ah-languages

[ah-languages]

APPS

All the apps listed are free to download (iOS). However, those that are not bolded offer in-app purchases and may require you to upgrade to premium or pay extra to access everything. Bolded = completely free.

Duolingo

Mango Languages

iTunes U (search “French” and browse courses)

WordReference (dictionary)

Quizlet (search for specific topics, such as “French Greetings”)

MosaLingua

Memrise

busuu

Learn French by MindSnacks

Learn French by Brainscape

Penyo Pal (made for kids)

activities and worksheets

Babbel (only one free lesson for each course)

FluentU

Conjugaison

Tigercards (go to “Course Bank” next to the “+” button)

French by Nemo

Radio France

Radios France (not the same as Radio France)

News in Slow French

WEBSITES

Some of these websites are not aesthetically pleasing, but they get the job done. 

Carnegie Mellon Elementary French I

Carnegie Mellon Elementary French II 

Français Interactif

Tex’s French Grammar

BBC French

Ma France

Lingvist

Livemocha

french.about.com

TV5Monde (click “Émissions” to watch TV shows in French)

Apprendre Le Français Avec TV5Monde

Talk in French

Beginner Level

Intermediate Level

Advanced Level

7 jours sur la planète (video news)

BrainPOP in French

Games for Language

The French Experiment 

Bonjour

Informal French and French Slang Tutorial

ielanguages.com

Language Guide

Polymath

MyLanguages

FrenchSpanishOnline

To Learn French

french-online.de

Enhancing French Skills

Quizlet that correlates 

QC French

French Vocabulary for Beginners

“Glue” Words

VERBS + CONJUGATION

How To Conjugate French Verbs

Reverso Conjugator

Conjugationfr

Conjuguemos Conjugation Activities

verb2verbe

TEXTBOOKS/WORKBOOKS/BOOKS/DICTIONARIES 

Barron’s 501 French Verbs

French-English Bilingual Dictionary 

McGraw-Hill Tune Up Your French

Collins French with Paul Noble

Modern French Grammar 

Modern French Grammar Workbook

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Learning Fench on Your Own

French Demystified 

Beginning French for the Utterly Confused

Learn French the Fast and Fun Way

Horizons

Easy French Step-by-Step

Practice Makes Perfect French Vocabulary 

Practice Makes Perfect Complete French Grammar

Collins Easy Learning French Grammar

Liberté: A First-Year French Textbook

French Learning Package

Rosetta Stone French Level 1

Course Content

Student Workbook

Tests

Answer Key

Rosetta Stone French Level 2

Course Content

Student Workbook

Tests

Answer Key

Rosetta Stone French Level 3

Course Content

Student Workbook

Tests

Answer Key

Bon Voyage Level 1

Textbook

Workbook

Listening Activities (under red book)

Practice Quizzes

Bon Voyage Level 2

Textbook

Workbook

Listening Activities (under green book)

Practice Quizzes

Bon Voyage Level 3

Textbook

Workbook

No Listening Activities :( 

Practice Quizzes

French from Wikibooks

French Children’s Stories (such as goldilocks and little red riding hood)

Children’s Books Forever

GET STARTED

Start Learning French

French for Beginners

Self-Study Checklist

 i figured i would never be 100% content with this masterpost because i keep finding new things i want to add, so i’m just going to post it now and update it every now and then! bonne chance!! :) 

love, @studenting (previously @thestudiousstudent)

[ah-languages]

“faire”

to do :

qu’est-ce que vous faites dans la vie? (job)

mais qu’est-ce que tu fais?? (present time)

faire le ménage (housework)

remplacement of another verb (- can someone please get the umbrella - i just did : je viens de le faire)

to make :

faire la cuisine (cooking)

faire une offre (job, money, house buying)

faire le lit (housework)

to go :

faire les magasins (shopping)

faire les courses (groceries)

faire un tour (stroll)

to play :

faire de l’escalade (sports - regularly)

faire du piano (instruments - regularly)

faire du ski (sports - rarely : to go skiing)

to equal to :

ça fait cinq euros (amount of money)

il fait 1m80 pour 75kg (height/weight)

also :

to be : weather (il fait beau aujourd’hui) + duration (ça fait deux ans)

to suffer from an illness (faire du diabète)

to act like (faire l’idiot, le mort (dead), l’ignorant (fool))

to look + adj : appearance (tu fais plus vieux avec tes lunettes)

to manage to (comment tu as fait ça?)

to act/take care of (laisse-moi faire)

faire la fête : to party (les voisins font la fête tous les week-ends)

faire la tête : to sulk/pout (arrête de faire la tête, enfin)

faire la queue : to wait in line

faire de la peine à : to make someone sad

faire la grasse matinée : to sleep in

faire + infinitive : to make (faire tomber quelque chose : to drop stg)

ça ne fait rien : it’s alright/doesn’t matter

ne faire que : to never stop doing x (elle ne fait que râler)

[ah-languages]

