Is French hard to learn for English speakers?

Before taking the decision to start learning a language, learners often want to know how difficult it will be to achieve fluency.

The hard truth is this: language learning is a challenge. This is true for all languages, from Japanese to Esperanto. But it’s also true that some languages are more challenging than others.

Based on decades of teaching languages to foreign affairs professionals, the United States' Foreign Service Institute has made a categorical ranking of various languages according to how long it takes English-speakers to become fluent. There are five 'categories'. Category 1 is considered the easiest, and includes languages such as Spanish, Dutch and Italian. Category 5 is, on the contrary, the most difficult, and includes languages like Korean, Chinese and Arabic.

So where does French come in the ranking? Newcomers to French will be pleased to discover that French is considered a Category 1 language, meaning it should take around 600 to 750 hours to reach B2/C1 level of the CEFR. That might sound like a lot, but it's a lot less than the 2200 required to learn Category 5 languages.

French is therefore one of the easiest languages for English speakers to learn. And this is testified to by the fact that French is the most popular second language in the UK (not to mention the fact that so many Anglophone celebrities, from Serena Williams to Timothée Chalamet, are fluent in it. George Clooney, not so much.)

Of course, that doesn't mean you can learn 600 hours' worth of French overnight. But with enough practice, and the help of a structured course that guides you from the very basics to the more complex aspects of the language, such as Alexa's Complete French Course, you can achieve your French learning goals in a matter of months.

Below we’ve broken down exactly what makes French easier than other languages for English-speakers to learn, as well as the trickier things that learners trip up on.

Similar vocabulary

Around 30% of English words ultimately come to us via French, and that proportion rises considerably when you only factor in common words. Take the sentence 'Ma famille déteste ce restaurant.' as an example. Even if you don't speak any French, you can probably understand the gist of it.

In fact, just by being able to speak English, you’ll already know many French words - even if you don't realise it. Consider how many French loanwords are used in English, for instance, from mirage to genre to déjà vu.

Watch out for false friends though. These are words which are spelt the same or similarly in both languages, but which have totally different meanings, such as 'chair' (flesh) and 'coin' (corner).

Similar sentence structure

Many French learners take for granted how similar the sentence structures are in English and French. Both languages follow an SVO - subject verb object - structure, for example, which means you don't have to perform grammatical contortions to translate word order from one language to another. (Some of the Category 4 and 5 languages mentioned above have word orders which English speakers struggle with, such as SOV - subject object verb - like Japanese, or even VSO - verb subject object - like Arabic.

There are, however, some slight differences in word order between English and French. For instances, adjectives often come after the noun in French (although not always). But this is relatively easy to get used to.

French is everywhere

French is one of the most spoken languages in the world, with over 300 million speakers worldwide. Add to that the fact that it's spoken as an official language in 26 different countries, and you can get a sense of how easy it is to immerse yourself in a truly francophone environment. Francophone culture is also widespread, with streaming channels like Netflix hosting plenty of French language content, while the French music industry is also undergoing something of a boom. Thanks to the Internet and social media - not to mention the increasingly affordable costs of a plane ticket to Madagascar or Quebec - French language, culture and media are more accessible than ever.

There are endless resources

For more niche languages, finding quality resources and materials can be something of a pain but French is one of the most studied languages in the world, such that in today's age you can attain fluency without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. On the Learn French With Alexa website alone learners have quick and easy access to everything from structured lessons and verb and vocabulary lists to podcasts and live YouTube lessons, including a substantial back catalogue of past live lessons too.

Pronunciation

While many words are the same or similar in both English and French, the pronunciation is often very different, and English speakers in particular struggle with certain French sounds, such as the way the letter 'r' is pronounced. This can catch a lot of learners out when it comes to listening and speaking. Our advice is to watch French video content and listen to audio with subtitles on whenever you can, as it will help you match the written words to the spoken sounds. Once you get used to this, you'll soon enough be able to understand spoken French without the aid of subtitles.

We know it can be difficult to practise pronunciation from the comfort of your own home. And that's why we created our Speaking Practice Classes and Conversation Club. These online speaking classes are the perfect no-pressure environment for putting your speaking skills to the test, allowing you to hone your pronunciation alongside others learners.

Elision and contractions

French is unique in the way that so many words blend together. Often when a learner hears a new word in French, what they're actually hearing is a combination of two familiar words, such as aux (à + les) or d'eau (de + eau), to take just a couple of examples among many. Articles, pronouns and de in particular are elided a lot, so it's worth paying attention to the way these words combine with the words that come after them, especially if those words begin with a vowel or a silent 'h'.

Gender

French nouns have gender, meaning they are masculine or feminine. While this is standard across many languages, this is a foreign concept to many English speakers, who are not used to having to learn the gender of each noun, or having to change the spelling of adjectives to pair with the gender of the noun they describe. That's why we always suggest learning nouns alongside their articles, so you'll never be left wondering whether it's le croissant or la croissant (hint: it's le croissant).

Consistency is key

Learning French is an incremental process, and it will take even a very determined learner months to reach their goals. It can therefore be easy to lose motivation, but by learning and practising consistently you can keep the momentum going. The best way to do this is to keep checking in on a regular schedule that works for you. Subscribe to Alexa's YouTube channel to be notified whenever a new video releases, and sign up to our newsletter for weekly bulletins that will help keep your French learning journey on track.

Find a learning style that works for you

Do you learn best by memorising lists, or by figuring things out as you go along? Do you remember new vocabulary better by reading or hearing it? Every learner is different, and it's best to figure out what works for you before getting knotted up with a learning strategy that isn't tailored to your strengths. If you're not sure what kind of learner you are, make sure to take our test.

At Learn French With Alexa, we have learners of all ages, backgrounds and learning styles, which is why our resources range from video content to podcasts, quizzes and everything in between. The video lessons in Alexa's Complete French Course are designed to be both highly engaging and memorable, while the support guides that come with each lesson are perfect for those who would rather read through lessons at their own pace.

Have fun!

Language learning is a challenge, but it should be an enjoyable and fulfilling one. At Learn French With Alexa we believe that students learn best when they're engaged and actively enjoying the learning process, which is why Alexa injects generous amounts of humour and enthusiasm into each of her lessons. But self-study can be entertaining too. Why not gamify your learning by taking part in our weekly YouTube Community French quizzes, or combine leisure and learning by studying the language as you watch your favourite TV shows?