learn french with maggie! 🇫🇷 lesson #3: how i learn difficult words + get caught up on review sessions

you know that moment when you’re learning a new language, get behind on understanding grammar rules or verb conjugation, and your studies kinda drop off?

yeah that’s been me lately-

so i’m getting caught up 😂

hi guys! welcome back to my ‘learn french with maggie‘ series ❤ this is where i share my tips, journey, experiences, and more! it’s the perfect place to come if you’re also learning a new language 🤩

so we’ve entered the second month of the year! happy february! let’s check in with my french-learning progress.

i’ve been learning french for a bit over a month now (i started right after christmas i think), and there have definitely already been ups and downs in my study sessions. i did shorter lessons for the last like two weeks of january, so i’m getting back in the swing of studying more each day!

*realizes how late in the month i started this series* it is definitely not week 3 of me learning french haha

oh well

today we’re focusing on learning difficult words, and how i get caught up on review sessions! let’s go!

learn french with maggie!

week three

🇫🇷 how i learn difficult words:

• listen to multiple people say the phrase. on memrise, i’ll listen to the local’s pronunciation and the audio lesson provided as well. that helps me get a feel for the phrase/word hearing it spoken casually, as well as formally (spoken french and taught french).
• watch the speakers say it. this can provide information on how i can say it when i see how they move their tongue, lips, and jaw.
• practice saying the phrase. i do this all the time with learning new lyrics: singing/saying it until i can wrap my brain around how the other person managed to do it!
• look at how it’s written. some vowel sounds are hard for me to pick up on until i see which ones exist in the word i’m trying to pronounce. so looking at the spelling gets me familiar with the various vowel sounds in french, which ones aren’t pronounced, where the emphasis is placed, and more!
• write the words + doodle them! this gives me a further connection to the phrase, especially when i make a doodle for it! i’m retraining myself to think of familiar objects, people, ideas, etc. when i see these new words.
• practice with them until all confusion is gone. i reach the point of mastery with the words and then review them a couple times after that as well. it really helps me along in studying french!

🇫🇷 the lessons + review sessions:

• i just completed the 9th lesson out of 17 in french 1 on memrise! i gotta work on building my comprehension, though, because many of the phrases i’ve ‘learned’ flew in one ear and out the other 🤣
• the words i’m currently learning in memrise sound like i’m breaking up with all the locals! (see screenshots above) it’s like they’re teaching me all the conversational bits that you would use when you’re fed up with someone and close to burning that bridge. 🤣 i like the locals, so why do they look like they’re doing me a favor (and themselves a disservice) by still talking to me?? haha!
• i’m on the 5th lesson in my grammar course! i’m happy to say that my understanding of pronouns, articles, and feminine/masculine nouns is getting MUCH stronger!! dylane has done an amazing job. and since my lessons have been spread out over january, my brain’s had time to let the lessons and rules sink in.
• i’m spending more time on memrise rn doing review than learning new words. i feel like i’m on a scavenger hunt, haha: which words and phrases do i actually know? still not sure. once i can confidently answer that question, i’ll get back to you! (actually, i’ll dedicate time to review)

🇫🇷 fave vianney songs:

• dumbo // i didn’t think i’d like this one as much as i do now haha, but the music video made it so much more special! i love seeing vianney interact with kids: he seems to really care about them and think they’re amazing and important. (which they are!)
• les filles d’aujourd’hui // you ever listen to a song once, and then the more you listen, the more you have to hear it? that’s this song for me! vianney and joyce jonathan’s voices together are so soothing ❤
• dabali // i haven’t listened to this one as much, but i had to mention it! the music video and backstory for the song (sharing vianney’s experience staying with an afar tribe in ethiopia) is beautiful and eye-opening. it really had an impact on me.
• mode // i think i mentioned this one in my other post as well hehe, totally worth mentioning again!

🇫🇷 this week’s study goals:

i’ll share them today and tell you how it goes next week!

• make 3+ more french doodle lyrics!
• learn 10+ new words on french 1
• take 2-3 more grammar lessons (complete with study notes and review sessions)
• feel comfortable again with the grammar rules outlined + current phrases being taught in french 1

i literally have 6 minutes before this post’s scheduled to go live! so i’m finishing it up quick 🤣 ok no, it’s not scheduled. i planned for it go to live on feb 3rd, 2022 at 7 AM EST. (you ever get the feeling time zones are the new mathematics) so yeah haha

thanks for reading!

what language are you learning?
did you find any of
these tips helpful?
if you listened to any
of vianney’s songs,
you get free cookies!
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