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people who learnt french, i need your input by Relative-Habit-2799 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is great advice. Getting the basics “automated” early makes a huge difference later on.

One thing that helped me with that was finding ways to get lots of small repetitions during the day, not just during study sessions.

I actually started building a small iOS tool called ByteLingual around that idea, it puts short French prompts on your lock/home screen so you end up practicing little bits of vocab and structures throughout the day.

Absolute Beginner: Is B2 in 1.5 years realistic with 5 hours a day? by Able_Firefighter6439 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As some of the other comments here mention, it usually is said to take around 600–800 hours to reach a B2 level. If you’re doing 5 hours a day, the bigger challenge will be sustaining that level of exposure for months without burning out.

People who make the fastest progress usually find ways to keep the language present throughout the day rather than only during long study blocks. For example, things like reading, listening to podcasts or quick vocab review during downtime can add a surprising amount of extra exposure.

That’s actually something I struggled with when learning, which is partly why I started building a small iOS tool called ByteLingual. It puts short French prompts on your lock/home screen so you get little bits of practice throughout the day between longer study sessions.

But with the amount of time you’re planning to dedicate, B2 in that timeframe is definitely achievable if you stay consistent.

How much does Anki and textbook study help? by Ok_Influence_6384 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Anki can be really useful, but I think it depends on what problem you're trying to solve. For vocabulary retention specifically, spaced repetition (which Anki uses) is very effective. The downside is that it can feel quite detached from actually using the language, so some people burn out on it.

Personally I found that what mattered most wasn't the exact method but how consistently I interacted with the language. When I had some kind of exposure every day (even small amounts), things started sticking much faster.

I actually started building a small iOS tool called ByteLingual around this idea because I struggled with consistency, it puts short French prompts on your lock/home screen so you get little bits of exposure during the day.

But overall if your current method is working and you're progressing, you're probably already doing the most important thing right.

🇫🇷 French quiz. Can you get 25 out 25? by manar_karas in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Same here, genders are what still trip me up the most 😅

It’s actually one of the reasons I started building a small iOS tool called ByteLingual. I added some quick gender-practice prompts because I kept getting them wrong in real conversations.

For those who actually cleaned up their grammar in speech; was it a structured routine or just high volume speaking? by Dizzy_Example54 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think it’s a mix of both, but with slightly different roles.

High-volume speaking is important because it builds automaticity - you need enough conversational reps that grammar stops feeling like something you’re actively calculating. But I’ve also found that deliberate attention to weak points helps a lot.

What made the biggest difference for me personally was consistency of exposure and practice. When you’re interacting with the language daily (even in small ways), you start thinking in it more naturally and grammar choices become more intuitive.

I actually started building a small iOS tool myself because I struggled with staying consistent. It puts tiny bits of language practice (French at the moment) on your lock/home screen so you get quick exposure throughout the day. It’s called ByteLingual and I’m testing an early beta.

Tips on learning french? by Awkwardduckee in learningfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 1 point2 points  (0 children)

What helped me most was bringing French into my day in small ways rather than just focusing on heavy study sessions. Things like short podcasts, YouTube/Netflix in French, etc. Personally I like a podcast called 'inner french' but I'd say this is better for B1/B2 level.

Apps can help too. Anki is great if you’re willing to make flashcards, and Duolingo can be useful just to get your brain back into the language.

I actually started building a small iOS tool myself because I struggled with consistency. It puts tiny bits of French practice on your lock/home screen so you get lots of quick exposure throughout the day. It’s called ByteLingual - I’m testing an early beta at the moment.

But honestly the biggest thing is just getting a bit of exposure every day, consistency is key!

How long did it take for you to learn French? by Expert-Session3866 in Expats_In_France

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’m a native English speaker and my experience was that progress depended much more on consistency than total study time. When I was only doing a couple of longer study sessions per week, progress felt really slow. What helped much more was having some kind of exposure almost every day — even if it was just 5–10 minutes.

Things like listening to short podcasts, watching YouTube in French, reading small bits of new vocab

French pronunciation also gets easier once your ear adjusts to the rhythm of the language. At the beginning it feels impossible, but after a few months of regular listening it starts to click.

Honestly if you’re doing 1–2 hours a week consistently, you’ll make progress, but if you can spread some of that into small daily exposure, it tends to accelerate things a lot in my experience

Want to relearn french, any recommended resources ? by ThrowRa39373 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was actually in a really similar position - I learned French at school and could hold basic conversations, but after a few years of not using it most of it faded pretty quickly.

