I’m a French tutor and these are six mistakes that block a beginner’s progress

Translating word for word 

This is a mistake Ms Dubois sees a lot.

For example, you want to say: ‘They didn’t answer’ but you don't know the verb ‘to answer’ in French. However, you do know the noun la réponse because you’ve seen a lot of ‘question/réponse’ in your lessons.

“One strategy is to forget about the tense, but focus on the verbs you could use: maybe ‘to have an answer’ or ‘to give an answer’ and pick the one you know in French that is close to what you would like to say.

“You could use the present tense, or the past tense if you know it: ils ne donnent pas de réponse or ils n’ont pas (donné) de réponse.

“You can change the subject to say it in another way: Je n’ai pas de réponse or je n’ai pas eu de réponse de… instead of being stuck with the verb and the past tense of ‘to answer’ (‘répondre’ in French).

Then the person you are talking to will likely say: Ah, je comprends, ils n’ont pas répondu, which is what you were looking for.

Trying to be too specific 

Perfectionism can be a real barrier to progressing in French.

“For those who feel stuck and have difficulty making sentences, I suggest that they don’t try to express the exact idea they have in mind, but something close,” said Ms Dubois. 

“Use the language you know in the same way that we use the available letters in a Scrabble game. Use words you are familiar with to move forward, and at least you can say something. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.” 

Ignoring the context 

“If you look for the translation of a word into your own language, make sure to look for the context in which it is used, because we don’t always use words in the same way,” Ms Dubois said.

“Then make your own sentences with the new word to help you remember. For example, ‘to pick up’ could be translated as ramasser in French, but we don’t use it for ‘pick up the child at school’ because in French ramasser means to pick up something from the floor, something you dropped.”

Using it in this incorrect context would mean you were “picking the child up from the floor at school”.

Avoiding ‘real’ French

Embracing the French all around you is key to soaking up the language. 

“Enjoy authentic content made for French people as much as you can, because this is real language that they use in everyday life. 

“Take a look at everything you can: adverts and signs in the street, in shops and restaurants are all good for learning a language.

“For example, on a tram the signs ne pas fumer and ne pas manger remind you that the ‘ne pas’ negation sticks together before the infinitive or the basic form of the verb.”

Not listening enough 

“Listen to every French conversation you can, even if you are a beginner,” said Ms Dubois.

“Focus on the words you know instead of the words you don’t understand. If you hear someone in the street and understand a word, it will make you happy; soon you will understand whole sentences. 

“Pick out the words you hear a lot but that you don’t understand. Ask someone what they mean, or look for it phonetically on the internet. That will help you improve your listening and speaking skills.”

Don’t learn a random list of vocabulary 

“In order to expand your vocabulary, you can take the verbs you already know and make them into nouns – or vice-versa,” said Ms Dubois. 

For example, do you know the noun form of the verb acheter (to buy)? 

“If not, you could look for un achat, and then you can understand when the seller (vendeur/vendeuse) says: Merci pour votre achat.

“I’m sure most readers know the verb dormir (to sleep), but the noun is very different: le sommeil. So now you can understand French people who say j’ai sommeil, which means ‘to feel sleepy’.

Anaïs Dubois, 34, is a French teacher from Bordeaux. She gives private lessons as well as offering classes to Erasmus students at Sciences Po Bordeaux.

Her students comprise a range of levels and nationalities.

You can find more tips from Anaïs at her website and on her YouTube channel.