Thinking about learning french

[dwightks]

Originally Posted by alizeefan

First to say i agree as Scruffy and Ronald stated above if you do not use it you may lose it , which may be differing depending on the individuals memory skills . Definitely something to take into heavy consideration when considering learning . Also to add there when reading about people learning languages it is VERY very helpful to use it with a native or learned speaker/s that way you become accustomed to the nuances . The best way to learn is to be using it on a daily basis . Now from researching i have found that everyone recommends the Rosetta Stone tools but it is expensive .

With that in mind and after some researching for free tools i found byki -

http://www.byki.com/

They also have the upgraded pay version but the free one seems great.
Now i can not say if the lessons work as time has not permitted me to get highly involved to learn but they seem very well writ also having a native speaker say the words so you can learn by hearing as well reading .
More importantly as elated above about using the language to learn , one of the tools is they hook you up with people who speak the language you want to learn to be sorta pen/chat pals . That way you can teach them languages you know and they want to learn and vice versa by not only writing but talking too . Add to that it is pretty cool to become friends with people around the world or in the country you are interested in .

One more tool i found helpful is to create my own desktop wallpaper background with words and alphabet translations .
That way it is right there for you to see and study constantly or easily refer back to without having to open things .

1. - Yes i have the urge but yet to get into it due to time restraints.

2. - Again i would like to get the Rosetta Stone but expensive so trying Byki .

3. - Depends on how much time you have as well effort put into learning .
Also each individual will be different in learning/memory skills.

Another thing to keep in mind which i think many overlook is -
As with any language there are varying dialects depending on location one is in of the respective country . From what i understand and evidence all over this forum about her pronunciations , Alizee being from the Corsica island has a variation on the dialects with both French and English . For instance on dialects , talk to someone from New York , LA or Texas and not only is the accent different but the wording and phrases will vary greatly too .

Thanks I'll try out Byki. I've thought about Rosetta Stone but it's too expensive. I'm also thinking about taking a French course at a community college close by, which will also be good for my transcript to get into college. These courses are very cheap for High School students.