8 Tips To Facilitate French Grammar Learning
1 - Learn French Grammar in Context
Knowing the rules doesn’t mean you know how to apply them. Grammar is not as an end in itself, but as a tool essential to enjoying French, understanding native speakers, and communicating effectively with them.
Learning grammar implies 3 steps: 1 - understanding the rules 2 - being able to apply them through exercises 3- using them in context while speaking directly in a natural way.
The third step usually requires more time than the two first two. The third step means that you have assimilated the new element of grammar (just like a child who starts to speak a language without being aware of the rules she uses) and are able to use it in conversation.
Each time you learn a new element of grammar (a tense, prepositions, pronouns etc) practice it in context whenever you have the opportunity. Never miss a single opportunity to use it in daily conversation.
2 - Choose an Appropriate Learning Material that Uses Grammar in Context
So, always make sure that whatever material you use (textbooks, apps, podcasts) there will be dialogues where people use everyday language to communicate. Grammaire en dialogues, CLE international is an excellent textbook to learn grammar in context (available to all levels).
An app dedicated to grammar can also be a good tool. Dr French was developed by teachers of French as a foreign language with a view to helping learners from all over the world understand the workings of French grammar. In this easy-to-use and intuitive app, you will find simple and straightforward lessons with translated examples, as well as exercises to practice what you learn and strengthen your skills.
Podcast Français Facile is technically a podcast, but its written grammar tutorials (as well as graded dialogues and readings) make it a fantastically well-rounded resource. However, this this website is completely in French, so absolute beginners may need to put in a little work to navigate around it. Podcast Français Facile lists over 100 grammar lessons. These lessons are sorted alphabetically, and using the Grammaire (grammar) drop-down menu at the top of the page, they can also be sorted by difficulty from A1 to B2 according to DELF level.
3 - Learn Tenses that You can Use in Everyday Conversation
What’s the point of learning all tenses including the infrequently used ones if you are learning French just to communicate? Most of your interactions in everyday life are going to be in seven tenses: the present, the passé-composé, the imparfait, the future proche and the proper future. The conditional and the present subjunctive are useful as well.
However, unless you are interested in the literature of the XIXth Century and would like to read writers of this period, you don’t need to go through unused tenses such as the passé simple.
There is sometimes a reluctance to spend less time teaching the infrequent verb forms, perhaps because French teachers feel that they are leaving out important elements of grammar.
The same factor applies with other items of French grammar. Exclude from the list turns of phrases that you would only use if you address an ambassador or whoever, unless you have a specific goal that justifies the outlay of time and effort.
4 - Don’t Pay (too much) Attention to Exceptions at the Start of the Learning Process
Textbooks will systematically give all the exceptions to a rule, which can be confusing for a language that counts thousands of them!
For any given rule you learn in French, you will probably have to learn an impressive list of exceptions. Put your focus on the general rule first and don’t pay too much attention initially to exceptions if your level is not higher intermediate or advanced (you will have plenty of time to get back later to the rule when your level has progressed).
5 - Don’t Translate Into English
Translation is an ineffective approach. It might sound intuitive at first, but in practice, it’s a terrible way to learn. Here’s why: first, it simply takes too much time. When you translate, you are spending your time in both languages, trying to go from one to the other and not immersing yourself in the language you are learning.
Secondly and perhaps more important, languages don’t work that way. The syntax can be different between languages and literal translation is tricky. Just as an example in French a sentence like je le regarde in French will be translated in English by I watch it /him. The pronoun (le) in French is placed between the subject and the verb whereas in English it will be after the subject and the verb.
6 - Learn Progressively
Instead of moving forward too quickly learning the grammar, stay on the same stage for a while, repeat it, absorb it and… practice it.
The more stable and well-mastered the foundations, the easier the progression will be. It’s better to have a solid basis before moving forward too quickly.
It is useless for instance to learn the double pronouns if you still have difficulties with using a single one. It is a waste of time to learn the subjunctive if you are still stuck at the past participle.
7 - Repeat, Repeat and…. Repeat Again!
Repetition is a key factor on the learning process.
Learning a language is partly a matter of repetition and when it comes to grammar you will have to repeat and above all practice the rules with native speakers before they become second nature (especially before complex points become natural in their use).
A study from the University of Helsinki has focused on language acquisition in the brain. Even short repetitive exposure to novel words induced a rapid increase in neural response that is believed to lead to memory-trace formation.
8 - Get Feedback and Learn From your Mistakes
When you speak to a native speaker or to your French tutor over Zoom, make sure he/she corrects your mistakes and gives you some valuable feedback.
Efficient feedback should point out your mistake, make suggestions, and you may be asked to correct your mistakes yourself, especially if this grammar point was studied before. Don’t forget to write down your mistakes.