Coucou les French learners,

As we start the new year, we are full of new resolutions! Download this questionnaire in French on Mondolinguo about what you intend to do this year.

The BIG questions is will we keep them?!

“This week I stay cool, I don’t stress out, I don’t get angry, I keep smiling and being nice, I take life on the good side, I eat less and I stay less in front of screens, I prioritize on my friends and my family…” – “Looking forward to the weekend then!”

To be honest, I don’t really like the word résolutions, resolutions. I would rather use the expression objectifs à atteindre, objectives to reach.

Prendre le temps

In my case, the main issue is trouver le temps, finding the time. Instead of trouver, to find, I should rather use the verb prendre, take : prendre le temps, take the time.

I am reading The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease and in the first chapter, the author talks about time “Who has the time these days?“. He tells an anecdote when he was sixteen years old and he didn’t have time over the weekend to draw something for the class bulletin’s board. Sister Patricia Joseph told him quietly: “That’s all right, James. But please understand, even the busiest people find time for the things they truly value.”

If you truly value acquiring French the natural way, you will find and take the time to listen to French and to read in French. If you find compelling input, it will be even easier to take the time.

I truly value acquiring German, I don’t want to give up! My two problems are that I can’t find compelling and comprehensible input to self acquire German. I also find it hard to do “self German”. The solution is a “German parent” to give me the right input and to boost me. So I have set up a time each week to meet with amazing Kathrin Shechtman.

A massive dose of German input once a week is OK with me because I know that if I set myself to “do” German everyday, I could not make it and I would be frustrated. It is best to do it less, than not to do it.

What is your achievable goal this year to acquire French?

Prendre le temps de lire

Reading more is also on top of my list this year. Instead of having myself to read everyday for half an hour, I have decided to read instead of procrastinating on my phone. So far, I am good at keeping at it. When I have some time off and I am tempted to check things on my phone, I read. I find it much more fulfilling!

In the The Read-Aloud Handbook, Jim Trelease points out that “regular conversations takes care of basic vocabulary. It consists of 5000 words we use all the time. Then there are another 5000 words we use in conversations less often. These 10,000 words are called the Common Lexicon. Reading leaps into the rest of the words, the “rare” words.”

That is why Story Listening serves as a bridge to reading and reading helps you acquire more vocabulary and complex structures.

And that is why, I am spending this month recommending you books to read in French. This week I am adding a new book report in my YouTube playlist Critiques de livres.

This book Pirates français des Caraïbes is packed with action and romance and French culture and history in the Caribbeans. It is perfect for French beginners to intermediate. Watch my review and let me know if you have read it already or want to read it:

Be sure to share my videos with you family, friends, colleagues… Anyone who wants to acquire French naturally and joyfully!

Remember #inputaloneissufficient

I love hearing from you so keep up sending me feedback. I am here to help you acquire French effortlessly.

Happy French acquisition! Bonne année 2019 !

#trusttheprocess

P.S. The 30 scripts of the season 1 videos are still downloadable as eBook (pdf). Support the free videos on YouTube without ads by downloading it.

P.P.S. Yearly and monthly subscription to over 150 exclusive stories and podcasts will be available soon. Watch this space!