Summer Skill: Learn French
Learning a new language is no easy task. In one form or another, every single one of us has had to learn a language. Most of us learned our first language as babies with our caretakers speaking to us. Some learn a language in school, studying Spanish for years to only remember “¿dónde está la biblioteca?” Others learn the language of code, take your pick at which one, or art, or poetry, or biology. At one point or another, we all learn.
Language is a truly amazing thing because it is quite literally the frame by which we are able to view and understand the world. Language sets the parameters for how we are able to interact with the world around us. We are all limited by language. Cognitive scientist Lera Boroditsky explains in a 2017 Ted Talk how language impacts the way we think. She uses the example of the Kuuk Thaayorre people, Aboriginal people, located in Pormpuraaw, Australia. Their language is noteworthy for their sixteen words for the cardinal directions, and their lack of relational words such as left, right, ahead, behind, etc.. Through their language the Kuuk Thaayorre people are always able to identify which direction they are facing (something I as an english speaker could not do if I tried). Additionally, their language’s perception of location, place, and self impact the way they perceive time. It is crazy to think that because of their language structure their perception of time is different from how I would perceive or organize it.
At 22, I am excited to actually commit time this summer to learning French. I am taking a 6 week intensive course offered by the University of Geneva. Monday through Friday from 9-12:30 I am in a classroom studying French. It’s exciting to learn French because I have never lived in a place where the language I am learning is widely spoken. Back in the United States, I studied Spanish in high school and Arabic in college. In both languages I learned a lot but currently have limited speaking abilities.
This time when learning French I want to really learn, especially with my ability to speak. So I am trying to do things a bit differently. In 2017, I attended Tedx New Bedford where I heard Gabriel Wyner speak about learning languages. It is a youtube clip which I have returned to multiple times through the years. He has a blog, app, and book titled Fluent Forever. One thing he discusses frequently is about giving a language life. He discusses how when we learn through memorization it can be easy to forget because maybe all we have done is written the word a handful of times or said it aloud. There is no personal connection to the word. The word doesn’t have any memory or image or sound or story connected to it. Therefore, it is easier to forget.
Although Mr Gabriel Wyner doesn’t explicitly say to do this, I am creating myself a french persona. The idea is that in creating another version of myself, my french speaking self, I can create life in the language. I can come up with stories, hobbies, interests, and experiences that my French persona has.
So I would like to introduce you all to Céleste! Céleste is from Normandy, and she grew up surrounded by nature. Growing up she had a dog, and her love of animals comes from her grandmother who keeps chickens and takes home stray cats. Her favorite season is fall because she gets to drink apple brandy and smell fresh apple tarts in the oven. She is very fashionable, but not pretentious. She enjoys rainy weather, and she can’t stand summer. Some of her favorite memories are sailing with her father and playing tennis with her friends. In university, she studied art history and enjoys Romanticism and the Nabis. She studied in Paris, but prefers a slower paced life. She studied abroad in Siena for a year. During that time she gained a love for Renaissance Art, cappuccinos, and Italian rap. Her favorite foods are seafood (specifically mussels), douillons (pear pastries), and camembert cheese. During rainy days, she drinks earl gray. She enjoys throwing dinner parties, listening to American jazz, and baking tarts. She is a bit aloof when you first meet her but she has a heart of gold. She is a romantic and takes time to enjoy the world around her.
Here are Céleste’s Top 5 French Tips:
Listen, Read, and Speak As One Exercise
One of the best ways to get engaged in a language is practicing different skills. Céleste really enjoys listening to Daily French Pod (you can find it on Apple podcast and Spotify) to learn new words and phrases. In the short (max 5 min) podcast, the host introduces a new word and reads that word in a sentence before working through the sentence word by word. Celeste enjoys this podcast because it allows her to listen to the host speak, she can follow along, and then she can practice the sentence aloud herself. So, find yourself any passage that is narrated by a French speaker: listen to them speak, read the passage yourself, speak the passage aloud, and then speak at the same time as the narrator.
Consume French Media
The very traditional way is a bit stuffy. The choice seems to be between sitting down to watch a movie or listening to La Vie En Rose by Edith Piaf (no shade to her). Instead find ways to incorporate French into all the media you consume. Add French music from the likes of Angèle to your playlists. Put a French TV show like Lupin or Chef’s Table France into your rotation. Follow French content creators on Instagram and TikTok. Find one interesting news article in French and read it. These are small and not overwhelming ways that Céleste likes to have French around her life.
Making Flashcard The Right Way
When Céleste makes flashcards, she likes to have them with images. In having an image on one side, it tells more of a story to the person trying to learn new words. You are not repeating it from brute memorization but connecting the word to a picture and a story. For example, if you look up google images for le chien, the images of dogs that appear are different than if you look up dog. Therefore, having an image of le chien can connect a story with the mind of the particular dog that is French.
Start from Where You Are Interested
For the sake of being able to communicate, Célste knows it can be important to learn very basic and common words like food vocabulary, etc.. But if you keep on going lesson to lesson learning different and random vocabulary groups, the language seems boring. Céleste recommends starting with what you are interested in. If you are passionate about literature, learn the vocabulary that is helpful to describe your favorite book. If you love advocating for political issues, study the terms that will let you discuss it in French. You shouldn’t limit yourself to learning only household items or family members.
Make Mistakes
If there is anything Céleste knows to be true, it is that nobody is perfect. Sometimes speaking in a new language can feel intimidating. You want it to be perfect, and you feel as though making mistakes is indicative of a greater personal fault. It isn’t. Making mistakes is the process of learning. When we were all little, we spoke our mother tongue in broken speech. We valued communication more than being correct, and I encourage all of us to do the same today.
In creating , I hope I am able to bring life into French and work towards thinking about the world in a different way. When I study, I want to think of how it is useful to Céleste. I am not learning to memorize, but I am learning because Céleste wants to speak. She has something to say, and that is what language is about. Language is about expression. Learning vocabulary and practicing the passé-composé is an exercise in how to communicate.
