French for Independent Learners
Foreword.: How to learn a language.
Children learn by being exposed to the language from birth.
If you aren’t a child, learning from birth, this is what you need to do:
Be aware of the areas of competence required in order to speak a foreign language.
Work at them. Keep working at them.
At least the method is easy.
Here are the Areas of Competence (AC):
1. Key phrases with pronunciation guide
2. Pronunciation – type the Learn ‘em off phrases (AC7) into Google translate
3. Ability to paraphrase (find a way to express yourself)
4. Key grammar – tenses
5. Key grammar – other
6. Vocabulary connectors (app available)
7. Vocabulary – nouns and adjectives (app available)
8. Learn ‘em off phrases (app available)
French for Independent Learners deals with areas of competence 1,2,3,4,5,6,7.
For more pronunciation help, use Google translate.
Area of Competence 1 (Key Phrases) and Area of Competence 2 (Pronunciation)
If what you want is only the key phrases of French, this section is for you.
This section consists of 8 situations in which you may need to speak French.
Pronunciation highlighted in grey. Try using my system and test it against google translate.
Conversation 1
Excuse me, can I have that please?
Excusez-moi, est-ce que je peux avoir ?a s’il vous plait?
(Ex-koo-zay – mwah, ess-keuh zheuh peuh av-wire sah seal voo play ?)
That !?
?a !?
(Sah?)
No, that !
Non, ?a !
(Naw, sah!)
That ?
?a?
(sah ?)
Yes, that please.
Oui, ?a, s’il vous plait
(Wee, sah seal voo play)
Here you go !
Voilà !
(Vwah-lah)
Thank-you. Here you go (handing over money)
Merci, voilà.
(Mare sea vwah-lah)
Don’t mention it
Je vous en prie.
(Zheuh voo zawn pree)
Conversation 2
How much do I have to pay for that ?
Combien est-ce que je dois payer pour ?a?
(Cawm bee yeah ess keuh zheuh dwah pay-ay pour sah?)
300 euros
Trois cent euros
(Trwah sawze ooh-roe)
Can I pay by credit card?
Est-ce que je peux payer avec la carte?
(Ess-keuh zheuh dwah pay-ay avek lah kaart)
No, sorry.
Non, je suis désolé
(Naw zheuh swee day-zoe-lay)
Ok, thank-you anyway. Good-bye
Ah, merci quand-même. Au revoir.
(Ah, mare-sea kaw-mem. Oh rev-wire)
Conversation 3
Hello, I want that ice-cream please
Bonjour, je veux cette glace s’il vous plait
(Bawn-jeuhr, zheuh veuh set glass seal voo play)
No problem, big, medium or small
Aucun problème, grand, moyen, petit?
(Oh-kun prob lem, graw, mwy-yeah, peuh-tee?)
Small, please.
Petit s’il vous pla?t.
(Peuh-tee seal voo play)
Here you are.
Voilà.
(Vwah-lah)
Thank-you.
Merci
(Mare-sea)
Conversation 4
Excuse me. I have to find a bank.
S’il vous plait. Je dois trouver une banque .
(Seal voo play zheuh dwah true vay oon bawnk)
Ah, there is a bank in the next street
Ah, il y a une banque dans la prochaine rue
(ah eel ee ah oon bawnk daw la proh shen roo)
Thanks. Good Bye
Merci. Au revoir
Mare sea oh rev-wire
Conversation 5
Hello sir/madam, what shall I serve you?
Bonjour messieurs-dames, qu’est-ce que je vous sers?
(Baw jeurr may see-your dam, kess keuh sheuh voo sare ?)
Hello. Please can I have a coffee, with milk and an espresso ?
Bonjour, Est-ce que je peux avoir un grand café crème et un petit café s’il vous pla?t ?
(Baw jeurr, Ess keuh sheuh peuh av-wire ah graw cafay crem eh ah peuh-tee cafay seal voo play ?)
Of course
Bien s?r
(Bee-en soor)
Thank-you
Merci
(Mare sea)
Conversation 6
Excuse me, please can I have another beer?
S’il vous plait. Est-ce que je peux avoir une autre bière, s’il vous pla?t ?
(Seal voo play. Ess keuh zheuh peuh av-wire oon oh-treuh bee-air, seal voo play?)
Of course.
Bien s?r
(Bee-en soor)
Conversation 7
Excuse me, please can I have the bill ?
S’il vous plait. Est-ce que je peux avoir l’addition s’il vous plait?
(Seal voo play. Ess keuh zheuh peuh av-wire lah deese yaw seal voo play?)
Of course, I will get you it now
Bien s?r, je vous la prends maintenant ( je vous l’amène tout de suite )
(Bee-en soor, zheuh voo leuh praw man ten awe)
Conversation 8
Hi. I want to go to the station please.
