# Help Me Learn French **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 16, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684 "2021-01-16T17:23:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/1 "2021-01-16T17:23:11Z")
My paternal ancestors supposedly came from France, settled somewhat in Nova Scotia then to Hamilton Canada then to here in Michigan, where I currently reside. The France government has been less than helpful to say the least. If spoken to me I can sort of kind of comprehend…local folks just seem to dismiss this. [Pere Marquette River, Michigan (rivers.gov)](https://www.rivers.gov/rivers/pere-marquette.php) Anyway…my point is…If I can’t converse…I will stick to American English and a variants of Spanish ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/2 "2021-01-16T18:20:12Z")
Je ne comprends pas ce que vous dites. I do not understand what you are saying. Pourquoi est-ce que la gouvernement de France doit vous aider? Et vous aider à faire quoi? Why should the government of France help you? And help you do what? Si vous voulez apprendre la langue française, cherchez des vidéos et sites à apprendre. If you want to learn French, look for videos and learning websites. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/3 "2021-01-16T18:33:49Z")
Not so much a general question as a stream of consciousness. ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/4 "2021-01-16T18:35:53Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > If you want to learn French, look for videos and learning websites. And ask your public library’s professional librarians for help. Most libraries have sites and apps that can be used to learn languages. Your tax dollars at work and precisely how I want my tax dollars to be used. **prendre plaisir** ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2021, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/5 "2021-01-16T19:24:14Z")
Since I don’t see an actual question here, let’s move this from GQ to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2021, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/6 "2021-01-18T01:06:47Z")
Is there an immersion program near you? I took some Japanese immersion classes that were built for absolute beginners. I went in with no Japanese and in eight weeks was speaking simple, baby-like Japanese. Later, I did French immersion in Jonquière. This built on previous French exposure in public and high school, but it was the same: an environment where I had no choice but to speak the language. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/7 "2021-01-19T06:05:10Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > I took some Japanese immersion classes that were built for absolute beginners. I went in with no Japanese and in eight weeks was speaking simple, baby-like Japanese. Went to Japan to see relatives, so tried to learn some basics beforehand. Found a podcast (Japanpod101) that gave me the basic rules, then common vocabulary, then simple conversations. It was great that I could have it playing while driving, working out, doing housework. Might be podcasts, audio apps or disks that you could listen to. Gotta say, I envy you. I think French is _the_ most beautiful language, and it’s pretty logical\*… moreso than English. My brain took to it much more easily than other languages I’ve tried. \*except counting: I was just thinking yesterday that they say 97 as “Four-twenties, ten-seven”. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2021, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/8 "2021-01-19T12:16:54Z")
Step 1: Learn Latin. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2021, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/9 "2021-01-24T17:20:14Z")
My son started French in middle school 2 years ago and part of the instruction was to spend a lot of time on the free Duolingo app. He’s currently in third year honors French and is acing it. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/10 "2021-01-25T19:06:22Z")
I started up on Duolingo a few weeks ago to see if I could excavate all of that Spanish vocabulary I packed into my head back when I was in school and maybe even get good enough to blunder through an actual conversation or two. I know that online lessons have their limits, but it’s nice to be able to see if this is something I might get serious about without having to shell out for anything. ---
**Author:** ![Dark\_Sponge](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dark_sponge/32/121_2.png) [@Dark\_Sponge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dark_Sponge)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/11 "2021-01-25T20:35:53Z")
I’ve taken 2 years of HS Spanish and 2 semesters of college Spanish as well as traveled abroad to Spanish speaking countries. When I hear people conversing in Spanish I can pick out many words and it feels like I’m just on the edge of starting to achieve basic comprehension. But I find French much more frustrating because it sounds very different than it is written. I can often guess at the meaning of French words when I see them written. But when I hear it spoken it might as well be Chinese. In my opinion the most beautiful spoken language is not French but Cantonese. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2021, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-learn-french/930684/12 "2021-01-25T22:12:33Z")
If you are capable of reading and writing English, you are not really in a position to complain or have trouble with French orthography IMHO 🙂 But if you are hearing it spoken then spelling is kind of secondary, isn’t it, you need to practice listening which is what the various taped lessons offer you.