It is a very good idea to take advantage of a holiday in Montpellier to plan French classes and this is exactly what Greta, medical student from Germany, did last week!
Before her trip, she happened to visit my website and sent a message so we planned a videocall to talk about her expectations. She wanted to work on French pronunciation which is a good thing because in French, some sounds are definitely important, for example showing a clear difference between sound “é” like in “bébé”, sound “è” like in “fête” and the different sounds “e” like in “France”, “melon” or “fleur”.
Also, we talked a lot about connections between words (liaisons). Unfortunately, it is all but easy since, in French, some connections are:
definitely expected: “dans un an”, “mes amis”, “tout à fait”
too weird so to be avoided: “avoir mieux à dire”, “le but de ce rendez-vous est de parler de l’opération”
optional (you can do it or choose not to do it 😅): “il ne veut pas rester avec sa maman mais avec son papa”*
*connecting both at the same time here would still be a little weird
Don’t worry: the more you practice outloud reading in French, the more you will develop an intuitive skill about dealing with liaisons
🌴 Feel free to reach out if you plan to progress in French 😎🌴
It is the beginning of a new school year so how about talking about one of my last year students: Minjung, from Korea!
She arrived in Montpellier in August 2024 and managed to pass DELF B2 exam in only 9 months!! Despite this, she wanted to keep having French classes with me and it is the very reason why she managed to progress that fast: hard work, determination and humility.
Indeed, she didn’t want to stay in her comfort zone or “rest on her laurels”, meaning “se reposer sur ses lauriers” or “rester sur ses acquis” in French!
No, she wanted to take maximum advantage of her stay in France while she was here.
I created a tailor-made program for her in order to challenge her and I even put her in the real conditions her fellow French students face when they have to look for an internship so she wrote cover letters in the norms that are expected in France, etc. (Spoiler: the contacts we reached were not quick to respond and she had to leave).
The last challenge I could suggest to Minjung was simply to record an all-French interview 🤠
And anyone will see from the audio below how well she made!
Congratulations for your hard work, Minjung and I am sure a bright future is waiting for you!
Elle a atteint le niveau B2 en français en 9 mois seulement alors qu'elle était débutante !
Voici le témoignage de Minjung, une étudiante coréenne qui a pris des cours avec moi de septembre 2024 à mai 2025.
Lors de l'enregistrement de cet entretien, nous avons eu un problème de micro alors plutôt que de renoncer à le diffuser, et si on profitait de l’occasion pour vous lancer un défi de compréhension orale de plus, à vous qui apprenez le français ?
Pendant ou après l'écoute, vous pouvez bien sûr vous aider de la retranscription intégrale consultable sur le site internet École Bonjour France.
Prêts ? C’est parti
Je m'appelle Minjung et je suis coréenne. Je viens de Séoul. J'habite à Montpellier depuis 10 mois et j'apprends le français depuis 10 mois. J'apprends le français à Montpellier, c'est la première fois pour moi pour apprendre le français. À mon université, il y a plusieurs programmes d'échanges étudiants. Mais pour moi, je voudrais apprendre le français juste pour peut-être travailler dans l’avenir. J'aime bien la culture et la langue françaises. Je pense que la langue est une belle langue et elle a une belle sonorité. Je ne sais pas combien d'étudiants participent au programme d'échange étudiants, mais c'est beaucoup et je vois beaucoup d'étudiants français à l'université en Corée. Donc je pense que c'est la même pour les Coréens, pour aller en France pour apprendre le français.
1:52 Là, j'ai demandé à Minjung pourquoi elle avait choisi Montpellier et suspens...
J'ai choisi Montpellier parce que la météo est très belle et j'aime bien nager à la mer donc je pense que peut-être pendant l'été, je peux aller à la mer nager et en promenade. En Corée, toute l'université est 4 ans donc tous les étudiants étudient pendant 4 ans et après, ils peuvent choisir de faire un master ou non mais beaucoup d'étudiants, après ces études, ils travaillent. Ils choisissent de travailler.
2:44 Quel serait votre job de rêve ?
Je m'intéresse au droit humain… Droit humanitaire. Je voudrais travailler dans une organisation internationale et peut-être je voudrais trouver une solution aux problèmes globaux si je travaille dans cette organisation.
3:10 Que saviez-vous de la France avant d'arriver ?
Avant de venir en France, j'avais plusieurs connaissances de la France à travers les médias et la culture populaire. Et aussi, je savais que la France était réputée pour sa gastronomie et la beauté de ses musées... Par exemple, le Louvre et aussi des monuments, la Tour Eiffel mais comme beaucoup d'étrangers, j'avais aussi quelques idées reçues. Par exemple, je pensais que les Français étaient un peu élégants et qu'ils étaient parfois un peu... avec les étrangers. Et aussi beaucoup de Coréens disent que la France est un pays de “ça dépend”, c'est-à-dire que nous ne savons pas quelque chose certain à l'avance. J'avais aussi l'impression que tout le monde parlait très vite et c'est ce qui me faisait un peu peur mais en réalité, je pense que tous les Français sont très gentils. Et aussi pour parler avec les étrangers comme moi, ils parlent lentement et tranquillement pour moi. J'ai aussi été surprise par la culture de diversité en France. J'ai essayé de manger de l'escargot... Oui, avant d'arriver en France, j'ai souvent entendu la gastronomie en France. La Tour Eiffel, il y avait beaucoup de touristes devant la Tour Eiffel et c'est le monument très connu et très populaire dans le monde. J'aime bien regarder la Tour Eiffel.
