Coucou les French learners,
l’été est à nos portes, summer is around the corner !
The best excuse to READ sur l’herbe, on the grass, sur la sable, on the sand, au bord de la piscine, by the swimming-pool, partout, anywhere…
To like reading is to exchange hours of boredom against delicious hours.
La lecture extensive
When looking into reading in another language, there are two ways: intensive versus extensive reading.
This article in French explains the difference in a clear way: ” Pour caricaturer nous pourrions dire que le lecteur intensif lit et relit la Bible et quelques rares textes religieux, et, le lecteur extensif, tel celui de “la rage de lire”, mouvement allemand contemporain de Goethe, se jette lui sur tous les livres avec une curiosité insatiable. ”
Basically, the intensive reader reads the Bible again and again whereas the extensive reader has “the rage to read” which refers to German author Goethe. The reader throws him/herself into reading every book with a voracious curiosity.
When you start reading in French, try to become an extensive reader starting with easy beginner books.
Follow the five fingers rule by Martina Bex and read as many books as you can!
As Jim Trelease mentions “the more you read,the better you get at it, the more you like it; and the more you like it, the more you do it.”
Liana Kerr who is learning Japanese has excellent guidelines to read extensively without looking up words in the dictionary. She explains: “Stopping to look up a word, even if it doesn’t take you very long, breaks your concentration, but if you read many basic books without a dictionary, you gain the ability to figure out words from context almost instantly and read quickly.”
From my own experience reading German books, her method works. No need for a dictionary, instead you get into a reading flow.
Les suggestions de la semaine
It can be daunting to read a whole book in French straight away. Especially because spoken and written French are not the same! Ce n’est pas la même chose !
You can still become an extensive reader by first reading texts. When you become a member, you get access to easy one page exclusive stories to read and to listen to.
BEST is to read daily. Les suggestions de la semaine encourage you to read and listen to one story each day of the week, so 5 French readings. As the week goes by, the language in the text becomes more advanced. Look at how it works in this tutorial.
Take your French to next level.
Be part of the French learner community and support each other. Become a member. Join us.
#inputaloneissufficient
LE CHALLENGE
LE challenge is nearly over!
C’est le vingt-neuvième jour du May challenge #enmaifaidufrançais
Today’s video is a fun one about des biscuits bleus, blue cookies! It is based on Adriana Ramirez’ book which has 16 funny and catching stories that will help you learn and practice your French.
I actually found une vraie recette, a real French recipe to make blue cookies with lemon!
Please share where you are at in the challenge. Let’s get motivated, on se motive !
I am here to help you acquire French effortlessly.
#trustheprocess
Happy French acquisition!
P.S. The fourth video of the new series Au Portugal is up and running. The scripts should be available next week on the membership!!!