Why is it necessary to practice your French outside a classroom?

 Learning a new language is a great idea but it’s fundamental to reinforce your learning by speaking the foreign language you’re studying in real life. Simply, because your ultimate goal is to be able to speak with native speakers and not only with your teacher or your classmates.

Of course, you cannot have long conversations with native speakers immediately after your first classes. But when you master some basics, first, try to live the situations that you saw in your textbook. For instance, go to a French café and order in French. When you feel more comfortable, go to French-speaking events in your city. And when you’re on holiday in a French-speaking country, speak as much as you can.

If the former lines didn’t convince you, here are some other reasons why you should speak French in real life:

• It’s time to practice all the theory you took time to learn.
• It’s time to have a return on investment.
• You will learn new useful words and expressions in real situations: idiomatic expressions, slang, etc.
• You will discover a new culture and culture definitely goes with the learning of a foreign language.
• The more you practice, the more comfortable you will be when you speak French.
• You need to speak not to forget and not to lose your fluency.
• It’s by making mistakes that we learn new things.

Are you still afraid of practicing French outside a classroom?

• Be self-confident even if your French is not perfect. Take the time to be as clear as possible when you communicate. Consider a successful communication as a victory, simply because it is one.
• Don’t feel bad if your French is not good. Whatever happens, you will always be in a stronger position, because you are the person who’s making efforts to speak a foreign language.
• Ask the person with whom you speak to repeat when you have not understood everything the first time. You can even ask him / her to make a definition of a word or find a synonym if you don’t understand the words that he / she used.
• Don’t be shy and don’t be ashamed when you speak. Being imperfect has never killed anybody!

If one day you meet a person who does want to take the time to speak with you because you’re too slow or you make too many mistakes according to him/ her. Do not be bothered too much. This person was not be worth speaking to anyway! Your next experience will inevitably be better!

It is fundamental to practice your French in real life. Not only will you become more fluent but you will live magical experiences which can change your life!