5:53 Quand vos amis coréens vous posent des questions sur la France, qu'est-ce que vous leur répondez ?
Les amis coréens posent la question... C'est très simple je pense, ils ou elles me posent souvent des questions sur la vie quotidienne en France, comme la nourriture et les habitudes culturelles et le système d'éducation. Ils étaient aussi curieux de savoir comment je m'adaptais à la langue et si je rencontrais des Français facilement, oui. Aussi, parfois, ils demandaient des conseils pour préparer un séjour en France, par exemple, on doit prendre beaucoup de temps et être patient avec toutes les choses. En France, c'est plus facile de prendre le numéro de téléphone mais en Corée, c'est difficile d'acheter mon numéro de téléphone parce qu'on doit vérifier la justification d'identification pour acheter le numéro pour d'autres personnes. Mais en France, je peux acheter le téléphone sans justification, juste payer pour un mois, ça marche en France.
7:29 Si c'est plus difficile d'ouvrir une ligne téléphonique en Corée par rapport à la France, c'est en France que la résiliation est non seulement plus difficile mais aussi très formelle...
On doit écrire une lettre, je sais pas, à l’entreprise, par exemple, oui, je dois attendre jusqu'à la fin de… Je ne sais pas… Arrêter la ligne, la résiliation, oui... Mais en Corée, c'est plus facile, juste on écrit sur le site internet et c'est bon. On ne doit pas écrire une lettre.
8:17 En France, toutes les occasions sont bonnes pour faire des exercices et rendre des devoirs ! En France, toutes les choses, je pense, c'est obligatoire d'écrire une lettre, par exemple, trouver un travail, c'est aussi, on doit écrire une lettre, le CV.
8:40 Et est-ce qu'on doit écrire une lettre de motivation en Corée quand on répond à une offre d'emploi ?
Il y a un site Internet pour chaque entreprise donc juste sur cet Internet, on écrit nos informations dans l’Internet mais on ne doit pas écrire une lettre de motivation, comme ça.
9:04 Passons maintenant aux interactions de Minjung avec des Français…
Je pense que les Français me posent souvent des questions sur la culture coréenne, notamment sur la nourriture, les traditions et la musique K-pop. J'apprends l'information K-pop parce que beaucoup de Français et d'étrangers me posent des questions de K-pop donc je dois répondre aux questions. Avant, souvent, les étrangers me posent la question “de quel pays tu viens : Corée du Nord ou Corée du Sud ?” C'est la question uniquement sur les Coréens mais aujourd'hui, grâce à la K-pop, il y a des questions différentes. J'ai été surprise parce qu'il y a un restaurant coréen à Montpellier et aussi j'ai trouvé un événement coréen grand : Corée d'ici. Ils font des ateliers, des spectacles, exposés en coréen et j'ai participé en tant que bénévole à cet événement. Je trouve que beaucoup de Français à Montpellier s'intéressent à la culture coréenne.
10:38 Je vous le disais en introduction : c'est en seulement 9 mois que Minjung a appris à parler français aussi bien… Mais quel est son secret ?
À mon avis, il n'y a pas de voie rapide pour apprendre une langue étrangère et l'apprentissage d'une langue demande du temps et des efforts. Il n'existe pas de méthode miracle et c'est aussi important de trouver le moyen qui nous convient le mieux. Et je pense donc que s'il y a 100 personnes, il y a 100 méthodes d'apprendre la langue mais je peux parler de petits conseils : j'essaie de profiter de petits moments libres pour écouter des radios françaises. Par exemple, quand je prends le tram pour sortir rencontrer mes amis, j'utilise le temps court pour écouter la radio et ça peut aider la compréhension orale. Il y a beaucoup de radios que j'écoute : France 24, aussi le podcast Le Grand reportage, aussi le monde international, c'est le nom du podcast.
12:13 J'avais demandé à Minjung de préparer des questions à me poser pendant cet entretien et voici ce qu’elle m’a demandé :
Est-ce qu'il est facile de rencontrer des Coréens ou Coréennes en France ou à Montpellier ? Si oui, où en avez-vous rencontré ? Oui, je pense que c'est facile d’en rencontrer, mais surtout dans des grandes villes avec des universités.
Est-ce que vous parlez avec vos amis au sujet des Coréens, sujet général ? Par exemple, j'ai parlé de vous à des amis, j'ai dit « ah, j'ai une étudiante coréenne, c'est un plaisir de travailler avec elle ! Elle travaille très bien, elle se plaint jamais, elle a un très bon niveau, c'est magnifique, voilà ! ».
