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I was, as they say, at the head of my French class. I could conjugate with lightning speed and translate vocabulary sheets better than any upperclassman. The summer after my sophomore year I signed up for a trip to France with a school group. I was eager to prove my intelligence and show off my ease with the French language. But when I arrived in France the only thing I proved was that I had a super-inflated ego.

I could not understand any of the locals. And worse, they could not understand me! It took me much too long to form a sentence in my head. And when I tried to speak, I just stumbled over my words. In the end, my French teacher ended up handling all the communication needs and I sulked back to the United States vowing to never attempt French again.

Years later I decided to tackle my “fear of French”. I was determined to learn the language as quickly as possible and prove to myself that I had the ability and intelligence.

I wanted to learn French in order to attain a goal. Why do you want to learn French? Perhaps you will soon be visiting a French speaking country. (If this is the case, I am certainly jealous.) Or maybe you have a friend or relative that speaks French. Some of us would like to increase our earning potential at work or make ourselves marketable in other industries. Learning a foreign language can also boost your intellectual performance and help you become a more well rounded individual. Or perhaps, like me, you choose to learn French simply for personal enrichment.

There are several ways to learn a language. Among them are immersion, classes, private tutors, books, and many other possibilities. Language immersion is unrealistic. Who has the ingenuity to surround themselves with French speaking individuals for an extended period of time? Classes and private tutors are expensive and force you to work around someone else’s schedule. And there aren’t very many of us who have the time to scour books at the library and self-teach ourselves the French language in a usable capacity.

I turned my search to computer programs and found this to be the most effective route. Computer programs are inexpensive and time efficient. You can work on lessons in your own home and at your own convenience. It’s also easy to do as much or little as you like at one sitting. And if you need a snack – you can just get up and get one! (Provided the cookie jar is full.) Most importantly computer programs are fun. Many of them help you learn through games and other devices.

Learning French sounds difficult and intimidating. But it doesn’t have to be. Learn how I was able to speak and understand French in just a few short months!