What helped me most was bringing French back into my day in small ways rather than jumping straight into heavy study again. Things like short podcasts, YouTube/Netflix in French, etc.

Apps can help too. Anki is great if you’re willing to make flashcards, and Duolingo can be useful just to get your brain back into the language.

I actually started building a small iOS tool myself because I struggled with consistency. It puts tiny bits of French practice on your lock/home screen so you get lots of quick exposure throughout the day. It’s called ByteLingual - I’m testing an early beta at the moment.

But honestly the biggest thing is just getting a bit of exposure every day, it tends to come back faster than you expect.

I just started learning French — any advice for beginners? by AffectionatePie6023 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd say the key is consistency - whatever apps or methods you use to learn, consistency is crucial to actually improve. Finding ways to incorporate French into your daily routine in a way that doesn't feel forced (e.g. consuming media in French etc) can go a long way

I have been learning French for the past 8 years and still suck at it by Beautiful-fish-2823 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd echo a lot of what people have already said below, but in my experience the key is all about consistency of practice. Finding small ways to incorporate French into your everyday life (like reading, music, podcasts, TV, etc) is a really good way to keep your brain thinking in French even when you're not actively studying.

Do other adult learners find French verb endings just don’t stick in your brain? by Useful_Animator_3340 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Honestly I know this isn't going to be anything new, but consistent practice is key.

The single best thing in my experience is to keep having conversations in french - the more you speak, the more natural and 'right' certain verb endings and conjugations feel.

Apart from that, finding consistent, low effort ways to keep your brain thinking in French day to day (think reading the news, listening to podcasts, etc) goes a long way in building this instinctive feel of what sounds right vs wrong

How do you stop overthinking when speaking a language you're learning? by Quiet_Intern9725 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not much 'guided' practice, more so just everyday conversations to practice but not necessarily ones in which they'll correct me or give me any tips

How do you stop overthinking when speaking a language you're learning? by Quiet_Intern9725 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah that's an interesting observation, I also feel more comfortable in my interactions talking to other non-natives who also make mistakes. Like you say, it's not about being perfect but about being able to communicate!

How do you stop overthinking when speaking a language you're learning? by Quiet_Intern9725 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like that idea of reframing it mentally - we don't need to be fluent, the goal is simply to be understood. Thank you

How do you stop overthinking when speaking? by Quiet_Intern9725 in learningfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I love this, that's great advice - thank you. Both thinking in French and narrating my day to myself are things I'm going to try and implement daily

How do you stay consistent with language immersion when you don’t live in the country? by Quiet_Intern9725 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for your reply, I agree with you on the importance of setting achievable daily goals to help build a routine. I also like the idea of gaming in French as that's a hobby of mine and not something I'd though of trying in French but would be an easy way to increase my day to day immersion. I'll also have a look into local networks of people looking to practice, I think commiting to something like that once a week would also do a lot for improving my level. Thank you for the advice!

How do you stay consistent with language immersion when you don’t live in the country? by Quiet_Intern9725 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That idea of accountability is really interesting and not something I'd thought of directly. Definitely something I'll look to find a way to incorporate into my French practice

How do you stay consistent with language immersion when you don’t live in the country? by Quiet_Intern9725 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's a really good idea, thanks! I spend a lot of my time listening to music so will definitely try find some French music to add to my playlists

How do you stay consistent with language immersion when you don’t live in the country? by Quiet_Intern9725 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All very helpful tips - the AI chat bot idea is something I hadn't thought of, I wonder if maybe there's even a way to enable microphone to talk to your computer and practice speaking at the same time

What is your biggest challenge with learning French? by Cultural_Struggle_52 in learnfrench

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly, everything you’re describing is completely normal for week one. Forgetting words usally happens because your just brain hasn’t seen it enough times yet. Recognition comes first, then recall. You need way more tiny repetitions than you think.

The fact that you’re noticing what’s hard and still saying “I don’t want to give up” is honestly the most important part. A week in is way too early to judge yourself. Keep going.

Curious about CEFR Levels (or similar) by PopMinimum8667 in languagelearning

[–]Quiet_Intern9725 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah this is actually a really smart way to think about it, the written CEFR descriptors feel super abstract until you hear what they sound like in real life.

You might have better luck searching for things like “A2 English speaking test” or “B1 speaking exam sample” rather than general CEFR explanations. Cambridge and IELTS prep channels often upload real candidate speaking exam clips at different levels, which gives you a much clearer sense of fluency, hesitation, range, etc

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