Ok, merci !
12:59 Enfin, j'ai posé à Minjung LA grande question du moment : est-ce qu'elle utilise Chat-GPT pour ses études ? Et aussi, je me demande s’il existe un outil coréen équivalent à Chat-GPT…
Je pense que si on utilise Chat-GPT de manière appropriée, on peut créer une bonne synergie. Je l'utilise pour corriger ma production écrite et j'essaye aussi de parler avec Chat-GPT. Je pense que tout cela est très pratique mais je comprends qu'il y a des inconvénients à utiliser Chat-GPT. Ce n'est pas le meilleur outil mais il offre quand même une aide pratique, par exemple, s'il y a des erreurs de grammaire, je peux poser la question sur Chat-GPT ou d’autres IA. En général, on utilise Chat-GPT. Beaucoup d'étudiants utilisent Chat-GPT pour écrire un essai, c'est un grand problème parce qu'on ne pense pas : c'est difficile pour trouver des idées ou trouver des ressources mais si on utilise Chat-GPT, c'est facile. Il trouve toutes les informations. Pour moi, étudiante asiatique, c'est difficile de catégoriser le masculin / féminin. Quel est le mot masculin et quel est le mot féminin ? C'est difficile. Mais le plus facile peut-être : compréhension écrite, peut-être, parce qu'au début j'ai lu un article sur Internet. Je pense, comme tous les étudiants étrangers, que la production orale, c'est plus difficile parce que je peux prendre le temps pour pratiquer la compréhension orale à la maison mais pour la production orale, il doit y avoir une personne qui peut parler avec moi.
15:22 Oui, c’est difficile de trouver des espaces et des occasions de s’exercer à la conversation quand on ne connaît pas beaucoup de monde et surtout quand on ne maîtrise pas encore tous les codes...
Je pense que c'est difficile de comprendre l'émotion des Français parce qu'ils disent toujours « s'il vous plaît » ou « bonjour », c'est une expression polie mais je ne sais pas si c'est une expression positive tout le temps, tous les jours ou si c'est juste une expression juste normale... C'est toujours gentil mais dans certains cas, c'est difficile de trouver la vraie émotion des Français. Les visages sont toujours gentils et toujours… Avec le sourire, comme ça.
Bravo !
Merci beaucoup !
Merci à vous !
🌴 Feel free to reach out if you are ready for some French 😎🌴
A few weeks ago, I was contacted by someone we will call Jane Doe. She messaged me in French so I didn’t even think she needed to take lessons in the first place.
She said she would go for the DELF B1 exam the next day and asked to meet 2 hours before… Whaaaat? 😲
It didn’t give a good impression because I immediately wondered what I could possibly do for her at the last minute.
I mean: if you want to practice for an exam and be seriously prepared both for the content you can expect and the way it happens, you don’t start to feel concerned the day before the exam, do you?
Anyway, I was not available as she wanted.
A few weeks later, she got back and sent me her results.
And I was taken aback.
Look: her listening and reading skills don’t match her speaking and writing skills! Obviously, she didn’t pass DELF B1
Honestly, it is the very first time I see results like this.
Jane Doe didn’t provide more information about her learning routine, what she does to progress or how she got prepared for the exam. Nor did she ask for help.
I felt like she just wanted to share the disappointment and was probably not ready yet for some change.
You know, my method to Start French Now is really frustrating but so effective because we go through a long and essential way to build habits like we build a house.
We take time to work on the 4 skills at the same time so it is not about SPEED, it is about STURDINESS.
So until your A2 level is confirmed – with a practice test of real DELF at the end of my Beginner course – this is exactly what we will do because you will then keep developing your skills by yourself and hopefully also keep the method: you listen to something, confirm the writing, pronounce it the proper way and write it on your own.
See: the 4 skills work together
Typical example is the apostrophe to terminate a vowel when followed by a vowel:
le ami ➞ l’ami
If you get the bad habit of pronouncing “le ami””, you will write “le ami” and vice versa!
Now let’s go back to Jane Doe.
I assume her skills in French are “self-centered”: when she has to say something or write something, she does pretty well.
But what about when someone wants to communicate with her like I did?
Does she listen to listen and then reply with relevance? Is she interested in what happens around her: local news, social issues, etc.? Is she growing her general knowledge?
Last week, I had the opportunity to work with Miguel, from Los Angeles.
He was motivated to work on conversation in French so we practiced 2 to 3 hours per day and we confirmed his level in French: definitely B2.
And because of his high level in French, I thought he was ready for 5 tips to progress even more:
1) Think in French
At some point, you absolutely need to think in French to be able to speak French! It means “let go of your reflex to translate from your language”. Obviously, it must be very tiring for you and also, in a natural interaction, while you are busy finding perfect equivalents from your language to French language (which often don’t even exist!), time is running and the person you were talking to might be left! The experience may make you feel no longer confident so here is the vicious circle!
