Why can't Brits learn French?
Are you a Brit who's wondering about French?
Hi, I'm Chris. Head teacher at OuiCommunicate.
We're home to speakers of English who wish for a step up from traditional French classes by means of bilingual learning.
In this article we'll examine some of the reasons for the Brits' poor results in French.
We'll pick them apart one by one!
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How does it work?
Why can't Brits learn French?
1. Conditioning
It is well-known to psychologists: we can’t act in a way that is contrary to our self-perception. The more we say we’re no good at languages, the more it becomes true and the less we can do it! Brits are very good at saying “we’re no good at languages!”
2. Unclear terms
Because English is taught in a non-analytical way, many Brits don’t understand what we mean by “foreign language”. They don’t have a proper appreciation of the very notion of foreign language. It would be like saying a car engine is “a few metal pipes and things”Â
3. Experience in school
When it comes to languages, schools have bitten off more than they can chew. They include it in the curriculum but are ill-equipped to teach it. Many Brits leave school with a negative impression of foreign languages as they are taught in school.
4. Effect of culture
It takes a lot to step out of our environment and be different. We prefer to blend into our culture and act “in a British way”. We compare ourselves to others and figure there’s no reason we should succeed where others can’t.
5. Low expectations
There’s a very British notion of “learning the key words” in a foreign language or “getting by” in French. This approach has never worked in a France, where proper language is considered a thing of beauty. It’s not possible to get by with the minimum.
6. Lack of a plan
No one says “I’ll just sit behind the steering wheel and see how it goes”. Brits often think they can pick up the “key words” at the bakery in France. There is a myth of getting lost in France and hoping that French will happen in the local village.
Become our next "success story"!
The lady in this video is originally from NY and wished for us to help prepare her move to France.
Today, she is fluent and happily lives in France where she meets new people and uses French daily.
The “secret” to her success is nothing more than what we offer you: the same learning material and the same approach.
But don’t take our word for it: read the review she wrote for our Google Business page!
Yes, but can't I just wing it?
Language are perceived to be much easier than fitting in a new window or laying tarmac on the roads. But we wouldn’t try to “wing it” in those two cases? Why does language escape the rule that everything in life has some sort of principle or method behind it?
Perhaps it is because we all know at least one language? We figure that of we can do it once, we can do it twice?
People who think they will pick up a language are missing crucial obstacles: 1. The time it will take 2. The statistics involved.
Statistically, the odds are stacked against you because you would have to hear every case of French grammar more than once, understand what you are hearing, analyze it, put it up against what you already know, and memorize it in a structured way.
Languages are not words?
That’s right. Languages are systems, not words. Students who learn languages as loose collections of words that make up sentences never learn past a very low level.
Why can’t we say “I with car often drive” ? It’s not because of the words but because we are not respecting the system of English.
Languages are much more complex than replacing English words with French ones. There is a lot more going beneath what is visible to you and that regulates how all these French words are supposed to work together. Just like a game of dominoes, we don’t just place them where we like!
Won't it just come eventually?
Perhaps it will just come eventually. Who knows? How many years it will take is the real question. Picture yourself in France. Got it? How many minutes of uninterrupted conversation a day on a variety of topics will you be having with French people you’ve never met?
Thankfully, you don’t have to make that mistake because I made it for you. I went to Germany for 2 months and quickly discovered that it didn’t help me in the slightest.
There are parts of French grammar that can’t be understood by observing or hearing. Firstly, you might not recognize what you are hearing or the reason French people are saying what they are. At one point you have to crack the books.
A seasoned backpacker who regularly goes exploring around the world may have a personal method in place to learn the language of the locals. For “average people” who are not passionate about language, it will be more challenging,
Sounds a bit posh, dunnit?
Ah, the British class system in all its glory! All joking aside, this is a massive factor against learning proper French. Because of the class divide in Britain, many Brits see the act of learning as something for the upper classes. (Either consciously or not)
The more we repeat to ourselves “We like footy, fish ‘n chips and me mates down at ‘t pub” the less likely it is to engage in anything that contradicts these principles. But hey… you can always break free and show the others how it’s done!
Surely, there's a natural way?
Frankly, no more than there is a natural way to replace a broken car shock absorber. There is a method to do it properly in auto mechanics and in languages.
