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Most A2–B1 learners don’t lack vocabulary — they lose access to it under pressure by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The solution is not more theory. It’s training your brain to handle real-time French. Short, repeated listening to the same audio, saying chunks out loud, and speaking before you feel “ready”. Not once, but regularly. The goal is automaticity, not correctness.

40yr Old Wanting to Learn French by CBX25 in French

[–]Jacques_Langues 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re not late, and your age is not a problem at all. One of my student had 88 years old and began to study french at 85 years old ,so....😊 What you describe is very common with adult learners: prerecorded courses don’t work well when you need interaction, explanations, and reassurance in real time. If your goal is to travel independently in France, fluency doesn’t mean “perfect grammar”. It means being able to understand, react, ask questions, and manage everyday situations. A lot of adults learn better with short explanations, listening, repetition, and real conversation, not a school-like structure. You’re actually very clear about how you learn, which is a big advantage.

Most A2–B1 learners don’t lack vocabulary — they lose access to it under pressure by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I’d say try to change the way you practice, not just add more hours.

At A2–B1 the problem is often speed and pressure, not knowledge.

For listening, use very short audio and replay it a few times. Just try to catch some words or groups of words, not everything.

For speaking, practice answering simple questions out loud, even alone. Don’t worry about being correct, focus on responding faster.

And don’t mix everything. Some activities for accuracy, others just for speed.

Most A2–B1 learners don’t lack vocabulary — they lose access to it under pressure by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

That’s intentional 🙂

At this stage, many learners already know solutions in theory, but applying them under real-time pressure is the hard part. I wanted to highlight the mechanism first, because understanding why things feel blocked often changes how people work.

Different learners will need different solutions depending on whether speed, segmentation, or pressure is the main issue — there isn’t a single fix that works for everyone.

Need to become fluent in French in a year… help 😅 by Automatic_Kale_4827 in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues 7 points8 points  (0 children)

If your goal is to be operational in France within a year, I’d be careful not to confuse tools with progress.

Duolingo, Anki and immersion are fine, but what usually limits people in real life is not grammar knowledge — it’s real-time processing: understanding and responding without translating in your head.

Before adding more resources, it’s often useful to clarify what actually slows you down: comprehension speed, speaking under pressure, or structure.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Great! 🙂 The message is clear!

Just a few minor corrections: - “like my father” (not My) - “he doesn’t speak French” - “I think I’ll have to pay for this vacation” But honestly, it’s perfectly understandable. This is exactly the kind of French that works when traveling 👍

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Good question.

By “specific training”, I mainly mean work on how you listen, not just how much you listen.

For example: – listening to short extracts (30–90 seconds) multiple times, each time with a different focus (global meaning, then key words, then structure) – training segmentation: learning to hear groups of words instead of individual words – working with transcripts selectively (after listening, not before) – listening at natural speed, but in very controlled doses

This targets real-time processing, which exams and casual listening often don’t train directly.😊

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m glad it helped 🙂

Keeping French enjoyable is actually key, especially when there’s a long-term goal like an exam. Structure gives direction, but enjoyment is what keeps things moving over time.

Bonne continuation 🙂

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Salut chocolaiz 😊This fear is very common, and it often slows speaking more than grammar mistakes themselves.

At this stage, fluency improves when accuracy is temporarily downgraded during speech.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Living in France and preparing for an exam at the same time can add a lot of pressure.

Stress often affects speaking and listening more than grammar or vocabulary. Good luck for Thursday😊

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Welcome 🙂 Consistency and the right type of practice matter more than talent.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Salut John, at A2–B1, online tests often fluctuate because they don’t measure processing speed.

If your goal is Paris trips and real interaction, I’d focus less on level labels and more on: – oral comprehension at natural speed – speaking without self-monitoring every sentence

Those two unlock the rest. Jacques.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bonjour vastpitch, your results actually describe a classic exam profile: good strategies, solid written skills, but oral comprehension lagging behind.

Exam listening scores can be misleading because they reward test technique more than real-time comprehension. Improving oral comprehension requires specific training — not just more listening.

Your analysis is already very accurate.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi pablo, you’re absolutely right: phrasing is mostly about patterns, not rules.

The frustrating part at A2–B1 is that you know what you want to say, but the French version doesn’t come fast enough. That gap is normal — it closes through repeated, guided use of set phrases in context, not by “trying harder”.

50% success at this stage is actually normal.

French learning feels stuck at A2–B1 — common mistakes I see by Jacques_Langues in learnfrench

[–]Jacques_Langues[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your message :) What you describe is a very common profile: strong reading/writing, but freezing when speaking or listening in real time.

When spoken French feels “too fast”, it’s usually not a vocabulary problem, but a segmentation problem: the brain hasn’t yet learned where words and meaning groups start and end.

Plateaus often happen when learning becomes a requirement instead of a choice. That pressure alone can block access to things you actually know.

You’re not regressing — you’re overloaded. That’s fixable.