Method

One of the most common concerns students have when learning French is:

“I want to improve my speaking ability, but I have no one to practice with”

Speaking a foreign language is an advanced skill because components such as pronunciation, listening skills, grammar, and vocabulary are involved. You have to quickly understand and respond with proper sentence structure and clear pronunciation.

Here is my method to improve the speaking and listening ability:

I call it the “LISS” method. You can practice this technique from anywhere in the world, and it will boost your French skills. Here is how “LISS” works:

  1. You learn the words, phrases, and expressions you need
  2. You improve your fluency by listening, speaking, recording your voice, and comparing
  3. You stay motivated by tracking your progress
  4. You save time by repeating for 5 to 10 minutes

You learn the words, phrases, and expressions you need

A trap many students fall into is memorizing words, grammar, and other material without connecting them to the “real-world” situations. To improve speaking ability, you must focus on pronunciation, listening skills, sentence structure, and common vocabulary that is used in daily conversation. These are the main components for attaining and honing your speaking ability.

You improve your fluency by listening, recording your voice, and comparing the two versions

Simply reading the material does not work because it is a passive method of studying. Instead, you must engage in active learning. To engage in active learning, you must record yourself speaking after the phrase you want to learn. Afterwards, you must listen to yourself speak and compare your version to the audio sample. This will keep your mind engaged in the material, help you memorize information and improve your pronunciation and listening skills.

You stay motivated by tracking your progress

To see improvement in French, you must track your progress. Set a goal of what you want to learn, and work towards it. If you create a goal and follow a daily plan, you will be motivated to learn more.

You save time by repeating during 5 to 10-minute sessions

You must dedicate 5 minutes (at least) to repeating the material. For optimal learning, you can have several “study sessions” in a day. However, without repetition, the material learned will fade in your memory. This happens because of the “Forgetting Curve” (as demonstrated on the graph below). You must review 2-3 times on the first day. Then again on the 2nd and 3rd day. I recommend reviewing for 5-10 minutes in several “study sessions.” For example, you can study for 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes after lunch, and 10 minutes before going to bed. The most beneficial way to review is by using cue cards. This way, you will be engaging in active learning. Cue cards are also available on phones and are portable.

To get you started, I have created the “1000+ French Phrases Guide and Audiobook.” This resource contains the most common phrases used by French speakers. By learning them, you will feel comfortable speaking in the restaurant, at the bank, and in many other situations.

Receive the guide here and start speaking French!