As a person thinking about immigration or even just a regular traveller, you probably have your concerns regarding learning the native languages of the country you are visiting. French is one of the two main languages in Canada, and It is essential to have basic knowledge of it if you wish to live in the country. English is as necessary; however, if you are reading this, we will assume you are already good enough in English.
The language field is vast, and there are various approaches to learning a language. Regular classes do help; however, the best approach to learning a language is through practising using any of the following methods:
1- Get a Language Learning App
Learning apps are an ultimate guide to many people right now; they follow simple steps to help you learn essential words through repetition. Also, they help your mind retain the knowledge of the basic grammatical concepts of the language. Duolingo is an excellent example of these language apps. You can quickly learn French from scratch on the app or read and listen to stories and podcasts in the language to practice your pronunciation more.
2- Listen to Podcasts and Music
Get into the habit of introducing French to all the aspects of your life. Listen to French music while cooking, or open a Podcast or a french lesson and repeat after it while doing other work. This process is called “Passive Listening”. Although it can’t help you learn a language from scratch, it can help you increase your skills after a certain level.
3- Change Your Phone Settings
Although it is a simple change, changing your phone language to french can help you interact with the language more even through simple tasks like calling or sending an SMS. Also, you can change the interface of your social media websites and applications to french to help you more.
4- Read More French Books
Reading is probably a primary method of language training; however, how you read differs a lot depending on what stage you are in language learning. If you are still a beginner, try reading comic books, short stories or flash-fictions. They will surely be easier to study and translate. You can also buy translated books to help you while learning. A dictionary is also a must; however, don’t try to memorize all the words in it. Language needs some patience as well.
5- Participate in Group Conversations
Check out a conversation club near you, maybe the embassy in your country has one, perhaps there is a library with a french conversation club near you. Find out a group of people who are just as enthusiastic as you and start participating in the club activities with them. Add them online and only use French together to interact.
6- Write a Diary
Writing is as essential as reading when it comes to learning languages and to improve your spelling and punctuation you have to have a platform that can help you. Start writing a shared diary with your friends and exchange your diaries together to correct the entries. It doesn’t have to be a real diary, choose a daily situation and try to explain it in the language you are learning.
7- Use Flash Cards
The most popular studying method right now is using flashcards to memorize the essential words you wish to remember. Try to create a weekly list of flashcards and revise them by the end of the week. Examine yourself in the meanings of the words and try to write a couple of sentences using these words.
To find out what you need to Immigrate other than good language skills read our previous blog How Do I Qualify To Canadian Immigration.
