Welcome, @cuyler .
For me, your tool would be useful if it allowed me to select by DELF level.
1 Like
Hi I am 57 but running my business keeps the brain power sharp 
. I am responsible for all the web design and the last couple of years alone have had to do several immersive programming courses to be able to read and write code. I can say I am fluent in CSS, and a good standard in SQL, PHP, Javascript but learned and hated Python 
!
As we are also looking at moving an existing business, creating a new one, moving 8 people 5 of whom will be working and need correct visas, one SCI, 2 x SARL and having to navigate what the tax implications are for different types of visas/employees, that has also kept the old grey matter churning. Iâve only got as far as preparing the 3 year business plan for one of the businesses, but its been a journey so far!
Oh and we havent even got to formal offer stage on the property we like⊠because it all has to work before we even get to that!
You can get it directly if you have Orange or SFR TV.
1 Like
Give a try to Michel Thomasâ method.
Itâs so much better than apps.
Iâve been using it for Korean.
Ahh I love watching Korean movies!
1 Like
I think a good knowledge of assembler would be of more value in embarking on learning French.
1 Like
I remember looking at that a long, long, long time ago. Isnât it a bit dated?
I liked LingQ that allows you to read books and listen to podcasts and note any new words.
Français avec Nelly is great for trying to improve from B2 and an excellent ebook.
1 Like
My wife and I started learning French during Covid using Duolingo. We found it very useful for learning grammar basics. After a year we realised we were spending a lot of time yet not making much progress. Weâve used a selection of other methods since. When we came to actually speaking to people we realised how difficult it was to find all the vocabulary and grammar stored in our brains. I then started using Chat GPT which allows a conversation in real time. Iâm now using an app called Langua which utilises AI tailored specifically to language learning. The consensus among language teachers on YT is that it is the best out there. Have a look at some of these videos. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=langua. Of course immersion in French is essential - tv, radio, the market and every oppportunity to speak to someone.
1 Like
In my experience, the opinions of âlanguage teachersâ depend on who is sponsoring their videos! Almost all of them do it. (And the fact that Olly Richards is the first person pushing it is an automatic turn-off for me. Iâve seen a lot of his material.)
Thereâs a free taster. I sampled it and was impressed sufficiently to subscribe.
IMHO, which app is the best is really dependent upon how one learns best. There are tons of apps and methods out there, with tons of good reviews all. I like anything that you can try for free, to see if itâs effective. That said, I donât know why so many people love Duolingo. It did absolutely nothing for me, and I hear the same from others. I have one former classmate who was very proud of her 1000 day streak on Duo. Could she speak a word of French? She could not.
2 Likes
I think Michel Thomasâ method provides an invaluable foundation. Iâve used it for French , Spanish and Greek. In French, I enjoyed his explanation of how to order another glass of wine using âencoreâ. I still play this in the car periodically which is part of the beauty of the courses being all audio with note taking discouraged. The only issue is with one of the two students he used for the course. Very irritating lady.
He had a pattern. One swot and one thicko.
I am using Duolingo but to be honest itâs just to remember the vocabulary and the order of words, I canât see long term this would really help me converse in French but it will help me step up into conversation tools. I did try another tool which really puts you straight into talking but the speech recognition started late and didnât recognise the first part of anything I said. Either what I said was rubbish, or I need to improve my vocabulary but I got so frustrated, it couldnât even recognise me counting to three and I donât think Iâm that bad!
I think DuoLingo gives a false impression that youâre learning a language.
Michel Thomas is appropriate for adults, but itâs not a great preparation for actually having a conversation.
As @Motherrobyn says, you need to work out what works for you. It probably wonât be just one thing, and certainly should be a mixture of reading, listening and drills of some sort.
I quite liked the books I used (Practice Makes Perfect).
Thatâs why I said it provides a foundation - a starting point. Ewa and I also went to classes at our local arts centre in the UK. We are continuing here in the Lot as members of the France GB Society. We also attend one to one classes and are getting to know a lot of the locals through dance classes.
1 Like
Thatâs what weâve been doing lately. You just canât beat village Associations for getting to know locals!
2 Likes
Est-ce Nelly lâĂ©lĂ©phant, qui a fait sa valise et est partie au cirque ?
I think there are two audiences here, those us in France for whom the best solution is, and always will be, to get out and speak. For those not here Iâd recommend the Alliance Française, if there is one near you. No app is ever going to compete with getting stuck in and speaking.
Mastering apps is a bit like being an expert in Flight Simulator, reality is different.
1 Like
Weâre all a unique mix of ages, language backgrounds, learning styles, etc. So which resources will be most useful will vary. I donât think it is useful to make blanket statements about any resource being useful or not. For example, Duolingo is definitely too gamified but that has its use: it keeps one coming back and avoids the âfalling off the wagonâ and realizing weeks have gone by without any French practice.
Personally, I credit Duolingo with helping to keep me thinking about what I see and hear in âreal lifeâ (in a small French village) and comparing it to what Iâve seen on the app. I regularly hear or see something that I practiced on Duolingo and then incorporate into my own language.
RFI has a ânews in simple Frenchâ ( look in the left hand column for âlearning Frenchâ) but your level probably has to be at least solid A2 to follow it- but there is a transcript one can follow.
Find kids books at the library and look up the words you donât know. Start low; I came across âscaphandrierâ in Babar (look that up!). And there are traps in guessing: I assumed that âse saucerâ meant to save oneself but itâs not exactly that; it means to run away.
Iâm an Anglo-Canadian who taught basic French to 13 year olds (grade 8) despite not being at all fluent myself, trained at university to do that, and have learned a fair bit of 5 other languages in my adult life, so I have a fair background in learning language. Plus, I watch my kids growing up trilingual (Dutch also used in the family; my wife also grew up trilingual).
The key for all these resources is hours spent. Babies learn their mother tongue through endless exposure and repetition, so the idea that we can bypass that and learn in 2-5 hours a week is unrealistic.
My advice: be enthusiastic, take chances, pay attention to everything you cross and then try out new phrases with someone around you.
Iâm about to write my TCF exam for citizenship so Iâm throwing myself into things. Doigts croisĂ©s!
2 Likes