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Learn Basic French in Durban

Did you know that the French language is spoken by over 274 million people across the world?

Not only that, but it is actually the official language in 29 nations and is the third most widely-spoken international language. Those are pretty amazing facts and should be enough of an incentive to want to learn basic French!

If you are residing in Durban, you have as many opportunities as anyone living anywhere else to either improve your French or simply learn French phrases to see you through an important holiday or business trip. Whether you are interested in basic French classes or whether your goal is to be able to add French as a second language to your curriculum vitae, you have plenty of options.   

Apart from the language schools in Durban where you could do group French classes, Superprof is host to many private French tutors who could either give you lessons in the privacy of your own home, or even online.

Simply search by location, and if there is no one near you, you could opt for online lessons with a Superprof tutor from almost anywhere in the world. Technology has made education unbelievably easy and accessible these days. All you need is a reliable internet connection and a webcam and you could be well on your way!

Why Everyone Should Learn French Phrases

Today, in South Africa, there are great many French-speaking people who have settled from other African Countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali, Burundi and so many others. For this reason, learning basic French would make a helpful addition to any of your other second languages because South Africa is fast becoming a great melting pot for many African nationalities many of which are French-speaking.

Apart from the opportunities that understanding French could give you in South Africa, it is almost essential to learn French phrases if you intend to travel, study or work internationally. No matter where you go in the world, if you understand either basic French or basic English, you will always be able to call a taxi, order coffee, or find your way home.

Whatever your reasons for enrolling in basic French classes or simply wanting to learn a few French phrases, it is an excellent goal and there are plenty of tutors in Durban to help get you started.  

Find Basic French Teachers in Durban

Once you have decided to learn French, there are many ways you could go about it.

We have already mentioned the Superprof option which offers both online or face-to-face tuition. The added bonus of signing up on a platform like this is that many of the tutors offer their first lesson as an introductory trial. This means that you can discuss your goals, ask them about their teaching style and see if your personalities gel before you commit!

Many people prefer private one-on-one lessons, especially when it comes to complex subjects like languages. While group classes have their benefits, a student can often get left behind if the teacher is forced to move through a prescribed syllabus in a certain time frame. However, the advantage of private tuition is that you can set your own pace, this is most helpful when it comes to learning a new language like basic French.

If you would like to learn French phrases online, your options are numerous. You could use YouTube to learn basic French or even download a basic French learning app onto your smartphone. It all depends on your personal goals for understanding French and how serious about it you would like to be.   

If you need to read, write and understand French because you are immigrating to a French-speaking country, or if you are intending to live, work or study in a place like France, then the advantages of opting for private French teachers are numerous.

Not only will you and your tutor decide on the pace of your lessons, but you will also be able to concentrate on the areas of your lessons where you are struggling. Once you have moved on from basic French and understand that every noun is either masculine or feminine for instance, you might need more help with your pronunciation, how to conjugate verbs or other more complex grammatical topics.  

Learning French at School

The demand to learn basic French has become so high that some South African schools actually include it as a subject in the main syllabus. Alternatively, more and more parents are turning to private tutors to add basic French lessons as an extra-curricular subject to their children’s education. Before enrolling your child in school it is always worth finding out what language subjects they offer.

Find a French Language Buddy 

If you don’t feel the need to add French to your formal education, finding a language buddy is one of the most effective and fun ways to learn French phrases, improve your basic French and have fun at the same time. 

As we have already mentioned, there are many French-speaking people living in South Africa. Why not befriend one to mutually benefit each other? They can teach you French and you can teach them one of South Africa’s 11 official languages!

You could even go about finding a language buddy by finding an online French-speaking pen pal.

If you have met a French-speaking person either in South Africa or on your travels, stay in touch via WhatsApp, Facebook messenger or email and see it as an opportunity to learn French phrases and even learn basic French.

The trick is to make sure that you are both committed to learning each other’s language.

A few fun ways to get going with helping each other would be to pick a weekly grammar theme, like adjectives or verbs to add to your conversations, or to pick a vocabulary theme. This could end up being educational, humorous and a great way to grow both your friendship and basic French.   

Whichever way you decide to learn French phrases or even sign up for formal basic French classes, you will never regret having another language under your belt, especially one as useful as French! Bonne chance!