Learning French Before Traveling To France: Importance and Recommended Courses.

By Oluwamayowa

13 November 2019

content image

Are you about to travel to France and you have been thinking about how much of a necessity learning french would be? Then relax and follow through on how your questions will be fully answered. This article helps you see the importance of learning French before going to the country, it also suggests certain ways to learn while in Nigeria.

French is the only language spoken in all the continents of the world alongside the English language. It is the official language of France and is also used as the official language for 29 more countries in the world. French is estimated to have about 76 million native speakers and about 235 million daily speakers. There are also about 100 million people who speak French as their second language especially Africans. We can regard French as one of the very important languages to know especially for those who want to ever go to France or deal with French people.

French people show interest in and are hospitable to foreigners who know how to speak French or have a basic understanding of the language. Sometimes, the locals of France refuse to have any conversation with people who cannot speak French so the ability to speak French makes your stay in France enjoyable.

Good morning

Click here if you are interested in knowing about the France Visa Information for Nigerians.

Travelers going to Paris can do without learning or having a knowledge of French. Here, you can get away with speaking just English to people. There are however certain places in France where this would not be favorable. Tourists would need to know the basics of French such as greetings, words that depict exchange, affirmation (Yes) and negation (No). Knowing words like 'bonjour', 's'il vous pla?t', 'merci', 'excusez-moi', 'au revoir' & 'pardon' go a long way in France. Those who plan to live or work in France must have a level of proficiency to be allowed a stay in France.

There is a lot of emphasis on having proficiency in French before traveling to France for a lot of reasons. One of which is so that the traveler does not feel lost in another man's land. There are certain situations that might come up and the use of French would sooth those situations. The knowledge of French also helps to boost the foreigner's relationship with nationals of France.

How to Attain French Proficiency in Nigeria.

Nigerians have an edge when it comes to learning French because it is taught in primary and secondary schools as a compulsory subject. Pupils and students are taught the basics of French like numbers, letters, how to address adults and children, how to ask questions and so on. Sometimes, this is not enough as people rarely pay full attention to those classes in school. This is where the need to put in extra effort to learn French comes in. Tourists might not have to do long term courses to learn French but people who intend to work or live for a long time in France and do not have a proper command of the language would have to take courses that would give them proof of their proficiency in French.

Here are a few ways to grow your proficiency in French:

  • Enroll in a French-Learning Institution.

There are a lot of ways to learn French for people who haven't had any contact with it at any point. One of the many ways to learn French is by enrolling in institutions that teach French such as The Nigerian French Language Village, the Alliance Francais in Nigeria and so on. Attending these institutions would prepare people for tests or examinations that would grant their admission into France especially those who want to stay in France for a long time.

French

Check out this link for information on France Tourist Visa if interested.

There is a body of examination to test the language proficiency of non-native French speakers in Nigeria. The TEF (Test for Evaluating French) in Nigeria is the test used to assess the language command a non-native French speaker has on French. It is used to gain admittance into a French University or to work in France.

  • Take Up Courses Online

Another way to learn is to take up courses online. This is one of the easiest ways and is also stress-free. There are a lot of beginner courses online for people who want to learn French. Youtube is one of the most used online platforms for learning French amongst others like Omnigot and Commun Francais. There are also apps like Brainspace French, Learn French with Busuu and Duolingo amongst many others that aid the learning of French.

Learning French Online
https://hotels.ng/guides/visa/list-and-addresses-of-foreign-embassies-in-nigeria/
  • Everyday Conversations with a French-Speaking Friend

Learning is faster if you have people around you who speak French well asides the above-listed options. You would learn better if you try to communicate every day with someone who knows how to speak French. You can do this alongside learning online to make the process easy. You should deliberately dedicate some hours every day to speaking basic phrases and sentences in French.

These are the most important ways to learn French and help your language skill. There are also other supporting ways that could contribute to the learning of French and these ways would be found out while following any of the earlier mentioned ways to improve proficiency.

Smiles in Paris

Are you interested in knowing more about what you need to do before going to France? Click here to get connected to one of our agents.

Leave a comment