Salut maman, qu'est-ce que la différence between* Commencer à, commencer de, commencer par ? Merci

hello,

commencer à :

is casual and frequently used

means ‘to start to’

is about an unlimited action that can evolve

is followed by an infinitive

can express an order

can express a threat/warning

ex : tu commences à m’agacer!

ex : on va commencer à ranger, maintenant

commencer de :

is rarer and more formal

means ‘to start to’

is about a limited action that can’t evolve

implies an ending

is followed by an infinitive

can express general knowledge

can express a simple statement

ex : je n’ai pas commencé de faire la cuisine

ex : quand le soleil commence de taper, il faut se mettre à l’abri

commencer par : 

is casual and frequently used

means ‘to start with’

is about a limited action that can’t evolve

implies a part two

is followed by an infinitive

expresses directions

ex : on va commencer par éplucher les carottes, ensuite on fera la sauce 

[ah-languages]

bonjour belle! i've just recently decided to start french but i am having trouble with the alphabet (i know, i'm weak). the accents are really throwing me off -- i don't know where they go or why they're there. merci, au revoir!

hello dear (click on the titles for lists of common words containing those),

the circumflex accent : ^ (l’accent circonflexe) 

#1. affects the pronunciation of a, e, and o. #2. often indicates the historical presence of a letter (commonly s) that has, over the course of linguistic evolution, become silent and disappeared. #3. less frequently, is used to distinguish homophones (ex : sur “on” / sûr-e “sure”). in certain words, the circumflex is idiopathic and has no linguistic role.

is used on the o of plural possessive words (le(s) nôtre(s), le(s) vôtre(s))

marks first and second plural persons conjugated at the past tense (nous chantâmes) + third singular person of imperfect subjunctive (qu’il vît),

is used on the i on -ître words (huître (oyster, f), épître (epistle, m),

is used of the i on -aître or -oître verbs (naître (to be born), croître (to grow) + verb plaire (to please) when -i is followed by -t,

is used on the a of the negative suffixe -âtre for adjectives, sometimes nouns : grisâtre (greyish), bellâtre (dandy, m)

the diaeresis  : ¨ (le tréma)

you find it mainly over vowels e, i and u, over vowels u and y in last names or locations and over vowels a, o or u in borrowed words. #1. it indicates the necessity of pronouncing separately two graphemes instead of treating them like a couple. #2. it makes a vowel mute. #3. it symbolizes an umlaut (germanic sign). (some words don’t need one and yet their couples of vowels are pronounced separately : oui, poème (poem, m), coincer (to stuck),

é (l’accent aigu sur le e) 

can mark the end of nouns. beauté (beauty, f),

marks past participles from the first group (lavé, mangé…) + be (été), 

marks a word starting with -e + consonant (éveiller (to wake, v), étirement (stretching, m), émotif/ve (emotional)…),

marks an e stuck between two consonants (hébété-e (dazed) préférer (v)), 

is never used before an -x (exemple, m), -f, -d (pied (foot, m)), -r, a final -z (nez (nose, m)) or a double vowel (appeler (to call, v), excellent-e),

è (l’accent grave sur le e) 

can be used to make a masculine job noun feminine (a baker : un boulanger, une boulangère ; a farmer : un fermier, une fermière), 

helps differenciating similar words from one another (mère (mother, f), mer (sea, f), maire (mayor, m) ; also for other letters : ou (or) / où (where), la (fem the) / là (there), à (at, prep) / a (vb avoir (to have) 3PS present)),

is used on final -s that are not a plural mark (près de (close to)),

is used before syllabes containing a mute -e (fièrement (proudly)),

is never used before an -x (sexe (sex, m), complexe (ep)…),

l’accent grave sur d’autres voyelles :

ù is used in adverbs où (where : où est parti ton père ?) and d’où (from where : d’où arrivent-elles à cette heure?)

à is a preposition with many meanings (je suis à paris cette semaine)

the cedilla : ç (le c cédille)

a cedilla (une cédille) placed in front of a, o and u marks a ss sound, is never used before -e, -i, -y, -ae, -oe and can be used for verbs in -cer for certain persons (nous commençons : we start)

hope this helps! x 

[ah-languages]

Bonjour! :) Est-ce que tu pourrais expliquer la différence entre 《merci pour》 et 《merci de》? Par exemple dans la phrase: 《merci de/pour votre visite》? Merci bien!

hello,

merci pour : 

expresses gratitude

refers to an event that has happened

is more casual

the speaker and the listener know each other

ex : merci pour ton aide, elle a été précieuse

merci de :

expresses a general rule to follow

refers to the present or the future

is more formal

is often found on written notes

is followed by an infinitive

the speaker or writer addresses anybody

ex : merci de lire en silence

merci à :

expresses gratitude 

insists on the interlocutor(s)

is more formal (meeting, wishes, speech, etc)

the speaker and the listener know each other

ex : merci en particulier à marion pour son travail

[ah-languages]

