Salut Alex!! My good friend Prisca said to me once "Harry, trust in the French that you know and use it, don't worry about being accurate, just speak and you will get better naturally because we will help you if you say something we don't understand"!! This gave me a great boost in confidence, and I found it to be very true!! 😎
Yes, she's been a brilliant support to me over the last couple of years, before that I was really struggling with accuracy over just speaking with what I already knew!! 😎
Alex, this video speaks directly to me despite a lifetime pursuit and love of French. Being isolated from actively using it here in the U.S., my use of it has always been through my travels. I still feel that it's a work in progress. Thank you for summarizing my self-imposed limitations so precisely.
Sometimes I get into a creative flow and the words come easily. But that's just because I've had to go through it so personally, like you, Peter. There are so many amazing tools online now that allow us to learn to a high level despite being far from a French speaking country. I remind myself that, objectively, it's never been easier, in the history of the Universe, to learn a language. Some things I can accelerate, some things I can't.
"Every conversation is not a Delph exam " ! So true Alex. Your conscientiousness not just with French but also the care and genuine respect and interest you show to others is part of what makes you such a likeable person as far as I am concerned ... but yes we definitely all need a break sometimes ! "Progress not Perfection" is the way to go, as your merchandise reminds us every time.
This is exactly what has scuppered me. When in Paris it's terrible as they speak so fast. I would lose even the easiest questions and words. I just feel such an idiot, and get caught in negative self talk. I had a bit of a burst of confidence in the South when someone I know there told me my accent was good, and I was really only using French to order food and say please and thanks etc. So I was in Geneva and started speaking French to a cashier, who then started into a conversation that was above my level.. I was quite flattered by that encounter. Since then though, I lost my confidence again with this. Glad to hear that even though it wasn't a great journey, you have got there.
Confidence comes and goes. Happiness comes and goes. Motivation comes and goes. For a long time, I've unconsciously een thinking of those things as destinations. "When I have X, this bad thing will stop." But it isn't like that. There's always a new bad thing, because that's the human mind and experience. I'm very glad you have shown you're able to appreciate your abilities and realise that there'll always be a new challenge! If you want to be happy with French, you've gotta take the pressure off yourself and enjoy the process and stop seeing it as a destination. The goal posts will keep shifting.
Great video, Alex, and one I can totally relate to. I'm a Canadian retired high school English teacher who has had the dream to move to France to improve my mediocre French since 2015 - I've made it to France ( have been here almost 3 months) and for the last month have been really frustrated in all the mistakes I make when speaking. I have a friend here who I speak with every day but still, I stumble along. Your advice is good and I have to remind myself of it - I just have to get my point across when talking and not worry about the mistakes. Would love to see more videos like this!
No issue,, naughty sadistic and haughty as we are, we even correct ourselves when another French person makes a mistake. So Don t take it personal, this is just common. Wish you the best
You achieved your dream. Do you give yourself enough credit for that? :) There'll always been a new challenge. I'm learning to embrace that rather than hate it. You'll continue to worry about mistakes, but the aim should be to reduce that and show more appreciation of your efforts. It sounds like you're going to start doing that.
Thanks so much, Alex. It really is these insights that make us want to tune into your channel. We all share those insecurities, so it helps tremendously to know how to rise above them in our quest to master this beautiful language. We deeply appreciate your views on learning! Keep 'em coming!
Hi Alex, this is a great video and I would certainly look forward to material on a similar theme. I consider myself to be at the intermediate level and everything that you referenced here ‘hit home’ and resonated with me. I likewise can feel the pressure of trying to be a perfectionist at the expense of sometimes just ‘speaking’!!!
There are different schools of thought around when the best time to start speaking is. But I think, when you find yourself not speaking because you "just need to learn this new rule", you should push past that. You will be at one level in knowledge, one level in listening, one level in speaking. The more you practice one skill the more that improves. Often at the expense of the others because we don't keep a good balance. Acknowledging the activities we aren't doing, due to a fear or discomfort of something, is great to avoid massive loss of time and therefore regrets in the future. For me that was listening activities.
Merci, Alex, and yes, I enjoyed the video style very much. I, too, had a similar breakthrough when learning French. I realized that English speakers have dozens of accents and ways of expressing the same thing (soda, pop, coke, etc), and as long as the person I was speaking with understood me, that was all that mattered. It was very freeing.
Merci pour les conseils. Je croix qu'ils sont très utils. Moi, je suis allemand et j'ai commencé à etudier le français au lycée il y a plus de 40 ans. Aujour'd hui je vis en Espagne et quelques fois je confond les mots dans les deux langues. J'aimerais partager une experiènce dans ma vie qui a changé beaucoup dans le proces d'apprendre á parler une langue étrangère. This experience was a kind of game changer. I used to live in Scotland for a year where I worked as an assistant teacher for German classes. It happened more often that after a long night of going out with other mates, I returned exhausted from work but I still had to do conversation with the teacher that took me home in his car. So I once commented being stressed out:"I can't speak right now. The words just don't come out right.". I'm still grateful for his reaction by saying:"You are doinf fine. I wished I could speak other languages. I admire you, folks, you are so brave to just come over here and mingle with our society." This made me reflect on it thinking how true it was. From then on, I started being more permissive with myself and what happened: The words and fluency came sort of flying out of my head. It was very much a matter of calming down and speaking in a relaxed way. It has helped in my learning process with picking up other languages afterwards.