Bonjour, je veux aller à la gare s’il vous plait
(Baw-jeuhrr, zheuh veuh al-ay ah lah gaar seal voo play)
No problem.
Aucun problème
(Oh-kun prob lem)
The most important language is underlined and italicised
In order to communicate necessary information politely, you need to be able to say:
Can I ?(est-ce que je peux – pronunciation: “ess keuh zheuh peuh”)
I have to (je dois – pronunciation: “zheuh dwah”)
I want (je veux – pronunciation: “zheuh veuh”)
You can look up the verb you need and tack it after these starters
Eg. Est-ce que je peux avoir / Je dois trouver / Je veux aller
Eg. Can I hav e / I must find / I want to go
*Remember, AC 2 is covered by Google Translate. Try saying the phrases in these dialogues and compare them with what Google Translate provides as highly accurate pronouncing.
Area of Competence 4 (Key Grammar – Tenses).
French for Independent Learners is the single most effective resource for teaching tenses.
In order to create any tense that you wish from spoken French, simply refer to the Tense Grids.
The following Tense Grids are provided for you:
The Junior Tense Grid (JTG)
The Junior Tense Grid – Negative (JTGN)
The Junior Tense Grid – Pronoun col 1,2 (JTGP12)
The Junior Tense Grid – Pronoun col 3 (JTGP3)
The Senior Tense Grid (STG)
The Irregular Verb Grid (IVG)
In order to address Area of Competence 3 , Tenses, work through the book provided. Answer the questions in the book, in pencil and check against the answers provided.
You will find the answers on the page with the questions or on the page which directly follows the questions.
As you go through the Tense Grid Book, note down, in your vocabulary book, any new words you come across. Writing makes you learn.
Accompanying this resource is a dedicated team of on-line teachers.
If you fail to understand any given section, simply e-mail the team and your query will be answered within 24 hours.
E mail:
Lesson 1. – Using the tense grid to make phrases in the present tense
Make sure that you have your Junior Tense Grid (JTG) to hand. Use it to translate the following phrases:
1. I am playing
This is the answer but do you understand where it came from?
Je joue
2. He does jump (sauter-to jump)
This is the answer but do you understand where it came from?
Il saute
If you got these both right, well done. If you are not sure how they were achieved, read on:
1.The challenge: “I am playing”
One way of doing it – see below
How do I work this out? I ask myself, “which tense is it?” Answer: Present tense.
Knowing it is the present tense, I go to column 1 (marked “Present” at the top and use the “je” entry. > Je joue
Je can be seen as the French for “I” if one looks in the yellow box in the top left of the Junior Tense Grid (JTG)
Answer: Je joue
If you aren’t too sure about the tenses, do it this way – see below
I ask myself, is my phrase on the Junior Tense Grid (JTG)?
` I look
I find it at the top of column 1
Referring to the yellow box, top left, I choose “Je” and the rest falls into place.
Answer: Je joue
2. The challenge: “He is jumping” This is more difficult but fear not!
How do I do it? See below:
>I compare my phrase to those on the JTG and I attempt to locate the column from which my phrase will come.
>I decide that my phrase most closely corresponds to “I am jumping” and therefore choose to work from col. 1 because “I am playing” is grammatically the same as I am jumping (I am …ing)
>Referring to the yellow box, top left, I choose “Il” in order to translate “he”.
>I must look up “jump” in a dictionary or in the verb list provided
>I find “sauter”
Unfortunately, “sauter” is only the starting point. By itself, it means. “to jump”.
In order to use this starting point, I must remove the –er and add the correct ending, for “il”
Answer: Il saute
3.The challenge: Now, try to translate the following phrase: “They (group of boys) do smoke”
Using the same system as before, you should be able to create, “Ils fument”
1. “They do smoke” means that I go to column 1. (It is similar to “I do play”)
2. I refer to the yellow box and find They (masculine, group of boys) is “Ils”
3. I must look up “smoke” in a dictionary or in the verb list and I find “fumer”
4. This is a starting point, not the finished product.
5. Because I have an –er verb, I can use the same pattern as in the example, “jou-er”
6. Therefore the answer is “Ils fument” – my equivalent co-ordinate is f1 (Ils/Elles jouent)
4. What is the equivalent co-ordinate for “She is dancing” (danser) ___________________
5. What is the equivalent co-ordinate for “He watches” (regarder) ___________________
6. What is the equivalent co-ordinate for “We are hitting” (frapper) ___________________
7. What is the equivalent co-ordinate for “You (singular) do steal” ___________________
Answers for 4 to 7 are on the next page
Answer page – answer pages are located on the reverse of the question pages so that you don’t have to go searching through back pages for the correct answer.