Exist, to be　있다　ある・いる

Not exist　없다　ない・いない

Go 　가다　行く 「いく」

Come　오다　来る 「くる」

Go out　나가다　出ていく 「でていく」

Come out, appear　나오다　出てくる 「でてくる」

Return to　돌아가다　帰る 「かえる」

Return, come back　돌아오다　帰ってくる 「かえってくる」

Walk (swh)　걸어가다　歩いていく 「あるいていく」

Go and come back　다녀오다 行ってくる 「いってくる」

Go and come back　갔다 오다　行ってくる 「いってくる」

Eat　먹다　食べる 「たべる」

Drink　마시다　飲む 「のむ」

Do　하다　する

Buy　사다　買う 「かう」

Sell　팔다　売る 「うる」

See, watch　보다　見る 「みる」

Meet　만나가　会う 「あう」

Wait　기다리다　待つ 「まつ」

Ride　타다　乗る 「のる」

Transfer (bus, train, etc)　갈아타다　乗り換える 「のりかえる」

Get off　내리다　降りる 「おりる」

Rest　쉬다　休む 「やすむ」

Sleep　자다　寝る 「ねる」

Get up, wake up　일어나다　起きる 「おきる」

Wear　입다　着る 「きる」

Take off (clothes, etc)　벗다　脱��� 「ぬぐ」

Wear (shoes, etc.)　신다　履く 「はく」

Sit 앉다　座る 「すわる」

Line up　줄을 서다　並ぶ 「ならぶ」

Learn　배우다　習う　「ならう」

Teach　가르치다　教える　「おしえる」

Read　읽다　読む　「よむ」

Say　말하다　言う　「いう」

Quit　그만두다　辞める　「やめる」

Give　주다　あげる

Bring　갖다 주다　持ってくる　「もってくる」

Receive　받다　もらう

Send　보내다　送る　「おくる」

Change　바꾸다　変える　「かえる」

Take a photo　찍다　撮る　「とる」

Stop　세우다　止める　「とめる」

Become　되다　なる

Close　닫다　閉める　「しめる」

Close (eyes)　감다　つぶる

Die　죽다　死ぬ　「しぬ」

Smoke　피우다　吸う　「すう」

Go out with, date　사귀다　付き合う　「つきあう」

Be surprised　놀라다　驚く　「おどろく」

Laugh, smile　웃다　笑う　「わらう」

Be late　늦다　遅れる　「おくれる」

Borrow　빌리다　借りる　「かりる」

Hit, play drums　치다　打つ　「うつ」

Flick, to play piano/stringed instruments　치다　弾く　「ひく」

Clean up　치우다　片付ける　「かたづける」

Cross　건너다　渡る　「わたる」

Cross over, go over　건너가다　渡っていく　「わたっていく」

Take time　걸리다　かかる

Count　세다　数える　「かぞえる」

[ah-languages]

(se) + verb #3

some verbs in french are called reflexive : they are preceded by an object pronoun which change the sense of the original verb. sometimes, the verb does not necessarily take a pronoun but it can be added for more precision (ex : casser - to break, but se casser un bras - to break an arm). here are a few :

changer : to change (il a changé depuis l’année dernière)

se changer : to switch outfit (je me change et j’arrive)

cogner : to bang (quelqu’un cogne à la porte)

se cogner : to knock one’s head (je me suis cognée)

pousser : to push (pousse la porte, elle est un peu lourde)

se pousser : to push out of the way (je me suis poussée)

tourner : to turn (tourne à droite à la prochaine intersection)

se tourner : to turn towards (elle s’est tournée vers nous)

vanter : to brag about someone else (ils vantent les talents de leur fils)

se vanter : to brag about oneself (il s’est vanté toute la soirée)

retourner : to come back someone (elle est retournée à paris)

se retourner : to turn around (retourne-toi, je suis juste derrière)

reposer : to put back down (vous reposez ça tout de suite)

se reposer : to rest (je me repose un peu)

expliquer : to explain (il faut expliquer les règles avant de commencer)

s’expliquer : to explain one’s behaviour (explique-toi immédiatement)

préparer : to prepare (j’ai préparé les ingrédients)

se préparer : to get ready (tu te prépares en vitesse et on y va)

sauver : to save (le migrant a sauvé l’enfant)

se sauver : to run away (casual : elle s’est sauvée en entendant l’alarme)

promener : to take on a walk (elles promènent le chien)

se promener : to take a stroll (on est allés nous promener)

qualifier : to qualify of (il l’a qualifiée de brillante)

se qualifier : to get qualified (elle s’est qualifiée pour la finale)

[ah-languages]

(se) + verb #1

some verbs in french are called reflexive : they are preceded by an object pronoun which change the sense of the original verb. sometimes, the verb does not necessarily take a pronoun but it can be added for more precision (ex : casser - to break, but se casser un bras - to break an arm). here are a few :

prendre : to take

se prendre (pour) : to think one is (tu te prends pour qui?)

