French for Beginners

French is the only language other than English spoken on five continents. French and English are the only two global languages. It is an official language in 29 countries, most of which form what is called, in French, La Francophonie, the community of French-speaking countries. It is an official language of all United Nations agencies and a large number of international organizations.

- the United Nations UNESCO NATO
- the International Labour Bureau
- the International Olympic Committee
- the 31-member Council of Europe
- the European Community
- the Universal Postal Union
- the International Red Cross
- Union of International Associations (UIA)
- Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

The capital of France is Paris and The Eiffel Tower is a must see tourist attraction! The climate is generally cool during the winter and mild in the summers, although the winters are more mild and the summers hot along the Mediterranean. The currency in France is the euro (1 Euro = 1.2539 U.S. dollars - July 2010) . The national language of France is French, which means people communicate, study and work in French. However, all French people learn English at school, from 4 to 10 years. So there will always be someone who understands you and can help you!

Hello / Goodbye : Bonjour / Au revoir
Do you speak English? : Parlez-vous anglais?
Sorry, I didn't understand : Desolé je n'ai pas compris
Can you help me? : Pouvez vous m'aider?
How much does it cost? : Quel est le prix?
Thank you / No thank you : Merci / Non merci
Where is the metro / restaurant / post office / taxi rank : Ou se trouve le métro / le restaurant / la poste / les taxis ?

When learning new terms or vocabulary in French one of the most effective methods is through the use of flashcards. Flashcards can take many forms, you can make them yourself or use pre-printed ones. They will usually have a word, picture or sentence on one side in English and then on the reverse you have the equivalent in French. Cards will vary in the combination of word, picture, sentences depending on, a) what you are learning and b) where you got the cards from. I would recommend that the best are those with pictures and single words on one side with a suggested simple sentence on the reverse using that word. Pictures are excellent for aiding memory recall and seeing the word you are learning in context in a sentence will also help you remember it more readily.

A great way to learn French terms is to use software or computer games that concentrate on learning vocabulary - these are fun and interactive and you can easily see your progress. When you are learning to speak French, increasing the number of words you know is one of the fastest ways to expressing yourself and being understood. Even if you are not sure of a complete sentence in French, just knowing a few words on the subject will usually get your point across!