Anyone who has ever attempted to learn a new language can attest to the fact that it is not an easy task. French language learning takes time, dedication, and a lot of hard work in order to become proficient in another tongue.
However, with the right approach, it is definitely possible to quickly get to the level where you can express your ideas in a foreign language and understand it pretty well.
The biggest challenges arise when you want to move forward and become fluent. The advanced proficiency level of language knowledge can be challenging to achieve, and many learners get stuck on the intermediate language level – or an intermediate plateau, as it’s often called.
The intermediate plateau happens to everyone. When students get to a higher level in their language learning journey, they stop progressing so fast. This is normal, as what you are learning is now at a higher difficulty.
Nevertheless, a minimal amount of progress or lack of progress at all can be very demotivating, which may halt intermediate learners from moving forward.
Fortunately, we’ve got several tips to help you leave the intermediate-level language and become as fluent in French as in your native language. Read on.
Moving from Intermediate to Advanced: 5 Steps
There are many different ways students can approach French language learning, and each person’s path will be unique. However, there are a few basic steps that can help intermediate learners stay motivated and deal with the issues that keep them stuck on the intermediate level. These include:
- Finding a tutor or instructor who can teach you and give you feedback on your progress.
- Practicing as much as possible, both in class and on your own. Remember, languages are learned through repetition.
- Watching films and listening to music in the target language to improve your comprehension.
- Reading books, magazines, and other texts in the language to improve your vocabulary and grammar.
- Speaking as often as possible to improve your fluency.
The best way to move from intermediate to advanced language learner is by combining all of these methods together and focusing on your specific weaknesses. Now, let’s talk about all of those in more detail.
1. Hire a Tutor
If you’re finding it difficult to move from intermediate to advanced in your language learning journey, hiring a tutor can be a great way to get the help and guidance you need to progress.
A tutor can assess your level, identify your weaknesses, and provide personalized instruction and feedback to help you improve. They can also give you additional practice opportunities and recommend resources to help you continue learning outside of class. Moreover, it’s much easier to tackle complex topics together with a private teacher.
One of the many reasons why intermediate students get stuck is because they reach their comfort zone – they feel like their level is good enough, so why bother improving? In such a case, a tutor will help you get out of your comfort zone, make you do more, and help you stay motivated at all times.
2. Never Stop Practicing
How does a student gain the ability to speak with confidence? By working for it! Regular and frequent language practice is one of the best ways to improve your fluency and comprehension skills. When you are practicing, you are being exposed to words and phrases in a variety of settings, which helps you learn them more naturally.
Look for ways to make it more fun. Place stickers with new, complex vocabulary around your house; run a bullet journal in French; start reading news on foreign websites; or look for a language buddy who would like to study and speak with you.
3. Watch Films and Listen to Music
When you become an intermediate student and start to understand the foreign language better, you get the ability to dive into this language-speaking world. New movies full of cultural details that you never saw before; puns in TV shows that you couldn’t understand; lyrics in the French songs you love – all of these finally become comprehensible.
And by the way, watching films and listening to music in French is a great way to see the language being used in context. This helps you better understand how it works in real life – and it can also boost your understanding of abstract ideas.
4. Read, Read, Read
Reading in French is one of the best ways for intermediate students to raise their language levels. By reading extensively, you are able to expose yourself to a variety of different writing styles and vocabulary, which will help you become more comfortable writing.
Additionally, reading helps improve your grammar and pronunciation, as you are able to see the language in action – and boost your own writing skills. Don’t forget to also write sentences. Writing can help you remember the meaning of tricky words.
But when reading in the French language, don’t stick to just one format. A novel, a short story, an article, a blog post, news, letters – all those can provide you with different information and boost various reading abilities.
5. Speak As Much as Possible
One of the best ways to become fluent in French is to use it as much as possible – for example, by having conversations with a native speaker. You can do that in a variety of ways, such as by attending a conversation course, meeting friends for coffee, or even traveling to a country where the language is spoken.
By speaking in the language regularly, you will get more practice and understand the meaning of new words and expressions quickly. In addition, you will also get a better sense of how French is actually used in conversation, which can be helpful when studying grammar and idiomatic expressions.
You also get the opportunity to use the language for real-world communication, which can boost your fluency and go above the generic vocabulary and familiar topics. After all, you can’t always stick to the small talk in conversations with other people, right?
Final Thoughts
Becoming fluent in a new language can seem impossible, but it’s not. Whether you’re just starting your French language learning journey or are well on your way to becoming fluent, there are steps that all learners should be taking to improve their fluency and comprehension skills.
In this article, we point out five ways for students to move from intermediate to advanced levels of French knowledge, but there are many more things that you can do. So get out there, look for ways that work for you, and start practicing!