Many language schools advertise a so-called natural way of learning French based on conversations. They want to replicate the way we learn as children. Fair enough. But the fact is you’re not a child, neither in your lifestyle nor in your brain development.
Perhaps it would work if we were transported in a time machine to a village of people who spoke something completely different. We would have to survive in some way and learn. Then, yes.
But we forget that even children who learn their first language only perfect it in school. There is a learning structure around them and incidentally, they don’t have much else to do all day than learn. Our conditions as adults are much different.
Can't I enjoy France anyway?
Yes, we surely can enjoy France without knowing French. But if your plan is to live there without knowing French, you’ll be living in a sort of sub-society and never fully understand what you are seeing.
For us who know the French people on a cultural level, the real essence of France goes through the language 100%. The stereotypical beret, the cheese, the grapes, the wine and the bread are the least of it and do not define France.
French people have a way of discussing about topics that is very different from the UK or the USA. A person who does not know this will just look at the French scenery and believe they are “living the dream”.
In a sense they will be living a dream because they won’t know what is actually going on around them. So many bloggers make Youtube videos about a certain “culture” that they are miles away from ever grasping. But it doesn’t have to be so!
It must take years to learn French?
I think we must ask ourselves where this idea comes from and it’s usually from school. Because so few of us leave school with any meaningful skill, we conclude that any learning is automatically measured in years. After all, we spent over 10 years there and didn’t learn much at all?
The truth is that school is designed to be spread out and to keep kids busy. Learning a language should be seen as a separate activity from attending school.
The lady in the video above learned French relatively quickly and actually got so good that we did a podcast together in French. (see our channel on Youtube) After a year, she had learned a a big percentage of what she needed.
Learning French certainly does not take years but for this you must have a structured approach and you must find yourself a teacher or school that presents French in a structured way. The clearer you see, the faster it will go.
How do we help you learn French?
Your teacher Chris is a British qualified language teacher with a Master’s degree in linguistics and literature. He has a post-graduate degree in teaching as well as several TEFL certificates. He is a native speaker of both French and English. He knows English, French and American culture from the inside and knows the difficulties you are likely to face. The French course he has created on this website is specifically made for speakers of English.
The method we follow at OuiCommunicate is to approach each French skill by means of an exercise so as to leave no stone unturned. We want to make sure you know the vocabulary, the pronunciation, the tenses and the grammar.
When you meet up for a class, Chris will evaluate your current level, spot the gaps and recommend exercises for next time. On this website, you have PDF documents, videos and quizzes. We always aim at explaining everything in cristal-clear English.
You also have access to online help and can ask a question any time you wish by email. We remain with you to assist you with your learning.
With our exercises, you can self-correct and all answers are given. You have ample opportunity to listen to French, read and write. The speaking will gradually happen as you progress more and more.
The many advantages of our method are too numerous to mention. We promote self-reliance and offer the chance to navigate around your schedule. we guarantee a definite outcome at every class, a methodical plan and most importantly quality.
We will assess you regularly to make sure you are on track and learning well. Each time you feel ready to book a 20-minute class online you can do so. There is no obligation to attend fixed classes.
We will work together to make your French happen.
Book a free Q&A!
No preparation needed
Wish to know more? Phone Chris now or send a Whatsapp message to +1 860-339-6480.
You can book a trial class with no preparation through the booking calendar.
No French skills needed!
Classes are on Skype for reasons of convenience.
Find us on Skype at:
live:reulandchristopher
To conclude...
Before we start learning French we must keep in mind that every school has a method of their invention or preference. There is no right or wrong way to do things, apart perhaps going against common sense such as starting with the harder parts or making students memorize words they will never use.
We’ve tried very hard to offer a way of learning French that is structured and approachable by all. We like to go straight to the point. There is no humour in our learning, nor is there any faffing about!
But if the above video is anything to go by, it gets the job done well.
If you decide to learn French with us, we will chip away at French by means of little exercises that you can do at home. Remember that we are trying to understand French as a system, not as phrases or words.
We want to give you the tools to grow and prosper independently in French so that you can be comfortable when we are no longer there to teach you. We want to give you skills for a lifetime, not for a two-week holiday.
From one Brit to another, let me tell you that I fully appreciate the obstacles between you and French. But we can go over them and prove tradition wrong! Thanks for stopping by.