Yours is one of several channels I follow in my efforts to improve my execrable French. I find your shorts much more useful than your structured & detailed videos because I find them easier to grasp & remember. But it will always be tough because a) I'm old & b) French is a difficult language. But I persevere! 😁
Not worrying about perfection is how I got functional in Dutch within about 2.5 years. Still with gaps and things to learn, but using it every day. The idea that other people are judging the language is real, but the bigger obstacle is judging oneself and being so judgemental that what comes out is likely worse than if you just stumble a bit. The thing about your interlocutor not being overly concerned with your language quality is a double-edged sword. It takes the pressure off, but robs you of some improvement by having things corrected. Only those closest to you are willing to make time to tidy up the loose ends.
Hello Alex, you rank high among my favorite language-learning/tips channels, perhaps even claiming the top spot. As a marketing professional this approach is fantastic - combining your willingness to share your journey, vulnerabilities, and the challenges you face, and being authentic could catapult you to the next level. Beware: you must develop think skin! Personally, in a space flooded with promises of 'learning French in 2 minutes,' having candid conversations and setting realistic expectations while sharing your unique path and shortcuts can be immensely beneficial. Normalizing the learning experience creates a more authentic and relatable connection with your audience. Thank you for all you do!
My skin has been getting thicker since being on TH-cam, but it would have happened faster if I had more negative comments :D. I'm very lucky for the audience I have. And yes, I'm noticing that the authentic messaging/style is gaining more engagement online at the moment, so I wanted to see how well this title would do.
This content is important for native English speakers of all levels. The importance of articulating the ins and outs of living through this dynamic process of incorporating a second or third language is invaluable. Thanks for contributing!
Excellent perspective Alex that I can already hear in my head in French conversations to make them more warm and fulfilling with and for others. Merci pour le partager. Je vous apprécie.
Good advice Alex. I have a house in deepest France and plan to move there next year but I find my biggest problem is, instead of listening properly and engaging with the person I’m talking with, I am 80% focussing on what I’m going to say and how to say it instead of being present in the moment of the conversation. That way I lose out big time. Being present in the moment is something I need to do (and relax). I dread making phone calls because I don’t even have the body language and face-to-face dynamic to go by. Good video!! 👍🏽👍🏽
She said I shouldn't worry so much about the grammar and getting things right. People will know what I'm trying to say even if I make mistakes.@@FrenchinPlainSight
Salut Alex, not 20 minutes before I logged on and watched your video I was telling myself to live in the moment, be grateful what I have. To stop being so self conscious and self critical. My French here is better than most peoeple! I have great fun learning French and keeping my brain active, but I get caught up on the tecnicality of it all. Obviously I'm not alone. I live on the other side of the world, but your message was received loud and clear, have fun, enjoy the experience and celebrate what you can do. Bravo et merci beaucoup.
Ah perfect timing then. No doubt you'll (and I'll) need the reminder again and again. Or maybe not. I'm extremely happy you felt empowered by the message.
Hi Alex, I can relate entirely to your sentiments as I have been learning French for 4yrs and still terrified to speak as I’m petrified of not sounding right. I want to enjoy the journey…not stress over perfectionism. Your video was very encouraging! Intermediate level can be frustrating sometimes but look how fluent you are now 🤗👍🏻
It is true Alex. Many thanks !! Also since I learned that they want people to talk in french to them i/o english, it encouraged me. They genuinely appreciate our effort even if our french language is basic. Merci Alex !!!!
I found this a very helpful video. I’ve often got overwhelmed and bogged down trying to get the grammar right, feeling self conscious of making mistakes. Nice to hear about your journey and experiences. Many thanks
Wow Alex! I love your new video very much!!! Please continue with the series as this one is quite inspiring and there are some points in the video I can certainly relate to very much. I love your videos on French learning and you are the best, my friend!!!!! Thank you very much.
So true After two years I worry so much about speaking French. I have a face to face group 2 hours a week and two zoom meetings with French native teachers a week. Very useful
Great reflection on language learning! My first exposure to French was 33yrs ago visiting a Friend that had moved to France. With only limited high school French I managed to learn a ton by going out with them and their friends. Total language immersion from dining to drinking games and songs. Des bons souvenirs..tout en français !
Bonjour! Thank you for starting this video channel. I love the calm and open way that you speak, it's very relaxing and reassuring. In this video you are speaking directly to my yearning for comfort (!!). I've been in France for almost a year, but the language is coming v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y 😑 It is soooo refreshing to hear you speak about the psychological setbacks of learning French, and comforting to know that I am not dumb, but maybe approaching the learning process the wrong way. I learned from this video, so I'm going to subscribe and follow your channel and see what happens. Thanks, again !
Yes, you are right! Thank you for reminding me of that. I always agree that languages are tools to communicate, not to judge, but I forgot when I'm learning one.