excuser : to excuse (excuse son comportement)

s’excuser : to apologize

appeler : to call (appelez votre mère)

s’appeler : to be named (je m’appelle marianne)

manger : to eat

se manger : to bump into (casual : je me suis mangé un mur)

occuper : to occupy (les manifestants occupent l’entreprise)

s’occuper : to take care of (je m’occupe de tout)

essayer : to try (elle essaiera d’y aller en mars)

s’essayer : to try to learn a new skill (je m’essaie à la peinture)

lever : to raise (levez vos verres)

se lever : to get up (je me suis levée très tôt ce matin)

attendre : to wait (nous attendions le facteur)

s’attendre (+ à) : to expect (je m’attendais à ta visite)

passer : to pass (le temps passe doucement)

se passer : to happen (qu’est-ce qu’il se passe?)

se passer de : to do without (on se passera de tes commentaires)

sentir : to smell (elles sentent bon, tes roses)

se sentir : to feel (je me sens tellement bien en ce moment)

[ah-languages]

— A2 vocab: —

gute Eigenschaften / Characterzüge - good character traits

bescheiden - modest

ehrlich - honest

ernst - serious

fleißig ≈ arbeitsam - diligent, hard-working

fröhlich - cheerful

geduldig - patient

gerecht - rightful

höflich - polite

klug - smart

intelligent - intelligent

interessant - interesting

lustig - funny

mutig - brave

nett ≈  freundlich - nice, friendly

offen - open

ruhig - calm, quiet

selbstsicher ≈ selbstbewusst - self-confident

sympathisch - pleasant

tolerant - tolerant

treu - faithful, loyal

vernünftig - reasonable

— B2 vocab —

anpassungsfähig - flexible, adaptable

aufrichtig - straightforward

ausgeglichen - balanced

gehemmt - inhibited

großzügig - generous

hilfsbereit - helpful

kultiviert - cultured

locker - relaxed, cool

mitfühlend - sympathetic

reif - mature

respektvoll - respectful

rücksichtsvoll - considerate

selbstlos - unselfish

sensibel - sensitive

taktvoll - tactful

temperamentvoll - temperamental

verantwortungsbewusst - responsible

zuverlässig  ≈ verlässig - trustworthy, steady

[ah-languages]

small talk in french 💬

⭐️ (for beginners) ⭐️

When talking to french people, focus on innocuous topics like the weather, current events (“avez-vous lu à propos de..?” Have you read about…?), and cultural topics like food, movies, art, music, and so on. And remember to use vous instead of tu!

I only speak a little French. Je ne parle qu'un peu le français.

I am learning French, but I am only a beginner. J'apprends le français mais je ne suis qu'un débutant.

I have been learning french for 2 days / 2 weeks / 2 months / 1 year / 2 years. J'apprends le français depuis deux jours / deux semaines / deux mois / un an / deux ans.

Will you please correct me? Peux-tu me corriger, s'il te plaît?

What does ___ mean? Que veut dire ___?

What does that mean? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire?

Can you explain in French/English to me? Peux-tu m'expliquer en français / anglais?

What does that mean in this context? Qu'est-ce que ça veut dire dans ce contexte?

What is the French word for ___? Quel est le mot français pour ___?

Is this/that correct? C'est juste?

Am I wrong? Je me trompe?/Est-ce que j'ai tort?

Am I correct? Est-ce que j'ai raison?

Do you understand? Est-ce que tu me comprends?

I do not understand. Je ne comprends pas.

I want to improve my level in French. Je veux améliorer mon niveau de français.

I need to practice French. J'ai besoin de pratiquer le français.

Do you have time to speak with me? As-tu le temps de parler avec moi ?

Can you help me to learn French? Peux-tu m'aider à apprendre le français?

Do you mind if we speak in French? Ça te dérange si nous parlons en français?

Can you please speak in French? it helps me to learn. Peux-tu me parler en français s'il te plaît? Ça m'aide à apprendre.

How do you say ’___’ in French? Comment dit-on ’___’ en français ?

I struggle with spelling / reading / writing / listening / pronunciation. J'ai du mal avec l'orthographe / la lecture / l'écriture / la compréhension orale / la prononciation.

Can you please repeat? I did not understand. Pouvez-vous répéter s'il vous plaît ? Je n'ai pas compris.

I don’t speak French fluently. Je ne parle pas couramment le français.

I am confused. Je suis perdu(e).

I don’t know how to say it in French. Je ne sais pas comment le dire en Français,

Sorry (or ‘pardon’), what did you say? Pardon, qu'est-ce que tu as dit?

I’ve never heard of that. Je n'ai jamais entendu ça.

That makes sense. Ça se tient.

That does not make sense. Ça n'a aucun sens.

What’s happening? / What’s going on? Qu'est-ce qui se passe?

What do you mean by ’___’ ? Qu'est-ce que tu entends par ’___’? / Qu'est-ce que tu veux dire par ’___’?

