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6 Creatively Funny Ways I Improved My French Without Apps, Classes, or Netflix
You’ve probably never heard of these.
French didn’t come easy to me.
As a foreigner learning the language in my 30s, I didn’t pick it up as fast as I’d hoped.
I tried French classes (online and in-person), language apps, books, podcasts, and movies.
Nothing gave me what I needed: The confidence to speak French.
It also didn’t help that I lived in Paris, worked from home, and spoke English with my husband. Perfectionism stopped me from trying harder.
So what changed?
In 2020, we moved from Paris to the Normandy countryside, where everyone from my in-laws to the cows spoke French.
Sure, the non-English environment helped. But what truly helped with my spoken and written French were these tiny but mighty ways:
⚡️ Playing loto (or bingo) at the town hall
If you’re a bingo player, then you know one needs to be lightning fast to catch all the numbers. Now, try doing that in French with 3–5 playing cards. Pressure.
❤️ Reading romance ads in the newspaper
