How I Relearned French: Or How To Learn a Second Language In 5 Steps

In Canada “where I’m from” we have two official languages, French and English which was formally instituted into our national charter in 1982. This came into being to give the Quebecois people official language status and quell the rebellion of the Quebecois people which climaxed during the ‘October Crisis’ where Quebec was placed under martial law due to increased terrorist/freedom fighter activity. As a result almost all governmental positions within the country require that the employee learn both French and English and almost all citizens have a basic understanding of French and many are considered fully bilingual.
I’m talking about this to show you the context in which I’m coming from. Since I’m currently living in Montreal, most people speak French instead of English and I’ve grown up with both languages all my life. Everyone that I talk to can speak at least two languages and it isn’t rare to meet people who can speak three, four or even five languages which I find isn’t the case when I travel to the U.S. I recently had to take a government French exam to do some contract work and thought I would go through my sure fire, 5 step plan for learning a second language.

Step 0: Have a Clear Understanding Of Your Goals

Ok, this should be a pretty simple set to most of you which is why I didn’t define it as a ‘real’ step. You have to have a clear understanding of your goals and when you’d like to achieve them. So a couple questions you could ask yourself would be: Do I want to be completely fluent? Do I want to be able to hold a 5,10,15 minute conversation in the language? Do I have to pass a test? Am I leaving for a country where they only speak that language? Etc. It’s crucial to understand exactly what your goals should be before you start off as you don’t want to overshoot or undershoot your goal and becoming fluent for a test is very different from conversational fluency and requires a completely different learning methodology.

Step 1: Get the Right Language Tools

Getting the right tools before you start learning a second language is crucial. There are a few main tools I use when I wanted to brush up on my French. I started with a core word list that I’ll discuss later. I also had a Bescherelle which has all the French verbs and is a really guide to use when you don’t understand a verb conjugation. I also started watching French television and radio and started reading a lot of graphic novels in French.

Step 2: Start With a Core Word Set

Start with a core word set for any language you’re trying to learn. If you memorize the top 500 words in any language you usually are about 95% towards conversational fluency. As an example, most newspapers and 24 news channels try to stay within a core 500 word base so that they can maximize their viewership. Many guides are available on the internet for free and there are also many flash card learning systems that are directly based off the 500 core word set model. I picked up a set of used flash cards from a buddy of mine and they worked perfectly. When you look at your 500 word set I suggest you use a system set up by Scott H Young which reinforces effective study skills by creating a matrix of stories and metaphors within your mind in order to remember this word set. It’s a little too complicated to go through now so just check out the link.

Step 3: Place Yourself In That Language

If you want to achieve true fluency, you have to place yourself in the environment. With that in mind I’d take the time to watch as much television in your target language as possible. I will usually watch a show I’ve already seen in English and either add in subtitles in the target language or if the show is dubbed, add in English subtitles. This gives my brain a way to quickly encode and decode the language immediately on a continual basis. My second step would be to go talk to people who speak the language. This can be intimidating at first, but I find a good way to break the ice is to explain to them what you’re trying to do and most of the time they are more than happy to help you learn. Start with small conversations and if you don’t know the word in English describe “in the target language” the word you are looking for. Falling back to English is disastrous for your learning and is probably the most popular mistake most people will make. DO NOT DO IT!

Step 4: Measure Your Progress In Your Second Language

Measure everything! If you don’t know where you’ve been then you can’t figure out where you are and where you should be. You can usually find a great set of free language tests for every language. For French, I got a hold of the Canadian government French fluency exams and took a new test each week. I saw a steady improvement from around 60% in week one to an 80%+ by the end of the month. Not only will tests help you understand how fast you are progressing but it will also give you a target to study for. Take the time to test yourself, it’s really important…

Step 5: Remember to Reactivate Every Few Years

It is pretty much impossible to keep each language you learn in top working order all the time. Inevitably there will be some break down and you’ll need a refresher. The beauty is that once you relearn a language it is relatively easy to brush up on your language and be back to the same level of fluency within a week or two. Just go through the same steps I’ve set out here in a concentrated format. If you want to keep the language in tip top shape, simply set up a monthly discussion group with people in that language or take a trip to that area every few months and keep testing yourself to adequately gauge whether the language is slipping.

If anybody would like a free chapter of my book which is packed full of many more study tips, check out my effective study tips page and sign up to get a free chapter.