⭐️ Personal Stuff ⭐️

Here is a list of phrases you can use and practice when giving and asking for personal information. Take note that the list makes use of the formal “vous”.

Comment vous appelez-vous? What is your name?

Je m'appelle Christine. My name is Christine.

Quel est votre nom? What is your name?

Comment allez-vous? How are you?

Je vais bien, merci. I am doing well, thank you.

Très bien, merci. Very well, thank you.

Quel âge avez-vous? How old are you?

J'ai # ans. I am # years old.

J'ai trente ans. I am thirty years old.

J'ai quarante-deux ans. I am forty two old.

Quelle est votre nationalité? What is your Nationality?

Je suis canadien(ne). I am Canadian.

Je suis américain(e). I am American.

Je suis chinois(e). I am Chinese.

Je suis coréen(ne). I am Korean.

Où habitez-vous? Where do you live?

J'habite en Californie. I live in California.

Quel est votre numéro de téléphone? What is your phone number?

Mon numéro de téléphone est le … My phone number is …

Où êtes-vous né(e)? Where were you born?

Je suis né(e) à… I was born in…

Êtes-vous marié(e)? Are you married?

Oui, je suis marié. Yes, I am married

Non, je ne suis pas marié. No, I am not married

Je suis célibataire. I am single

Est-ce que vous avez des frères et soeurs? Do you have any brothers and sisters?

Je suis fille unique. I am an only child/daughter

Je suis fils unique. I am an only child/son

J'ai - frère(s). I have - brother(s).

J'ai - soeur(s).  I have - sisters(s).

Je n'ai pas de frères. I don’t have any brothers.

Je n'ai pas de soeurs. I don’t have any sisters.

Quel est votre métier? What is your job?

Quelle est votre profession? What is your profession?

Que faites-vous dans la vie? What do you do for a living?

Je suis ingénieur. I am an engineer.

Je suis boulanger/boulangère. I am a baker.

Je suis médecin. I am a doctor.

Je suis infirmier/infirmière. I am a nurse.

⭐️ Interests ⭐️

Quel est votre sport préféré? What is your favorite sport? (formal)

Quel est ton sport préféré? 

What is your favorite sport? (informal)

Mon sport préféré est… My favorite sport is….

J'aime faire du sport et garder la forme. I like to do sports to keep fit.

Quelle saison préférez-vous? What season do you prefer? (formal

Quelle saison préfères-tu? What season do you prefer? (What season is your favorite?) (informal)

Quels sont vos passe-temps préférés? What are your favorite pastimes? (formal)

Quels sont tes passe-temps préférés? What are your favorite pastimes? (informal)

Mes passe-temps préférés sont… My favorite pastimes are…

Qu'est-ce que vous faites dans votre temps libre? What do you do in your free time? (formal)

Qu'est-ce que tu fais dans ton temps libre? What do you do in your free time? (informal)

Est-ce que vous avez un animal de compagnie? Do you have a pet?(formal)

Est-ce que tu as un animal de compagnie? Do you have a pet? (informal)

Non, Je n'ai pas un animal de compagnie. No, I don’t have a pet.

Oui, J'ai un chat. Yes, I have a cat.

Oui, J'ai un chien.Yes, I have a dog.

Qu'est-ce que vous aimez? What do you like?

J'aime le jazz. I like jazz.

J'aime le rock. I like rock.

J'aime le hip-hop. I like hip-hop.

Je n'aime pas le rap. I don’t like rap.

Je n'écoute pas de la musique très souvent. I don’t listen to music very often.

J'aime les films d'amour. I like romance films.

J'aime les films d'aventures. I like adventure films.

Je n’aime pas faire du ski. I don’t like skiing.

Qu'est-ce que vous aimeriez faire dans la vie? What would you like to do in life ?

J'aimerais être chef. I would like to be a chef.

J'aimerais être un bibliothécaire. I would like to be a librarian.

[ah-languages]

DUTCH VOCABULARY: RESTAURANTS

NOUNS:

the restaurant - het restaurant

the menu - de menukaart

the meal - de maaltijd

the dish - het gerecht

the appetizer/starter - het voorgerecht

the main course - het hoofdgerecht

the side dish - het bijgerecht

the dessert - het nagerecht / het dessert

the tip - de fooi

the fork - de vork

the knife - het mes

the spoon - de lepel

the plate - het bord

the glass - het glas

the bill/check - de rekening

the cook - de kok

the waiter - de ober/kelner

the waitress - de serveerster/kelnerin (I’ve never heard anyone say “kelnerin”, but it exists, according to Google)

VERBS:

to cook - koken

to order - bestellen

to eat - eten

to drink - drinken

to dine - dineren

to make a reservation - reserveren

EXAMPLE SENTENCES:

We’ve booked a table for X. - We hebben een tafel voor X gereserveerd.

Do you have a table free? - Is er nog een tafel vrij?

