This course follows on from Course 1 (using regular verbs in the present perfect). Here we are going to go in-depth with the most commonly used French verbs which are irregular in one of the past tenses called the present perfect (passé composé.) The present perfect is used to say what you 'have' done, what you 'did' and for actions that have been completed in the past. It's reallyrather handy.

Because learning a foreign language can be tricky we start by looking into the mindset that helps to make the process more pleasant and dare I say fun. As adults many of us find it difficult to not be able to express ourselves as well as we do in our native language(s) and we may not have the confidence to try out the language with native speakers. By holding back we are holding back progress. Learning a language is like learning tennis. You wouldn't expect to hit every ball perfectly and certainly wouldn't expect to make progress without actually playing. So accept that you will hit the ball into the net,out of the court and sometimes you may completely miss it. Don't expect to be playing at Wimbledon after a few lessons - concentrate on enjoying the process and communicating in any way you can - grunting, pointing and a bit of comedy French will get you further than a big silence.

The coursebuilds up sentences using the most important French verbs with plenty of practice. Ihave written summary sheets all the way through the course so that you can concentrate on speaking (but take notes if that helps you - maybe when you go through it a second time). There are plenty of homework sentences with answers provided so that you can see what has stuck and what you need to work on. There are revision games to put the information into your longterm memory in a fun way. The lyrics and translations of French songs are included when they are relevant to the lessons.Songs are extremely powerful aids to the memory and a wonderfully pleasant way to learn. Music, song andrhythm help people who struggle with their native language - so even if you think you are tone deaf don't shy away from these.

I use an informal approach because I'm not keen on stilted formal lessons using traditional textbooks.I feel learning is facilitated by having fun andrelaxing. It's more difficult to learn if you are anxious and trying to be perfect. Laughing at mistakes and asking yourself, 'What's the worse thing that can happen if I speak French even though I will probably make mistakes?' can be very liberating.

Take the French bull by the horns, embrace the difficulty and most importantly enjoy the French learning journey.

CécileBB