Learning french for beginner 🔰

Leaning a new language is as interesting as learning a new programming language

I am totally new in this, this is the first time I am learning a language which is not a programming language. This is my second day. I will be discussing my journey of learning and challenges I have faced or will face while learning a new language. Discussing something along the process is a great idea, as I will actually be able to share the actual challenges that I have faced or will face along the path.

So, things started when I was thinking to apply for my Canada PR. I got to know, If I clears the second language exam, I will get some points for PR.

On first day, I searched a lot and got to know that in a year or so, I can easily learn French.

Now what, learning has started. and truly friends, it's not at all easy to grasp that pronunciation of a new language. I tried and listened lots of videos and didn't able to get that confidence that I can learn a new language. Forget about PR points, I was not sure, will I be able to learn french or not.

I was sure that getting a score in french for PR will not be easy. But somewhere on that day I got fallen in love with learning a new language.

So, few days later, I met my nephew. He is just 12 years old and he is learning Spanish as course curriculum. I asked my sister to arrange all the books that he has read for Spanish. There were around 4 books that he has read since last 4 years. I have observed them, and what I found is, we have to start just like a kid starts from A for Apple and B for Ball, then learning new words, then sentences, grammar, paragraphs.

Now, I know, I have to start with alphabets. I got some confidence and direction. But, what to do with the pronunciation. Toughest part, as I was not confident in that part.

Today, I was reading and listening lot of videos but was not able to grasp if I am pronouncing it correctly or not.

Suddenly a trick worked for me. I was searching around, and got an awesome way to know, if my pronunciation is correct or not.

The way is to know, how that letter will sound if we put that in an English word.

Let's start with Vowels in this series;

Letter 'A' (ahh)

• The pronunciation of letter 'A' in French is
  • like 'A' in English word father
  • like 'A' in English word spa

Letter 'E' (ay)

• The pronunciation of letter 'E' in French is
  • like 'ay' in English word say

Letter 'I' (ee)

• The pronunciation of letter 'I' in French is
  • like 'ee' in English word bee

Letter 'O'

• The pronunciation of letter 'O' in French can be in two ways

  • Close 'O': "O" is always pronounced like this when it is the last word in a sentence. or is followed by 'z' sound.
    • Pronounced like 'o' in English word go
  • Open 'O': "O" is always pronounced like this when it is followed by any consonant sound other than [z],
    • Pronounced like short 'u' sound in English word son

Letter 'U' (ooh)

• The pronunciation of letter 'U' in French is really hard,
  • touch your tongue to the bottom teethes and say ee as in bee. then round your lips (don't lift your tongue) and say ooh without moving our lips.

Letter 'Y'

• The pronunciation of letter 'Y' in French can be in 2 ways;
  • Like a vowel. It will sound like "y" in happy. Somewhat similar to I
  • Like a consonant, if Y is at the starting then it will sound like 'Y' in english.

I am not sure, if I willvbe able to clear french examination. But yeah, I will surely learn this. Hope this has helped you.

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