Is French Easy to Learn? 5 Reasons Why French is Easy to Learn

5 Reasons Why French is Easy to Learn  

French is the language of romance. It is the unannounced but official language of the arts, fashion, culinary, and wines. The language is beautiful and sweet to the ears. But many people shy away from speaking French. They either find their spelling or pronunciation confusing or get scared of making mistakes.   

The problem is not the language but the rumor that French is hard to learn. Surprisingly, experts say French is easier than English.   

Here are 5 reasons why French is not as hard to learn as you think.

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1. You don’t have to learn French from scratch

Do you often use words like café, restaurant, menu, or chef in daily conversations? Guess what? You already know some French without even realizing it! Thanks to the first Norman king of England, English is filled with French words and phrases. This story began when William the Conqueror led the Norman invasion of England.   

When William became king in 1066 AD, he didn’t speak English. He tried to learn Old English but found it too complex. So, he continued speaking French, which soon became the English court’s language.

Even centuries later, French remained the popular language in the Queen’s court and palace. Aristocrats considered French a superior and sophisticated language to learn.

Over time, the two languages blended, and English started incorporating words of Anglo-Norman and Anglo-French origin. This mixing changed the nature and pronunciation of the English language forever.

So, you might be surprised to learn that many words you use daily come from French!  

Boutique, couture, perfume, lingerie, Ballet, ensemble, tableau, cliché, Rendez-vous, attaché, cliché, bureau, déjà vu and so on….  

You know the meaning, pronunciation, and spelling of these French words. Therefore, in a way, you can say you are not learning French from scratch. This makes French is easy to learn. 

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2. No extra words for the “past tense” in French

If you are going to explain something you did in the past in English, you are opening a Pandora’s box.  

Remember, we were taught how and when to use:  

• I did  

• I had done  

• I did do  

• I was doing  

• I have been doing  

French doesn’t complicate things like this. In French, there is only one way of saying you did something in the past – j’ai fait.  

Let’s see simple sentences:  

• J’ai fait un gâteau. – I made a cake.  

• J’ai fait du vélo. – I went biking.  

• J’ai fait mes devoirs. – I did my homework.  

Now come to complex sentences:  

• Hier, j’ai fait les courses et j’ai cuisiné. – Yesterday, I went grocery shopping and cooked.  

• Je n’ai pas fait grand-chose aujourd’hui. – I didn’t do much today.  

• Qu’est-ce que tu as fait pendant les vacances? – What did you do during the holidays?  

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3. Gender patterns are easy to understand  

One of the biggest challenges people face when learning French is spotting genders.   

Here are a few things you need to understand.  

Firstly, the gender patterns in French and English are way apart. This complicates things as you are more comfortable speaking English. So, you tend to unintentionally translate the gender from English to French.  

Secondly, though there are tricks to learning genders in French, it comes with practice. The more you speak in French, the more you will get acquainted with the language and understand its nuances.  

Most importantly, here is a simple tip for identifying gender in French.  

MASCULINE  

If a word ends in -age, -ment, -il, -ail, -eil, -eau, -eu, -er, -oir, -isme, -ing, -ard, -am, -um, -em, -it, -est, -an, -and, -ent, -in, -int, -om, -ond, -ont, -ème, or ège, then it’s usually masculine.  

FEMININE  

If a word ends in -tion, -sion, -son, -ure, -ude, -ade, -ée, -té, -ière, -euse, -ance, -ence, or -ie, then it’s usually feminine.  

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4. French verbs are easier than in other European languages

Believe it or not, French is easier to learn than Italian, Spanish, German, or other European languages.  

Have you seen the forms of verbs in German? They can drive you crazy!  

French verbs have different forms, too, but many of them sound the same because some letters are silent.  

Let’s take a look at the verb “manger” (to eat): 

• Je mange – I eat  

• Tu manges – You eat (informal)  

• Il/Elle/On mange – He/She/One eats  

• Nous mangeons – We eat  

• Vous mangez – You eat (formal or plural)  

• Ils/Elles mangent – They eat  

The first three forms sound similar because the “s” in “manges” is silent. However, the plural forms have slightly distinct pronunciations. “nous mangeons” and “vous mangez” are more noticeable in their pronunciation.    

