Geraldine
Your videos are so informative and welcomed. I had an embarrassing moment en vacance in DR. A woman was complimenting my baby and asked her name. I did not understand and she looked at me like I was stupid because I said I could speak French une peu. My comprehension skills are even worse than my speaking skills which are minimal at best.
Dear Géradine, thank you for your video! This has been so helpful. And I have a story to share:
I remember a slightly embarrassing and funny situation. Once, I was introduced for the first time to a newly moved in french housemate (his mum was there too). I was a little nervous and a little eager to practice my french. However, at the introduction, instead of asking him « comment tu t'appelle ? » I said to him « comment il s'appelle ? » In my head, I was probably thinking to myself in english "what is this new guy's name" so then arrived at the wrong form of the question. At the instance though, he froze for a little bit and thought I was asking about his mother at first meeting!!!
I feel quite embarrassed, but only for a little while. It was in fact rather funny actually :)
But you know what, Grc?... the way you asked the question wasn't totally wrong because sometimes when you aren't sure whether you can "tutoyer" or have to "vouvoyer" somebody, it is a clever, albeit rare, way of making sure you are not going to offend the person you are talking to.
Btw, is that Minitel in the background working?
Merci pour cette leçon. Vous avez presenté une question: “What is a specific example of when you feel foolish speaking French?” Pour moi, j’ai découvert que je peux parler bien, je peux prononce très bien certaines phrases. Par example, “Bonjour, comment ça vas; ça vas bien?” et “Je voudrais deux croissants, s’il vous plaît.” Mais depuis la personne française pense que je peux parler la langue très bien, alors elle parle rapidement et je ne comprends pas du tout. Ainsi, j’oublie touts les mots, je ne me souvenir pas du tout! Je ne peux pas comprends et je ne peux pas parler. En lyçee mon professeur expected that we pronounce everything very well, so I learned to do that; but I didn’t learn how to converse or comprehend well at all. C’est si embarrassant. Maintenant, je suis une femme vielle. J’aime toujours la langue française, et j’étudie chaque jour, mais quand j’attends un groupe conversationnel, I freeze!
(Excusez-moi pour les erreurs.)
I feel like I found my lucky star today in discovering your videos.
This is such a lovely video. Thanks Geraldine...I think this will really help bluff my way through tricky situations. 💓
I often feel very rushed in Paris, especially in certain restaurants and certain vendors in a street market. I guilty because there is a long line behind me in the store.
I really needed this video, and I also love how you pronounce "vocabulary !" 😁
I had a francophone patient that I needed to switch to a different bed in the emergency room. I walked in and introduced myself like normal. When he said he only speaks French, I thought, "yes! Practice!" Then I promptly forgot the word for bed (un lit, but the best I could do was un livre, which I didn't say out loud because it was obviously a book, not a bed)... I ended up muddling through with English and hand signals and didn't say anything in French.
Reflecting on it later, if that happened again, I would start the conversation over when I realized the conversation needed to switch to French, something like this:
(Patient) "Sorry, I only speak French"
(Me)"Oh! Je parle un petit peu. Je m'appelle Laura et nous voulons vous changer à un autre lit. Ça va?"
That probably has mistakes because I didn't double check myself (as I wouldn't be able to in the moment). And that's the point, giving my brain a moment of backtracking to where I'm solid in French would give it time to switch tracks and remember stuff I need, perhaps even, "j'ai oublié le mot pour..." 😄
I think you should always start with je m’appelle... It is the first thing everyone learns and puts you in the French mode.
I studied French for a number of years when I was a student, but have not practiced speaking in many, many years. This past November, I met a woman from the Czech Republic who spoke 5 languages, including French and English. Because she didn't speak English well, we conversed in French...which I know didn't speak well enough. She understood a lot of what I said and I understood much of what she said. At that moment, I wished I had kept up with practicing French; I would have been much more comfortable.
