Practice, practice, practice

In order to become fluent in French you need to practice it as much as possible. Here are some important things to remember:

1. Repetition is key. You need to hear/see a word or expression many times before you actually remember it.
2. You should try to listen to as much French as possible by talking to people, watching videos and films, and listening to music.
3. Try reading out loud often and repeating after native French speakers you hear online.
4. Make use of the Language Resource Centre (BR 289) for additional support when your instructor or conversationalist are in the Centre (typically 3 days/week).
5. Take the time to review class activities and vocabulary weekly.
6.  Try out writing your own original sentences (modeling on weekly assigned reading) and show them to your instructor.

Using a dictionary

A dictionary is primarily a written collection of words in a given language, yet language is not made out of words. Rather it is made of texts, of conversations, of readings, and so on. On the one hand, we know that we cannot translate everything word by word. For every English word, there are many possible translations, and vice versa. On the other hand, French and English are always changing. Words and expressions are created, acquired from other languages, and lost everyday. A dictionary is our way of keeping a record of it. It is not record of how things are supposed to be, but rather how things are at a given moment in history.

With this in mind, here are some suggestions for using dictionaries efficiently:

1. Don’t just rely on one dictionary, whether online or in print. Consult different ones regularly.
2. Always look at examples of how the word is used in context to make sure it’s the right meaning you are looking for. Most dictionaries will provide examples of how words are used in sentences. Be sure to read them.

Additional Resources

Dictionnaires/Useful online dictionaries:

Cambridge French-English Dictionary

Collins Dictionary

You can also search for the translation of entire phrases and sentences with sites like these:

Linguée

Reverso