2) Articulate
Trust me: if you keep your jaw in a position of a /é/, you will never be able to pronunce a French /e/ and no luck: showing clearly the difference between these two in French is veeeeery important. Otherwise, natives won’t feel comfortable listening to you so we go back to the same sad conclusion as explained in 1).
3) Practice outloud reading
Build your own routine where you are going to record yourself reading 5 sentences in French and you focus on articulation (if needed, cut the words before*!). Listen to yourself with a new perspective and redo the exercise. You can practice 5mn per week, it’s enough, the challenge here is to be consistent.
4) Learn to listen carefully
Active listening is obviously useful for anyone wether it’s for personal or professional reasons! As far as learning French is concerned, you are going to be able to build relevant answers / sentences thanks to the person you are talking to so let them do the job! Also, if something was not clear, you can definitely repeat and / or rephrase which helps rekindle the conversation which is a good thing, right?
5) Trust yourself
I will keep repeating like a parrot: trust yourself!
How many people did I have personally talked to who were B2 in French but they didn’t believe it even if I kept telling them haha?
See below a clarification inspired by Miguel during his stay in Montpellier:
First, you need to know that “savoir” and “connaître” belong to the third group of French verbs, the irregular one. Also you can write “connaître” without the accent on the “i”: “connaitre” (it doesn’t change the pronunciation).
Now, do you know that it is veeeery difficult for a native to explain the difference of meaning between these two verbs? 🤯
Recently, with Judith from Syria, we talked about two arabic verbs for “apprendre” and “connaître” and it helped me a little bit:
يعرف to know / يتعلم to learn
When you know something, you stop and you realize you are aware at this very moment about something or someone. But when you learn something, you are in a dynamic process. OK, but…
⚠️The problem in French is that you have two verbs for to know: “savoir” and connaître”⚠️
First let’s take real examples and see if it is possible to replace “savoir” by “connaître” and vice-versa ⬇️⬇️⬇️
Connaître = avoir l’idée, la notion d’une personne ou d’une chose (source). Also, “la connaissance” (knowledge) is considered as a dynamic and constant process.
Savoir = avoir un fait, une information, etc. présents à l’esprit, en être instruit ; avoir acquis la maîtrise de quelque chose par l’étude, la pratique, l’usage (source). And “le savoir” (also knowledge in English!) can both be used for an overview at a given moment and to explain the fact that it can grow and be structured in time
Now with all this information, are we more advanced compared to the beginning? It seems not…
The only advice I can give – and apply to myself as a native! – is to keep being exposed to real examples from as many contexts as possible. It really helps catch the subtle difference of meaning between close words as “savoir” and “connaître”.
Things are not always like they seem to be at first sight but it is okay to accept that.
Learning a language is a journey full of uncertainties, delays, slip-ups and misunderstadings but it’s also a unique opportunity to open new doors everyday for our mind and explore!
🌴 Feel free to contact me if you plan a sunny trip in Montpellier 😎🌴
Clément Viktorovitch is a famous French Rhetoric teacher at Science-Po Paris. For several years now, he has been going on radio and TV to decrypt public figures’ speeches. His contributions to encourage people, especially young generations, to understand how language works and how important it is in a democracy is amazing!
As soon as he released his book in October 2021, I wanted to read it and here is one sentence to sump it up:
Rhetoric is a power that will empower you, go grab it!
La rhétorique est un pouvoir qui donne du pouvoir tout court alors vous aussi, prenez ce pouvoir !
Viktorovitch’s book is a must-read book for anyone who lives in a French-speaking environment so both French natives like me and French advanced learners should definitely read it!
Knowing the high-quality of Viktorovitch’s content, I really wanted to have an active reading. During all the process, I took notes for myself but also to share here hoping this content can help raise awareness about the importance of langage.
First, you will find below the beginning of the retranscription of my audio, then my interpretation of rhetoric’s ID from the book and finally, 9 tips to become powerful thanks to rhetoric. 😎
[A2] Here you should be able to understand / produce a general presentation about something
Le Pouvoir rhétorique de Clément Viktorovitch est paru en automne 2021. Ce livre donne les savoirs de base sur la rhétorique mais aussi bien sûr plein d’exemples concrets. L’auteur, on ne le présente plus : enseignant à Science Po, chercheur, il est surtout connu pour ses interventions dans les médias.
En décryptant les paroles publiques, il veut rendre accessibles à tous les clefs du langage car si nous sommes en démocratie, dit-il, c’est notre droit. Autrement dit : “la rhétorique est un pouvoir qui donne du pouvoir tout court alors vous aussi, prenez ce pouvoir !”.
[B1 – raconter et structurer] Here you should be able to understand / produce content about different events, well and clearly organized
Il explique que la rhétorique est fondamentalement liée à la démocratie. Pour que le citoyen puisse faire un choix entre plusieurs candidats, il faut qu’il s’appuie sur leurs discours (p14) et qu’il soit aussi à même de s’exprimer à son tour pour prendre part à cette vie démocratique. Pour poursuivre et protéger cet idéal, il ne peut donc y avoir d’autre solution que la transmission de la rhétorique. C’est d’autant plus vrai, ajoute-t-il, que certains citoyens l'utiliseront pour manipuler tandis que d’autres seront manipulés.
