Focus Language, located in Phoenix Arizona, offers highly effective and enjoyable Intensive French courses year-round. Our programs can be custom-designed but normally last for eight days (for all levels). Jean-Paul Setlak teaches all the intensives. He is a native Frenchman and a master linguist who speaks and teaches seven languages. In our Intensive French program, you will be closely guided so that you improve your pronunciation, your capacity to express yourself comfortably in French and your ability to understand normal spoken French. You will learn powerful vocabulary expansion strategies. You will also learn how to move quickly and competently through new grammar.
One of the most crucial and yet elusive tasks at hand when you are learning a Foreign Language is to develop your comprehension in a systematic way. Just exposing yourself to the language will not do it, or we would all learn French simply by walking around the streets of Paris. Yet, you originally learned English without knowing any other language. What made it possible? Well, for one thing, you had nothing but time on your hands laying in your crib or screaming in your playpen. You also had a good staff (Mom and Dad) taking care of your basic needs and wants, allowing you to focus on understanding what was going on around you, and learning communicate with the locals. It still took
Once you are past the tasks of learning basic French sounds, as well as some basic vocabulary and grammar, two new tasks appear before you in a French Intensive course. The first is to speak, the second is to understand. They are both challenging and call on completely different skills. Comprehension, our topic here, lies at the very core of acquiring a new language. What then, are the steps which can facilitate and accelerate your progress in understanding French natives? It is useful to recognize the various levels we go through as we move from absolute non-understanding to full knowledge and command of a language. First you hear a wall of unfamiliar and absolutely incomprehensible sounds. As your familiarity
One of the most challenging things for most people learning French is to actually speak it. This is especially important when you are in an Intensive French course and demands are constantly made on you. So, are there ways to make this easier? Naturally! It is first useful to remember that much of your learning integration is done when you are alone. And fortunately, there are quite a few things you can do by yourself which will gradually develop your confidence and your abilities.
- Practice reading outloud. It improves your pronunciation and your confidence when you speak. This proves vital when you are trying to engage in a conversation with someone.
- Make a list of 20
What are some good ways to study when you when you are in an intensive French course? There are several things you can do which will increase your effectiveness as a student. Naturally, it is best to let the instructor guide you and to follow the flow of the classes. Yet, there are ways you can increase your effectiveness.
- Organize a workable schedule for yourself
- Use effective study techniques
- Review efficiently
Organize a workable schedule for yourself.Make sure that you rest and relax after your sessions. It is important to recuperate from the day's mental effort. It is OK to listen to one one of your audio recordings, but in
When you decide to take an Intensive French course - whether for a week or for 2 months - it is important to prepare yourself mentally and physically. An intensive program is exciting and fun but it also requires a lot of you: mentally, emotionally and physically. There are quite a few things you can do that will help optimize your experience. You do want to get the most out of the experience, before you go back to your normal life.Before the course begins:
- Preparations: Make sure you understand how the course will run. Get all the materials you might need: dictionary, books, cd's, software, etc.). Acquaint yourself with the schedule and any course requirements. Once the course starts
The debate has been running for decades. Should an intensive French course only be taught in French… or should the teacher use English at his or her discretion? When working with children under 10 there is no question that letting nature take its course is the way. Young children will normally pick up a new language in a few months, if they are freely interacting with other children in the new language. It can still be a stressful adjustment for them. What about adults and teenagers?Here the answer depends on the level of the student. The more someone knows, the easier it is to adjust to an intensive French-only environment. For absolute beginners and people who know very little I feel that a wise
An Intensive French course can be an amazing and fulfilling event in someone’s life. It can also be a disappointing one. The key to the quality of experience lies in the quality and effectiveness of the instruction. The fact that your instructor is a native speaker or a professor in no way insures that you will be taught effectively and will come out speaking French acceptably and confidently. It is very useful to understand the 5 vital tasks you will undertake when you begin a French Immersion Program. * You will need to develop good pronunciation so you can be understood and feel good about speaking French. * You will want to quickly develop your vocabulary. Fortunately French is a close cousin of English
