For people who speak English as their first language but are wanting to learn French I have written hub for you. It is possible to learn French in a short time like 30 days but that is simply to enable communicate as a beginner and not an advanced speaker. To teach yourself French you have to be committed that means registering at a French Language School

Why learn French?

French is one of the 6 official languages of the United Nations and also one of the fourth most spoken languages in the world. Many speakers of the language who first learned English, there seems to be a widely held view that English is harder to learn and speak than French and this might be true considering that one can learn the language in 60 days or less if committed to studying it unlike English which is a bit more challenging this position is however debatable.

The Language French

French like English consists of an alphabet with 26 letters and the numbering is sort of similar to the numbering system of English. A number of other similarities exist between both languages such as the same spellings and meanings for the some words although pronunciation may differ, similar grammar and the use of tenses to differentiate time an event happens. By devoting 2 hours a day to the study of French you will learn the language within 60 days at least as a basic speaker.

Starting out

Day 1: Learning the alphabets and numbering system

When you set out to learn a language the first thing to learn is always the alphabet. That is very true with studying French as there are the entry points into the language. Thereafter the numbering system follows. It is possible to learn how to recite the alphabets and count from 1 to 1000 in the first day of learning the language.

Day 2: Learning the meaning of common words in use

French is very similar to English so the thinking pattern for word recognition and usage are similar. On your second day of French learn the meaning of 10 words that start with each letter of the alphabet and make sure you memorize them. You can continue to learn more words everyday as the course progresses.

Day 3: Salutation and basic greetings

The next thing to learn is the salutations and greetings. There are dozens of greetings one can learn in French. By the third day you should be able to say at least 15 different greetings.

Day 4: Singular and plural

Learning the singular forms of a word and the plural should be your next point. Learn about the singular forms of person pronouns, common and proper nouns, gender, collective nouns and any other items that can be expressed in singular and plural terms.

Day 5-10: Pronunciation

Learn and practice the basic pronunciations of the alphabets, then numbers, then words and finally names of people, countries and events.

Day 11-15: Practice Oral and written Spellings

Practice how to spell most of the words you have learned and attempt new ones you haven’t learned yet. You can have someone dictate the words to you or you could simply use an audio book, a tape of a DVD as an assistant.

Day 16-20: Conjugations and grammar

You will need to practice combining words and phrases together to form sentences also ensuring that you learn the basic rules for forming sentences.

Day 21-25: Using a dictionary

About this time you should now commit yourself to learning at least 10 new words for each letter of the alphabet and although you still have a long way to go you should be able to understand what most speakers are saying to you even if you cannot reply them.

Day 26-30: Writing your first essay or letter

Commit yourself to learning new words and expressions as they will be needed for writing your first letter or essay. During this time write let’s say a 200 word letter to a friend telling him how you enjoy his company and a 500 word essay on your favorite color.

Tips and Advice on how to learn French

1. Get yourself good French stationery such as dictionaries, books, tapes and DVDs

2. Practice makes perfect. If you are lucky to have someone who speaks the language by all means, practice speaking with him or her because the best way to learn a language is to speak it.

3. Read plenty of French literature during your spare time

4. Give your self exercises like writing an essay, poem or short story after you have learned how to spell and read in the language.

The result will certainly not be the same for everyone but practice and commitment are the two ingredients needed to teach yourself French in a short time such as 30 days.