Et nous sommes tous libres de nous poser la question : “quel orateur voulons-nous être ?” (p23). À travers ce livre, Viktorovitch veut nous proposer une “rhétorique pratique” (p36) qui va nous accompagner et nous entraîner au quotidien. Il utilise une métaphore intéressante : pour lui, la rhétorique se situe entre le karaté et l’aïkido.
[B2 argumenter et convaincre] Here you should be able to understand / produce content with statements for or against something in order to… convince! And since you are expected to understand French fluently, no more retranscription provided from now 😋
Carte d’identité de la rhétorique
art martial : mélange de karaté et d’aïkido
« si la rhétorique était un art martial, elle serait à la fois le karaté et l’aïkido » (p44)
armes : les arguments produits, l’image dégagée, les émotions suscitées
principe clef : “sois convaincu, tu deviendras convaincant”
« plus nous paraissons convaincus et plus nous avons tendance à en devenir convaincants » (p84)
paradoxe fondamental : moins on aura l’air d’avoir construit son argumentation, plus on sera convaincant
« plus un procédé est visible et moins il est efficace » (p403)
secret d’une argumentation réussie : la clarté et la concision
« plus notre argumentation sera ramassée, resserrée, condensée et plus elle en sera percutante, incisive, mémorable » (p123)
9 conseils pour devenir plus fort grâce au langage
être capable de détecter la dynamique* dans laquelle nous baignons au quotidien, c’est déjà gagner en force de conviction (p46)
* il y en a 4 principales : monologique, délibérative, compétitive, conflictuelle** (p50)
**celle-ci est absurde du point de vue de la rhétorique car c'est celle des débats stériles et des invectives (p53), mieux vaut s’en détourner, conseille l'auteur
apprendre à sortir de soi-même, ses préoccupations, ses objectifs afin d’adopter le point de vue de l’autre et ainsi mieux trouver les arguments pour le contrecarrer (p83)
quand on nous impose une définition négative d’un terme, il faut se réapproprier ce mot et lui redonner une définition qui va venir renforcer notre argumentation (p175)
Exemple : si on vous dit qu’« intello » est associé à quelque chose de barbant ou compliqué, vous pouvez contredire en affirmant qu’il est associé au contraire à quelque chose d’exigeant et profond !
parlons positif
L’auteur conseille d’utiliser des formulations positives, particulièrement pour se décrire soi-même, et plus généralement de n’employer que des mots dont les connotations sont à notre avantage (p179)« Les mots que nous proférons déterminent notre perception du monde. Il ne tient qu’à nous de la réenchanter. Voilà un bon exemple de ce que la rhétorique peut, au quotidien, nous apporter » (p182)
apprenons à écouter (pour accéder à la 5D* 😁!)
*conseil de l’auteur : « devenir des décrypteurs du discours » (p198). En effet, les indices sont partout autour de nous, à nous d’apprendre à les identifier. Par exemple, même le choix de la conjugaison est de la rhétorique : on utilise le « je » pour se mettre en avant ou susciter de l’empathie mais si cela ne nous arrange pas de porter la responsabilité de quelque chose, on va s’abriter derrière le « on » ou le « nous » (p191)
ne séparons ni n’opposons la raison et les émotions : les deux ont leur place dans le processus argumentatif
« L’une ne va pas sans les autres » (p233) ; utiliser la rhétorique des émotions est une bonne idée quand c’est bien pensé, adapté à la situation, justement dosé et si cela incite à l’action (cf. fin du chapitre 5)
apprenons à surprendre
« D’un point de vue de la rhétorique, ces caractéristiques confèrent à la surprise une utilité tout à fait unique. Parce qu’elle va saisir les auditeurs et faciliter leur attention, elle permet de mettre en valeur l’émotion qui lui succède et de décupler son efficacité. » (p283)
apprenons à nous taire : le silence est d’or !
« Retenons-le, c’est dans les silences les plus lourds que surgissent, flamboyants, les grands discours » (p285) ; « Le premier outil, pour s’assurer d’être écoutés… c’est le silence » (p410) cf. le contexte du débat contradictoire, « combat pour la parole », il ne peut être remporté que grâce au silence !
dédions toute notre vie à la construction et à la protection de notre ethos*
L'ethos est l'image que nous renvoyons en tant qu'assise de notre force de conviction. Viktorovitch en parle comme de « l’œuvre d’une vie » à forger (p341), c’est dire son importance !
*il consiste en 3 enjeux : paraître sincère, compétent et séduisant (p311)
A few months ago, I met someone who was living in France for 10 years and since he didn’t need French for work – he worked in the wine business industry -, he didn’t practice it and / or didn’t find it necessary to learn it.
A few days ago, the same situation happened: a man called and said that his wife, who moved in a few years ago now, just found it necessary to take French lessons because she faces difficulties to get a job. He wanted to know how I could help.