The most common situations for me are phone calls. Often the speech is very quick and there is no personal or visual contact to get hints from. All you can do is ask for a repeat and if there is an accent issue too, it can be pretty difficult. This seems to happen even if you know what the subject is - e.g. booking or cancelling a restaurant table. :-(
so my french friend hyped up the fact that i studied french for 5 years in the past to his mom.. but i havent used it in 3 years, and in the past 3 years, ive picked up a different language, so that grammar has been in my head. obviously im trying to get back into french now. anyways, what happened was, she asked me a question, and i totally gave an answer that had nothing to do with the question :( how would i recover from that ? merci beaucoup!
Bonsoir Géraldine. I hesitate a lot while speaking French even though I have officially learnt the language...how do I work on it?
Super encouraging lesson ☺ You reiterate several times how difficult it is to learn French 🤔 Is this a French conceit? I suspect that, given sufficient time, learning to SPEAK French is no more difficult than any other language. Leaning to read and write French, however, is another matter entirely!
Not trolling, but French seems to be an excessively self-conscious language with a grammar that signifies more than its meaning 🤷♂
When people in front of me speak more fast than me, I forget all the things I know how to speak, specifically the fear blanks me out, however I understand almost all what they speak but can't utter anything.
I was taught ‘comment dit-on ____en français ?’ . Is the inversion no longer used?
When I lived in the South of France, I used to just have a lot of fun cause I didn’t care about making mistakes. So I would just chit chat through every situation like “Excusez-moi, je voudrais trois de....uhhh quel est le mot en Français, ...merde qu’est-ce qu’on dit pour ça, c’est comme chop chop....” then the lady would laugh and say “tranches!” and I’d say “Oui!! Trois tranches de jambon s’il vous plaît!” Just have fun, learn those little chit chat phrases to keep fluidity in the conversation and laugh at learning!! The chit chat phrases like “quel est le mot en Français”, “qu’est-ce qu’on dit”, “c’est quoi ça”, “comment dit-on”, “c’est à dire”, “quelle est l’expression pour”, “on peut dire ça en français” , etc all help to just keep the conversation flowing and you will appear to be speaking while learning!
My first trip to a french City was Noumea in NC. I needed to buy a telephone card (Pre Iphones etc) I practiced the french I needed to purchase the card. Unfortunately, I didn't imagine what the answer might be or how to answer correctly when they replied. So I stood there with a stupid look on my face until the assistant realised I could not really speak french and answered me in English. I was very embarrassed. Twenty years down the track and I am still not there but still trying.
Ça m'arrive souvent que je parle avec mes collègues ou mon gérant, et elles me demandent de me répéter. Ça ce peut qu'elles me n'avaient pas entendu, mais ça me donne l'impression que je l'ai mal dit (soit avec vocabulaire, grammaire ou prononciation) et je me répète en englais pour être sûre qu'elles me comprendent. Surtout parce que je vie au Québec et mon ville est divisé également en des anglophones et des francophones, alors je me doute si le mot que j'ai dit est un vrai mot en français or une anglicisme
We tried ordering a dozen donuts at duncan donuts in Quebec, they spoke no English. Of course we were in the drive through and we said une douzaine donuts please. Everyone on the other end laughed out loud it was very funny because I hadn't had any French practice since high school, we just repeated it again and laughed along with them. It is a great and funny memory of our trip.