We’re ready to order. - We willen graag bestellen. / We hebben onze keuze gemaakt.

I would like the X, please. - Voor mij de X, alstublieft.

The check/bill, please. - De rekening, alstublieft.

Keep the change. - Hou het wisselgeld maar.

It was delicious. - Het was heerlijk.

[ah-languages]

HOW TO TEACH YOURSELF LANGUAGES SUPER EFFICIENTLY

I write this bcz I’m a huge language enthusiast and I’m frustrated about the way most methods and language classes/courses approach the process of learning. I’m not a professional but I have a lot of experience in studying foreign languages: I have taught myself Lithuanian and reached the upper intermediate level (B2) in 4-5 years without much help from others, and in Spanish reaching the same level took me only 2 years bcz I simultaneously studied it at school and already knowing French helped me a little. I want to help everyone who wants to start a new language, does not have the possibility to join a language course or just feels frustrated of the stagnation they might experience in the early phase of learning a foreign language.

So, if you want to learn a new language, I suggest following tips:

• Immerse yourself from the beginning! This is really important so that you can get yourself familiar with the intonation and pronunciation of the language. Listen to radio or tv and try to read whatever you can (ingredient lists from the food packages, newspaper articles, whatever!) it doesn’t matter if you can’t understand much yet, it will come! If you start a language with a new alphabet learn the alphabet really well first thing.

• Get an overview of the grammatical structure of the language! This is often not properly done in language courses where you learn some vocabulary and greetings but after 60 pages of the textbook you still have no idea how many verb tenses or noun cases the language has. Take a look even at the “hardest” topics, bcz they might not be that hard after all. (for example the Spanish equivalent of past perfect is much easier than the present tense) 

 • With that being said, learn to recognise past tenses even when you are still learning the present tense! I find it absurd that most courses expect you to master present tense _perfectly_ before even taking a look at other tenses. Most of the time, in everyday communication, past tenses are used more frequently than the present tense + in some languages mastering the past tense can also help you to form the conditional. So, learn the past tense earlier than most ppl would recommend!

 • In general, study the easiest things first! If you find something particularly difficult you gain more confidence and knowledge if you first focus on what you find more interesting (however, you can’t postpone studying boring topics eternally, especially if you are preparing or hoping to prepare for an exam at some point) In Lithuanian, I taught myself a lot of grammar before learning how to tell the time… and it was ok.

• For material: usually the country’s universities have a reading list on their website which proposes what books one could use to study the language. These are often preferable to handbooks aimed for tourists and some language methods for beginners because those mostly focus on useless vocabulary you might only need when you rent a car or book a room in a hotel. The grammar is often also relatively poorly explained in those “tourist language books”, whereas books that are aimed at immigrants or university students usually focus more on the efficient language acquisition and are written by professors and specialists. If you are persistent enough and google all possible search words in both English and the target language,  you can probably find whole textbooks in PDF format, which you can then save on your laptop.

• Don’t get stuck on vocabulary! Remember that grammar is the skeleton of the language and that vocabulary is the muscles hair and eventually the clothes you use to dress up and embellish your apperance. Vocabulary is useful once you know how to use it. For me, learning vocab is the hardest part of a new language, especially bcz I like starting languages that are not really similar to any other languages I know (consider Lithuanian and Greek when I previously knew Finnish, English, French and Spanish) ofc you need to learn some of it to be able to form sentences but most traditional methods focus on that too much. My suggestion is to read a lot: start by children’s books and comics and gradually get more advanced material. When you read them, make notes!! Look up the words you don’t know and don’t be afraid of using unconventional, seemingly challenging ways to learn, such as buying a bilingual poetry collection and trying to decipher what the original poem says and compare it to the translation. 100% recommend, even for the beginner level + it’s a nice way to connect to the culture but still focus on the language itself, not on the way ppl make breakfast in that country. (That’s something that irritates me a lot in most Youtube’s language videos where ppl are just discussing the traditions of the country in English when you had come there to look for the explanation of grammatical structures or just to hear the language being spoken. smh.)

• A really important thing about vocabulary is to learn all the abstract words, such as conjunctions, really soon! For example, if you find yourself in a situation where you have to use the words therefore and otherwise,  it is almost impossible to try to explain those words without first translating them to another language. 

• Make vocabulary learning more interesting and deep by learning about the etymology of the words you learn. It can be mind-blowing and it helps you to remember the words better.

That’s it!

I hope these tips inspire you in pursuing your interest in foreign languages and facilitate your learning process. I might add more to this if I remember I have forgotten something of great importance. 