Salut Alex! Thank you very much for this particular video in which you are so candid in sharing your struggles during your journey learning French. Your videos have been very helpful in making me realise my own challenges in learning and trying to speak in French, as well as some of the imaginary obstacles I have wrongly managed to create in my mind. Your shared vision has made me aware that the barriers I imagined are not important at all and that there is another more realistic path to becoming confident and fluent in speaking in French! Thank you again! 🙌🙌🏽🙌🏾
Definitely loved this video Alex and would love to see more of this kind of content, particularly when you speak about how to deal with starting out speaking to locals etc It is immensely stressful at first and can put many people off speaking any 2nd language.... so relatable and so true the points you made thanks.
Very interesting video ! And it's true in every langage ; Im french and I've had the same probleme in english for a long time ; now I dont care about possible mistakes, difficult words to pronounce etc..and in my opinion, it's true in your native language as well : you have be relax with people, and really be connected to the present moment if you want to have good relationships ; so yes, I totally agree with you. Bonne soirée !
This is such good advice. Please continue. It is so easy to close yourself off from fear of not being perfect. It is easy to just stop and ask, in French, "What do you call that thing.......?" when you don't know a word. Just be open. And if you do not pronounce things with a perfect French accent, they often will find your foreign accent charming.
your journey was your journey - don’t underestimate your achievements - your comprehension of French is so much better than it was in the original videos - ‘connection’ i imagine with natives is not easily achieved - unless you have a common purpose. Seeking or establishing common purpose - another task altogether …
What I love about your videos is the opportunity to learn new vocabulary. Today, watching this video, I learned the expression “s’en fouter de.” Of course, I first tried to verify it looking up just “fouter” which yielded amusing results, but it gave me an idea just exactly what the expression means literally. Mais le moindre grain de miel, ce sera mieux mon affaire. 😊
Alex. As always a great video. This one really resonated with me. I've been learing french for the last 2 years and I know I need to throw myself into actual conversations but am nervous.
Yes, please continue videos like this. I can get weighed down with vocabulary and grammar on a day-to-day basis, so it's helpful to step out of that and learn from your experience.
Merci Alex, quand je vous écoute décrire votre voyage en français elle me rappelle moi. Ça ne fait que neuf mois que j’apprends le français mais je suis gêné de faire des erreurs. Je fait des erreurs simples en parlant et donc l’autre partie, il pense que je suis débutant et ca m’énerve. Du coup j’ai hâte d’attendre votre conseils. Merci encore.
Je m'identifie beaucoup à ce que tu dis, Nicholas. La vérité c'est que ça t'énerve parce que tu es impatient, ce qui est totalement normal quand on n'a jamais appris une autre langue. Il faut que tu acceptes que 9 mois, c'est peu. Si tu ne réussit pas à accepter que ce chemin sur lequel tu t'es mis est long, tu vas finir en burn-out. Je te conseille de changer ta manière de voir le défi : pense en termes d'années et pas de mois. Cela t'aidera à rester patient et à relativiser. Apprendre une langue est un périple plein de beaux moments (petits et grands !) et de moments difficiles. C'est à cause du marketing des applications, des profs, des coachs, des écoles que l'on croit qu'il peut se faire en quelques mois. C'est faux est simplifié à l'extrême. Courage !
Very helpful thank you Alex. Like you I'm a perfectionist so I understand the pressure we can give ourselves. Over two years of talking to French people online I've learned to relax and realise that there are so many ways to express something, there's no one way. I have to say that making mistakes on both sides has given me so many laughs which has helped me to get closer to my language partners and if I'm honest, I've learned more from my mistakes than anything else. Yes please Alex! please talk more about your personal experiences. Thanks again.
Salut Alex moi qui suis français apprécie beaucoup tes cours parce que les conseils que tu donnes sont aussi utiles pour moi qui essaie d'apprendre l'anglais.
Really like this style of video! This seems like great advice. Unfortunately on occasion, I've seen French learners picked up on little errors that could be offputting, e.g. being corrected on gender of 'une pizza' when simply ordering some food! It seems that in France, grammar is perhaps an important part of the education system, more so than here in Wales.
I'm currently having a go at Italian but everything you said here is very useful . Thank you . French is so Beautiful but I'm too intimidated by the pronunciation .
mistakes are not failures rather they are opportunities to learn! when a non-English speaker is talking and makes an error, we as fluent English speakers engage our brains to interpret a broad translation to get "the big picture" in order to keep the conversation going, right? c'est la meme en France!
For sure. At the moment, I teach myself french. I studied a textbook and then I use Duolingo. But I still like there are areas these 2 won't be able to teach me. So I'll like to know about the struggle and how can better help myself.
I taught myself :). It's incredibly enriching. You don't know what you don't know. At any moment :D. My struggles won't necessarily be yours though. You gotta keep following your gut as it develops. Keep enjoying the process.
It's weird because even as I'm typing this post I'm doubting the quality of my English. What you said about tying your sense of self-worth to the quality of the language you speak is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. But how do you get rid of that sense of failure? Personally whenever I meet a fellow foreigner who speaks better English I just want to curl up in a corner and cry. Okay maybe it's not that bad but almost. I like your channel, keep up the good work!
I'm confused by this Black Friday offer. Is this a one-time deal (with all these free bonus materials) or am I also signing up for a 7-day free trial and then billed 47 Euros/month?
Hi there! It's both. The main product: -The grammar course Object Pronouns Made Obvious (lifetime access) The bonuses: - Live class recordings (lifetime access) - 1 week CFSC membership trial (7 days free then renews at 47€ per month unless cancelled) - Digital workbook. It's a downloadble PDF. Hope this helps!
