by: Suzanne Brown
To this day, I can still remember my four-month backpacking trek across Europe and of the many sites and experiences. But what stood out for me was the fact that most people, young or old alike, spoke English and at least one or two other languages. I would often feel guilty for having to communicate in their country in English and not in their language. How often as North Americans when we travel to foreign countries face the invisible wall of language, which keeps us hemmed in and somewhat restricted and limited in our experiences of the people and culture of that country. On my return home I resolved to learn French so that the next time I re-visited Europe, I would be at the very least bilingual. I no longer wanted to be the typical monolingual North American. And you have to admit that we are living in a global community in which the world is no longer a big place. I want to be a member of our global community.
So, why learn a language? The reasons are many so I won’t bore you with the “why”. Let’s address the generic “why” at a later time. But as Martin H. Fischer says, “Any man who does not make himself proficient in at least two languages other than his own is a fool.” And the benefits range from the personal to the biological and listing them would be redundant. Well folks, I didn’t want to be a ‘fool’ no more.
I chose French as my first language because my husband is French and I’m an Anglophone living in a French environment. I also love the sound of the language and the French cuisine and culture.
By what means was I going to employ to learn French fluently? I chose to learn French online. I wanted to learn French the easy way with the convenience of learning at home, having my own hours and learning at my own pace. I wanted to find a proficient French language package that was innovative as well as educationally and linguistically sound yet affordable. So let’s cut to the chase and review what this package entails:
Firstly, this package is portable. If you can access the Internet, you can go online and listen to a French lesson or do a grammar exercise. If you want to use your mp3 player to learn French vocabulary, just download one or more audio lessons and begin to learn. If you want to burn a CD to learn French fluently once you’ve downloaded the audio to iTunes or Windows Media Player, insert your CD-Rom and synchronize. This enables you to save and use time effectively especially if you want to learn French fast.
Secondly, you can learn how to speak French fluently with a real French accent because the program, including the interactive software games, uses native French speakers. So you get to hear authentic French spoken instead of reading a boring textbook and guessing how to pronounce the words. You can also quickly learn French as most lessons and games are between 15 to 34 minutes.
Finally, you will learn how to speak French online because they teach you the 31 most useful French conversations. This is very practical especially if you desire to communicate in a proficient manner when visiting a French speaking country. They also provide you with an online forum with access to French teachers and fellow students.
You too can break the language barrier and expand your horizons by learning to speak French with this innovative course. So when a French visitor speaks to you on your turf, you’ll be proud to respond in French and not look like a ‘fool’.
