By Chris | OuiCommunicate – French Classes for English Speakers
If you’re an adult trying to learn French, you’re not just learning vocabulary and grammar. You’re also unlearning years of unconscious assumptions, school trauma, personal beliefs, and deep-rooted doubts about yourself as a learner. And no one talks about this.
That’s why I want to share what I’ve seen as a French teacher: the five invisible forces that influence your language learning journey — before you’ve even learned your first word.
1. Your Self-Image as a Learner
Before you open a textbook or click “join” on a Zoom class, something else is already happening: your self-image is quietly setting expectations. Many adults still view themselves through the lens of school — good student, bad student, average student. Those labels stick, even decades later.
If you had poor results in French or Spanish at school, you’re likely telling yourself, “I’m just not good at languages.” That belief shapes your learning — and your willingness to try.
2. Your Assumptions About Language Learning
You’ve also likely internalized ideas about how languages should be learned. Maybe you believe it takes years. Maybe you think speaking from Day One is key. Or maybe you think you’ll never “get it” unless you move to France.
These assumptions often come from years of school methods, TV shows, or online gurus selling quick hacks. But most are misleading — and they create unrealistic expectations.
3. How You Define a “Language”
What is a language, to you?
For many, it’s just “a list of words that sound funny.” But a teacher sees a system: formulas, categories, structures, priorities. This difference matters. If you’re just memorizing phrases to talk about your hobbies, you’re missing the deeper architecture that makes French click.
Changing how you define language is a big part of real progress.
4. Subconscious Resistance to Change
Learning a new language changes who you are — and your brain doesn’t always like that. Subconsciously, we resist change. Becoming bilingual is a profound transformation. It threatens your current identity: you’re not just “John from London” anymore — you’re someone who also speaks French.
That resistance might look like procrastination, perfectionism, skipping classes, or “forgetting” to practice. It’s normal — but you need to name it if you want to move past it.
5. Mental Habits: Belief, Discipline, and Visualization
Do you see yourself as a future speaker of French? Can you actually picture it?
Most learners who succeed in French don’t just do the homework — they see themselves changing. They show up regularly because not showing up feels like a betrayal of who they’re becoming. They’re not dipping a toe — they’re committing to transformation.
If you don’t yet see yourself that way, don’t worry. That belief can grow. But it helps massively to act as if. Try it: imagine you’re already a French speaker-in-the-making. How would that person behave today?
In Summary: You Are Not Starting From Zero
Before your first French lesson, there’s already a crowd in your head — made up of old teachers, school grades, doubts, beliefs, habits, and assumptions.
You can’t make them all disappear. But you can become aware of them, and that awareness is the first step toward doing it differently this time.
At OuiCommunicate, we don’t just teach French. We teach you — with all your past, your habits, your background. Because that’s the only way it works.
Want to Start Fresh With French?
We offer structured, English-to-French classes for adult learners. No gimmicks. No pressure to “speak like a native on Day One.” Just clear, targeted progress.
👉 Contact us: https://ouicommunicate.com/contact/
👉 Visit our Home page: https://ouicommunicate.com/