After approximately two years of learning French, I read my first book in French. A lot of French people compliment me on my French when they hear that I moved to France just a year and a half ago. “Tu parles très bien !” More amazement follows when I tell them that I learned it by myself, without spending a euro. After finishing reading my first book in French, Le pouvoir du moment présent (The power of now), I realized I did a great job and that I should share my story and hopefully inspire others to do the same with the language of their choosing.

It all started when I finished my studies in Zagreb, Croatia. I felt like I finally had the time for my interests and hobbies. I decided French would be one of them. Throughout my education I developed a skill of efficient and systematic learning so I thought I can do it alone, without paying the language courses.

I went to the Mecca of Francophony in Zagreb, the Institut Français library. I borrowed a book and exercise book for French level A1. Every second day I would study for an hour or two. It didn’t feel like studying actually because I loved the language. I was fascinated by the words.

@frenchwords on Instagram

Before French I learned English and German but I never had that language crush I had with French. My system of learning was “like in school”: I would read the lesson, translate the unknown words and mark them in my little dictionary, note the grammar rules in my notebook, and solve the exercises. Often there would be a recording of the lesson text to listen and learn the pronounciation.

My French notebook

Language books were the “serious” part of my studying. The more fun part were old French movies (the Nouvelle Vague movement), French music from the 60s and French magazines (online and from the aforementioned library). With those sources I was learning subconsciously. And also falling in love even more with the French culture. So much that after some time I decided to move to Paris. I was 25 at the time and I thought “Pourquoi pas ?”

Masculin Féminin, 1966

So a year and a half ago I found myself at the epicentre of French culture and language, eating croissants, discovering the cheese and wine and enjoying beautiful Parisian sights. My French was good enough for basic conversations, but I lacked the “speaking experience” and of course a lot of vocabulary and grammar. However, I didn’t continue my old process from Croatia because I didn’t have time or energy. Moving to a new country is challenging so I was occupied with finding a better job and a better appartment and socializing (when I arrived I knew nobody). Thankfully, I was learning French subconsciously just by living in France. Grocery shopping, museum visits, my job, they were all sources of learning. Every time I encountered an unknown word I would type it in the Google Translate app and bookmark it. That way I created a list of new words I would re-read when I had time. When I read the list, I would construct sentences with the new words in order to memorise them better. That process did the majority of my “effortless” learning while in Paris. The other part — the grammar, I just figured out on the way. Past a certain point of language proficiency, you don’t think about which verb tense you’re using. I think it just takes to be immersed in the language long enough to learn its grammar. Of course, you have to learn the basics the old way, but it’s learned the best by using it (passively, by reading or listening, or actively, by talking, writing and being corrected by your collocutors).

Apart from Google Translate, there are some other apps that I found helpful. Duolingo is a fun way to learn the basics and “fill the holes” in your knowledge. By itself it’s not enoguh to learn a langauage, but it’s a great supplement to other techniques. The other app is Instagram. My favourite French language — related accounts are @frenchwords and @frenchisbeautiful. And lastly, plain old texting had helped me a lot to get the “feel” of the language and learn new expressions and words.

“To have another language is to possess a second soul.”

Alongside with all of these techniques, real-life conversations are one of the best ways to improve the knowledge of a language. I was lucky to have had friendly colleagues and friends who didn’t know English very well so I had no choice but to speak French with them.

So, after having lived in Paris for a year and a half, I read my first book in French. I had my pinch-me moment “Oh wow, how did that happen? Je parle français vraiment maintenant !!” It happened so effortlessly, gradually and naturally. I hope this unusual story of language learning will inspire somebody to start flirting with their language crush. You never know where it might get you.