I’m a serious Francophile, especially when it comes to French movies. Cheese, baguettes, wine? Those are all icing on the cake! Recently I convinced some friends of mine to commit to a trip to France. I was planning to take some time away from my business. And I found some great prices for plane tickets that depart in two months. However, I don’t speak French. Therefore, I wanted to learn how to speak a new language fast.
I want more than anything to be able to communicate in French just as I’ve seen in all my favorite French flicks. Plus, for some reason I have a reputation among my friends that I can speak French. This was totally not true. I certainly never pretended to know how to speak French. I just love the language and culture.
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Maybe I’m Not Good at Learning a New Language
In preparation for my trip, I downloaded a highly rated French language app. Although the animations were cute, it felt more like entertainment. Plus, it wasn’t very informative. After a couple of lessons, I decided the app wasn’t going to position me to communicate with French speakers during my trip. I guess on some level, I also thought perhaps the failure was on me. Perhaps I’m just not very good at learning a new language. In any case, I abandoned the app.
Enter OptiLingo
A few days later a friend recommended OptiLingo. My friend explained that it uses an effective learning method called “guided immersion.” I gave the program a try. Within the very first lesson, I was speaking French. Unlike the other app or other language programs I’ve used in the past, this process is much more intuitive. The lessons are laid out so that I learn new words not just by their definition, but by when and how they are used.
Since I love the French culture, this program is right up my alley. As I study my lessons, I get to learn a new language and dive deeper into the culture that I love so much at the same time.
How It Works
OptiLingo uses a unique five-day study plan in which you learn new material and review the oldest previously learned material each day. In this way, I’m able to continually refresh my memory on lessons the program has already introduced. I never feel pressured to commit any words to memory. That’s because I know that I’ll have a chance to review the material again down the road. This lightens the mood during each lesson. I feel free to simply enjoy the material. And since so much of the content is framed around everyday French culture, I feel like I’m already getting a taste of what’s to come when I do finally embark on my trip to France.
And Now, Bonjour!
The other day, I watched one of my favorite French movies, The 400 Blows. I surprised myself with how much I understood! I’m so happy I decided to go with this program. I now think I’ll be in a good position when it comes time to say, “Bonjour!” in France.
Update: The folks at OptiLingo are extending a special offer to our readers. Follow this link to get started for just $9.99.