😱OK.
I decided that I am not the right teacher for this profile of learner. Do you know why?
I don’t know how to deal with them. Sincerely.
A teacher is only helpful when he joins you on the journey you started
Because the first question one needs to ask himself as soon as he arrives in a new country and by the way, as soon as he decides to move in another country* HAS to be:
*of course, I am not talking about a situation of emergency when people are forced to leave their home and migrate (they have all my respect 🙏)
What is MY personal strategy to learn the language?
A language is a key that will allow you to open the door of a new country / city / community and BECOME A PART OF IT.
Without the language, you stay at the door.
Period.
So for your own good, please take a moment and write down things you like and hobbies you have, anything you want as long as they can fit the four skills and then keep doing them but in French:
listening / talking
reading / writing
Do you like sports? Follow instagram accounts of famous local sport teams (in France: football, cycling, etc.).
Do you like make-up vloggers? Look for French Youtubers
Can you sew? Join a sewing group, etc.
Also, the very first thing you need to do as soon as you arrive in France is to go get a library card! 😍Most of the time, it’s cheap or even FREE.
I am a huuuge fan and most of the books I read come from public libraries!
You will be able to borrow plenty of books, DVDs, etc. in French, know more about local events, meet new people, have more confidence and one day, without even realizing it: you will be fluent! Of course, it’s a process: even natives make grammar mistakes, etc. it’s normal.
To me, being fluent in French is not about knowing the language perfectly (who can do that?), it’s more about feeling comfortable because YOU BELONG HERE.
Do you know what I answered to the man asking for help on behalf of his wife?
I asked if they have children (yes) and why she didn’t call me herself (she speaks French a littlebut didn’t feel confident).
I said that I could obviously make them pay for French lessons but it would be wrong because it’s not the problem here.
I gave him the advice above and added that if you start a life in France, you are physically here but you need to ask yourself if you are MENTALLY here.
When you help your children with their homework in French, when you go to the library or attend local events as a family or when you challenge yourself with actions such as calling someone you don’t know to ask for information, it makes you BE IN CHARGE.
So you feel more and more confident.
💪And you don’t have time to look back because you are too busy looking forward and widening your comfort zone.
Of course, Adam was already fluent in French but he was determined to do even better for example in situations when several Researchers interact and you have to process different things at the same time in order to provide appropriate AND convincing answers.
More than 100 pages of content
All through our sessions, I made him discover how people* build their speech. Some of them are easy to understand because their ideas are clear and when they talk, it’s well prepared. Some of them give you a headache and you have to deal with that.
Everyone still wants to make his point and builds a conscious (or unconscious) strategy to do so!
*Researchers and well-informed public (or not!) in science
French grammar, linguistics, rhetoric, argumentation: I created more than 100 pages of content from real situations and I challenged Adam with missions to accomplish. Of course, in an action-oriented evaluation of the language, I wanted this course to be useful for him as a Researcher and Research Director. 💪
Read below Adam’s feedback about this course and check link if you also want to join
Adam, merci de témoigner pour cet article ! Voici les questions :
Êtes-vous satisfait de cette formation et a-t-elle répondu à vos objectifs de départ ?
Oui parce que je trouve que le programme est bien construit avec un mélange de grammaire, de compréhension orale, etc. J’ai apprécié l’interactivité grâce à l’utilisation de la vidéo qui stimulait les échanges et aussi que Samyra place le sujet dans le contexte de mon domaine de recherche. C’est plus facile à comprendre.
Qu’est-ce qui vous a été le plus utile dans cette formation ?
La grammaire (pronoms relatifs, etc.), les connecteurs logiques, etc. ont été des outils que je réutilisais après les séances dans mon travail.
Avez-vous constaté des changements pour votre travail ?
J’ai plus de confiance quand je parle avec mon équipe.
Est-ce que vous recommanderiez cette formation à un.e autre chercheur / chercheuse ?
Oui, cette formation a été construite de manière très précise pour les besoins individuels des chercheurs. Elle est très différente des formations dans d’autres instituts de langue.
By the way, since 2016, foreign graduates can now work in France!
Big French companies praise “grandes écoles” a lot. These specific institutions provide very high education level and they are separate from, but parallel and often connected to the main framework of the French public university system.
But hold on, let’s talk first about a fun fact
aller à la grande école (1) ≠ faire une grande école (2)
(2) students in their early twenties going to a “grande école”
Oups… Watch your words!
What is a “grande école”?
The name appeared during the Renaissance to refer to… Buildings where you could attend university classes. “Grandes écoles” indeed are big constructions, aren’t they? So it makes sense to focus on the container before the content.
Of course, the first post graduate schools in France were Royal Schools: engineers and military academies (17th-18th). It is just at the end of Early modern european period that “grandes écoles” were also meant for engineering and business education.
Today, there is no official list of “grandes écoles” in France. In 1992, the Ministry of Education described them as having:
dedicated to business and management education : according to the BCE, French institution in charge of the competitive exam, there are 21 business schools but we will focus here on the Top 10.
