Review of French!

My thoughts on the French language, visitor reviews of French, and space to write your own review of French!


With this review of French, I am presenting my own opinion of the French language. But don't let that scare you off! You can read reviews from other visitors to this site on this page as well. I feel that getting other peoples opinions actually helps other language learners (like yourself) get a better understanding of the language they are learning or want to learn. By sharing our experiences, we can all learn from each other.



My Review of the French language
Write your own review of French!
Read visitor reviews of French


My Review of French

French is different. There is no other language quite like it. You could say this about any language but, there is an old saying about Jazz that goes - "If you have to ask, you'll never know." I think the same applies to French. For those who have learned some, even the understanding of a little bit opens a window to a whole different view of the world.

A uniquely French view.

The French language has character. French culture and history seem to seep out from underneath the very sound and rhythm of it in a way unlike any other language.

And the peculiarities of written French - its disconnect between the written and spoken form, the complicated spelling, the rules and exceptions to the rules and exceptions to the exceptions, its contractions and accent marks - all give it some of its characteristic look and feel. A "Qu'est-ce que c'est" here and an "Ah! ça c'est drôle" there, and you know without a doubt it's French.

Learning French is relatively easy for a native speaker of English or another Romance language. But, you have to want to learn it. Learning French has its challenges.

French pronunciation is hard. There are few languages so demanding of the speaker. And still, while the French have a reputation for being standoff-ish to those who don't speak French, or speak only poorly, they truly appreciate the effort of those who try to learn it. And the key word there is try. They will demand a real attempt at proper pronunciation. And that can be a challenge.

Thankfully, French vocabulary is relatively easy. There are a lot of cognates between French and English. Which makes reading French a little easier than many other languages. Once you learn these words, they will stay with you a long time.

I studied French for four years in High School and haven't really spoken in the 20 years since then. But I can still read it and get a decent understanding of it. With a little bit of effort, it comes right back. When the time is right, and my schedule catches up, I intend to dive back into French and bring it back to where it was and beyond. It's a language that, once it's in you, never really leaves you alone.

It's hard to adequately describe French. The word that I like is - quaint. Yet somehow contained within that quaintness is a modern and enduring viewpoint. There is a quote by Lionel Jospin that goes "If French is no longer the language of a power, it can be the language of a counter power." That is the essence of the French language. It always strives to define itself and assert itself, or maybe "insist upon itself" as Peter Griffin would say!


Write Your Review of the French Language!

Share your thoughts on the French language. If you've learned it, what about it did you find easy or hard? Are you learning French now? Or maybe you have no intention to learn French but you just want to share your opinion of it. That's fine. Write your review of French here and share it with everyone!

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What Other Visitors Have Said About French

Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...

Fluent French? 
Hi all! Danny here, thought I would tell you mes pensés d'francais :) Such a beautiful language, so poliete in my opinion, maybe just because that's …

French Aspirations 
Let me start off by saying that the French language is truly beautiful, the language of fine cuisine, fashion and wonderful culture. It is without a dispute, …

Le monde du Français 
I am a university student living and studying in Canada (the English-speaking part, that is!). Growing up in Canada, I had the privilege of learning French …

Ms. Daphne Moore 
Growing up in Toronto, Canada, we learned Parisian French in school. My family travelled through Quebec in the summer and I found it difficult to be understood …

French pronunciation isn't all that bad! 
Although I admit some of the sounds of the French language can be difficult for native English speakers to replicate, there is one very positive point …

How long should it take to learn to speak French fluently? 
I have been studying French on my own for almost two years now, but I don't have anyone with whom I can speak it. The few times I have tried to speak, …

School nostalgia 
I began learning French in kindgergarten, and attended a French speaking school up through high school. One thing that annoyed me about French is that …

French student 
I took french while in high school and on into college. I like the language because it is a beautiful language, in my opinion. I was fortunate enough …

Learning French to Study 
I had an opportunity to go to France to study engineering for two years. I started to learn French sometime before. In my case, I think French is easier …

Mon français et moi. 
Bonjours, comme disais mon professeur de français, vous vous créer des mots et des fautes durant mes dictées. Je n'ai jamais fait exprès ce genre de chose. …

A Beautiful Language 
I have been exposed to various forms of the French language my entire life. Growing up in South Louisiana, my entire family spoke Cajun French, and one …

French - a necessity 
I grew up in Quebec, so learning french was a necessity. I grew up in an English household and my parents placed me in a French school when I was 5. I …

Francais - a language of the world 
French is still considered the language of diplomats, as well as being one of several official languages for both the United Nations and the European Union. …

Learning French is Hard! 
In high school I studied spanish, and it was easy. So when I went to college, I decided to learn French, thinking that it couldn't be that hard, but boy …

A beautiful language, spoken up north. 
Recently, in a trip through Quebec in July of 2008, me and my family got a bit lost in the northern areas. I took a few classes of Spanish in highschool, …

French: An Accessable Language 
In my years in school and in university, I have taken numerous French courses. While never a French major, studying the language for several years has …

I passed the test! 
In high school and college, I studied French. Back in the 80's it was the language of choice for college track students. I enjoyed it, but always wondered …

Sink or Swim 
Placed for a year in a convent school in Paris, direct from Atlanta Georgia, I needed to learn French immediately since no one in the school spoke any …

Ashley B. 
I love French! It is a beautiful language. It seems to flow so well and sound so melodic that is is a pleasure to learn. I have been speaking some French …

J'aime le francais! 
I began learning French in junior high school. Unfortunately my studies stopped when I was in high school, due to a bad teacher. But when I got into …

Learning To Speak French 
Presently, I am learning the French language, and I find it very enjoyable. Now that I have learned some French words, I try to incorporate them into my …

French 
French is an elegant, sophisticated sounding language. Watching a film in French is an interesting experience as a student in their first year of learning …

I Quite Enjoy French 
I quite enjoy speaking, reading, and hearing the French language. It sounds elegant and sophisticated, and very romantic. The main challenge faced …

French is Awesome 
Most Americans have some knowledge of the French language. Whether they just know how to say hello(bonjour), or yes (oui) snippets of the French language …

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"While learning the language in France a young man’s morals, health and fortune are more irresistibly endangered than in any country of the universe."

- Thomas Jefferson


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