Alex, I really think that your ability to really Express what's at the bottom of your feelings and motivations around French are truly helpful. Just like the connections you were mentioning with other French speakers, those connections will be that much more vital. Great job, I really appreciate it, and keep it going!
In English, we say, what I wish I HAD KNOWN. This is B1 English and comes under IF and WISH grammar. Just as in French, a particular tense is used with WISH, a similar rule applies in English.
Alex, je suis venu d’apprendre quelques chose très bizarre en français que je pense tu peux apprécier. Je veux dire “I love to hop, skip, and jump”. Je sais sauter mais rien de plus. Mon dictionnaire électronique l’a traduit a j’aime sauter, sauter, sauter. Quel dommage pour les enfants français qu’ils ne connaîtront jamais la plaisir d’un hop. Ou d’un skip.
UnfortunateIy as a french v/dude eager to improve his english here in Toulouse's countryside, if I had crossed your path, I'd have only spoken english to you !!
I literally have a friend in France that I can work with whenever I want, I am still in my own head regarding learning. I am pretty sure I have some neurodivergent issues that contribute though.
I would be interested in hearing his answer, because I am very much a perfectionist with my English, which makes learning other languages harder. I view it as a set of rules, and that "correct is correct." However, I don't tend to correct others unless they call someone stupid and mess up their grammar, lol But yeah, I wonder if his perfectionism in French is just an extension of his natural perfectionism.
@@Nethezbet "Perfectionism" can be a disguise for "staying safe". Language has two levels: the "code" (the blah blah that causes us to think for example "Oh, I see, this is a foreigner who can speak my language") and the "message" which is an answer that comes later and is a reward for our desire. Is one's desire to reach towards the other making one vulnerable enough to deserve an answer? The message always reaches its destination cause where it reaches there's the destination -)
Yes of course! I am hard to satisfy. The difference in English is that, being native, it's so rare that I make a mistake that's going to upset me. So, I go through most days not afraid to speak English, haha. However, someone pointed out a grammatical mistake in the video's title. That bugs me. Unsure if I'll change it though since this wording is what gets clicks :D
@@FrenchinPlainSight Here you have it: "I'm hard to satisfy", followed by realization of a grammar mistake in title. Therapy over in record time and free of charge -)
Alex, thanks for sharing but unfortunately I can't agree. People want to engage and if u have to ask them to repeat or speak slower it's not pleasant for them. Also if u continually speak in bad french grammar, it affects the engagement. Don't believe me. Next time u speak english with someone who speaks english badly, tell me it doesn't affect you.
Disagreement is good. I'm not saying deliberately speak in bad grammar. But you can't do better than your current knowledge of the grammar. There will always be holes at every level and unless you speak you won't discover them. It's a constant cycle of "try, succeed at some things/fail at some things, plug the errors, try again." The majority of foreign speaks of English I speak with make minor mistakes. Of course, there are some errors that are particularly grating to the ears. But I'd much prefer the person makes the error. It's gotta come out at some point. As for asking them to repeat: of course it'd be annoying if it were every sentence, but in reality, that isn't necessary or what happens. We are aware enough of the social norms.
FIPS Black Friday Promotion on NOW: learn.frenchinplainsight.com/bf
Salut Alex!! My good friend Prisca said to me once "Harry, trust in the French that you know and use it, don't worry about being accurate, just speak and you will get better naturally because we will help you if you say something we don't understand"!! This gave me a great boost in confidence, and I found it to be very true!! 😎
What a great friend you have there. Not everyone is so lucky. Imagine how you'd be seeing the challenge if she hadn't said that!
Yes, she's been a brilliant support to me over the last couple of years, before that I was really struggling with accuracy over just speaking with what I already knew!! 😎
Alex, this video speaks directly to me despite a lifetime pursuit and love of French. Being isolated from actively using it here in the U.S., my use of it has always been through my travels. I still feel that it's a work in progress. Thank you for summarizing my self-imposed limitations so precisely.
Sometimes I get into a creative flow and the words come easily. But that's just because I've had to go through it so personally, like you, Peter.
There are so many amazing tools online now that allow us to learn to a high level despite being far from a French speaking country. I remind myself that, objectively, it's never been easier, in the history of the Universe, to learn a language. Some things I can accelerate, some things I can't.
"Every conversation is not a Delph exam " ! So true Alex.
Your conscientiousness not just with French but also the care and genuine respect and interest you show to others is part of what makes you such a likeable person as far as I am concerned ... but yes we definitely all need a break sometimes ! "Progress not Perfection" is the way to go, as your merchandise reminds us every time.
This is exactly what has scuppered me. When in Paris it's terrible as they speak so fast. I would lose even the easiest questions and words. I just feel such an idiot, and get caught in negative self talk.
I had a bit of a burst of confidence in the South when someone I know there told me my accent was good, and I was really only using French to order food and say please and thanks etc. So I was in Geneva and started speaking French to a cashier, who then started into a conversation that was above my level.. I was quite flattered by that encounter. Since then though, I lost my confidence again with this.
Glad to hear that even though it wasn't a great journey, you have got there.
Confidence comes and goes.
Happiness comes and goes.
Motivation comes and goes.