By the way, did you know that 5 French “grandes écoles” are in the Financial Times Global MBA Ranking 2020? 4 of them are in our top 10 below: HEC Paris, EM Lyon Business School, Edhec Business School & Essec Business School.
Not only business schools aim at training the best students in business and management but they also offer lifelong learning to business owners and executives (see MBAs at ESSEC).
other institutions : selective and challenging institutions such as engineering schools, Sciences Po Paris, Paris-Dauphine, etc. were also influenced by “grandes écoles”.
⛔ Lets’ take a break here to talk about the hidden face of “grandes écoles”
Since they are selective and challenging – how ironic in the nation of equality … – “grandes écoles” are definitely not open to any French student! (Take a look at the drawing below).
So we can’t help but wondering if they are exclusive to people who can afford them? To people gifted with the perfect background leading them to the top jobs in the top companies?
Of course, “grandes écoles” are expensive and even before making it, students who can pay for private lessons definitely have a head start on the others!
Criticisms do exist about “grandes écoles” (check this abstract about “Les Grandes écoles, système dépassé ou produit d’avenir ?” – more in the French version) but as far as I am concerned as a French citizen and a language teacher willing to treat all languages and cultures equally, let’s admit that French “grandes écoles” definitely have a typical way of thinking, organizing, managing and running business.
They have their own visionon how to deal with the economy and so will the human connections be impacted. And by exporting themselves out of France, they also spread – and impose ? – that vision.
Otherwise, why would ESSEC go in Africa after investing in Asia?Why would many other French “grandes écoles” hurry to invest in Morocco, Senegal or Ivory Coast (see this article in French)? By the way, let’s not forget that the age of colonialism remains a very sensitive subject in France (check here and here)…
How would French people react if academic institutions from asian or african countries would open schools in France?
And by the way, who run the “grandes écoles”? Who decides the contents? The strategy? The vision for future? How do they change – if they change -? Are the students or other publics involved in the process?
Global warming and environmental impact, consequences of Covid-19, overconsumption: we already face some of the big changes we feared the most.
Do the “grandes écoles” – and not only the French ones ! – really fit to help us prepare for what comes after? Aren’t these the final hurdle which lead all of us to the present point: short term economic vision with profitability at all costs (including frequent unacceptable working conditions), damage of natural resources, etc., so many reasons “why we should bulldoze the business school”, reported The Guardian in 2018?
I hereby ask questions because I have no answer and also because it is up to you, if you still wish to attend a French “grande école”, to find answers
6 good points about “grandes écoles”
Now that we talked about the story behind “grandes écoles”, let’s talk about how students benefit from them!
Apart from the cost, any French ambitious student would be more than happy to study in a “grande école” and here is why:
selective therefore prestigious, the “grandes écoles” are the must-do especially if you dream to work in hotel trade, luxury industry, restauranting, culture, art, design, pharmaceuticals, etc.
Look below how selective a “grande école” is and imagine how you will be considered as a non-French being able to make it!
high quality teaching staff and resources to help students: excellent working and living conditions on campuses (see example at EDHEC Lille). Students get used to networking so it helps for the future!
but at the same time, students are encouraged to take projects up: get involved in charities (see examples at TBS), start a business, anything to be able to learn from action! It is also easy to take a gap year in order to go more into your personal project, whatever it might be, in depth.
by the way, the “grandes écoles” make it really simple for French students to go abroad starting by providing them with challenging methods to learn foreign languages.
Classes in “grandes écoles” can be in English and French or only in English with French courses provided to international students. Basically, each “grande école” is different and so are the degrees!
⚠Bear in mind that if you wish to get more skilled in a specific master’s degree for example, French will probably be required at to some point
See example in Skema’s FAQ:“Do I need to speak French to apply? No. SKEMA’s MSc and BBA programmes are designed for international students – they are taught and marked entirely in English. French is not required at all. To help you settle into your new lives in France, the school offers foreign students free French classes. For mastères spécialisés programmes, you need to speak French to apply.”
Anyway, if you come to study here in France with French students, you will soon be expected to reach A2 and then B2 at last, especially if you wish to work for a French company and / or settle down here.
As far as the “grandes écoles” campuses out of France are concerned, it is impossible to know if French language is privileged in class and for which degree. You will have to check with each school beforehand.
Remember that if you graduate a dual-degree from a French “grande école”, you really can’t miss the opportunity to highlight your level in French whatever it may be due to the courses provided by the “grande école” or your personal commitment!
*You can apply to Masters in Management in these 5 Business Schools on the same website JoinschoolinFrance.com
Lets’ also add Burgundy School of Business (BSB) ranked 15 and located here in Dijon but also in Lyon and Paris. Many programmes are delivered 100% in English with French classes available to international students.
How do you get into a “grande école”?
1) Selection based on a competitive exam after a preparatory class (1-3 years) – for French people and French-speaking people
*If, and only if, they were selected beforehand from their performance at school!