[ah-languages]

antiquity related expressions

- se croire sorti-e de la cuisse de jupiter “to believe that one was born out of jupiter’s thigh” (dionysos’ reference) : being henry winter pretentious

- être d’un calme olympien : being very calm, stoic

- être dans les bras de morphée : being in morpheus’ arms, asleep

- être médusé-e : being stunned

- avoir des yeux de lynx (lynceus’ reference) : having a piercing look

- se reposer sur ses lauriers “to rest on one’s laurels” : to use acquired skills to keep going without trying to work harder

- agir comme une furie “to act like a fury/erinys” : to be enraged

- toucher le pactole (king midas’ reference) : to earn a lot of money

- être riche comme crésus : being very rich

- être un apollon : being a handsome man

- prendre le taureau par les cornes “taking the bull by the horns”

- s’attirer les foudres de x “to attract someone’s lightings” : to anger someone

- une tour de babel : a chaotic meeting where people argue

- la boîte de pandore : the source of troubles

- le tonneau des danaïdes : an endless task

- un travail de titan “a titan’s job” : a very hard task

- tomber de charybde en scylla “to fall from charybdis to scylla” : getting out of a bad situation to end up in a even worse one 

- la perfide albion : england

- le talon d’achille “achileus’ heel” : someone’s weakness

- une épée de damoclès : a threatening, impending danger

- une pomme de discorde : the subject of an argument

- un rire homérique : a very loud laugh

- le fil d’ariane “ariadne’s thread” : way to move forward in a difficult situation + perdre le fil “to lose the thread” : to lose track in a conversation/story telling

- un adonis : a very pretty young man

- une égérie (nymph) : a female muse, inspiration, adviser…

[ah-languages]

Ways to say “I’m done” 🇫🇷 (like the dramatic i give up)

I’m in exam week so that’s my current vocab

J’en peux plus = I’ve had enough

J’en ai marre = a way to say “I’m done”

C’est bon, j’arrête = that’s it, I’m stopping

J’abandonne = I give up

C’est tellement relou = It’s so annoying

Je veux mourir = I wanna die

yay.

[ah-languages]

ten expressions

- comme un chef : like a boss (tu t’es débrouillée comme un chef)

- faire des siennes : doing whatever one wants

- avoir quelqu’un dans le nez “having someone in the nose” : being angry at someone

- ça ne mange pas de pain “it doesn’t eat bread” : it can’t harm

- ça ne vaut pas un clou : it’s not worth a nail

- il n’y a pas mort d’homme (”no one is dying”) : chill

- les carottes sont cuites “carrots are cooked” : everything is lost

- avoir le cafard “having the cockroach” : to feel sad/depressed

- avoir les crocs “having the fangs” : to be hungry (casual)

- sans façons : no, no way! (me couper les cheveux? sans façons!)

[ah-languages]

français | places

【 general 】

les alentours (m) | vicinity

l’avenue (f) | avenue

la banlieue (f) | suburbia

le quartier (m) | area

【 commercial 】

l’animalerie (f) | pet shop

la boucherie (f) | butcher

la boulangerie (f) | bakery

la boutique de vêtements (f) | fashion boutique

le café (m) | coffee shop

le centre commercial (m) | shopping centre

l’épicerie (f) | grocery store

la librairie (f) | book shop

le magasin (m) | shop

le magasin de vins et spiritueux (m) | liquor store

la pharmacie (f) | pharmacy

la pizzeria (f) | pizzeria

la quincaillerie (f) | hardware store

la supérette (f) | convenience store

le supermarché (m) | supermarket

le traiteur (m) | caterer

【 public spaces 】

le jardin botanique (m) | botanical garden

la place (f) | plaza

le pont (m) | bridge

la rue (f) | street

la ruelle (f) | lane

【 religious 】

la cathédrale (f) | cathedral

l’église (f) | church (catholic)

la mosquée (f) | mosque

la synagogue (f) | synagogue

le temple (m) | church (protestant)

【 residential areas 】

l’appartement (m) | apartment

la cabane (f) | shack

le château (m) | castle

la ferme (f) | farmhouse

l’hébergement (m) | accommodation

l’immeuble en copropriété (m) | condo (condominium)

la maison (f) | house

la maison de maître (f) | mansion

la maison de ville (f) | townhouse

le manoir (m) | manor

le pavillon (m) | bungalow

la pension de famille (f) | boarding house

la petite maison (f) | cottage

la villa (f) | villa

le voisinage (m) | neighbourhood

【 school 】

le collège (m) | middle school

l’école (m) | schooll’école primaire (m) | primary school

le lycée (m) | high school

l’université (f) | university

【 tourist destinations/accommodation 】

l’auberge (f) | inn

la boîte (f) | nightclub

la fête foraine (f) | fun fair

le gîte (m) | holiday house

l’hôtel (m) | hotel

le musée (m) | museum

le parc d’attractions (m) | amusement park

la plage (f) | beach

la taverne (f) | tavern

le terrain de camping (m) | campsite

le théâtre (m) | theatre

【 transport 】

l’aéroport (m) | airport

l’arrêt de bus (m) | bus stop

la gare (f) | train station

le métro (m) | tube/subway

【 places with «chez» 】

a/n | these places are named with the person performing the job. for example, i am going to the dentist is «je vais chez le dentiste»