Ans:
4. c1 – il/elle/on joue (il/elle/on all take the same ending after you take off the –er)
Because “danser” is your starting point, the translation is “Elle danse”
5. c1 – il/elle/on joue (il/elle/on all take the same ending after you take off the –er)
Because “regarder” is your starting point, the translation is “Il regarde”
6. d1
Because “frapper” is your starting point, the translation is “nous frappons”
7. b1
Because “voler” is your starting point, the translation is “tu voles”
NOTE BENE (NB) – (latin for “note well”)
In English there are THREE WAYS to express the present tense: eg I play
I do play
I am playing
In French there is only one: Je joue
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO LEARN THAT WE MUST NOT TRANSLATE WORD FOR WORD.
WE MUST FIRST LOCATE THE COLUMN ON THE TENSE GRID (or find the right tense).
-ER, -IR, -RE verbs
Most French verbs have as their last two letters, -er.
That is why the Junior Tense Grid gives the example for jouer.
However, there are two other sorts of verb in French.
They are verbs that end in –IR and verbs that end in –RE
At the bottom of column 1, you will find the endings for these verbs.
1. So, if you wish to say, “They (f) are polishing” this is how you work it out:
1. “They are polishing” means that I go to column 1. (It is similar to “They are playing”)
2. I refer to the yellow box and find They (f) is “Elles”
3. I must look up “polish” in a dictionary or in the verb list and I find “polir”
4. This is a starting point, not the finished product.
5. Because I have an –IR verb, I can’t use the same pattern as in the example, “jou-er”
6. Therefore, I refer to the bottom of column 1 and, as indicated, I remove the –IR and add the ending, -issent
7. My answer is “Elles polissent”
3. Using the same system, how would I say, she is selling (vendre)
__________________________________________________________
4. Using the same system, how would I say, you (pl) are twisting (tordre)
__________________________________________________________
5. Translate: He is finishing (finir)
__________________________________________________________
6. They (f) are withering (flétrir)
__________________________________________________________
7. I do rejoice (réjouir)
__________________________________________________________
8. He cuts the grass (tondre * le gazon) * use tondre as your starting point
__________________________________________________________
9. She is breaking her relationship (rompre* sa relation) *use rompre
__________________________________________________________
10. You are tarnishing your repuatation (ternir* ta reputation) *use ternir
__________________________________________________________
Answers for 3 to 10 are on the next page.
Find the column, find the row!!!
Write the answers here and then check them:
Answers for 3 to 10
3. Elle vend
4. Vous tordez
5. Il finit
6. Elles flétrissent
7. Je réjouis
8. Il tond le gazon
9. Elle romp sa relation
10. Tu ternis ta réputation
REMINDER: Don’t try to translate each word as it comes in the phrase. Find the column, find the row!!!
Notes:
You should write to remember.
Can you translate the French sentences 3 to 10 above back into English
Can you think of ways to remember the words you have covered so far.
For example, ternir – to tarnish, they sound the similar.; v endre – to sell, like a vending machine.
Verbs where action is done on oneself
Here are examples of this:
I love myself
She scratches herself
They see themselves in the mirror
When we wish to translate similar phrases, in French, we use BIG ROW 3 from the Junior Tense Grid.
Example:
I wash myself / I do wash myself / I am washing myself
> Je me lave.
We use the same system as before in order to get to the answer.
Try to translate the following phrases:
1. He hits himself (frapper)
2. They (m) draw themselves (dessiner)
3. We do watch ourselves (regarder)
4. I am twisting myself (tordre)
The answers to these are on the next page.
1. _____________________________________
2. _____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
4. _____________________________________
Answers: 1 to 4
1. Il se frappe
2. Ils se dessinent
3. Nous nous regardons
4. Je me tords – remember, this is an –re verb!!
In French, some verbs are self verbs when in English they are not.
Eg. English – “I get up” French – “Je me lève” (really means: I lift myself)
Eg. English – “I comb my hair” French – “Je me peigne” (really means: I comb myself)
If we look at the real meanings in brackets, we can understand how this has come about. We are actually talking about actions done to self.
Je me la ve = I wash myself BUT “Je lave les enfants” = I wash the children
James, James and Jill, Mum, Mum and Jill, The cat, People etc….
Up to now, we have been using subject pronouns (yellow box on Junior Tense Grid) in the creation of our phrases.
Instead of the subject pronouns, we can use the noun (person or thing or place)
So, instead of “Il trouve”, he finds, he is finding or he does find,
We could say “John trouve”
Instead of “Elle mange”, she eats, she is eating, she does eat,
We could say “Jane mange”
Instead of “Elles se lavent”, they wash themselves, they are washing themselves, they do wash themselves,
We could say, “Jane and Jill se lavent”
How, therefore would we say, in French,
1. Peter and Paul are finishing (finir)