Learning and understanding a language is only part of it process. It is not just about learning vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation. It is also about the inflections, timing, gestures and references that can make all the difference to a sentence and situation. Often this is linked to a cultural reference too. So you see language is only a small part of being more French!
You definitely know far more French vocabulary than you think you do!
There is a broad stroke rule of thumb, that about 80% of all English words that end in “tion” are pronounced and used in the same way as they are in French. So already you have amassed quite a bit. Then think of all the French words you use daily……”brunette”, “carte blanche”, “entrepreneur”, “déjà vu” and lets not forget all the vocabulary related to cooking, dining and restaurants; “cuisine”, “aperitif”, “menu” and “sauce”! However making a mistake when you order your food in a restaurant will not matter if you did not properly enter and greet the waiter with eye contact and the obligatory “bonjour”.
One café owner in Nice was so fed up with the rudeness of his customers that he decided to vary the price of a coffee depending on how it had been ordered; the cheapest coffee is the one ordered with a “s’il vous plait” and a “bonjour”.
This is why at French – Access we always highlight cultural references and lay out the pitfalls, to give you a more authentic approach to the French language and a greater appreciation of all things French.
