6 Your goals

Before you embark on your language learning journey, think about what it will entail, and consider your goals.

What will you find challenging? For example, you might have negative memories from school about learning vocabulary and dread the thought of memorising long lists of words. Of course, learning a new language will inevitably involve remembering words and phrases – but you will receive some practical tips and advice which can help with that. As you work through this course, you will discover that there’s more to learning French than simply recalling vocabulary, and there are plenty of other aspects that will make your studies interesting and rewarding.

Learning French will take some time and commitment, so it’s important to maintain your enthusiasm and motivation. Keep sight of your personal goals while studying, and the situations in which you could use your French. Whether you just want to learn a few words and facts about France, or you’re aiming to become fluent and move to a French-speaking country, there is no such thing as a bad reason to learn French!

Maximise

Figure 6 Where will French take you?

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This image contains various circles, which each list a situation where you might use your French skills. These are: visit your friend in Senegal; ski in the Alps; tour the Loire valley; add a skill to your CV; accept a job in Montreal; keep your memory active; win a bet; talk to your new French grandchild.

Figure 6 Where will French take you?

To finish off this first week of study, take some time to recap and think ahead in more detail about your own goals and challenges.