For a long time, I've unconsciously een thinking of those things as destinations. "When I have X, this bad thing will stop." But it isn't like that. There's always a new bad thing, because that's the human mind and experience.
I'm very glad you have shown you're able to appreciate your abilities and realise that there'll always be a new challenge!
If you want to be happy with French, you've gotta take the pressure off yourself and enjoy the process and stop seeing it as a destination. The goal posts will keep shifting.
Great video, Alex, and one I can totally relate to. I'm a Canadian retired high school English teacher who has had the dream to move to France to improve my mediocre French since 2015 - I've made it to France ( have been here almost 3 months) and for the last month have been really frustrated in all the mistakes I make when speaking. I have a friend here who I speak with every day but still, I stumble along. Your advice is good and I have to remind myself of it - I just have to get my point across when talking and not worry about the mistakes. Would love to see more videos like this!
No issue,, naughty sadistic and haughty as we are, we even correct ourselves when another French person makes a mistake. So Don t take it personal, this is just common. Wish you the best
You achieved your dream. Do you give yourself enough credit for that? :)
There'll always been a new challenge. I'm learning to embrace that rather than hate it.
You'll continue to worry about mistakes, but the aim should be to reduce that and show more appreciation of your efforts. It sounds like you're going to start doing that.
Thanks so much, Alex. It really is these insights that make us want to tune into your channel. We all share those insecurities, so it helps tremendously to know how to rise above them in our quest to master this beautiful language. We deeply appreciate your views on learning! Keep 'em coming!
I think knowing you'd appreciate this video, in part, encouraged me to make it, Lisa.
@@FrenchinPlainSightTrès gentil! Merci comme d'habitude, prof!🎉
Hi Alex, this is a great video and I would certainly look forward to material on a similar theme. I consider myself to be at the intermediate level and everything that you referenced here ‘hit home’ and resonated with me. I likewise can feel the pressure of trying to be a perfectionist at the expense of sometimes just ‘speaking’!!!
There are different schools of thought around when the best time to start speaking is. But I think, when you find yourself not speaking because you "just need to learn this new rule", you should push past that.
You will be at one level in knowledge, one level in listening, one level in speaking. The more you practice one skill the more that improves. Often at the expense of the others because we don't keep a good balance. Acknowledging the activities we aren't doing, due to a fear or discomfort of something, is great to avoid massive loss of time and therefore regrets in the future. For me that was listening activities.
Yes Alex more of this type of video is really helpful especially when judging yourself and feeling like your not progressing.
Great points -and, once again, Alex's focus on the psychology of language learning is one of his great strengths as a teacher. Bravo.
Merci !
Merci, Alex, and yes, I enjoyed the video style very much. I, too, had a similar breakthrough when learning French. I realized that English speakers have dozens of accents and ways of expressing the same thing (soda, pop, coke, etc), and as long as the person I was speaking with understood me, that was all that mattered. It was very freeing.
Voilà, that's the first huge step!
Merci pour les conseils. Je croix qu'ils sont très utils. Moi, je suis allemand et j'ai commencé à etudier le français au lycée il y a plus de 40 ans. Aujour'd hui je vis en Espagne et quelques fois je confond les mots dans les deux langues. J'aimerais partager une experiènce dans ma vie qui a changé beaucoup dans le proces d'apprendre á parler une langue étrangère.
This experience was a kind of game changer. I used to live in Scotland for a year where I worked as an assistant teacher for German classes. It happened more often that after a long night of going out with other mates, I returned exhausted from work but I still had to do conversation with the teacher that took me home in his car. So I once commented being stressed out:"I can't speak right now. The words just don't come out right.". I'm still grateful for his reaction by saying:"You are doinf fine. I wished I could speak other languages. I admire you, folks, you are so brave to just come over here and mingle with our society." This made me reflect on it thinking how true it was. From then on, I started being more permissive with myself and what happened: The words and fluency came sort of flying out of my head. It was very much a matter of calming down and speaking in a relaxed way. It has helped in my learning process with picking up other languages afterwards.
Yours is one of several channels I follow in my efforts to improve my execrable French. I find your shorts much more useful than your structured & detailed videos because I find them easier to grasp & remember. But it will always be tough because a) I'm old & b) French is a difficult language.
But I persevere! 😁
Not worrying about perfection is how I got functional in Dutch within about 2.5 years. Still with gaps and things to learn, but using it every day. The idea that other people are judging the language is real, but the bigger obstacle is judging oneself and being so judgemental that what comes out is likely worse than if you just stumble a bit. The thing about your interlocutor not being overly concerned with your language quality is a double-edged sword. It takes the pressure off, but robs you of some improvement by having things corrected. Only those closest to you are willing to make time to tidy up the loose ends.
Hello Alex, you rank high among my favorite language-learning/tips channels, perhaps even claiming the top spot. As a marketing professional this approach is fantastic - combining your willingness to share your journey, vulnerabilities, and the challenges you face, and being authentic could catapult you to the next level. Beware: you must develop think skin!
Personally, in a space flooded with promises of 'learning French in 2 minutes,' having candid conversations and setting realistic expectations while sharing your unique path and shortcuts can be immensely beneficial. Normalizing the learning experience creates a more authentic and relatable connection with your audience.
Thank you for all you do!
