In today’s world, there are lots of different tools you can use to help you learn French. Online French lessons are a great way to learn because you have the benefit of having teachers who can answer your questions without the drawback of having to go to a physical location and competing with 10+ other students for your teacher’s attention.Although you have a teacher for online French lessons, it is still not a traditional learning structure. You may not have any actual homework to do, nor essays to write or formal presentations to prepare. But you can do things to prepare for your lessons so that you get the most out of them. Put these 7 suggestions to work for you and watch as your knowledge of and ability to use French grow before your very eyes!

1. Learn new vocabulary.

Vocabulary words are the building blocks of any language. One of the best ways to prepare for your lessons is to learn a few new words before each lesson and try to work them in. Instead of choosing random words, consider what you are doing throughout the day and then try to explain that in French.

Pretend that you are narrating your life, only in French.

This can be as simple as making dinner or driving to work. Pretend that you are narrating your life, only in French. Write down the words you don’t know yet and then look them up so that you can describe it. Looking up words that you actually need to use will help you remember them.If there is new vocabulary that goes with the lesson you are working on, take some time to practice it. Making flashcards is a great way to memorize new words and expand your French vocabulary quickly. You use all three of the major learning styles: kinesthetic by writing them down, visual when reading them, and auditory as you read the words aloud. You can remove the words you have memorized and add new ones. You can also look at the French word and translate it to English and later, reverse it to challenge yourself more.

2. Brush up on small talk.

There is typically a period of small talk at the beginning of each lesson. This would include the normal things that you say when you first encounter someone during the day. Be ready for it by brushing up on the basics before the lesson. Practice saying “how are you?”, and talking about the weather or time of day in French. Make sure that you know the right words to describe the weather and time where you are and that you use the correct verbs.

3. Have something ready to talk about.

Actually speaking a new language is often the hardest thing for students to master. It seems easier to understand information that is read or spoken than to create it ourselves. To help you feel confident expressing yourself in French, think of something you would like to say to your teacher and then think about how to say it. Look up and memorize the words you don’t know. Then think of what questions someone may ask you and try to have some simple answers prepared. It will give you great practice in the art of conversation and help you build your confidence as well.

4. Listen to some French right before the lesson.

This may sound weird, but it helps to listen to a little French before your lesson, even if you don’t fully understand what is being said. You may notice that you have a rough start of things during your lessons. It seems like the words aren’t coming to you quickly enough, and you find yourself struggling to understand what your teacher is saying. But by the end of the lesson, you are engaged in a much more rapid exchange of ideas and you feel more fluent. This is because your brain needs a little time to warm-up and access its French files. If you take a few minutes to listen to a podcast or watch a video in French, you will have head start and be more ready to jump into conversation at the start of your lesson.

5. Practice between lessons.

Learning a language takes a lot of work. You need to put in time and effort on a regular basis if you want to become fluent. You can do this by using an app like Duolingo where you can complete a lesson in about 10 minutes. You can also set daily goals and have it remind you if you forget to do it.After you have chosen an app or method for practicing French between lessons, make sure to take the time to actually do it. It is so easy to brush off our personal goals because we have no one to answer to for it. Stay invested and practice daily. You would be surprised how quickly you forget things if you don’t practice them.

6. Have a list of questions ready.

As you work through the lessons in Duolingo, or whichever app or method you choose to use, it is inevitable that you will have questions. The one sure thing about French is that there is an exception to every rule, and sometimes there is even an exception to the exception. Make sure you keep a list of questions that arise in between your online lessons. And be prepared to ask your teacher for the answers. Then, take the time to write the answers down as well, because the act of writing, in and of itself, will help you remember it.

7. Think about what you’d like to learn in your next online French lesson.

Is there a certain concept that you continue to have trouble with? Before moving on to a new concept or point, review what you have already learned. Take time to think about what your weakest subjects are and ask your teacher to review those points with you.Have you touched on something new in between lessons that you’d like to know more about? Say the subjunctive, for example, or object pronouns? Write down the things you’d like to learn next and present them to your teacher when you are finished with a lesson and ready to move onto another. If you have more than one thing that you’d like to learn, ask your teacher for input. Maybe one would fit in with what you are already learning, or have just learned, better than another.