There are so many factors to consider when thinking about Fluency (hence, the 1,600 word article).
First, I will present a "scale" of fluency, then we'll get into the
details of how long and how difficult the road ahead would be. To start
on the same page, almost everybody has a different idea of what that
fluency means. Sadly, what most people consider "fluent", is really the
definition of the word literate. Fluency is the ability to communicate (speak, read, write, listen, etc..) in French effortlessly and correctly... without extensive thought towards syntax. While literacy
means the ability to communicate and be understood (however, it
requires more conscious thought). You can gauge yourself from the
fluency scale provided below:
Fluency Scale:
Beginner: (Tourist Class)
 |
| Je n'aurais jamais cru que vous vouliez apprendre le français. |
A beginner is limited with vocabulary and grammar. Beginners may know simple greetings and phrases (Hello, how are you? what's your name? how old are you? etc...).
They also know numbers, can usually tell time, and talk about the
weather. Beginners can ask simple questions about other people (small
talk), and express a sense of like and dislike. They may be able to talk
to natives with extreme difficulty, and often with aides such as a
pocket dictionary or memorization of phrases. Understanding natives is
also difficult for beginners in an everyday environment. If spoken to
slowly and directly (with conscience effort from a native), a beginner
may fair well. Beginners can typically read "everyday signs" such as "no
parking", "no smoking", "keep left", etc... However, reading or writing
long texts is difficult. An immersion situation would be difficult for a beginner.
Intermediate: (Survivor)
An intermediate language learner can construct phrases and statements.
They can utilize phrases that deal with time, weather, location,
desires, and dislikes with little to no difficulty. Intermediate
speakers can use the present, past, and future tenses, however they
still make errors. They can understand native speakers on certain
topics, when spoken to directly. Intermediate learners can have simple
transactions in shops, can order something to eat, and can use public
transportation. They have sufficient vocabulary to deal with day to day
topics, and can describe themselves (hobbies, backgrounds, personal
experiences). These speakers can read familiar topics and get the gist
about what occurs in a television show or film. Intermediate learners
can survive in an immersion situation; however, they may still have difficulty understanding natives (and sometimes are hesitant to interact).
Advanced: (Skilled Survivor)
An advanced learner can understand normal forms of media (TV, films,
radio, newspapers, music) with little trouble. They can maintain
conversation with natives and even be a part of conversations within
noisy environments (i.e, more than one speaker or literal background
noise). These learners can construct many sentences correctly, and
change with a conversation. They have no trouble with the present, past,
future, conditional, and imperfect tenses. They may still have some
trouble with the subjunctive, but can recognize its use. Advanced
learners can use phrases like "that's difficult to answer" to buy time
and formulate what to say. They can also keep track of "favorite
mistakes" and monitor them from time to time, or correct themselves when
a Native doesn't fully understand. Advanced learners can handle reading
long, constructed French articles, books, directions, etc. with little
difficulty. For example, read this "advanced-level" passage by Flaubert out loud and really test how much you know: Madame Bovary [extrait].
Advanced French learners can create short, clear narratives or
compositions, and can debate a topic both on paper or by speech. They
have a knack for picking up vocabulary within context, and know some
specialized vocabulary for familiar topics. Advanced learners are
confident with at least some aspects of their language, and can survive
in an immersion
situation with little to no difficulty. These speakers are technically
"literate" and have the ability to communicate with Natives almost effortlessly.
Fluent: (Literate Individual)
A fluent learner can understand all forms of media, converse with
natives, be understood, and figure out context with little to no
difficulty. They can talk in vibrant situations and can express
themselves with an advanced vocabulary. They understand a good amount of
slang terms and idioms, and use them appropriately. They have a good
accent (although it may not necessarily be native) and can understand
some dialects. They are capable of reading long texts, sometimes having
to look up a word or two at most. Fluent learners can express themselves
in writing, where their language skills do not hold them back. A fluent
speaker could live in an immersion setting, because they essentially have the tools to communicate with those around them on a daily basis.
