Not everybody has fixed hours each week to sit down and learn French. You have little time to dedicate to improving your French and want results now. All this without the boring methods and lists of vocabulary to learn by heart. 90% of the words you are trying desperately to memorize, you will use… once.
Leave all this nonsense behind.
There are easy ways to understand + take confidence in your French to chat with the locals.
And you won’t need more than 5 minutes a day. They’re just one click away.
Let me show you how.
Listen to the horoscope every morning on the radio.
First, try to figure out when the speaker talks about your astrological sign.
Then, days later, focus on what topic she’s talking about: health? money? love?
Then, focus on understanding what her prediction is for you.
Later, try to focus on your friends horoscope.
Take it slowly, it might take you days to figure out what your horoscope is.
As it is something coming back each morning, in the same order, and it is « personal », it is a great challenge to join. No need to take the prediction for granted. It is not the point here, of course.
This tip was given to you by my friend Christina from the US. Thanks girl!
Read out loud 3 « 20 secondes » articles from 20 minutes
The other free newspaper Metro works perfectly as well with the « En Bref » category. 
Reading out loud is perfect to check which words you master and which are still in progress. I used to read phrases from articles, interviews, book covers in English… everything.
Remember that you can perfectly whisper in a noisy crowd or read at home.
By reading a little everyday, you will improve your prononciation and your pace. Try to read faster and faster. And keep the difficult words behind.
Watch the news on ITele or BFMTV
ITele and BFMTV are news channel and broadcast the same 10 minutes news flash every hour (every 15 minutes in the morning and evening!).
What’s key here is that you will hear the same over and over again. They mostly use the same words and phrases all day.
So by watching 5 minutes, focusing on the first event (then the second, then later, the third, etc.), you will get used to the tone, the same words and improve your comprehension. The news flash is always an easy way to learn as you can re-watch it later, almost identical. Perfect.
French short programs
While the news will help your comprehension of formal French, French short programs will help you with familiar French.
Check out :
- Un gars, une fille
- Bref (on Canal+)
- le zapping (on Canal+)
- Dans la bouche (on Canal+)
- Norman fait des vidéos
- Kaamelott (on M6)
I’ve already told you about a few of them here. While Le zapping is about the news, the others are all fictions.
Dans la bouche is a new program on Canal+ and presents phrases that French use on moments such as dating, the « rentrée », « back from holidays »… I like it and will probably use it with my students soon.
French short comics
The easiest way to improve your French 5 minutes a day is to follow a few amazing « blogs BD ». BD stands for « bande dessinée » meaning: comics.
Check them out and you will love:
- Boulet
- Penelope Bagieu
- Margaux Motin
- Bambiii
- Sanaa K
Le Chat (de Philippe Geluck) is more advanced with complex jokes. Check it out. It is very very good and almost everybody knows its books.
Pick one and improve your French 5 minutes a day, in the morning. What about practicing for a week and celebrating with an éclair au chocolat? And going for 2 weeks, and celebrating again?
Share the article with your friends, pick the same habit and you will celebrate together!
Allez hop! C’est parti !
Géraldine