This is the point where you’ll be good in French

THIS IS THE POINT WHERE YOU’LL BE GOOD IN FRENCH

So, are you wondering what it takes to be good in French?

You’re not alone.

I received this question in the Duolingo French Facebook group:

“At what point do you think a person can say they started becoming good in French?

1. Is it good to be able to convey an understandable idea regardless of the grammar?
2. What are the most used verb tenses in the French language that a foreigner should know (and conjugate correctly)?”

Read on and watch the video below, to find out what are the 3 levels of “good in French” – which will help you find your own – and the exact way to learn all the important verb tenses for conversation.

(This week, When will you be GOOD IN FRENCH)

What is your good enough?

It is very subjective to gauge your level based on the idea of being “good at French”. It’s very much based on your goal.

1. Is it good enough for you to manage a conversation in the street about your whereabouts, your food, your shelter?
2. Is good enough for you a level that gets you to comfortably speak with people in certain circles, more educated, or it doesn’t matter?
3. Or it’s good enough for you a level of French that allows you to attend courses at Sorbonne?
It’s all relative to your ultimate goal.

In my opinion, it is good enough to convey a CLEAR message, be able to understand when people answer to you so that you carry on the conversation WITHOUT a large vocabulary or grammar BUT with a correct phrase construction (that includes grammar). So, to your point, I consider that it is good enough to speak with a limited vocabulary and grammar, but use it CORRECTLY in your communication, so that you convey the right message.

What are the most used verb tenses that you should know?

Needless to say that you should eventually know all the tenses to fully express yourself in French.

The verb tenses that you should focus on are, in chronological order (meaning, become comfortable with the first before you start practicing the second, become comfortable with the first and second together before you start practicing the third, and so on):

1. présent indicatif
2. passé composé
3. futur proche
4. impératif
5. imparfait
6. futur simple
7. conditionnel présent
8. plus-que-parfait
9. passé récent
10. présent actuel
11. subjonctif présent
12. conditionnel passé
13. futur antérieur
14. subjonctif passé
15. passé simple

The reason passé simple is the last one is because it’s used only in writing, and you should focus on the tenses used in conversation first.

These are the questions I ask my clients who work with me, and I coach them to become comfortable with all those tenses, during conversation, in my Intensive program.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Check out details of the French Immersion Retreat VIP in Paris, and let me know what you think, in the comments below.

Let me guess.

Do you constantly have the feeling that you can’t hear what the French say and you don’t know how to read all the French words because they are written so much differently than they sound?

Learn 3 secrets that will help you be self sufficient in the way you pronounce French words – even if you don’t know what they mean – so that you can read that sophisticated menu in your favorite French restaurant.