These are the Top 5 mistakes when you learn French on an App

THESE ARE THE TOP 5 MISTAKES WHEN YOU LEARN FRENCH ON AN APP

So, how often do you actually use your phone to call someone?

Nowadays, people text more often than they call and they app more often than they text!

Apps seem to be able to almost do anything nowadays, even teach you French! But how reliable are they, really?

Check out the article below for the top 5 mistakes made when you learn French on an app and watch the video for some French worth calling!

(This week: verb APPELER – to call)

Apps can be amazing learning tools, but, on their own, they could be instrumental to your stopping to learn French eventually.

I like recommending apps to my students to help practice between our Skype classes.

I started to search for language learning apps to also make sure my website is responsive for the most important ones. – you’ll be invited to the launch of the new site shortly – and I was intrigued by the way they are positioned for the public.

They look like the perfect tool to have with you anywhere you go and practice anytime and at your convenience.

They have vocabulary, grammar, listening, comprehension, pronunciation and even conversation practice.

I even found the top learning software apps for 2015.

Top 1, “Tell Me More” French – has been acquired by Rosetta Stone, but it was selling at just under $300. It was comprehensive, customizable and the most complete of the softwares reviewed.

The next ones in the list are:

#2. Transparent Language
#3. Primsleur French Unlimited
#4. Ouino French
#5. Instant Immersion French (which goes to a non-existent page, but it used to belong to Topics Entertainment
#6. Berlitz
#7. Fluenz (careful here, the “tutors” are not live persons, and the review mentions that the software lacks mobile compatibility and speech recognition)
#8. Rosetta Stone
#9. Talk Now! French
#10. Teach Me! French

Now, what are the dangers I mentioned earlier?

1. Anywhere could mean nowhere

When we have the possibility to do something anywhere we go, our immediate reaction is to feel invaded and we tend to procrastinate.

2. Anytime could mean never

There are studies that show that people who are given the liberty of “any choice”, will take longer to make one, and sometimes will make no choice. They are also less happy than the people who have only one choice.

3. Pronunciation is learned by matching patterns,
…and not by discovering them.

When we match patterns, we learn the pronunciation, one word at a time, the way we are used to do in English. French however has rules of pronunciation, and we have to train ourselves to find the patterns or the rules of pronunciation instead.

4. The phrase constructions may remain a mystery

In French, the context is King, and at the comfort of your tablet or phone you won’t be put on the spot and be forced to make the necessary connections between the way words are used.

5. Conversation practice with a computer is questionable,
…and it doesn’t train us the skill of communicating with real people.

The problem is replacing the human interaction with an all submissive app.

The solution is to combine the benefits of the mobile technology with a tutor or coach who will make real conversation with you and show you how exactly you are making mistakes and how to find your own unique way to fix them.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN!
Tell us in the comments below, what is your go-to App to learn French, and how do you make sure you make enough conversation to properly progress?

Let me guess.