Since the 18th, this special class prepares students for the “concours d’admission aux grandes écoles”. Students can choose between Literature, Science and, since 1920, Economics and Commerce called “EC” or “HEC” but students call it “prépa épices” (spicy prep?).
At this stage, things start getting serious…
Life in “prépa” is very stressful so it is an excellent opportunity to learn dealing with the pressure, find a good work method and also focus on working really hard to read a lot of classics. Indeed, maybe you know how important it is to be able to debate and build reasoning in French education system…
There, students get prepared for the yearly competitive exam leading to the “programme Grande École” of 21 French business schools (and 3 other schools). All of them deliver masters’ degrees.
If failed, they can try again twice, it depends if they are satisfied or not with their results at the written and oral parts* of the exam. Also, students from French-speaking countries like Morocco or Senegal go for the same competitive exam as native students.
*oral part of the exam was cancelled in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic… A drama for lots of students who relied on it to expect a better result!
⚠ By the way, native or not, you definitely need to be perfectly fluent in French to be able to attend a “classe prépa”. Remember that even most French people can’t make it!
Students in “prépa” are not alone. They have access to useful information and advice thanks to media like Mister Prépa, founded by Benjamin Hautin, former student in “prépa” and a team of students
To apply for a “classe prépa”, visit websites below and follow instructions
(⚠ deadlines may have changed when you will read this article!)
then you will have to follow instructions on Parcoursup.fr (French version only…) from end of January to mid-March
after that, don’t forget to apply for the competitive exam before the end of your “classe prépa”! Follow instructions on Concours-bce.com (French version only…).
2) Selection based on grade – for French people and non-French people
French students who did not attend a “classe prépa” nor have the competitive exam but graduated a bachelor’s degree at university for example can apply to a “grande école”. This is called “admission sur titre”.
Places are limited so they need to prepare their records! Specific honors may be required so as 2 or 3 reference letters and you definitely need to prove your motivation during the interview with the jury.
Non-French students face the same process but each “grande école” is free to require more, for example B2 level in French.
Check requirements for the Master in Management at Skema and Neoma
To apply for a selection based on grade as a non-French student, follow instructions onJoin a School in France
3) Access thanks to an academic partner in your country – for non-French people
The easiest way to spend a semester or a year (or more!) in France and maybe get a degree from a “grande école” seems to apply for exchange programs your university may have with French “grandes écoles”.
“Everyone should read Le Petit Prince when he learns French”
Ok, tell me who started all this? Who?
It is not that I have something against that beautiful book — it is not my favourite French classic and certainly not the best! — and if you absolutely want to read it, go on, give it a try.
First, many French people didn’t read Le Petit Prince — or other classics by the way — even if they praise it and would fight tooth and nail for it!
Most of the time, they just studied some extracts at school. Only two categories of people would read the entire books:
the motivated ones
those interested by literary studies.
Second, you have to know that even natives may have difficulties to understand Le Petit Prince because it is complex since it is about imagination and poetry!
Thus it is absolutely normal if you face the same difficulties. One has to be really advanced in the language to understand the implicit, etc.
Also, thinking about it, French literature is not set in stone: there are so much treasures to discover and promote…
For example, did you know that Simone de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine’ sister, was also a writer? She was older than him and when he started to be famous, he didn’t want another writer in the family (!). Despite that, she was a dedicated sister since she protected her brother’s work until the end of her life in 1978.
Their descendants, reporting they didn’t know why she didn’t do it herself, published her uncompleted but interesting childhood memories book, Cinq enfants dans un parc, to commemorate the centenary of the birth of her brother in 2000.
I really want to pay tribute here to unknown or lesser-known authors like Simone de Saint-Exupéry who was not just “Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s sister”, but a person, a woman and a writer in her own right.
People like her make me reflect a lot on what is — or not — considered as major books and authors “you have to know”…
Anyway, there are so much great books to read out there so make your own way!
This being said, you will find below some reading advice if it can help:
1) Read books in French that you have already read in your language
Since you know the story, it will help you (and you can find bilingual versions if you want to take it slowly).
2) Read French versions of “must-read” books from all over the world
➨ Classics published in bilingual versions: check out this page
➨ Short texts:for exemple an engaged essay, Indignez-vous ! by Stéphane Hessel (30 pages), an outstanding French diplomat, resistant, writer and activist who addressed a beautiful message to the French people in 2010 (3 years before his death) about what they fought for in the past and shouldn’t forget. You also have La préférence nationale and other short stories, first book by Fatou Diome who shared her experience of immigration in France with a unique and brilliant style.
Read below Adam’s feedback about this course and check link if you also want to join 
… – “grandes écoles” are definitely not open to any French student! (Take a look at the drawing below).
Remember that if you graduate a dual-degree from a French “grande école”, you really can’t miss the opportunity to highlight your level in French whatever it may be due to the courses provided by the “grande école” or your personal commitment! 
) or in Turin (
)
).
At this stage, things start getting serious… 
Did you find this article useful? 
