Why you haven’t learned French

Still stuck at the beginner's level?

When I started French With Frédéric, I wrote a series of “pep talks” — articles in English designed to give you a strong foundation in learning French. These articles are available to my members.

I thought it was time to write a new pep talk addressing a common problem I’ve noticed among French learners.

Why you haven’t learned French

Sometimes, though not often, people who join French With Frédéric tell me that our classes are too difficult. They may feel discouraged and look for something simpler to help them achieve their goal of speaking French.

I offer classes on a wide range of topics, including plenty of material for beginners, but just not for complete beginners.

When we talk about language levels, most people refer to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), which categorizes abilities into three main levels (A, B, C), each further divided into sub-levels.

• A1 is the complete beginner level. At this stage, you will learn basic phrases and expressions, how to introduce yourself, ask and answer simple questions, and interact in a very basic way with patient speakers.

• A2 is the beginner level. You can handle everyday tasks such as shopping or giving simple directions, and talk about familiar topics like family or work using short phrases.

• B1 is intermediate. You can engage in more complex conversations, describe experiences, in the present, past and future, and express opinions on familiar topics.

• B2 is upper intermediate. This is the level most people have in mind when they say, “I want to become fluent or conversational.” At a B2 level, you can interact with a good degree of fluency, although you may still make some mistakes.

• C1 is advanced. You can use the language for social, academic, or professional purposes, and understand more implicit meanings. Reading novels or non-fiction books shouldn’t be a problem.

• C2 is mastery. Few people actually need to reach this level. The main characteristics of C2 are the richness of your vocabulary, your ability to understand implicit meanings and humor, and your command of written language.

My classes start at an A2 level. I believe that group classes or even private lessons are not the most effective way to complete the A level. That’s why I designed French With Frédéric the way I did: to propel learners to a true intermediate and advanced level.

So, if you find yourself struggling with the basics of French—if you still can’t handle simple conversations or participate in discussion groups on focused topics—it means one thing: you haven’t yet moved beyond the beginner stage

Why you never got past the beginner’s level

Let’s take a look at some common reasons why learners get stuck at the beginner stage.

But first, let’s set something straight:

The beginner level is, by definition, the easiest to complete.

In language learning, each level becomes progressively more challenging.

This is why we often talk about the intermediate plateau.

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What is the intermediate plateau?

It’s the very real challenge that many language learners face when trying to move from an intermediate to an advanced level. Many learners feel stuck at the intermediate level for years.

Interestingly, we don’t often talk about a beginner’s plateau.

This doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist for some people. However, with the right guidance, getting past the beginner stage shouldn’t be a problem for anyone.

If you haven’t, it may be due to one of the following reasons.

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You wanted a quick solution

Many French learners look for an easy solution to master conversational French. They’re tempted by the promises of hucksters online who sell quick and easy methods. Some try to learn the language on their phone, squeezing in practice between scrolling Instagram or getting distracted by something else.

Others attempt to do too much, too soon.

You tried to “buy” your way to fluency

It’s tempting to believe that spending more money guarantees better results.

In many cases, this is true. For example, taking piano lessons from a true master is likely more effective than learning from YouTube videos.

But when it comes to learning French, progressing through the beginner level is primarily about the time you spend engaging with the language.

You can certainly achieve this on your own or with the best teacher in the world. However, the bottom line is this: if you don’t put in the time, you won’t see results, no matter how great your teacher or course may be.

You used Duolingo or other similar apps

I know, I know… some of you love Duolingo (or similar apps).

But hear me out.

When I was teaching as a private tutor, I noticed a strange pattern. Every time a new student told me they had been using Duolingo for several months, their level was almost indistinguishable from someone who had done absolutely nothing in that time frame.

In other words, there wasn’t much difference between those who said, “I spent three months on Duolingo,” and those who admitted, “I just started last week.”

Curious about the hype, I decided to try Duolingo myself. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. The material lacks logical progression, and language learning is about more than just memorizing words and phrases—it’s also about understanding culture and context, which Duolingo doesn’t integrate well.

Not to mention, learning on a smartphone isn’t particularly effective for the obvious reason that smartphones are a constant source of distractions.

I’ll go on a bigger rant against Duolingo in a separate article, because I have a lot to say, but let’s move on for now.

You tried skipping “doing the work” and jumped straight to input

You may have heard of the theory of comprehensible input, developed by linguist Stephen Krashen. It’s become very popular in the language learning community.

In a nutshell, this theory suggests that we learn a language more effectively by understanding it first. In other words, we need a lot of input in the language, provided it’s at a level we can understand.

However, one common mistake beginners make is jumping straight into input while skipping the “comprehensible” part. They dive into movies, series, and YouTube videos in the language without first building a strong foundation of vocabulary—something that is best acquired using a graded method.

You haven’t persevered

Finally, the most common reason people don’t get past the beginner level in French is that they give up after a few weeks or months.

Just like you wouldn’t expect to learn a musical instrument, like the guitar, by practicing intermittently for a couple of months, learning a new language requires time and commitment.

But how much time, exactly?

The 1-2 Solution

This might be a cold shower of reality for some, but I often say that learning a language takes one hour a day for two years—hence the 1-2 Solution.

But before you close this page and stop reading, hear me out for a minute.

I’m not pulling this number out of thin air.

• First, the U.S. government and its Foreign Service Institute (FSI) rank languages into four categories for English speakers.

• French, like many European languages, falls into the easiest Group 1.

• It’s estimated that Group I languages (like French) require 600-750 class hours to reach a B2 level. (In my opinion, it’s closer to a B1, but that’s another debate.)

• One hour a day for two years equals 730 hours, so we’re right on target with the FSI’s recommendations.

When I was learning languages actively, I certainly put in that much time. In fact, I often followed the 2-2 Solution: two hours a day for two years.

But I won’t dispute that reaching a conversational level in French takes a significant amount of time.

And now, we have a number for that time: 730 hours.

Have you spent 730 hours learning French using methods that actually work?

I’m not saying it takes exactly 730 hours to learn French to a conversational level. It takes much less time to complete the A1 and A2 levels. Plus, each learner is different.

This can go faster for a number of reasons

• If you’ve learned French in the past, even if it was in high school and you think you've forgotten it, you can usually recall a lot of information and cut this number by a significant percentage.

• If you speak another Romance language (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, etc.), you can learn French faster.

• If French is not your second language, but your third, fourth, or fifth language, you’ll make faster progress, because language learning in itself is a skill — even with completely unrelated languages.

But my point is that you still have to put in the time, whether it’s 400 hours or 700 hours (the exact amount doesn’t matter). What we know for sure is that it’s not 15 hours here and there on Duolingo, or trying different methods without sticking to any of them.

The big advantage of being a beginner is that you’ll see results quickly! Going from zero to completing the beginner’s level is much faster than progressing from an intermediate to an advanced level.

So, in conclusion, if you feel stuck at the beginner’s level, it’s probably because you haven’t implemented a solid strategy and stuck with it.

With a little dedication and patience, a wonderful world awaits you.

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Want to learn more? Read this next article

How to learn French in one year, starting from nothing