Most people who learn French and I repeat, most but not all, learn French to expand their cultural and artistic development. This includes my students who work as actors, film directors and Broadway producers. Many of them utilize French as a tool to communicate with French counterparts and explore the strong world recognition of French film. On the other hand, Chinese is a language that is becoming vital to learn due to the ever increasing trade with China. In other words, most and I repeat again, most but not all, learn Chinese because it is an economically driven tool required to expand economically.

I’m not minimizing the richness of Chinese language as one of the oldest languages known to history, and I’m also aware of the importance of Chinese to those in literary science and classical studies.

In conclusion, my believe is that a language is of little value in itself, the real value is determining how and why you want to learn this language and how this will impact your life.

My name is marie and I’m a NYC french Tutor 37 Wall street, New york, NY Have you ever noticed how some people can learn a second language very easily while others have a difficult time? In my experience, this is very true and this appears to be linked to age,  learning opportunities, motivation, among other variables.

From my research, there appears to be three main factors that influence the easiness at which people can learn a second language, including French of course:

Age: Age is one of the most important affective factors in Second Language Acquisition. Basically, the relationship is simple. Those who began learning a second language before age 11, show comprehension levels similar to those of native speakers. After such age, the ability to learn a language to a native level declines.

Personality: Yes, this may be surprising but apparently its true.  The two most noticeable traits in personality are introversion and extroversion. According to some, extroverts show better ability to learn a second language than introverts. It is believed that this relationship occurs because extroverts are less self-conscious about making mistakes, experience less social anxiety and have more confidence in themselves than introverts.

Motivation: This factor is pretty self-explanatory. Motivation is defined as the general desire or willingness of someone to do something. In this case, motivation is the horsepower that will fuel the language learning process. A highly motivated person will end up with better results in the long-run only because of the greater effort they apply in their language studies.
For more french language tips and articles, visit my website: french4nyc.com

My name is Marie Demene and I provide French Classes in NYC . Many prospective students email me asking me if I offer Free French Classes in NYC. Unfortunately, I cannot offer free lessons as my time is very limited. I understand, however that there are many  people that want to Learn French, but cannot afford to hire a private french tutor.

Fortunately, we live in the era of the Internet and information can be free and accessible to anyone, anywhere. There are alternatives to learn french classes that you can take online. I looked at some of these sites, and believe they are good.  Some of these sites have a free section, and also a paid membership.

I would suggest that you review the free section well before you spend your hard earned money on any online french language course.  Whichever option you decide to take, remember that persistence and motivation are behind all learning, particularly in language learning. Or as you may have heard, success is 90% hard work, 10% IQ

About FRENCH

The French Tutorial

Practice Your French with Planet Francophile!

The French Course

Hello World

Loquella French

You can also complement this free french learning by purchasing a french learning book, or audio CD.  I hope you find these sites useful. For more tips on french learning, visit my website at www.french4nyc.com

Good Luck in your French Learning Experience! The road to a new language can start today!

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

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.

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.

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.