Learning French, like any other new language, requires a lot of memorization. But our memory as adults is no longer as sharp as we would like it to be. These 5 tips will help you retain new information longer and more effectively.
1. Review regularly. Repetition and drilling are the key!
This is one of the most common mistakes made by French learners (or any language learner). They focus on learning new material and forget to review the older material.
'Rule of thumb': for every hour spent learning new things, you should spend at least 1 hour reviewing old material.
Repetition is the key!
2. Don't try to learn everything – prioritize!
Often, to make learning more fun, we try to imagine a text, some story. If your memory is excellent, go ahead – remember everything. But if that's not the case, have your priorities. Which words in this 'story' are you most likely to use in your daily life? Focus on learning them first, then review the story again and expand your list if needed.
The same logic applies to verb tenses: in conversation, we mostly use the present tense. So focus on the present tense when studying French related verbs. Then move on to adjectives, basic vocabulary, asking questions, pronouns. These are things that will have an immediate impact on your French communication. French subjunctive can wait...!
3. Learn French in sentences and listen to a lot of audio materials!
Learn new French words in sentences. By learning them in context and understanding their meaning, you will remember the situations and words longer. This way, you'll have a series of newly learned words that you can use in your next French conversation.
For learning new vocabulary, we highly recommend using the learning audio materials on Kabinata.com. The website has thousands of audiovisual learning materials, lesson recordings, and more. They will help you focus on the pronunciation of words in modern French as well. Learning audio materials are vital for more effective French learning, because writing and speaking this beautiful language are, in practice, 2 different languages.
4. Translate French to Bulgarian as little as possible. Link newly learned material with images and visual situations, not Bulgarian words.
When you're a beginner, there's no way to avoid translations, but try to avoid them as much as possible.
Translation is a big step toward the speaking process. But when speaking, everything comes down to the following mechanism: 'idea -> Bulgarian -> French'; versus just: 'idea -> French'. The first option causes your brain to lose more time and energy, and it will inevitably cause you to make a mistake when literal translation doesn't work.
The better option is to try, as often as possible, to connect French words with images, situations, feelings – not Bulgarian words. For example: when you learn j'ai froid (I'm freezing), visualize yourself freezing, bring the feeling to the forefront, not the Bulgarian translation or expression.
If you keep notes while studying French – which we seriously recommend – draw the words/situations when possible, instead of writing them in Bulgarian. Even if you're not a particularly good artist, you'll definitely remember better what you tried to draw. This is the more effective way to learn French!
5. Study French regularly, in shorter lessons, not all at once (in long sessions).
If you study French all afternoon, for example, the chances of getting exhausted and discouraged are much greater. This inevitably leads to a loss of concentration and motivation.
By dedicating 15-30 minutes a day to learning French, you won't overload yourself, but your attention and concentration will be at 100%! This will give you better results than studying for 2-3 hours without a break on weekends while your kids 'run circles around you' or your wife walks around.
In this sense, the best option for learning French is the innovative online training at Kabinata.com. It will give you daily access to all levels with one subscription, whenever and wherever you want. Access to a huge array of lessons, multimedia files, thousands of audio and video lessons, help from French teachers – reviews of your written work, essay writing, and much more. Every student gets 7 free days to navigate the system correctly and the option to pause their course (without the subscription running). Learn French with Bulgaria's most respected online language learning platform NOW!