Learning French: Have you ever dreamt in your target language? 

It is often said that dreaming in the language you are learning is a sign you have gained a certain level of ‘fluency’. 

People tend to dream about key themes or events they have experienced or heard about in their own lives. And so, having dreams in French can indicate that you are regularly practicing and absorbing these new language skills. 

Getting to this stage, however, does not happen overnight... so to speak.

Passive language learning

Repetition and exposure is crucial. Start by interacting with newspapers and books since they do not bite back. 

Then, try listening carefully to the radio, watching TV programmes and playing French music in the background of your day-to-day tasks. Even eavesdropping on conversations with French people in whatever circumstances offer themselves can encourage your brain to tune into the sound and cadence of the language.

Read also: Learning French: five short talk radio shows to improve your language skills

Those are essentially passive roles but key to building up confidence.

Active language learning

The active stage starts with writing, since you do so at your own pace and can delete unwanted or incorrect material.

Read also: Letters: French is a hard language - even for native speakers

Then comes the most difficult and daunting stage: speaking. You will realise that most people are very forgiving, acknowledging that you are making an effort in a new language. Finding people who share at least some of your interests helps. After all, the prime purpose of language is communication. 

Take inspiration and try out the phrases you have read and heard elsewhere. For a confidence boost, you can slide in some ‘pre prepared’ lines that you have rehearsed in your head or in front of the mirror. 

Read also: French films and TV shows to watch in March

Watching the news on television, first in English and then in French, can be particularly helpful, since many of the same topics are likely to crop up. TV is even better than radio in this respect, since the visual supports the verbal. Plus, this will equip you with the vocabulary to discuss current affairs in casual conversation with native speakers. 

The choice of material, the attitudes adopted, the frequently repetitive language used, are all facets of French language and culture that will gradually penetrate your subconscious. 

Read also: Learning French: the origins and meaning of impossible n’est pas français

As your brain internalises these new words and grammar rules, the lines between your different tongues can blur and you may notice your inner monologue and reflections become more and more Frenchified. 

Interacting with your target language last thing at night or as you are drifting off to sleep can also help you faire de beaux rêves.

Have you ever dreamt in a language you were/are in the process of learning? Tell us about your experience: feedback@connexionfrance.com