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I meet so many people as a French teacher who say they’ve been “learning French for years,” but still don’t feel confident speaking.
They’ve memorized vocabulary, done all the grammar, and proudly maintain their daily streaks on the most famous apps.
But when it comes to holding a real conversation, they freeze, or avoid it altogether.
And I get it — I’ve been there too.
But here’s the truth that most people won’t tell you:
You can’t learn to speak a language if you never actually speak it.
JUST SPEAK
Language is not something you study — it’s something you live.
We’ve gotten so used to learning behind screens — clicking through exercises, repeating after voice recordings, translating sentences we’ll probably never say in real life.
But real language doesn’t happen in perfectly structured lessons.
It happens in messy, spontaneous, human conversations.
I remember my beginnings in Dubai, and especially my first interview in English…
It was a real challenge for me, because I had never learned English at school.
That’s how babies learn. That’s how we learned our first language.
And that’s exactly how we should learn our second one.
🔍 What the research says
There’s a mountain of studies showing that real interaction is the most effective way to learn a language.
One example:
🧪 A study in The Modern Language Journal found that learners who participated in regular conversations with native speakers improved their fluency by over 30% more than those using traditional methods or apps.
Another study published by Cambridge University Press showed that people who learned in immersive, real-life environments retained 60% more vocabulary and grammar than those using non-immersive methods.
Why?
Because when we speak with real people, we’re not just practicing language — we’re experiencing it.
We’re emotionally involved.
We’re adapting.
We’re understanding tone, rhythm, body language.
And we’re being challenged to respond, not just recall.
💡 The Research is Clear:
You learn French faster and better by speaking with people.
PRACTICE
Immersion isn’t just for travelers anymore.
You don’t need to move to France to be immersed in French.
You just need to talk to people — regularly, naturally, with no pressure to be perfect.
You can create your own French-speaking environment and lifestyle without living in France or Belgium.
When you speak with others — especially native speakers — you stop translating in your head.
You start thinking in French.
You learn how real people express themselves, how they react, how they speak, their accents, familiar expressions, and more.That’s where the magic happens.
That’s when everything clicks.