My skin has been getting thicker since being on TH-cam, but it would have happened faster if I had more negative comments :D. I'm very lucky for the audience I have.
And yes, I'm noticing that the authentic messaging/style is gaining more engagement online at the moment, so I wanted to see how well this title would do.
Very insightful and honest. It makes perfect sense !!
This content is important for native English speakers of all levels. The importance of articulating the ins and outs of living through this dynamic process of incorporating a second or third language is invaluable. Thanks for contributing!
Excellent perspective Alex that I can already hear in my head in French conversations to make them more warm and fulfilling with and for others. Merci pour le partager. Je vous apprécie.
Good advice Alex. I have a house in deepest France and plan to move there next year but I find my biggest problem is, instead of listening properly and engaging with the person I’m talking with, I am 80% focussing on what I’m going to say and how to say it instead of being present in the moment of the conversation. That way I lose out big time. Being present in the moment is something I need to do (and relax). I dread making phone calls because I don’t even have the body language and face-to-face dynamic to go by. Good video!! 👍🏽👍🏽
My advice is to make practice as much a part of your life now, before you move, rather than waiting. You may already be doing that.
Good luck!
This is excellent advice for me! My French tutor was saying this very thing to me today at our lesson!
Ah yea! I'd be very interested in your teacher's wording. Anything different? :)
She said I shouldn't worry so much about the grammar and getting things right. People will know what I'm trying to say even if I make mistakes.@@FrenchinPlainSight
Cheers Alex, great vid. Appreciate this and your hard work… seriously, your channel deserves X10 the subs 👍👍👍
Much appreciated Jennifer!
Salut Alex, not 20 minutes before I logged on and watched your video I was telling myself to live in the moment, be grateful what I have. To stop being so self conscious and self critical. My French here is better than most peoeple! I have great fun learning French and keeping my brain active, but I get caught up on the tecnicality of it all. Obviously I'm not alone. I live on the other side of the world, but your message was received loud and clear, have fun, enjoy the experience and celebrate what you can do. Bravo et merci beaucoup.
Ah perfect timing then. No doubt you'll (and I'll) need the reminder again and again. Or maybe not. I'm extremely happy you felt empowered by the message.
Hi Alex, I can relate entirely to your sentiments as I have been learning French for 4yrs and still terrified to speak as I’m petrified of not sounding right. I want to enjoy the journey…not stress over perfectionism. Your video was very encouraging! Intermediate level can be frustrating sometimes but look how fluent you are now 🤗👍🏻
It is true Alex. Many thanks !!
Also since I learned that they want people to talk in french to them i/o english, it encouraged me. They genuinely appreciate our effort even if our french language is basic.
Merci Alex !!!!
I found this a very helpful video. I’ve often got overwhelmed and bogged down trying to get the grammar right, feeling self conscious of making mistakes. Nice to hear about your journey and experiences. Many thanks
So helpful and aligns with my own experience learning and speaking French. I love all your videos Alex, thx for sharing!
Thank you for this! I’m a beginner, but I really relate to the way you teach, and I appreciate your personal perspective.
Wow Alex! I love your new video very much!!! Please continue with the series as this one is quite inspiring and there are some points in the video I can certainly relate to very much. I love your videos on French learning and you are the best, my friend!!!!! Thank you very much.
You're most welcome :)
So true
After two years I worry so much about speaking French.
I have a face to face group 2 hours a week and two zoom meetings with French native teachers a week.
Very useful
Great wisdom.
RS. Canada
This type of video, along with its tips, personal experiences & advice, makes for a great series. oui, please continue. Merci
Yes, thinking and learning metacognitively helps a lot. Keep up with the reflections
Great reflection on language learning! My first exposure to French was 33yrs ago visiting a Friend that had moved to France. With only limited high school French I managed to learn a ton by going out with them and their friends. Total language immersion from dining to drinking games and songs. Des bons souvenirs..tout en français !
Yes, discuss your own challenges learning the French language.
Thanks. RS. Canada
Bonjour! Thank you for starting this video channel. I love the calm and open way that you speak, it's very relaxing and reassuring. In this video you are speaking directly to my yearning for comfort (!!). I've been in France for almost a year, but the language is coming v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y 😑 It is soooo refreshing to hear you speak about the psychological setbacks of learning French, and comforting to know that I am not dumb, but maybe approaching the learning process the wrong way. I learned from this video, so I'm going to subscribe and follow your channel and see what happens. Thanks, again !
Bienvenue ! Stay patient but also maximise your time in the language to speed things up :)
You're spot on, Alex. Please make this a series
Yes, you are right! Thank you for reminding me of that. I always agree that languages are tools to communicate, not to judge, but I forgot when I'm learning one.
You are so welcome!
You described my experience almost exactly.....thanks for putting my mind at ease and just go for it
Salut Alex! Thank you very much for this particular video in which you are so candid in sharing your struggles during your journey learning French. Your videos have been very helpful in making me realise my own challenges in learning and trying to speak in French, as well as some of the imaginary obstacles I have wrongly managed to create in my mind. Your shared vision has made me aware that the barriers I imagined are not important at all and that there is another more realistic path to becoming confident and fluent in speaking in French! Thank you again! 🙌🙌🏽🙌🏾
Definitely loved this video Alex and would love to see more of this kind of content, particularly when you speak about how to deal with starting out speaking to locals etc It is immensely stressful at first and can put many people off speaking any 2nd language.... so relatable and so true the points you made thanks.
