Getting to learn another language may take several years before one becomes fluent. However, if you do not want to sound too much like a foreigner when in another country, you will need to devote your time to comprehending the basic phrases. It is possible to learn a couple of phrases that will ensure that you are able to confidently find your way around. This method of learning a new language is known as immersion.
A good place to start would be with an every day situation that begins with greetings and pleasantries which is usually the initial stages of any interaction. In French, greetings are known as ‘La recontre’ and are considered an important part of the French hospitality. For the sake of learning, two fictitious names will be used for the illustration and they are; Monsieur (Mr.) Dupont (the‘t’ at the end is silent) and Mademoiselle (ms) Claire. This is an illustration in which Mademoiselle Claire meets with Monsieur Dupont inside a grocery store.
Monsieur Dupont: Bonjour Claire, qu’est ce que tu fais la? (Hello Claire what is it that you are doing here?)
Claire: ah monsieur Dupont comment allez vous? (Ah, Mr Dupont how do you do?)
Monsieur Dupont: je vais tres bien Clair et tois? (I am okay how about you?)
Claire: ca va bien merci. Very fine thank you
Note that Je refers to ‘I’ while Tu refers to ‘you’ (singular).
Other phrases that are popularly used include;
Salut-hello
Parlez vous Francais – do you talk French?
Un petit peu – Just a little
S’il vous plait – please
Non -No
Oui-yes
Je ne comprends pas – I do not understand
Je ne sais pas – I do not know
Au revoir – goodbye
Thank you – Merci
Excusez-moi- Excuse me
Aidez moi, s’il vous plait- Can you help me please?
Enchanté-my pleasure to meet you
To properly grasp these phrases, it is important for the learner to practice the pronunciations over and over again until they are confident enough to use them. The person learning these expressions needs to memorize them daily until they almost become part of their existing vocabulary. To learn these phrases, one does not necessarily need a teacher. However, spending time around someone who is a native speaker of French could greatly improve ones capacity to grasp the new terms. There are numerous other resources that could help a person learn basic French phrases including books, CD’s, and internet sources. Resources with audio functions are more appropriate because they allow the learner to hear the right pronunciation and repeat after.
One may not be able to know exactly how helpful a couple of random phrases could be until they are alone in a foreign land with nobody who speaks the same language. It could also help one to get out of sticky situations that could turn ugly. Some of the phrases may seem daunting at first but with time, they become like a second natural spoken language. Learning simple phrases could make it easier to fully understand the French language until the attainment of fluency.