Communicating in Corsica
Though there are several tour companies based in the UK, Canada and the US, you may be able to reduce some of your travel costs by making your own travel arrangements or customize your vacation more easily if you have a basic knowledge of French.

The majority of the locals do not speak English but you will likely find English speakers at the airports, hotels, and tourist offices in Corsica.

Even if you stay at an all-inclusive resort with a multi-lingual staff like ClubMed (there are two vacation villages in Corsica), being able to rent a car and explore a place on your own and mingle with the locals can be a rewarding and life changing experience.

Common Roots
Believe it or not, there are about 4000 French words that have the same spelling and meaning in English, and thousands more with the same meaning that differ only slightly in spelling. Whether you have studied French or not chances are you are already familiar with countless words and phrases of French origin.

Pronunciation
Although English and French share many common words, the pronunciation of French words differs greatly from that of the corresponding English words.

The good news is that many of the key words you need to communicate when traveling are almost identical in both languages:

airport, passport, train, auto, bus, restaurant, hotel, hospital, telephone, reservation, taxi.

Below is a sample of some of the words that are spelled exactly the same way and have the same meaning in English and French but differ in their pronunciation:

As you can see, you already possess a basic foundation of knowledge that will facilitate your study of French.

Learning the Basics
I began my study of French with 12 consecutive classes at Berlitz, (2-3 hours once a week), about six years ago. After that I took several group classes at a language school in Atlanta.

The Berlitz method is fine for beginners but there are also numerous excellent courses and methods available like Rosetta Stone and Michel Thomas.

A couple tips:
You will improve your pronunciation and comprehension by listening to French recordings and radio or television news. TV commercials are valuable because they utilize repetition and emphasis.

Non-verbal communication makes up as much as 58% of all communication. A friendly attitude and some gesturing as well as pointing at a map or even writing down a question will help you communicate even with only a minimal knowledge of French.

My Favorite Method
It is a well known fact that total immersion can be the fastest most effective way of learning a new language. I often hear people say “I studied French in high school but forgot most of it already”. Believe me, you’ll never forget the mistakes you are bound to make when you speak French (or any other language) beyond the safety of a class room.

One of my classmates went to Paris and asked for a bricolage at a bar instead of a brisket (cigarette lighter). (Bricolage means “do-it-yourself”). She never forgot how to ask for a lighter after that.

I was sure that the French word for garbage was garbage (with emphasis on the second syllable) after all, we say baggage and voyage. One day someone asked me “what is garbage?” and that’s how I learned about la poubelle. Trust me, you could study six months of French in a classroom setting and never come across the word poubelle.

Another benefit of total immersion is that it teaches you to speak as the locals do. For instance, the French often say ‘apero’ instead of aperitif and ‘sympa’ instead of sympathique (nice, pleasant). This is not something you are going to learn in a book.

Pretend you are a Child
As we get older, we should all be more confident, wiser and therefore more willing and able to reach out and communicate with others. Sadly, many adults avoid speaking a foreign language because they don’t want to leave their comfort zone and risk feeling inadequate.

Young children do not experience this fear which is why it is so important to expose them from an early age to foreign languages (and musical instruments).

A good way to overcome your fears, (and tap into that child-like, playful state of mind), is to participate in a sport or activity that you very much enjoy with other like-minded people such as painting, cooking, wine tasting or my favorite…hiking.

When you’re actively engaged in an enjoyable activity, you tend to let your guard down, relax and enjoy the moment. People talk to you, you respond and pretty soon you’re having a conversation, without even noticing. This is how you learned your native tongue and this method of learning is a lot more effective and enjoyable than a formal training course.

If you participate in a guided adventure tour overseas, you will enjoy a stimulating exchange of ideas while being immersed in a foreign language for several days and you’ll learn phrases and expressions not usually taught in a classroom or audio program.

A basic knowledge of French will open the door to a better and deeper understanding of French culture, art, literature, cuisine and way of life.

If you enjoyed this post, subscribe to our RSS feed so you don’t miss any future posts. Thanks for visiting!

Filed under: Practical Information