Bonjour New Yorkers!

My name is Marie Demene and I’m a French tutor in NYC who specializes in private french lessons in Manhattan. For over four years, I have taught French and have learned about the different methods, classes, schools and what works and what doesn’t!

This post will briefly discuss my reviews on the choices of French Classes/Lessons available to people in NY and the pros and cons of each choice. Be advised, this is my personal opinion based on 4.5 years of listening to students who come to me from having tried out different methods and french schools.

My reviews on the following French Schools and Classes

FIAF: French Institute Alliance Française, New York City: The most respected French Learning Institution sponsored by the French Government.  They have been around for decades and had many famous students in their program.

Pros: Tested method, good materials (at your own expense), and trustworthy business.
Cons: Group learning only (you must keep up with the group), prepayment for a full semester (can be pretty expensive)

Part 2 of series coming:

PS:  I’m not endorsing or advising against any french school or program. In other words, don’t sue me! To learn about my own French Classes in NYC visit my site at french4nyc.com

People in NYC choose to learn French and other languages as they are aware of the language diversity that exists in the world. In addition, people living in new york tend to travel more abroad, particularly Europe. For those interested in learning french without leaving NYC, I’ve summarized helpful tips to choose the right french classes.

The first option and least expensive form of learning french is to simply purchase a good french textbook and consistently work through the lesson plans.  This form, is also however very time consuming as you have no tutor to guide or answer your questions that will inevitable arise.

The second way to learn is to join a group class in a reputable french program. This is less expensive than private french classes, and has the advantage of having the guidance of a teacher. The drawback of group french lessons is that you must learn at the rate of the class. If you cannot keep up or if you cannot attend any given class, you will inevitably fall behind.

The third and last option is to hire a tutor. This of course the most expensive choice as tutors will charge per hour. The advantage is that you will receive individualized attention in your french learning and will also have the guidance of the french tutor. It is important that you explain to your tutor what your language goals are and make it clear what you expect from him or her.

In the end, your decision on how to learn French will largely depend on your budget and time availability. In short, self-study is the least expensive but also the most time consuming while hiring a french tutor may be the most expensive but also produce results in faster time.

For more tips on learning french in NYC. visit Marie’s website for french classes and lessons.

To Learn French you need to choose from private tutors, French language schools, online French classes and of course, self-teaching methods. However, the long-term benefits of learning how to speak French outweigh the initial challenges. Here are some helpful secrets to enable you to speak French even better:

The first thing, some time needs to be dedicated to learning French. Don’t expect learning French to be easy if you never take time to work hard on learning to speak French. It’s important that you spend time each day working on your French, and if you keep at it, it will become easier and easier for you. The easiest option for those living in New York is to hire a French tutor. For tips on how to hire the right French tutor in New York, please see my previous article.

Secondly, It can be helpful to use French software if you plan to learn to speak French. You’ll find many software options and online lessons for you to use that combine together video and flash card style lessons to enable you to learn French. With good software or online lessons you’ll learn faster.

Taking trips to countries that speak French can make it easier and faster for you to learn to speak French. This allows you to learn more about the people, their traditions, and the way they speak the language. Dialects can be picked up when traveling to French speaking countries as well.

When you want to learn on the go, audio programs can be helpful. Sure, online French language courses and software options are excellent; you can’t take them with you on the go. Audio lessons can be taken with you wherever you go on an iPod or a CD. This way you can take extra time to work on your French. So do consider a French audio course for your language training.

Whether you choose to learn French on your own, or with the assistance on a private French Tutor, remember that it must be an enjoyable experience. Learning a language occurs best when you actually enjoy and practice as you progress.

Are you ready to learn French in NYC? Having private French Lessons is an excellent option for those who need professional assistance. However, you should also beware that in New york you will find a wide selection of French lessons.  How do you identify which tutor is right for you?. I have the following seven tips to help you in your quest:

Tip #1: Identify your goals

The first step in hiring a French tutor is to clearly identify your learning goals. What is the level you hope to achieve? How much time do you have? What is your budget? — Knowing this will allow you to set realistic expectations and communicate these goals to your tutor.