Bonsoir Geraldine, Merci pour votre video, How to speak french without feeling stupid. J'ai une probleme que j'ai trouve une francais est quand Je parle avec le -- A' toi, A' elle A' lui. Comme ca, Je le donner ou un pue dur -- Je l'explique . Je peux voir le lettre "switch et couper .. mais unlike english. C'etait complique a parler. Peut-etre vous pouvez travaille un peu trick a faire facile. Merci. Stephen
I'm scared about speaking in french when I'm actually in front of a French person... I don't understand them clearly and I immediately feel they won't understand me either. I've studied french through Duolingo only for a year :(
@MirrorSpiritus that's not encouraging. I'm trying to learn the French language by listen music radio CZcams's etc
Juan I Mendoza that’s the one of the best ways to learn a language! I use French you tubers such as Cyprien or squeezie to learn French more fluently
Bonjour Geraldine. Pas tired. Bonne apres midi. : ) Katherine MARSH
I suppose one has to be "authentic and sincere" with one's approach to people, taking into account regional social customs and taboos
Generally people will be patient with you if they like you
Once we've established that, the improvements would come gradually
There's no need to "impress"
I need to rewatch this video a couple times so I remember these phrases
Geraldine, vous êtes très fantastique. J'adore votre videos! Je suis American, et le veux vous dire que je simplement lutte- struggle- a comprendre "spoken" français tout le temps. J'écoute d'habitude la radio Parisienne qui joue la musique française - Chante France ou M Radio, mais je ne peux comprendre que les concepts dans leur intégralité générales, mais pas en details, ce si est parle des informations météorologique, les nouvelles, ou de la publicité. Je ne peux avoir seulement que d'une idée plus générale.... Je me sent souvent très stupide! Qu'est-ce que vous pensez je dois faire pour améliorer ma compression de la langue et pour éliminer mon problème? Je vous en priez! Je voudrais vous remercier grandement votre aide! Merci! Ed G.
Bonsoir Géraldine:) Je sais français, mais… when I am upset about something or angry, I instinctively speak in English. Also, most french people
When I am upset or angry I instinctively speak in English.
Also, the French people that I speak with often always most of the time speak to me in English and every now and then in French.
I had lived and traveled through France and I still immediately speak in English even though I understand them. Basically, I want to organically speak
in French without a thought.
Find yourself a situation where you need to speak French, one where English is not acceptable. For example you can do this by telling your French friends/coworkers that you want to improve and they should not speak to you if you don't reply in French. The way I improved the most in French is through my work because my superiors only speak French. Throughout time my vocabulary improved because it was necessary for it and now I instinctively go to French when speaking to people of authority, when defending or explaining a mistake, or when I want to be heard or taken more seriously, since that is what I would need French the most for while at work. By creating this context of 'this is when we speak French', your mind will adapt and help you out
Pourquoi tu ne demandes pas aux français de te répondre en français ? Si tu leur expliques que tu souhaites apprendre ça ne les embêtera pas.
Pour moi c'est la différence entre en em in ain et im
I am in Costa Rica and I speak fairly well but when I forget a word of an object i am looking for I bring up a picture of it on my phone... Google it and ask for images... It works everytime and they say oh a.... and tell me the word and rhey relax.
Je voudrais faire des commentaires mais j’ai oublié tous les mots. 😱
Je vais utiliser tout le temps. Merci beaucoup. 😅
I've actually heard the opposite opinion that unless your French is perfect you shouldn't bother trying to speak it in France; particularly Paris, where you will be insulted for even attempting whereas in Germany if a foreigner attempts German and botches it horribly the German speaker will simply switch to English (if the foreigner appears to be from an English-speaking country.) There remains a viewpoint that the French are extremely protective of the purity of their language and even more so in Quebec, where the version of French is from the 17th century and supposedly more "pure" than even the European version.
I feel embarrassed when I use the wrong article - "le" for "la" or "une" for "un" - and make like gender errors with modifiers.
I found out that most French are guessing some times for the articles too.
Even French people sometimes use the wrong gender for a word : ask a French person which article to use with : aparté, astérisque, après-midi,... and so on
c'est fun quand un mot est feminin en francais et masculin en espagnol par exemple. la voiture = el coche .. le lit = la cama. je suppose que ca depends aussi sur les langues on parle deja .. et puis en anglais il n'y a pas le gender.. the car. the bed
Nous aussi ça nous arrive de nous tromper, surtout sur des mots qu'on utilise pas souvent, t'inquiète pas pour ça ;)
I sometimes say "n' ", "l' ", "d' " etc as a sort of contraction to cover up any potential embarrassment haha.