How do you refresh your French?

Answer 1

Here are a few pointers on how to refresh your skills with any language.

Reading

Find some reading material that will hold your interest. It could be comics, a child's story, or a spiritual reading - anything that will have vocabulary that you recognize and a "plot" that you can follow. Then read, read, read! If you want to add to your vocabulary, keep a little vocab notebook as you learn new words.

Listening

First, if you have access to native speakers, especially two or more who spend time together (such as two friends, or a French family) - spend time with them as they are speaking together! This will help your listening skills. Pick out as many words as you can, and follow the gist of the conversation. If you don't know any native speakers, find a series online such as French in Action, designed to introduce you to the language. This is helpful not only for beginners, but for intermediates as well. If you already have an advanced grasp of the language, listen to French news and movies. Don't be afraid to put the subtitles on - it will help you catch a lot of new words!

Speaking

If you are able to spend time with native speakers, talk! If you are in a group, follow their conversation and participate, even if it is only in incomplete sentences at first. Don't be shy! Don't worry about your grammar! Just dive in, and when you are missing a word, or doubting your choice of words or your grammar, ask! Most native speakers are happy to help you learn to master their language!

Writing

If your goal is to be able to converse with competence, you may want to focus on the pointers above. But if you are serious about mastering spelling and grammar, there are many good workbooks out there to build one skill at a time. Ask a Language teacher to help you pick out a good one, based on your skill level and your goals. Or just go to the Language section of a big bookstore like Barnes and Noble and browse what they have. Each time you tackle a few new pages, ask a native speaker to check them over for you, and talk over your errors. Then practice that skill again in writing, and use it in conversation so that it sticks.

Tutoring

If you are really serious about improving all these skills, look for a tutor in your area. Some tutoring is also available by Skype (marvelous world we live in!).

Enjoy the process!

Hopefully you will enjoy the process of refreshing your skills. The payoff will come when you can read with more ease, and converse with friends and colleagues! Good Luck!

Answer 2

To refresh your French, try practicing regularly with language apps, watching French movies or TV shows, reading French books or articles, listening to French music or podcasts, or finding a language exchange partner to practice speaking with. Immersing yourself in the language through everyday activities can also help maintain and improve your French skills.