Are you looking for creative ways to learn French? If you’re learning to speak French, it can quickly become really boring to just do work exercises and learn your vocabulary. Learning a new language should be fun, interactive and make you happy. Here are 10 different and creative ways to learn French.
You never want to dread learning a language. Thankfully, the French language has tons of movies, books, shows, music, etc. to help you learn. Since when have you ever had to watch a movie for a class? Well, when you’re learning French, you can totally watch a French movie (put it in French with English subtitles)! That’s the best homework we’ve ever had.
How to Learn French in a Creative Way?
Read comic books
Reading French comic books is a great way to practice French when you’re just starting to learn. Comic books are fun, easy, and fast to read. If you go out to buy or take out from the library some of these books, you should totally get The Adventures of Asterix, The Adventures of Tintin, Spirou, or Lucky Luke. These classic comics will make you laugh and you’ll immediately get attached to their characters. You can also choose more modern and recent comics, like L’Arabe du futur or Les Culottées.
Watch movies/television series with subtitles
Watch your favourite movies or television shows that you’ve watched 40 million times but now watch them in French but with subtitles. You already know what happens on FRIENDS, Star Wars, Titanic, How I Met Your Mother, or any other movie or series you love so watching them in French won’t change much. With the subtitles, you’ll learn new words and new expressions. Here are some French TV shows to binge-watch!
Listen to French music and read the lyrics
There are some amazing French singers and French songs. If you like old school music, listen to Charles Aznavour or Édith Piaf. If you like hip-hop, you should listen to Booba or Assassin, if you prefer contemporary artists like Coeur de Pirate, Benjamin Biolay or Zaz. We are certain you’ll find a band or singer you’ll enjoy listening to. Read out the lyrics so you learn the words at the same time. Because sometimes, what you hear is different from what they sing. And it causes auditory hallucinations.
Travel to French-speaking countries
Of course, travelling to French countries is not the most economical choice but it’s still one of the easiest ways to learn the language. If you’re in between jobs or if you feel like taking a break, we recommend you run off to France, Montreal, French Belgium or Switzerland for some intensive French classes. Why not become an au pair for a French family? Why not get a work visa and become a waitress or a sales associate? There are so many options for you and so many creative ways to learn French abroad.
Listen to French podcasts
Podcasts are great. You can listen to them while you are on your way to work, while you wait at the doctor’s office, in the plane, anywhere really! We think podcasts are great for your listening skills but we recommend you wait a bit until you’ve learned at least some basic French. Since you can’t see what they are saying, it can be hard to keep up, especially if they talk fast! Try the ones from Nouvelles Écoutes and Louie Media.
Find French Youtube stars
Youtube is great because it’s visual. You can easily add subtitles, and if you’re watching a Youtuber teach French, then it’s a free class! You get language exercises, pronunciation help and you’ll also learn about the culture. Youtube stars are entertaining, they are fun and they can even become a ‘friend’. Don’t forget to check out stand-up comedians!
Look at French blogs online
If you love fashion, sports, cooking, or movies and music, then you can find some French blogs or Instagram stars that interest you. You’ll learn some vocabulary related to the topics that interest you and at the same time, you’ll get to read and see some interesting content. If you’re just starting, you can put the text through Google Translate to understand what it means and once you get better at reading and understanding French then you’ll be able to read the posts without using a translating tool.
Add some language apps on your phone
Language apps are an easy way to help you learn French. A lot of them are free so you don’t have to break the bank in order to easily learn this language. If you take the bus or subway to work, then you have time to do a few language exercises between stops. You won’t believe how helpful spending 10 or 15 minutes on these exercises will help.
One of the most efficient app is Babbel : in just 15 minutes every day, you’ll see real progress in your French skills.
Do crossword puzzles (try the ones for kids first)
Crossword puzzles are fun and don’t take a lot of energy to do. Learning new vocabulary in a language you don’t really know can be difficult. Getting a crossword puzzle book or even printing some from the internet is easy. You might want to try crossword puzzles for kids first so you don’t start with difficult words.
Cook French food
Cooking French foods is not necessarily the best way to actually learn a language but it is super fun and delicious! Creative ways to learn French can also be yummy, right? If you learn about the culture when you’re learning grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation, you’ll understand better about the history of this language. There is also a lot of French vocabulary related to food so you’ll still learn interesting things.
Do you know other creative ways to learn French? If you want an effective way to learn French, try Global Lingua’s online classes!
