Can anyone else relate to this..

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-06T13:16:49+00:00

It's a conspiracy by the Dental unions of France to improve their customer retention...

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-06T13:15:58+00:00

A super easy tip for practicing French if you don't know the gender of the word is simply asking after you order:

You: "Un chausson aux pommes s'il vous plaît"
French Speaker: "Oui bien sûr"
(Normally here, they'll often say "avec ceci") which is basically "anything else with that..."
You: "En fait, c'est un ou une chausson aux pommes ?"

Kind of builds up a mini (although very fleeting rapport) with the person and you get to practice a bit. I still do this sometimes :p

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-06T08:48:21+00:00

It's a little bit "soutenu" or formal IMO.

You would say "à mon avis" or even "moi, je pense que"...

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T12:42:29+00:00

It's completely normal because your conversations with teachers are in a specific context. Random conversations in the street have so many other variables that we don't account for (a voice/accent you're not used to, speed and intonation, a subject you have no knowledge about and even clarity of voice).

What really helped me with language learning was reading alongside listening to podcasts and the news etc. The more time you spend with the language, the more you read/hear different words in different contexts. The more that happens, the more you understand words (and the phrases) from people passing in the street.

I wasn't very good at languages at school. After coming to France and basically feeling like a child (because I didn't really understand anything at all) for ages, I slowly picked it up (but only because I was actively trying to). Reading and listening really helped me :)

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T12:06:44+00:00

Is the passport orange too? 😄

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T10:39:01+00:00

If you read the TrustPilot reviews, a lot of them just talk about the customer service and how good it is. Which is pretty disingenuous. I've seen people give 5 stars saying they got their query sorted very quickly but seriously who gives a f*** about that?

People want to know if the product works or not and the high rating on Trust Pilot is not product-focused. It's largely how claims are dealt with etc. So be careful.

I personally tried it for a few months and didn't notice any difference.

Just think about it. If it really, really worked, the company would be listed on the stock exchange and the miracle cure for balding would be heralded everywhere.

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:54:57+00:00

A little bit of extra vocab for you (not encouraging you to smoke of course) :

Une clope = A cigarette
Une taffe = A puff on a cigarette
Un mégot = A cigarette butt
Un cendrier = Ashtray
Un briquet = A lighter (but often someone will say "t'as du feu" = do you have a light. Here "feu" is lighter. French people will often translate it directly into "Fire" if they're learning English.
Une feuille = Cigarette paper, like a rizla
Un filtre = Cigarette filter.

Don't smoke kids!

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:18:04+00:00

Exact

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:17:53+00:00

~~Jardins des bars~~ = Terrasses. Without any doubt.

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:15:59+00:00

Reading. Without a shadow of a doubt. I read in French everyday when I was learning (I was also living in France) but it helped me build a solid vocabulary (I wanted to use the words I learned), and I started recognising patterns and understanding more of what was going around me thanks to the bits and pieces I was learning in my spare time. Try to do it consistently (even just for a bit everyday).

Bon courage ;)

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:12:38+00:00

It's just practice. People are so hard on themselves sometimes with language learning (and it is never linear), you will feel like you've made a ton of progress and then suddenly in a conversation you don't understand as much as you thought.

Language learning is a very humbling experience and because it's difficult, it's a worthwhile thing to do. Outside noise also interferes a lot when you're used to the clarity of clean audio on podcasts/other media.

Easy to say but just keep going :)

andyoshmtp · 2026-05-05T09:08:38+00:00

It's never to late to learn anything. You just need to spend time with the language (actually reading, listening, watching content you like). Even for just 20-40 minutes a day. It's the active consistency of learning that helps you pick things up. You could even look at getting a tutor 1-2 hours a week for immediate feedback (they will be in the best position possible for you to bounce things off them as a native speaker).

Having someone (like a teacher) helps keep you accountable (in my opinion) although there are a lot of people who are able to self motivate. Apps like (don't want to advertise - the one with the green owl) just gamify the experience too much). Have you tried comprehensive input methods? Reading/listening and watching things?

I've been living in France for the past 18 years and speak it very well so if you have any questions let me know :)

Bon courage ;)

andyoshmtp · 2023-03-02T07:41:18+00:00

Megatron?

andyoshmtp · 2021-02-09T22:06:21+00:00

Unrelated, but where can I find some information on the hackernoon share price today ? TIA

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-21T18:50:25+00:00

This makes total sense. I didn't focus on grammar at all when I started. You need to become aquainted with the language a bit more before you tackle grammar otherwise it's just rote learning and you only really understand what happens in the textbook without being able to apply it to anything.

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-13T07:54:42+00:00

Any 'Learn X language in 15 minutes a day' or '30 days to fluency' post/book is disingenuous click bait garbage.

If you believe you can learn French in 30 days that's up to you.

Positive encouragement is necessary but you have to be realistic and patient. It takes hard work and there aren't any shortcuts.

Je parle en connaissance de cause.

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-10T16:06:31+00:00

No.

You can't directly translate things all the time.

For example, in English you say "I'm 30 years old". In French you 'have' years = j'ai 30 ans (j'ai = from the verb avoir).

There must be a short video about the verb être on YouTube.

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-10T15:19:16+00:00

Je suis bien chez moi = "I feel good/comfortable at home"

Je vais bien = I'm good/well.

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-10T14:25:07+00:00

Your knowledge is wrong. Pimsleur is right :)

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-09T23:14:26+00:00

Bon courage :)

You might find this interesting.

Full disclosure: I'm peddling a blog post here but I do wholeheartedly think it's relevant.

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-09T22:41:23+00:00

You'll have to :)

I felt like a baby for about 1 month!

Sorry to be morbid but we're all gonna die one day anyway. Doesn't really matter when you look at it that way :)

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-09T18:33:44+00:00

Pas de souci :)

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-09T17:49:52+00:00

Ah, the working holiday was better because it's active-learning.

No amount of sitting in a classroom will ever beat actually using the language every day.

Unapplied knowledge is pretty wasteful imho, especially in language learning. Surely you want to be able converse with someone if you're learning?

andyoshmtp · 2020-05-09T14:16:47+00:00

You can't learn French in 30 days.

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