Focus on your specific needs in French
The challenge of learning a foreign language in secondary school is that you have to learn all sorts of vocabulary and expressions that you may or may not have any interest in. For instance, the unit on going to the doctor might not have any appeal to you, or perhaps it’s the chapter on vacations that almost put you to sleep.
As you get older, your interests become even more fine-tuned, or perhaps you face a situation where you need to learn a certain section of a language for your job or academic pursuits. What can you do?
Learn the specialised French vocabulary you need
The best action step is to find a French language school that offers specialised French learning, flexible lessons that respond to the needs of the students, in one-on-one sessions live or online with a teacher that can guide you in your narrow track of interest.
For example, if you are seeking to develop your culinary talents in France, you will want to learn extensive vocabulary in that area, not medical terms. A multi-faceted language school can help you to meet that need.
Similarly, if you want to live in France or another francophone country as you pursue a career in the fashion industry, units that focus on that unique world will need to be taught.
Choosing the right school to learn specialized French
Many language schools do not offer specialised French learning of any type. They are curriculum driven, not student driven. They cannot respond to particular needs that the students have, and they have found success in delivering the same course in the same way for many years.
Today, that approach has a limited appeal, as more and more people want to learn French, but only as a means to an end in some cases. They want to learn French as it relates to fashion or investment or academic research.
It can be difficult to find a school that is student driven and not governed by a set curriculum, but once you do find that type of institution, you should enrol as soon as possible if the subject area you are seeking is covered.
Specialised French learning will continue to grow as more people become foodies, fashion continues to grow and multinational corporations keep expanding.