Picking up a language is often made to seem a lot harder than it is, but with a little bit of structure anyone at any age can do it. For a language like French, a person can achieve a level of fluency where they can function independently in under a year, and it becomes even easier once a person understands what the baseline measure for “fluency”. Understanding how a person’s French-speaking abilities are ranked makes the learning experience tangible. Starting with three letters, “A”, “B”, and “C”, each letter has an upper level (1) and a lower level (2). Then understanding what each numbered letter signifies is a good starting point for understanding what it takes for someone to be “fluent” in French.
Understanding the “A 1/2”, “B 1/2”, and “C” levels of French.
The A1 level in French is the starting level and achieving it takes between 50-100 hours of studying, a vocabulary of 500-700 words, and between 1-3 months of consistent study. This level is where a person develops basic abilities for everyday interactions, but still require assistance with French. They can understand simple expressions related to greetings, personal descriptions, and asking for simple information, and can read and understand some words and basic sentences. They can also write basic sentences and fill out forms with personal details.
The A2 level in French is the level just before someone is considered independent in French and requires somewhere between 150-200 hours, a vocabulary of 1000 to 1500 words, and between 3-6 months of consistent study. This level is best viewed as an elementary level of French where a person can handle slightly structured conversations and can write simple sentences. They can understand the most common phrases and expressions related to everyday life like personal and family information, shopping, and employment. They can engage in simple French exchanges on familiar topics and can handle exchanges even if they do not understand the entirety of a sentence. They can write short sentences and messages related to immediate needs.
Next is the B1 level in French: the level of French where someone is considered independent and fluent enough to function in a French environment. This level takes between 350-400 hours, around 2,000-2,500 words, and between 6-12 months of consistent study. This is viewed as an intermediate level of French speaking where a person can handle everyday situations, express their opinions, and speak about things with a degree of fluency. They can understand main points on familiar matters and activities like work, school, and leisure, and can follow straightforward conversations and instructions. They can also read and understand straightforward text on topics related to personal interests and can pick out the main ideas in different texts. They can handle travelling to French-speaking areas and unforeseen situations like asking for directions.
The B2 level in French is the level before someone is considered advanced and proficient in French and it approximately takes between 500-600 hours, a vocabulary of around 4,000 words and between 1-2 years of consistent study. This is the “upper-intermediate” level of French speaking where a person has significant independence with the language and can discuss and understand more complex and abstract topics. They can understand longer speeches and lectures and most French programs and television as well as longer and more complex French texts. Speaking with a degree of fluency without much strain, they can give clear arguments and can discuss a wide range of subjects ranging from personal to professional interests.
The C level of French also has two levels, C1 and C2. Both levels require close to 1000 hours, a vocabulary of around 10,000 words, and around 3 years of consistent study. This level of French is viewed as being a native French-speaking level where a person can adapt to any situation and understand all the French they come across.
Leveraging the world’s biggest library and AI-powered tutoring.
One of the greatest advantages of learning in 2024, compared to the decade prior, is that tools like YouTube and ChatGPT have morphed into digital post-secondary institutions and like PhD-level educators on some topics. Both tools are available to everyone and at little to no cost. YouTube provides an avenue for subject matter experts to share their expertise and knowledge through the platform, and they often end up interacting with their audience in the comment section – replicating some of the post-secondary learning experience. ChatGPT is arguably the most knowledgeable educator and mentor the digital world has brought into existence. Although some critics have pointed out that ChatGPT can err with some of the information it provides, that is only an issue if someone is using the tool as a starting point for the learning experience and has no familiarity on a topic.
For example, on the topic of foreign aid, ChatGPT once wrongly suggested that US President John F. Kennedy had given a speech on how the former Yugoslavia was the recipient of six times the amount of foreign aid than all of Latin America and that the speech was done to point out the need for the equal distribution of foreign aid. However, I ended up correcting ChatGPT by pointing out how President John F. Kennedy had highlighted how Yugoslavia received 15 times the amount foreign aid than was provided to all of Latin America and that this was done to decouple the country from joining the Soviet Bloc, and ChatGPT corrected itself.
Most of the complaints about ChatGPT are only limitations if someone attempts to bypass the hard work it takes to become acquainted with a topic and make themselves something they are not. Otherwise, it is probably the greatest learning support that has ever existed.
Becoming Quebecois…
Most of the French learning courses offered by organizations in Canada are being provided remotely, so learning an official language should be more accessible, yet somehow there are limitations. Whether someone qualifies for the subsidized learning opportunities that are available depends on where that person lives in Canada and that person’s “status”. What makes Quebec the most “French-friendly” province, besides the fact that it is a French-speaking province, is that it offers subsidized French learning courses to everyone who wants to learn French, including anglophones and other non-French speakers. Whereas other provinces tend to prioritize subsidized language learning opportunities only for newcomers to Canada (who are eligible to take both English and French learning courses), Quebec provides an equal opportunity to every Canadian who wants to learn French and lives in Quebec.
Comparing Canada to other European Union (EU) countries, who often have one official language while promoting the importance of fluency across multiple languages, those countries provide subsidized learning opportunities for anyone interested in learning the different languages that make up the EU. These languages include English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian, and it is quite common for people living in many EU countries to be fluent in at least three languages. If EU countries can provide access to language learning opportunities for a number of different languages to their residents, then Canada and its provinces should be able to do the same for the French language.