le coiffeur/la coiffeuse | hairdresser

le dentiste (m) | dentist

le/la vétérinaire | veterinarian

【 extra 】

la banque (f) | bank

la bibliothèque (f) | library

la campagne (f) | countryside

la caserne de pompiers (f) | fire station

la cave à vins (f) | wine cellar

le cimetière (m) | cemetery 

le cinéma (m) | cinema

le commissariat de police (m) | police station

l’hôpital (m) | hospital

la mairie (f) | city hall

l’opéra (m) | opera house

l’orphelinat (m) | orphanage

le parc (m) | park

le planétarium (m) | planetarium

le pressing (m) | drycleaner

la prison (f) | prison

le stade (m) | stadium

la station-service (f) | gas station

[ah-languages]

hey guys!!! someone asked me if i could tell them some tips for studying a new language so i thought i’d make a masterpost so everyone could see it and use it!!! happy learning ❤️📚 (x)

i wanted to add more things but it was going to be too long, so if you want me to add anything else tell me and i’ll make another masterpost with it!!

general tips

make the most of duolingo! by @leahrning

learning foreign languages by @a-pprendre

how to self-study languages by @e-tudiante

how to learn a new language at home by @laurynstudy​

ace your foreign language class by @cambridgemagic

language learning by @study-well

studying a foreign language by @areistotle

online bilingual dictionaries by @languageramblings

15 tips for language self-study

the complete guide of self-studying a foreign language

5 tips for self-studying a foreign language

tips for learning a new language by @ofminervas 

tips for writing by @moonstruckstudies

another language masterpost by @wonderful-language-sounds​

ten reasons to learn a new language by @thescholarlysquad​

language learning tips and resources by @study-ings

how to study a foreign language by @a-student-life

a faster way to start learning a language by @funwithlanguages 

a new language? tricky but easy! by @underpressurecharlie

how i learn languages by @mickybyrd

american sign language

free asl learning programs

start asl

learn asl

asl resources

arabic

online resources

more resources

learn arabic

arabic online

chinese

coffee related words by @the-brightest-witch-studies

mandarin chinese resource masterpost by @floernce

chinese resources by @brbimstudying

english

the ultimate english masterpost by @areistotle

english masterpost by @studyvet

free online courses by @wonderful-language-sounds 

get litterature notes x x x x

french

french masterpost by @organisaticns

french resources masterlist by @nathalliastudies

50 advanced french phrases by @la-linguistique 

12 tips for learning french efficiently

how to improve your french

french music by @studyplants

french resources

german

german capitalisation by @yourfuckingmuse

german emotions by @deutsch-doodles

learning tools by @wonderful-language-sounds

learn german online

guide to learning german by @baernat

free german resources by @languageoclock

greek

how to learn greek by @katlearnslanguages

hindi

learn hindi

italian

italian masterpost by @studybowie 

japanese

learn japanese!! by @solarstudy

fun ways to study japanese by @japanesewithyuandclare

japanese masterlist by @thespecsappeal​

learn japanese

korean

korean language learning masterpost! by @study-mochi​

how to study korean

korean alphabet

learn korean

korean language education center

learn korean

korean for beginners by @mujistudies

latin

learn latin by @studyplants​

learn latin!!

free online resources

free latin videos

latin course

maltese

maltese resources by @maltese-boy

animals in maltese by @maltese-boy

speak maltese in 300 words by @maltese-boy

portuguese

learn portugese

portuguese ressources by @lass-uns-studieren

polish

polish media by @maltese-boy

drinks in polish by @untaintedtea

​polish learning masterpost by @areistotle

russian

learning russian by @wonderful-language-sounds

online russian learning

russian alphabet by @pycckuu

tips to read and listen in russian by @wonderful-language-sounds

spanish

great apps!! by @katlearnslanguages

spanish resources masterpost by @alcyonien​

spanish oxford dictionary by @productivebuddy​

spanish resources by @somestudy

spanish media resources by @wonderful-language-sounds

swedish

swedish resources masterpost by @studyvet

swedish media by @maltese-boy

web/apps

fluentin3months

babbel

memrise

linguti

livemocha

BBC Languages

l-lingo

lang-8

mosalingua 

busuu

hellotalk 

bliubliu

mango languages

language

vocabulary tool

reading tool

helpful language apps masterpost by @studysthetics

other

foreign language cartoons by @lingdom​

best songs for learning a language by @highschoolering 

learn about fillers in different languages by @vinurminn

learn an ancient language

another language masterpost by @z-co

masterpost of language massive open courses by @wonderful-sounds

language resources by @travellingual

a folder with all of the grammar you’ll ever need

notebook set up by @curiousmin-d 

motivation

benefits of being bilingual by @polyglotgirl 

motivation to keep on studying by @rahaflearns 

why you’re a better learner than a child by @languageoclock​

my masterposts

app masterpost

DIY masterpost

food masterpost

how to: group work

printable masterpost