Very interesting video ! And it's true in every langage ; Im french and I've had the same probleme in english for a long time ; now I dont care about possible mistakes, difficult words to pronounce etc..and in my opinion, it's true in your native language as well : you have be relax with people, and really be connected to the present moment if you want to have good relationships ; so yes, I totally agree with you. Bonne soirée !
Thanks for sharing!
This is such good advice. Please continue. It is so easy to close yourself off from fear of not being perfect. It is easy to just stop and ask, in French, "What do you call that thing.......?" when you don't know a word. Just be open. And if you do not pronounce things with a perfect French accent, they often will find your foreign accent charming.
The ego is often far too demanding!
Great video, especially for beginner french speakers like me!
You're welcome! Helpful at every level :)
your journey was your journey - don’t underestimate your achievements - your comprehension of French is so much better than it was in the original videos - ‘connection’ i imagine with natives is not easily achieved - unless you have a common purpose. Seeking or establishing common purpose - another task altogether …
J’aime beaucoup cette vidéo ! J’espère tu espéras plus comme celui-ci. 😁
What I love about your videos is the opportunity to learn new vocabulary. Today, watching this video, I learned the expression “s’en fouter de.” Of course, I first tried to verify it looking up just “fouter” which yielded amusing results, but it gave me an idea just exactly what the expression means literally. Mais le moindre grain de miel, ce sera mieux mon affaire. 😊
Alex. As always a great video. This one really resonated with me. I've been learing french for the last 2 years and I know I need to throw myself into actual conversations but am nervous.
Thanks Alex. That was enlightening to see you had similar worries to me. Onwards and upwards.
Thanks
Yes, please continue videos like this. I can get weighed down with vocabulary and grammar on a day-to-day basis, so it's helpful to step out of that and learn from your experience.
Merci Alex, quand je vous écoute décrire votre voyage en français elle me rappelle moi. Ça ne fait que neuf mois que j’apprends le français mais je suis gêné de faire des erreurs. Je fait des erreurs simples en parlant et donc l’autre partie, il pense que je suis débutant et ca m’énerve. Du coup j’ai hâte d’attendre votre conseils. Merci encore.
My wife is Chinese I can tell you that it is 30 years I am stuck at the under beginner level so stay calm and keep learning 😉
Je m'identifie beaucoup à ce que tu dis, Nicholas. La vérité c'est que ça t'énerve parce que tu es impatient, ce qui est totalement normal quand on n'a jamais appris une autre langue. Il faut que tu acceptes que 9 mois, c'est peu. Si tu ne réussit pas à accepter que ce chemin sur lequel tu t'es mis est long, tu vas finir en burn-out.
Je te conseille de changer ta manière de voir le défi : pense en termes d'années et pas de mois. Cela t'aidera à rester patient et à relativiser.
Apprendre une langue est un périple plein de beaux moments (petits et grands !) et de moments difficiles. C'est à cause du marketing des applications, des profs, des coachs, des écoles que l'on croit qu'il peut se faire en quelques mois. C'est faux est simplifié à l'extrême.
Courage !
Very helpful thank you Alex. Like you I'm a perfectionist so I understand the pressure we can give ourselves. Over two years of talking to French people online I've learned to relax and realise that there are so many ways to express something, there's no one way. I have to say that making mistakes on both sides has given me so many laughs which has helped me to get closer to my language partners and if I'm honest, I've learned more from my mistakes than anything else. Yes please Alex! please talk more about your personal experiences. Thanks again.
Well done Kate!
I do so enjoy this video! Hearing your perspective helps. Merci.
Salut Alex moi qui suis français apprécie beaucoup tes cours parce que les conseils que tu donnes sont aussi utiles pour moi qui essaie d'apprendre l'anglais.
Very helpful…always good to get “hindsight” tips! Thank you!
I liked this video. I can relate to it and it helped put things into perspective for me. Merci!
excellent pintpoint accuracy
Yes, please do share more. Your insights and advice are very helpful.
Very helpful, Alex, to hear about if you had known….
Salut! Really appreciate your openness and sharing this! More tips would be greatly appreciated! Merci beaucoup et bravo!
You got it!
Really like this style of video! This seems like great advice. Unfortunately on occasion, I've seen French learners picked up on little errors that could be offputting, e.g. being corrected on gender of 'une pizza' when simply ordering some food! It seems that in France, grammar is perhaps an important part of the education system, more so than here in Wales.
This is really helpful thanks Alex.
Great topic guy. I would like to see something on what you think about the French language of Canada and their colorful terms.
Ah I might need a guest on to talk about those things. I haven't been to Québec and only have a small knowledge of their dialect.
This is very helpful. I would like to hear more.
Very helpful. Thank you.
Very helpful thank you
I'm currently having a go at Italian but everything you said here is very useful . Thank you . French is so Beautiful but I'm too intimidated by the pronunciation .
mistakes are not failures rather they are opportunities to learn! when a non-English speaker is talking and makes an error, we as fluent English speakers engage our brains to interpret a broad translation to get "the big picture" in order to keep the conversation going, right? c'est la meme en France!
