Even if your hosts can speak some English, during your vacation in France you will undoubtedly meet people who speak limited or even no English. If you can speak even a smattering of French, you can open a channel of communication between the two of you. Whatever the case, you opened a new door and gave yourself more opportunities.

If you have a bit of time before you vacation, why not get a handle on the French language. Here are some essential French phrases to help you get started. You’ll be amazed at how many words are similar to English and how easy it is to grasp the basics. Before you know it you will be buying cheese at a local market or ordering a glass of wine without any bother at all.

Here are some tips on how to improve your French before you jet off.

Do you speak French? You will do soon! - © French Classes

 

1. Use French Subtitles

Most streaming websites, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, allow you to add subtitles to whatever you are watching. Adding French subtitles to your programs will help you absorb vocabulary without even trying. What’s more, subtitles are great for learning whole phrases as well as single, stand-alone words.

 

2. Download Language Apps

Perhaps you have 30 minutes free on your train commute in the morning. Use this time wisely and fill your brain with French as you travel. Apps like DuoLingo and Memrise are great ways to learn vocabulary and are structured in a way that will take you from the most basic level through to an advanced stage in no time at all.

Duolingo can be used on your phone and you computer and is a great way to learn French fast - © talkREAL

 

3. Attend Language Exchanges

Most big cities will have language exchange events going on. A language exchange is when people from all over the world meet up to practice speaking each other’s languages. Seek out a native French speaker and try out your new language skills with them. This will help you improve your skills and also help you overcome any shyness barriers you might have.

Speaking a foreign language can feel intimidating but the more you do it the more confident you get.

No-one will ever make fun of you for making mistakes so don’t be nervous.

 

4. Carry a Notebook and Make Notes

Try and name the things around you in French. As a car drives past, think to yourself “une voiture”. If you come up against something you cannot name in France, look up the word and jot it down. Writing things down often helps cement it in our memory. Every now and then, glance over your list of words and try to commit them to memory. If need be, copy out the words a couple of times to help you remember them. Vocabulary forms the skeleton of a language so the more words you know, the more you will be able to communicate. 

 

5. Learn a Verb of the Day

Learning a verb and how to conjugate it shouldn’t take more than 10 minutes out of your day. Pick a verb in English – say “to speak”. Then learn how to say it in French – parler. Then work out how to say I speak, you speak, he/she speaks, we speak, you (plural) speak and they speak. Do this in the present tense and imperfect tense and you will have mastered the basics of that verb. Once you have done a few you will start to notice conjugation patterns, which will make the process even easier. Just keep an eye out for irregular verbs!

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Naomi
My boyfriend and I spent a week in Paris last month and we decided that we would do a couple of day-tours outside of the city during our trip. We really wanted to avoid the typical tour-bus day-tour and the crowds that come along with these kinds of tours – we wanted something more personalized that would allow us to go at our own pace. I found the …
Sandra
My husband and I prefer to travel independently not on tours but I am getting tired of doing all of the planning. Emilie did an excellent job of planning the trip. I gave input on the type of hotels and the places that we wanted to see and she took care of the details. The hotels that she picked were outstanding. All but one day we followed her …
Clare & Greg
We just got back from a 2-week fairytale trip to the Southwest of France, perfectly planned for us by Emilie and Guillaume. We spent 3 days in Carcassonne, 4 days in the Dordogne, and 4 days in the Medoc. Each B&B was charming and the hosts were wonderfully welcoming. The special activities that were planned (truffle-hunting, wine-tasting and …
Jeanne & Michael from Australia
A Great Cultural Experience What we loved most about our wonderful trip was the special activities that FJFY hand picked and tailor made for our interests. We did an awesome cooking experience in Provence, a fun food and wine walking tour with in Nice and a very enjoyable and informative walk in Lagrasse with Carlos. We visited many local markets …
Anthea
We have just returned from a road trip around France and with Emilie's help, we had one of the best trips we've ever had. We travel extensively and I normally do my own research and bookings because we don't like using formal , organised tours but we were looking for advice on self driving holidays in France. Emilie's attention to detail is …
Peter
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