Tip #2 Avoid French Schools or Institutes in New york

Many French language schools in New york offer one-to-one private tutoring. In addition to their high tutoring fees, schools tend to outsource for French tutors and will often rotate their staff throughout the year. This means you might end up switching tutors more than once, or you might be unable to meet your tutor before the first lesson. Think of this as going on a ‘blind date’.

Tip #3 Stay clear of the ‘Jack of all trades, master of none Tutor’

While it’s very common for many French tutors to be well-versed in more than one language, this might not be the best option for beginners. This is because entry-level learners require plenty of assistance in learning the basic phonetics for good pronunciation. Multi-lingual tutors tend to fall behind in this area, and are less precise than language specialists.

Tip #4 Ask about their French teaching method

When interviewing your French tutor; be sure to ask about their teaching approach. While some tutors tend to be structured with a clear sense of direction, others are far more relaxed and casual. Ideally, your learning style should go in hand with their method. So, ask yourself, how would I prefer to learn?

Tip #5 References, References, and References

Grandma wasn’t wrong. Good references continue to be the best measure of success. Ask your potential tutor if he or she can present references of past students. If he or she declines, you may want to continue your search.

Tip #6 Fees and commitment

Tutors are always looking for stability in their schedule. Many will try to ‘commit’ students to a certain number of hours by asking for pre-paid French lessons/classes. Others, will ask for a minimum of lessons per week. Both of these options are difficult for students as life is often unpredictable and cancellations are common.

Try to minimize long-term commitment by looking for a ‘pay as you go’ tutor or any other who would be willing to negotiate this policy.

Tip #7 Don’t forget to have fun while learning French

Learning a French is not only about gaining new knowledge, but most importantly, experiencing the world of French culture, music and discovery. Above all, living in NYC gives you the possibility of learning French in one of the most diverse cities in the world, and hence opens up the opportunities of practicing your skills with other french speakers.

To Learn French in New York you need:

Verbs are cental to every sentence in any language. Learning the most critical verbs will dramatically improve your French conversational level. This PDF list contains the most common verbs. Download and print now!!

PDF French List (courtesy of W.Dudziak)

PDF French list- Highlighted

Orange Highlights: 3 core verbs ‘to be’, ‘to have’, ‘to do’
Green Highlights: être verbs (involving movement)
Blue Highlights: modal verbs devoir, pouvoir, vouloir
Yellow Highlights: most commonly used verbs

To speak and read basic French in 13 sessions, check out the NYC French Bootcamp.

Check out my first podcast- Learn how to greet in French

It’s easy to make mistakes when you are trying to learn French. The key is to learn from your mistakes and quickly move on – don’t get bogged down by them. Here are some common mistakes people make when learning French:

1.Thinking of your French learning process as something that is confined to the classroom – If you’re going to be comfortable speaking French in day-to-day life you must practice it in such a situation. Once your French training is finished you should immerse yourself in the language by seeking out French conversations in person or on the Internet as much as possible.

2.Forgetting to rrrrroll your R’s – This can be hard to get used to at first, especially if your first language is English, but once you get it down you will do it unconsciously. When you begin to speak French you should slow down when you need to say a word with that begins with R. Unlike English, the R in French is very soft and you need to roll your tongue to pronounce it correctly.

3.Getting too hung up on making mistakes – Often the biggest hindrance of learning a new language is fear and embarrassment. In order to practice you must allow yourself plenty of room for error. As you practice more and more you will gain confidence and before you know if you will be able to speak more and more quickly.

4.Being afraid to ask questions! – Many people are happy to help if you ask for it, especially if they have learned a second language as well. If you don’t know a word, instead of saying it in English, ask what the French word is and use it in a sentence immediately. If you continue to do this you will expand your French vocabulary rapidly. Remember these tips as you set out to learn French. Don’t let a few mistakes get you down – there can be no success without failure!