To communicate naturally in French with your French friends, French colleagues, and maybe your French family-in-law, you need four things:
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practice
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motivation
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regularity
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and time
So, I know, you may not have a lot of time, you have a busy life between your work, your family, your friends, and your hobbies.
But if you really want to progress, you must dedicate time to it. As they say, you get nothing for nothing!
Today, I'm going to introduce you to a 7-day study plan in French to help you progress.
This plan is based on the four pillars I mentioned to you.
And even if you have little time to devote to French, I will give you very effective exercise ideas that don't take up too much time.
It's the perfect routine to improve your French skills in oral and written proficiency, even if you have little time.
MONDAY: Practice your French in a conversation
On Monday, we're usually in good shape. We've had a good weekend and we're ready to start the week.
And to start the week off right, practice your French in a conversation.
Practicing French in conversations is the best way for you to make progress in French.
It will allow you to work on your oral expression and comprehension. And it's an opportunity to put your grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation into practice.
If you don't know where, how, or with whom to practice your French, join my French conversation group: Ohlala French Coffee
đź—Ł You practice your French orally with other students.
🇫🇷 You learn to hold conversations in French on various topics.
👩🏫 And teachers give you feedback on your vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.
TUESDAY: Do a dictation
So, you may find dictations a little bit school-like, but in reality, they're a great exercise to improve your oral comprehension and written expression in French.
A dictation is when you listen to a French speaker and write down what he or she says.
It's also a way to improve your grammar and vocabulary.
It's a short exercise, around 20-30 minutes maximum, and you can find this type of exercise on YouTube.
WEDNESDAY: Do a shadowing exercise
On Wednesdays, it's all about pronunciation!
To improve your French pronunciation, I know of a very good exercise, in fact the best exercise to improve your pronunciation. It's called shadowing.
The principle of shadowing is to imitate a native French speaker when they speak. You play a video or a podcast where a French person is speaking. It's better if you can see the text, the words they're saying. And you repeat what they say, then, you say it at the same time as them.
It's a fairly short exercise, only 10/15 minutes.
I have a playlist for you with several shadowing exercises in French that I've made for you.
THURSDAY: Watch or read a grammar or vocabulary lesson
Are you tired of always confusing French words and not knowing which one to use at the right moment?
There's no magic recipe for that, it's something to work on bit by bit.
Watch a grammar or vocabulary lesson every week to improve in these areas.
Every Thursday, I actually do a French lesson for you on YouTube where I explain the difference between certain words that my students always confuse.
OR you can also read this lesson on my blog.
And every time you see one of these lessons, make personal examples related to what you just saw!
This is the best way to practice and memorize grammar and vocabulary in French.
FRIDAY: Practice your French in a conversation
It's Friday night, you want to grab a drink with your colleagues or friends. But, you're going to speak only in English... and that doesn't help you improve your French!
On the other hand, practicing in a French conversation, that's what will help you!
It's perfect, because every Friday night at 6 pm, there's a conversation session in my conversation group: Ohlala French Coffee. It's perfect! And you can even practice your French with a glass of wine in hand!
SATURDAY: Listen to a French podcast episode
It's the weekend, but let's stay motivated!
On Saturdays, listen to a podcast episode and write a summary of what you understood.
This exercise is perfect for working on your oral comprehension and written expression.
If you don't know what podcast to listen to, I publish a podcast episode every Saturday at 6 pm.
In this podcast, I talk about French culture, learning French and I help you understand better when French people speak.
SUNDAY: Watch a French movie or series
Come on, Sunday is for relaxing! You're probably feeling lazy and want to rest before starting this new week.
The Sunday exercise is very simple: watch an episode of a French series or a French movie for an hour or two.
It's perfect for improving your oral comprehension in French. You work on your French without even realizing it!
There you have it, a 7-day study plan to improve your French.
By following this plan, you will improve all the important French skills even if you have very little time in your week.
See you soon for new adventures, in French of course! 🇫🇷
