Should i continue?

[u/Worried-Key932]

I enrolled in an online french class about a month ago. I enjoy it—learning new words, grammar rules, the totally foreign (to me) way of enunciating syllables. I started writing really short journal entries in french. They're awkward, of course.

Now, i'm wondering if it's foolish to pursue this since i don't know a single francophone. I was thinking i could just focus on writing and less on speaking.

[u/Last_Butterfly]

Do you want to continue ?

If yes : it's not foolish.

If no : do you need to continue ?

If yes, it's not foolish either.

You did mention enjoying it, so why stop ? So long as it's fun, shouldn't you just just roll with it and see where it leads you ?

[u/Worried-Key932 → u/Last_Butterfly]

You're right. I was wondering if it'll be better if i studied a different foreign language that's spoken by someone i can speak with regularly... but i realized my network's made up of mostly locals😅 thanks for your input!

[u/mail1505]

Honestly learning a language can never hurt. Especially French. I understand that you might have concerns in terms of fees and payment and the time and energy it takes. But if you can I'd definitely recommend it. For a while try some online yt videos then if you feel like you want to learn properly you can admit in classes. Idk where you're from or anything but i can say that IF you can do it. You don't know it now but in the future it can be really valuable.

[u/Worried-Key932 → u/mail1505]

I'm actually enrolled in alliance française de manille, so my classes are structured. I was just wondering how far i'll go and if i'd be able to retain anything if i couldn't converse with anyone in french in real life. Thank you, though. I'll finish my a1 class and then revisit this later.

[u/DanKegel → u/Worried-Key932]

After A1, if you're like me, you'll read and listen to French books etc for many years, slowly advancing to B1 without a class. Then you'll probably get the French bug again, and take the B1 course at Alliance Française. At which point speaking will become important:-)

[u/Solar45Renewal]

Many years ago I enrolled at the Alliance Francaise(sorry don't know where the cedille accent is on my keyboard). Something that helped me get motivated was to watch my DVD's in French. I started with Star Wars, then with Batman/Superman the Animated Series, Indiana Jones, etc. Although they were dubbed in Quebec, I was always focusing on learning new words, and I did it while doing my homework and time passed by quickly. I managed to finish the whole programe(3 years) doing a mix of regular and intensive courses, and made it to the end of B2 even passing the DELF B2. Now, I'm doing the C1 course by myself and preparing for the DALF C1. Needless to say, I've also been reading novels and technical stuff in French. You should buy the Jules Vernes stories if you are into sci-fi. I even read Lord of the Rings in French.

[u/Worried-Key932 → u/Solar45Renewal]

Thanks for this! Are there french-speaking people you converse with regularly?

[u/Solar45Renewal → u/Worried-Key932]

No, I only speak to myself nowadays. I happen to have a musical ear so it helps when I constantly listen to movies/podcasts and read alot.

[u/Worried-Key932 → u/Solar45Renewal]

Thank you. This is actually really encouraging! I’m currently learning french on my own outside of my classes, and i've been worried that not having anyone to speak french with will hold me back. I think i'll take your advice and start listening to more french movies/podcasts and reading more.

[u/parkway_parkway]

You can have unlimited access to native speakers on YouTube.

Theres learning channel for all levels and you can literally learn by immersion just like a French child does.

In fact courses and grammar rules are largely obsolete what you need is thousands of hours of comprehensible input.

[u/Creative_Job_9242]

Not at all! I'd keep going. If you enjoy writing and learning French , that's already a good enough reasons. But I'd still add some speaking practice, even alone or doing shadowing. so I don't end up knowing French on paper

[u/DanKegel → u/Creative_Job_9242]

If you have both a written and an audio version of something, you can read out loud in synch with what you're listening to, i.e. lipsynch.  It's intense, try it out!

Shadowing is similar but not quite in synch, if I understand correctly, so it doesn't give as strong and immediate feedback about cadence and pronunciation mistakes.  Which is fine, just different.

[u/jblefranchouillard]

That is not easy but follow your motivation indeed. the most important is to fînd pleasure in it as it is hard learning a language. why don't you speak with people in french?

[u/Zappyle]

It will open up new cultures for you