I like this content and hope you do more videos like it. I wish you could also tell us where best to get opportunities to try out our French.
This might help: th-cam.com/video/rs1H0qdS6gY/w-d-xo.html
For sure. At the moment, I teach myself french. I studied a textbook and then I use Duolingo. But I still like there are areas these 2 won't be able to teach me. So I'll like to know about the struggle and how can better help myself.
I taught myself :). It's incredibly enriching. You don't know what you don't know. At any moment :D.
My struggles won't necessarily be yours though.
You gotta keep following your gut as it develops.
Keep enjoying the process.
It's weird because even as I'm typing this post I'm doubting the quality of my English. What you said about tying your sense of self-worth to the quality of the language you speak is ABSOLUTELY TRUE. But how do you get rid of that sense of failure? Personally whenever I meet a fellow foreigner who speaks better English I just want to curl up in a corner and cry. Okay maybe it's not that bad but almost. I like your channel, keep up the good work!
yep it is really useful; - thankyou.
Glad to hear that!
I'm confused by this Black Friday offer. Is this a one-time deal (with all these free bonus materials) or am I also signing up for a 7-day free trial and then billed 47 Euros/month?
Hi there!
It's both.
The main product:
-The grammar course Object Pronouns Made Obvious (lifetime access)
The bonuses:
- Live class recordings (lifetime access)
- 1 week CFSC membership trial (7 days free then renews at 47€ per month unless cancelled)
- Digital workbook. It's a downloadble PDF.
Hope this helps!
I'm now trying to sign up. Your site says there's a little over an hour left. But I'm not able to get through. @@FrenchinPlainSight
Yes, thanks for this message. Please let us know about your journey and any tips you may have for us.
Merci
Alex, I really think that your ability to really Express what's at the bottom of your feelings and motivations around French are truly helpful. Just like the connections you were mentioning with other French speakers, those connections will be that much more vital. Great job, I really appreciate it, and keep it going!
Thank you!
In English, we say, what I wish I HAD KNOWN. This is B1 English and comes under IF and WISH grammar. Just as in French, a particular tense is used with WISH, a similar rule applies in English.
Thank you. You're right :)
Plus, s'il vous plait. Très agréable!
Alex, je suis venu d’apprendre quelques chose très bizarre en français que je pense tu peux apprécier. Je veux dire “I love to hop, skip, and jump”. Je sais sauter mais rien de plus. Mon dictionnaire électronique l’a traduit a j’aime sauter, sauter, sauter. Quel dommage pour les enfants français qu’ils ne connaîtront jamais la plaisir d’un hop. Ou d’un skip.
UnfortunateIy as a french v/dude eager to improve his english here in Toulouse's countryside, if I had crossed your path, I'd have only spoken english to you !!
I literally have a friend in France that I can work with whenever I want, I am still in my own head regarding learning. I am pretty sure I have some neurodivergent issues that contribute though.
Whether you have a condition or not, you can always control your actions. Find what is an attainable challenge for you and go for it! :)
Are you in front of a green screen?
Editor here: Alex is actually outside in this video =) No green screen involved in the process.
@@Amorwian Oh wow, I was curious coz the editing is really great. Well done
@@lisaonthemarginsI appreciate the compliment, thank you! = )
Are you a "perfectionist" in English as well ? -)
I would be interested in hearing his answer, because I am very much a perfectionist with my English, which makes learning other languages harder. I view it as a set of rules, and that "correct is correct." However, I don't tend to correct others unless they call someone stupid and mess up their grammar, lol
But yeah, I wonder if his perfectionism in French is just an extension of his natural perfectionism.
@@Nethezbet "Perfectionism" can be a disguise for "staying safe". Language has two levels: the "code" (the blah blah that causes us to think for example "Oh, I see, this is a foreigner who can speak my language") and the "message" which is an answer that comes later and is a reward for our desire. Is one's desire to reach towards the other making one vulnerable enough to deserve an answer? The message always reaches its destination cause where it reaches there's the destination -)
Yes of course! I am hard to satisfy. The difference in English is that, being native, it's so rare that I make a mistake that's going to upset me. So, I go through most days not afraid to speak English, haha.
However, someone pointed out a grammatical mistake in the video's title. That bugs me. Unsure if I'll change it though since this wording is what gets clicks :D
@@FrenchinPlainSight Here you have it: "I'm hard to satisfy", followed by realization of a grammar mistake in title. Therapy over in record time and free of charge -)
Alex, thanks for sharing but unfortunately I can't agree. People want to engage and if u have to ask them to repeat or speak slower it's not pleasant for them. Also if u continually speak in bad french grammar, it affects the engagement. Don't believe me. Next time u speak english with someone who speaks english badly, tell me it doesn't affect you.
Disagreement is good.
I'm not saying deliberately speak in bad grammar. But you can't do better than your current knowledge of the grammar. There will always be holes at every level and unless you speak you won't discover them. It's a constant cycle of "try, succeed at some things/fail at some things, plug the errors, try again."
The majority of foreign speaks of English I speak with make minor mistakes. Of course, there are some errors that are particularly grating to the ears. But I'd much prefer the person makes the error. It's gotta come out at some point.
As for asking them to repeat: of course it'd be annoying if it were every sentence, but in reality, that isn't necessary or what happens. We are aware enough of the social norms.