So I am thinking about joining the French Foreign Legion...
I need to know a few things before I get my ticket to France...
How hard is French?

Apparently the Legion will give me lessons and some such help, but I want to prepare early (I plan on going after the winter).

What will help me?
I know nothing of French and I dont really want to struggle out there in the first few weeks/months.

What do you guys suggest?
Thanks!

I'm guessing English is your first language. Do you know any others and to what degree?

In any case, French is usually considered an easy foreign language to learn for English speakers. If you are really going after this winter though that isn't much time to prepare unless you can do intensive hours of study nearly daily. The thing is you're going to have to be fluent in order to do your job, and until you are you will struggle. BUT, the fastest you will ever learn is when you're totally immersed and learning is not only necessary but inevitable. I've studied French now for 5 years, it's one of my majors, and I've never learned more stuff faster than when I've actually been in France or Quebec.

This is a big decision to make suddenly. I don't know your circumstances, but if possible maybe wait a year and spend the time taking classes to better prepare. That way when you actually go you'll at least have a grasp of the essential and won't be struggling with basics. If this is not possible, I'd recommend listening to as much spoken French as possible through tv, music, podcasts, anything you can. In my experience listening and speaking take far longer to develop than reading and writing. If you want a hand finding stuff let me know.

french is easy as fuck.

it's complicated and requires memory, but it's not that bad.

Par exemple:

Un dictionnaire est un ouvrage de référence énumérant des mots simples ou composés (morphèmes libres, expressions lexicalisées), classés généralement par ordre alphabétique, sous leur lemme (ou entrée), accompagnés de leurs définitions ou de leurs équivalents dans une autre langue.


all that translates to:

A dictionary is a book of alphabetically listed words in a specific language, with definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of alphabetically listed words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon.





good luck and enjoy.


:)

french is easy as fuck.

it's complicated

you sir are a poet ..

french is easy as fuck.

it's complicated and requires memory, but it's not that bad.

Par exemple:

Un dictionnaire est un ouvrage de référence énumérant des mots simples ou composés (morphèmes libres, expressions lexicalisées), classés généralement par ordre alphabétique, sous leur lemme (ou entrée), accompagnés de leurs définitions ou de leurs équivalents dans une autre langue.


all that translates to:

A dictionary is a book of alphabetically listed words in a specific language, with definitions, etymologies, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of alphabetically listed words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon.







In a high and formal register, like in the example provided above, English and French are similar because most of the jargon words used exist in both languages as cognates. When it comes to everyday French used in the streets and indeed that used in the Foreign Legion, it's a whole different kettle of fish.

You would struggle (for months and months) trying to survive on limited French in the Foreign Legion, I think. In Paris or other big cities you wouldn't because I think you'll find almost everyone will speak to you in English in shops and such or you won't need to talk anyway. It was one thing that pissed me off there, that I addressed everyone in French and all I got were responses in English. So much for 8 years of studying their language . . .

It was one thing that pissed me off there, that I addressed everyone in French and all I got were responses in English. So much for 8 years of studying their language . . .

Same thing with the Japanese, you try to speak in their language, but they want to practice English...

Get hold of some tv shows and movies you know incredibly well on DVD and set the audio and subtitles to French. That's what helped me when I was struggling a little in highschool. I didn't have DVDs to work with though, I just watched the Simpsons on one of the French channels.

Or I guess for just beginning have either the audio or subtitles in French and the other in English.

I watched the entires 1st and 2nd series of weeds with French sub titles, helped me out a treat.

People seem to have this vision with languages that you just do a few Pimsleur lessons, watch a bit of TV and you're fluent!

I speak French. I spent three months in France. I spent six weeks in Quebec. I've studied it for 10 years in school. I have weekly French lessons. I'm still nowhere near fluent. I can hold a conversation and not even think about it, but if we started getting into really intense stuff I'd struggle. The point is, languages take effort. While I wouldn't knock Pimsleur, make sure you realize it's just a start. When I was in France people were really nice to me, but no one likes Parisians, because they tend to be assholes, especially with foreigners.

So get your French up really good before you enlist there. The way to do it is Pimsleur, reading, study, French lessons, and if you can time spent in the country. Best of luck!

60% of french is english anyway(or vice-versa), just remember that they use masculine and feminine thingys before and after words

ROFL.

Don't post again in this forum.

You should die. 60% of the words are derived from French/Latin, but that doesn't include grammar rules, sentence structure, and a shitload of other things. English is still a Germanic language. Go fuck yourself before you get owned. In the ass.

You should die. 60% of the words are derived from French/Latin, but that doesn't include grammar rules, sentence structure, and a shitload of other things. English is still a Germanic language. Go fuck yourself before you get owned. In the ass.

This.

if you're surrounded by people speaking french you'll soon pick it up, just learn as much as you can but don 't worry if thats not alot or if you're finding it difficult, learning from books or tapes is always a lot harder than learning in situ

http://freeextras.blogspot.com/