If you want a good laugh, watch this short YouTube video by Erica Guaca, a mother living in Bordeaux, France.
When I don’t understand someone, I tend to nod my head and say “ah, oauis,” or “ah, non,” depending on the tone of the speaker. I’m guilty of doing the routine of eating something or sipping on my café so I don’t have to respond. It is especially easier with my daughter because I can reach for a new toy to give her, or be “distracted” by something she does.
What are you guilty of doing?
Of course, instead of faking French, some ways to learn the language while in France are:
- Watch French TV and movies with subtitles (I also purchased the TV series Friends in French since I knew it word-for-word in English, really helped!).
- Read a French newspaper, magazine, or book regularly, looking up all the words you don’t know.
- Keep the radio on French music (or, even better, look up lyrics and translate those – try it out here, I translated a song dedicated to mothers.).
- Practice conversations with patient people (my neighbors and husband’s family are great for this).
- Buy a French workbook to practice writing and conjugating verbs.
- Subscribe to vocabulary emails to learn new words (try my French word of the day emails).
- Write about your day and have a French native correct it.
- Ask for help the the forums.
BONNE CHANCE !
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