Write an article based on this "Practice every day. Learn cognates. Memorize new phrases. Review verb conjugations. Think out loud. Travel to a French-speaking country."
Learning a language is unlike learning any other subject. Your knowledge must build and become as intrinsic as possible. Practicing every day is the only way you'll be able to maintain and improve your skills. Incorporate review in your learning until it's solid. You cannot build complex sentences if you've forgotten how to structure simple ones. Even if it's just for half an hour, it's worth it. Get your mind thinking in French. Developing habits makes it harder to quit. Depending on your source, about 30% of all English words originate from French. If you're just beginning, an easy way to dive in is to familiarize yourself with the concepts. Often, the "fancier" verb is French and the "normal" verb is German. Think "start" versus "commence"; "help" versus "aid"; "understand" versus "comprehend." The French for those verbs is, respectively, in their infinitive form, "commencer," "aider," and "comprendre." Certain word endings are giveaways that they're French. Think words with "-ion," "-ance," or "ite." Television, billion, religion, nuance, endurance, granite, opposite -- those are all French words. Not English. French. Well, English, too. Never let your vocabulary stagnate. As your knowledge grows, take time to incorporate new phrases into your phrasal pool. Think of a new topic. If you're lacking in time vocabulary, zero-in on that department. If you need to learn the names of food, concentrate on that. Expand yourself. Quelle heure est-il? (What time is it?)Bon, heu, je ne sais pas...(Uhh, I don't know...)Oh, non! Il est deja 17 h! Je dois etudier mon vocabulaire de francais! (Oh no! It's already 5:00! I have to study my French vocabulary!) The biggest difference between English and French is that French conjugates their verbs to match the tense and subject. Generally speaking, verb charts go in "I, you, he/she/it, we, you (plural), they" order. Start with the simple present of -er verbs (manger - to eat): Je mange - tu manges - il/elle/on mange - nous mangeons - vous mangez - ils/elles mangent Simple present of -ir verbs (choisir - to choose): Je choisis - tu choisis - il/elle/on choisit - nous choisissons - vous choisissez - ils/elles choisissent Simple present of -re verbs (vendre - to sell): Je vends - tu vends - il/elle/on vend - nous vendons - vous vendez - ils/elles vendent Often, the ending of words is not pronounced. "Je choisis" sounds more like "Zhuh schwazee," and "ils mangent" sounds like, "eel monge." Learn the other tenses later. Once you've mastered the simple present, continue onto the passe compose (past tense). If you're around others, they might get irritated, but it's worth it! They don't have to understand you, only you have to understand you. It's a bonne idee, isn't it? French is a language that's highly encorporated into English. In addition to using simple phrases like, "Bonjour!", "Merci beaucoup," or "Je ne sais pas" that some people know, use slightly more difficult ones when talking to yourself -- or let your roommates catch on! Ou est mon sac? - Where is my bag? Je veux boire du vin. - I want to drink some wine. Je t'aime. - I love you. If you say to yourself, "Oh, I see an apple!" translate it to French - "Oh, je vois une pomme". Practice this whenever you get a chance - in the car, in bed, in the bathroom, everywhere. If living there isn't an option, then visiting is the second-best. If you have the finances and ability to take des vacances, bring your books and CDs with you! Talk to the locals and experience the culture. Sitting at the McDonald's next to the Louvre (or the Starbucks, for that matter) won't exactly get you the educational or cultural experience you're looking for. You don't have to go to France to find a wealth of French speakers. However, know what dialect you're looking to mirror; going to Quebec will expose you to a French culture, but you'll hear Quebecois down the street--and it may be hard to understand!