Another example is the verb “Parler” (to speak)  

• Je parle – I speak  

• Tu parles – You speak (informal)  

• Il/Elle/On parle – He/She/One speaks  

• Nous parlons – We speak  

• Vous parlez – You speak (formal or plural)  

• Ils/Elles parlent – They speak  

Here are the first three and the last versions of parler sound parle. Only “nous parlons” and “vous parlez” have distinct pronunciations.   

Still, you have fewer versions of verbs to learn. Also, even the plural forms sound similar in the daily conversational tone.  

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5. French pronunciation isn’t as tricky as rumored

You may not realize, but English has more quirks than French. Let’s see one.  

Enough, rough, and tough all share a similar “uff” sound at the end.  

Slough, however, is pronounced differently, with an “ow” sound.  

And don’t get me started on homophones. The words have the same pronunciation but different meanings.  

• To, too, two: Same pronunciation, different meanings.  

• There, their, they’re Another set of homophones.  

The thing is, English is not constant. The meaning of the words keeps on changing with the context.  

For example, “I slept peacefully yesterday” means that you had a nice sleep. But “I slept on that file” is a casual way of saying that you completely forgot about the file.  

This understanding of English words comes naturally with time.   

French pronunciation for English-speaking people may seem difficult at first. But with time and practice, you will get the hang of it.   

It is said that people love the way French words roll intimately out of the tongue. After all, it’s a romance language.  

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How To Learn French?  

So, how do you start learning French? What are the tips for learning French?

There are numerous ways of learning French as an Indian.  

• You can opt for French classes in your schools or universities.  

• You can sign up on YouTube channels that teach French, or you can watch some French movies for beginners.  

• Also, you can find out more about it and enroll in a French linguistic institution nearby.  

• The easiest way to learn French is to enrol in reputed online French courses. You can try Kochiva’s Online French classes.  

Before you choose any of the following mediums to learn French, always ensure that:  

• You learn French from certified experts.  

• The course you enroll in offers a certificate of completion.  

• You get a grasp of both fluently writing and speaking in French.  

French language skills come with practice. Once you learn the basics, try to write and speak in French as much as possible.

How Much Time Does It Take to Learn French?  

French is easy to learn, but you cannot learn a language overnight. Learning the basics and grammar rules will take you a few weeks or months. The fluency of your speaking and writing skills depends on your practice.   

The table below outlines the time it takes to learn French through different mediums. 

The best way to learn French fast is by enrolling in Kochiva French online classes. It will take you 2-6 months to master the French language depending on the difficulty levels.  

• A1: 2-2.5 Months   

• A2: 2.5-3 Months   

• B1: 4-5 Months   

• B2: 4-5 Months   

• C1: 3-3.5 Months   
• C2: 3-3.5 Months

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Which Level of French Language Is Considered Fluent for Indians?  

The C1 or C2 level in French is generally considered fluent for Indians. Indian students who reach this proficiency can confidently speak or write in French.  

Please note that fluency benchmarks can vary across different institutions. According to Alliance Française, the leading French language institute:  

• C1 (Independent Level): At this level, you can fluently speak or write in French without any hassle or second thought. At C1 level, French becomes a second language to the student.  

• C2 (Mastery Level): At this level, you’re writing and speaking skills in French are equivalent to native people. You can easily read, write, or express yourself in French seamlessly. Also, you can now differentiate the finer or more in-depth meaning of complex words and sentences.  

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What Is the Easiest Way to Learn French?  

Are you thinking what is the best way to learn French? Joining an online course is the best and easiest way to learn French, especially if you enroll in the Kochiva online French course.  

The duration of the course is 340 hours (A1-B2) and you get the chance to learn French from certified experts. Plus, with features like doubt-clearing classes, interactive sessions, class activities and gamified lessons, your excitement to learn French is always high.  

The curriculum consists of reading comprehension, listening comprehension, writing competency, speaking competency, grammar, vocabulary, culture, and civilisation. It is specially designed to take learners from basic to advanced French language levels in a matter of months.  

The best thing is that it is a certified course, and upon completion, you earn a certificate. You can use this certificate on your CV, resume, and job applications.  

Another reason why our learners prefer Kochiva online French classes over others is our focus on each learner. Unlike other offline or online classes, we allow only 9-12 learners in a batch. This allows the experts to pay special attention to every student, boosting the overall learning experience and quality.

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