1 â How The Brain Naturally Works
âRewindingâ a natural brain response. The brain hears sounds that it then transforms to get the message.
So when it misses a bit, it ârewindsâ, trying to recall what has just been said, then catches on. And if it couldnât hear well, it just guesses.
2 â What Happens When A French Student Hears French
Now, most French students do something else. They add 2 phases.
When someone speaks French to them, instead of just
- hearing and
- understanding,
students of French
- hear
- try to transform into words they know
- translate into their own language,
- and then understand.
Some of them even visualize the words written in a sentence before translating it.
This requires a huge effort. And the brain cannot go through this process AND hear and process the rest of the sentence.
This is why students often âfreezeâ.
A new approach to learning both traditional and modern French logically structured for English speakers.
3 â What You Can do to Stop Freezing in French
First, when you are memorizing new French vocabulary, try to link the French words to images, feelings⊠not to the English words.
Most of the time, you do not need to translate â it certainly works for basic concepts.
For example:
- âUn chienâ: see the dog in your head instead of thinking âa dogâ.
- âJâai faimâ: bring up the sensation of hunger instead of linking it to âI am hungryâ⊠and youâll avoid the mistake of saying âje suis faimââŠ
4 â Focus on the Context⊠And Guess!
Then, stay focussed on the context. Not only words can convey a message: looks, intonation, the rest of the sentenceâŠ
When someone asked âtu veux du thĂ©?â (would you like some tea?) if youâre seeing what happens, you donât really need to hear the question⊠You can pretty much guess it.
Guessing is a huge part of fluency!
5 â You canât Always Trust Your Ears
Some time ago, I was in a car with my American friends. We had been speaking English all day, and I was jetlagged and tired. We were driving in the middle of the countryside, near Seattle. I was saying how pretty the landscape was: that day âthe mountain was outâ and the view was just amazing.
She said: âWait till we go up the hill, then you can see moreâ.
I heard: âSeymourâ, and my brain immediately went to a giant carnivorous plant⊠Like in âThe Little Shop of Horrorsâ (I have no idea why! Iâm not even a fan!!).
I knew it couldnât possibly be what she said. âSeymourâ had nothing to do with this context.
So I went against my ears. I let go of the evil plant image⊠and stayed focussed on here and now. It was very difficult to do! But I was able to hear what she said next â it had still something to do with the view being so pretty.
I actually told her what had happened to me, she was able to repeat her sentence which I then understood, and we all had a good laugh!
Did this happen to you? Iâd love to hear your story: please share it in the comment section below!
6 â What if You donât Understand Something?
If you donât understand something, well, let it go⊠focus on staying in touch with the flow of the conversation.
Chances are that the rest of the sentence will give you enough info to âfill in the blankâ.
And if it doesnât, then it will be time to say âje nâai pas bien comprisâ (I didnât get it all).
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