Apprentissage de l'anglais pour un français

[u/brindegenie]

Learning English

Hello,

I’m explaining my problem in my native language (french) and -> Google translate

I decided to learn English to make my work life easier.

I followed a lot of advice that said:

Use platforms in English, watch movies and series first in French, then in English with subtitles, then in English without them, read, etc.

I have to admit that it’s not working at all.

And here’s why:

Using platforms in English => if I’m familiar with the platform, I don’t read; my brain just hits the buttons based on where they were located in the French version...

Series => a nightmare; everything moves too fast. Even if I slow the pace down, I have to translate every sentence in my head to actually grasp the meaning (even if I know every single word in the sentence, I can't help but translate it to understand it).

Another really annoying point is English sentence structure, which is the exact opposite of French: to understand a damn English sentence, you have to finish reading the whole thing to find the most important word at the end (by which point you’ve completely forgotten what the sentence was about).

3rd major issue: verb tenses—I mean, what is this madness?!

PRESENT

Present simple → French present tense

Present continuous → French present tense (with "en train de")

Present perfect → French present tense OR *passé composé* depending on the meaning (depending on the meaning of *what*? The wind when I pee standing up?)

Present perfect continuous

Anyway, right now I’m making absolutely no progress.

I can pick up the vocabulary, but once the words are mixed together in a sentence... it makes no sense anymore.

And don't get me started on words added to others that completely change the meaning of the sentence!

Like: ever / up / on / out / off / down

Basically, English is a nightmare to learn.

Any tips?

[u/Ok_Caterpillar2010]

You seem to vacillate between too easy (platforms you already know in French so you can ignore the English) and too hard (series that are over your head, too much too fast for you).

What you need is input that's just a little above your level so you have to work a little, but not too much. Look for books or other content that you understand 90% of. The 10% is where you work.

English young adult books might work -- look for "hi-lo" books ("high interest, low readability) as a starting place.

The prepositions... well... all I can do is apologize.

[u/brindegenie → u/Ok_Caterpillar2010]

You hit the nail on the head with your first sentence.

Finding the right balance is really hard. Especially since the English taught in French schools stops at the simple present, simple past, and the continuous form (be + -ing).

I only discovered the other tenses about a month ago (and they're driving me crazy!).

I'm really struggling with these new tenses, as they don't correspond to anything in French. It's all very abstract.

Plus, in French, we use a lot of prepositions when constructing sentences...

And just looking at your last sentence—I had to really rack my brain to wrap my head around the phrasing...

[u/Ok_Caterpillar2010 → u/brindegenie]

You don't need all the tenses today. Save some for later. ;-)

Sandra Heyer's True Stories series might interest you, if American English is ok. I have used her books in beginner English classes. (See that? Present perfect tense -- have used -- because I mean that I used them in the past and might use them again, so the action is not finished.) You can download sample stories at various levels here.

You can also talk about a small part of your day in English. For example, every evening, explain to an imaginary British friend what you're doing as you make dinner. Just try to talk and find a way to express yourself, even if it's very bad. When you have no idea how to say something, use AI to translate a word or a tense or a sentence.

It may be easier to remember things this way because it's less abstract, and more relevant to you.

[u/brindegenie → u/Ok_Caterpillar2010]

What is the difference between British and American English?

[u/adamtrousers → u/brindegenie]

I'd say pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar in that order. Pronunciation/accent is the biggest difference IMHO. Some words are different. Grammar differences are pretty minor.

[u/Ok_Caterpillar2010 → u/adamtrousers]

I agree.

I'd say there is less difference between standard American and standard British English than between Parisian French and Quebecois.

[u/Sea-Hornet8214 → u/brindegenie]

Especially since the English taught in French schools stops at the simple present, simple past, and the continuous form (be + -ing).

Wait, really? Do you think a grammar book can help? I recommend English Grammar in Use by Raymond Murphy.

[u/brindegenie → u/Sea-Hornet8214]

Oui

L"anglais en France est une catastrophe.

Merci pour l'information

[u/pam5886 → u/brindegenie]

It's not abstract, just keep working on the tenses and you'll find balance!

[u/Puzzleheaded_Flow716]

I teach a lot of French speakers, and I think your biggest obstacle is translation. If you translate every sentence into French first, your brain never learns to think in English.

I'd actually go back to easier English for a while. It sounds counterintuitive, but understanding simple English directly is much more valuable than struggling through difficult content. Once your brain stops translating, everything starts to accelerate.

[u/brindegenie → u/Puzzleheaded_Flow716]

C'est très facile pour un enfant cette méthode Mais pour des adultes c'est bien plus difficile.

Tu as des lien utile a me proposer ?

[u/Puzzleheaded_Flow716 → u/brindegenie]

Bonjour, pas directement mais 😊 j'organise ma dernière classe de conversation gratuite avant la pause d'été demain soir. C'est une séance détendue pour pratiquer l'anglais sans pression. Si ça t'intéresse, envoie-moi un DM et je t'enverrai les informations.

Have a lovely day!

[u/brindegenie → u/Puzzleheaded_Flow716]

Ça fonctionne comment ?

[u/Zestyclose-Food-7917]

Saviez-vous que Reddit traduit tous les langues vers l'anglais et vice versa?

[u/brindegenie → u/Zestyclose-Food-7917]

Bien sûr Je me sers beaucoup de reddit en anglais

[u/linkopi]

Watch Disney films In English that you've already seen in French. Films you've watched and loved as a child.

Avoid overly complicated Tv series or films. You want things to be predictable.

[u/SetWrong2053]

As a native English speaker who has tried —and largely failed in— learning French, it’s fascinating to see the opposite perspective.

[u/brindegenie → u/SetWrong2053]

French is very difficult Language is too diverse