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Intimidated


anne16

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I have been thinking for a while to study a third language and I am trying to consider several. First on my list is the French language. I have always love the sound of it. But I feel intimidated by it. I have bought a book - French Made Simple, but I can't find anything simple in it. It says something about its similarities with the English language when it comes to vocabulary but its the pronunciation I am intimidated. I am thinking of enrolling in a class but I just can't afford it at this time.

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I have been thinking for a while to study a third language and I am trying to consider several. First on my list is the French language. I have always love the sound of it. But I feel intimidated by it. I have bought a book - French Made Simple, but I can't find anything simple in it. It says something about its similarities with the English language when it comes to vocabulary but its the pronunciation I am intimidated. I am thinking of enrolling in a class but I just can't afford it at this time.

Try duolingo? It's a great app for beginners and it's free.

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I'd say just have fun with it, relax and enjoy it. The similarities mentioned are not glaringly obvious, but the English language "borrows" a lot from Latin languages, especially French. In fact, English is said to have  Latin origins. If you can just relax, you'll realise that French is not very hard to learn :) All the best!

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The book you bought may not be one totally for begginners. Why not try one for begginners and also in my opinion, get acquainted with the language before enrolling into a class. In doing so you will feel less intimidated.

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Hey Rosa,

Its all about that first step! Just keep in mind that anybody can learn anything. Once you get over that first hump you'll be fine.

I posted a thread called "study methods" that shows what I do. Pimsleurs a good starting point and you could always torrent that if you are concerned about money. Speaking of enrolling in classes, I would check out Italki, http://www.italki.com/?ref=1555469, itd be way more cost effective. A private class with a native speaker averages around $10-12/hour.

You'll be fine just dive into the language!

Best of luck!

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$10-12 per hour for a private lesson with a native speaker sounds reasonable. I wouldn't mind giving this a go, once I've sorted out my finances, when I have a guaranteed monthly income. Do they have professional teachers on there too? I bet if they do, they'll cost more. My only worry about learning from native speakers who aren't teachers is that you can learn some bad habits, whereas i'm interested in learning the "proper" language, not regional dialects as such :(

I always worry for the students in countries where they prioritise the teachers being native speakers as opposed to trained teachers. In some cases all they need is to be a native speaker without any other qualifications! I'm not sure that's a very good idea, to be honest.

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I'd say just have fun with it, relax and enjoy it. The similarities mentioned are not glaringly obvious, but the English language "borrows" a lot from Latin languages, especially French. In fact, English is said to have  Latin origins. If you can just relax, you'll realise that French is not very hard to learn :) All the best!

Thank you! your words are so encouraging and giving me the support I need to help me take that first step. Thank you for your kind words and I'll try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day for this.

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The book you bought may not be one totally for begginners. Why not try one for begginners and also in my opinion, get acquainted with the language before enrolling into a class. In doing so you will feel less intimidated.

I guess you are right, it may not be the best book to start with and that it would be better for me to get acquainted with the language first before enrolling in a class. And I should check the app mentioned above too. Plus I can also ask other members of the forum about this. Thanks a lot!

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Hi Lushlala,

Yea originally I was thinkin about doing a graduate course which would cost around $3000. This is for a group class with say 45 in class hours and 15 homework hours so that ends up being $50/hr! So if you're gonna enroll in a class this is much more cost effective.

Yes the teachers range from "Community Tutors" that could be like $5-8/hr to "Professional Teachers" that avg that $10-12/hr but could go as high at around $25/hr. They have credentials and everything posted on the site.

I agree in part about what you say. I've seen some non native speakers teaching a foreign language here in the US that are TERRIBLE. But, on the other hand, to get to that initial level of proficiency I would think a non native professional teacher could get you to that level. Past that the "community tutor" type of native speaker would be great for just conversation practice bc they could tell you what sounds good or not. And then again native professional teachers are better than both!

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Thank you! your words are so encouraging and giving me the support I need to help me take that first step. Thank you for your kind words and I'll try to set aside at least 30 minutes a day for this.

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I guess you are right, it may not be the best book to start with and that it would be better for me to get acquainted with the language first before enrolling in a class. And I should check the app mentioned above too. Plus I can also ask other members of the forum about this. Thanks a lot!

You are quite welcomed Anne. We are all here to support you so do keep us updated.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I say go or French. Of course, it's going to be your choice at the end off the day, but in my opinion, you should consider giving this language a shot. It's not easy to learn, but well worth the effort.

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Don't feel intimidated by any language. In the beginning any new language sounds daunting. With the help of a friendly and competent teacher, or in a group, you might soon discover that everyone else has their trepidation about acquiring a new language. Simply stick with it, go with the flow, and find out which way of learning most appeals to you.

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I think if you are having some second thoughts then just don't try to force yourself too much so you don't feel too pressured. Just try watching some videos online and see if you are enjoying yourself learning and if not then you can just move on to something else. I think enjoyment plays a big part in learning so just try and not be too serious with it to start if you are feeling intimidated.

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I agree, learning a new skill or language is always daunting, especially when you're starting from scratch. It's not abnormal to feel that way, so there's really no need to beat yourself up, as you're not an exception. Like Baburra said, my trick is always to keep it fun and remember to just enjoy the experience :)

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