Native: (Mother Tongue)
The language is either your first, or you've been speaking it for the
majority of your childhood. You understand vocabulary, you can make
conversation effortlessly, and you can read and write. You do not have a
"foreign" accent, and you can understand dialects. This language is
yours.
Fluency depends on several factors. Living
in an area where French is predominantly spoken and you can have a good
handling of the language within a year or two, this situation is called
immersion. If
you aren't living in a Francophone area (such as France or Québec for
example), then Fluency could take anywhere from 5 to 10 years, (or
more!) depending on these other factors:
- The age when you first started speaking French. The earlier it's introduced, the better.
- How much effort and time
you put into learning French. Practicing everyday versus weekly...
taking formal classes, quality of said classes. Think about this,
somebody who spends an hour a day should learn more than a person who
commits an hour a week.
- How capable you
are at learning another language. Some people just have a natural
talent, or better methods of language learning. There are people out
there who can easily speak four, five, or six different languages...
then there are those who struggle at their mother tongue.
Let me add that although age may slow down your language learning
abilities or it may not hinder you at all. You are NEVER too young or
too old to start a new language. Hell, I just started learning Italian
to impress my Italian girlfriend and it's so similar to French. Some
people might be starting French as their 2nd or 3rd romance language -
they know the rules, the vocabulary is similar... it may be quite easy
because they have the experience with understanding other languages.
Regardless, isn't Fluency just a title? I like to say I could speak both
French and English... even though, I will gladly admit that I'm not
fluent (I am ranked as a C1 French speaker, a.k.a between advanced and
fluent, according to the guidelines utilized in Europe). Proficiency is a
way for humans to try and quantitatively measure your language skills -
certain levels of proficiency may be required or desired for certain
employed positions. Otherwise, how do we know if Sophie is a better
French Speaker than Jean?
How hard is it to become fluent in French? Well,
let me say that it can be quite difficult at first. You literally go
from gaining words and phrases (like a baby) to becoming a "French
Adult" throughout the whole process. You may get frustrated. You may get impatient. You may get tired. You may
quit. However, obviously I'll suggest that you stick with it! Trust me,
eventually you'll have enough vocabulary that if you stumble upon a
word you don't know then you can figure out the context. But, learning
French is difficult... there are many nuances and differences to how the
French language is setup as opposed to English. Thinking that the
journey ahead is going to be easy would be foolish.
How long to be French fluent? If
you're thinking "six months", then you have to wake up and smell the
coffee. Practicing everyday is the best way to get better. Without
living in a Francophone country and assuming you're taking formal
classes, I would estimate that it'll take at least five years (recognize the at least part) to become "fluent". There are tons of n
oun
genders, verb conjugations, and pronunciation subtlties which need to
be learned - let alone sentence construction and vocabulary... the
French language isn't something you just breeze through. Now, if you
want to be "conversational" or "literate" as discussed at the start of
this article, an intermediate level can be obtainable at roughly one or
two years of studying well. A beginner level can be obtained from
anywhere between 3 to 6 months all the way to two years depending on how
effective your learning is.
I would
advise that if you don't have the time commitment to learning French,
then you need to figure that out now. Let me add that learning isn't
something that you just do and then stop; languages are constantly
evolving, and there's always so much more to learn! If you're happy with
just being able to communicate well, then
it's
possible to do so within two years to three years. Being totally
serious, I've been learning English all my life and there's still words
out there that I don't know... To me, there's no time concern with
learning French because I'm a French learner for life and you should be
one too.
If you're going to learn French in a half-ass fashion, then your French will always be substandard, that's just the reality.
So yes, it is hard work; but I'm here to help. This website provides a
French Language Learning section and Online French Resources to advance in the right direction.
If you have any comments, I'd love to hear them below.
**THE
ESTIMATED TIME OF ACHIEVEMENT is for monolingual English speakers who
plan on taking Formal French Classes while using some extra resources.
Of course the times are approximate and vary depending on individual
language acquisition, quality of the language course instruction,
supplemental effort by the individual, amount of practicing etc...
Independent Speaker B1 Threshold or intermediate
