Navigating the Challenges of Learning French: A Personal Journey

As a mid-sixties Canadian, my journey with French has been anything but smooth. Having embarked on this linguistic adventure as a young child and continuing on and off over the years, I find myself still grappling with a simple conversation. This article delves into the difficulties faced by English speakers in learning French, specifically focusing on the apparent falsehood of the shared vocabulary myth.

The Shared Vocabulary Myth

One of the oft-repeated claims about learning French is that it shares a ‘huge amount of vocabulary’ with English. While this isn’t entirely false, it certainly simplifies the reality of language acquisition. The ease that English-speaking learners encounter with nouns—such as pain (pain), chat (cat), chien (dog), voiture (car), and velo (bicycle)—can foster a false sense of security. However, when it comes to verbs, the linguistic landscape becomes markedly different.

Aside from a handful of 'false friends'—words that may appear similar but have different meanings in each language—French and English share limited verb equivalents. Verbs such as 'need', 'want', and 'must' do not have direct equivalents in French, necessitating an entirely different approach to expressing these concepts. For instance, instead of saying 'I need to go', a French speaker might say 'Je dois aller' ('I must go').

Verb Conjugation: A Thorny Jungle

The verb system in French is known for its complexity, especially for English speakers. Unlike English, which often uses auxiliary verbs to convey tense, mood, and aspect, French relies heavily on verb conjugations. Verbs are conjugated to denote not just tense but also person, number, and sometimes even gender. While irregular verbs can be mastered, regular verbs present a unique challenge. For example, in the present tense, the verb 'parler' (to speak) is conjugated to 'parle' for 'I speak', 'parles' for 'you speak', and so forth, creating a series of seemingly arbitrary endings.

As sentences become more intricate, the task of verb conjugation becomes even more daunting. What starts as a simple present tense can quickly devolve into a complex tangle of singular and plural forms. For example, in a recent Duolingo lesson, I found myself using the present singular form of the verb 'parler' (would speak) instead of the plural form 'parlent' (are speaking) in a sentence beginning with 'My cats...

Gender Aggregation: A Constant Companion

The concept of gender in French is another significant hurdle. While English does not assign gender to nouns or adjectives, French does. This means that every noun must be preceded by a specific article ('le' for masculine, 'la' for feminine) and every adjective must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For instance, 'chat' (cat) requires 'un chat' for 'a cat', while 'chien' (dog) would require 'un chien'. Moreover, adjectives change form based on gender and number. Therefore, 'beau chat' (beautiful cat) and 'beau chien' (beautiful dog) illustrate this gender agreement.

English speakers often default to using a singular noun with a plural verb, which can make the transition to French challenging. In French, this would result in grammatical errors. For example, in English, one might say 'The cat are smart', but in French, it would be 'Le chat est intelligent' (The cat is smart).

Spontaneous Speech and the Road to Mastery

Despite my continuous efforts, I still find it challenging to spontaneously form sentences. The learning process is rigorous, and many rules come with exceptions. For instance, certain verbs require the construction 'I myself', 'you yourself', or 'we ourselves'. In French, these are expressed as 'Je me' for 'I myself', 'vous vous' for 'you yourself', and 'nous nous' for 'we ourselves'. These constructions are necessary in specific contexts, such as the French verbs 'sens' (I feel) and 'souviens' (I remember).

For example, when expressing feeling or remembering in French, the reflexive pronouns are mandatory, just as in Spanish. This is why you see constructions like 'Je me souviens' rather than 'Je souviens' (I remember). Understanding and correctly applying these nuances require considerable practice and immersion.

Conclusion

Learning French, though rich and rewarding, is not without its challenges. From the apparent shared vocabulary to the complexity of verb conjugations and the constant need for gender agreement, the journey is multifaceted. While it may be tempting to blaming external factors such as teachers, the difficulties are often intrinsic to the language itself. However, with consistent effort and practice, mastery is achievable.

References

1. Duolingo - Various lessons and exercises 2. Lang-8 - Online language exchange platform 3. French-English Dictionary - Online resource for vocabulary