If you don't think you will be ready to take the exams in the next 6 months, my advice would be to buy the dollar$ equivalent of N450, 000 and keep it in your domiciliary account (or as cash). This will act as a hedge against the rising dollar. At the moment, the Naira is in free fall, we don't know when it will stabilise.

This doesn't apply to you patokenneth, it seems you are almost ready to take the exams.

patokenneth:
Hey guys, I would like to register for TCF in AF Lagos. However, going through the website, I see that from March, the fee is #450,000. Is it that my eyes are paining me or that's what the price will be henceforth?

79733139:
If you are using videos (+French subtitles) to build your listening skills as against audios (+transcriptions), you can convert videos (like .mp4 files) to audios (such as .mp3 files) using VLC player (it is a free software that you can download) or you can search Google for online file converters which would help you convert videos to audios.

This way, after watching French videos and decoding the meaning, you can switch to listening to the audio versions whenever you are doing anything apart from deliberate studying and keep French playing continously at the background.

You are spot on. Thanks

i want to get tutoring for french to take TEF Please let me know how we go about it

Bonjour à tous et à toutes!

Below is a mooc course on coursera you can use to improve ur french, its free www.coursera.org/learn/etudier-en-france

You can use the videos in that course to improve your listening skills and learn more vocabulary if you are at a B1 level in reading, follow these steps:

1.) Watch the 1st video without the French subtitles

2.) Watch the video again but this time activate the subtitles and locate all the words and phrases that you don't understand, afterwards use Google Translate to check their meanings and jot them in a notebook.

3.) Watch this video again while anticipating the areas where you either didn't know the vocabulary or you had difficulties deciphering the spoken version of the word or phrase.

4.) Download the video and convert to audio so that you can keep listening to it whilst doing other things - keep French playing in the background.

5.) Move on to the 2nd video and repeat the process.

ALL the course videos and other resources on Coursera are free, however to be able to do the graded tests and get your results, you will have to pay.

cooooooks:
Honestly, i suggest that you do this class:

https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/learn-french-global-communication-level-1

This program is for French beginners (A1 - A2). It's not very comprehensive but you will still get some benefits. You can access the videos and course materials for free, but any extra stuff will require a paid subscription.

That's the point.

I took it quickly for 1 week to check the quality and I think it's good as a starting point.

79733139:


This program is for French beginners (A1 - A2). It's not very comprehensive but you will still get some benefits. You can access the videos and course materials for free, but any extra stuff will require a paid subscription.

I will actually disagree with the difficulty level for that course.

I gave taken the course and imo it is a B2/C1 level course.

79733139:


You can use the videos in that course to improve your listening skills and learn more vocabulary if you are at a B1 level in reading, follow these steps:

1.) Watch the 1st video without the French subtitles

2.) Watch the video again but this time activate the subtitles and locate all the words and phrases that you don't understand, afterwards use Google Translate to check their meanings and jot them in a notebook.

3.) Watch this video again while anticipating the areas where you either didn't know the vocabulary or you had difficulties deciphering the spoken version of the word or phrase.

4.) Download the video and convert to audio so that you can keep listening to it whilst doing other things - keep French playing in the background.

5.) Move on to the 2nd video and repeat the process.

ALL the course videos and other resources on Coursera are free, however to be able to do the graded tests and get your results, you will have to pay.

The course is assessed as B1/B2 by the creators of the course.

They also have the C1/C2 course (created by the same organisation) which is this: https://www.coursera.org/learn/comprendre-la-france-advanced-french-language-culture-c1-c2

cooooooks:
I will actually disagree with the difficulty level for that course.

I gave taken the course and imo it is a B2/C1 level course.

Yes, that is why I reposted the link again.

cooooooks:
That's the point.

I took it quickly for 1 week to check the quality and I think it's good as a starting point.

79733139:


This program is for French beginners (A1 - A2). It's not very comprehensive but you will still get some benefits. You can access the videos and course materials for free, but any extra stuff will require a paid subscription.

Thanks. I should be good enough to take the course, it's more on my level.

If you are learning French without a tutor, I would advise that you study the book "French Grammar for Dummies by Véronique Mazet". It explains grammar in a way that a primary school pupil would understand, so by the time you move onto more comprehensive grammar books such as "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar by Mary E. Coffman Crocker" and "Ultimate French by Annie Heminway", you would be less confused and be able to understand grammar concepts easily.

I studied the book twice before moving onto "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar"

You can get the book by just doing a simple search on Google with keywords "french grammar for dummies free pdf download"

Nice. I already downloaded that ebook a few weeks back.

79733139:
If you are learning French without a tutor, I would advise that you study the book "French Grammar for Dummies by Véronique Mazet". It explains grammar in a way that a primary school pupil would understand, so by the time you move onto more comprehensive grammar books such as "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar by Mary E. Coffman Crocker" and "Ultimate French by Annie Heminway", you would be less confused and be able to understand grammar concepts easily.

I studied the book twice before moving onto "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar"

You can get the book by just doing a simple search on Google with keywords "french grammar for dummies free pdf download"

79733139:
If you are learning French without a tutor, I would advise that you study the book "French Grammar for Dummies by Véronique Mazet". It explains grammar in a way that a primary school pupil would understand, so by the time you move onto more comprehensive grammar books such as "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar by Mary E. Coffman Crocker" and "Ultimate French by Annie Heminway", you would be less confused and be able to understand grammar concepts easily.

I studied the book twice before moving onto "Schaum's Outline for French Grammar"

You can get the book by just doing a simple search on Google with keywords "french grammar for dummies free pdf download"

Never used this but I enjoyed Easy French Step-by-step by Myrna Bell Rochester...
We're incredibly lucky to have so many learning resources for French in this day and age...
Imagine if Canada's second language was Tagalog or something... Ha!

Even if it is Tagalog, Hebrew, Aramaic or old Arabic, we Nigerians go still learn the language to japa to Canada. 🇳🇬 ✈️ 🇨🇦.

aurorae1:


Never used this but I enjoyed Easy French Step-by-step by Myrna Bell Rochester...
We're incredibly lucky to have so many learning resources for French in this day and age...
Imagine if Canada's second language was Tagalog or something... Ha!

aurorae1:
Salut tout le monde...
It's finally my time...

Received my results and couldn't not come back here, where it all started.

I'll come back to share my timeline/story.
But to the creator of this thread, the OGs and everyone who has contributed to it all, may you be rewarded immensely.

Your results are impressive Aurora, thank you for sharing. I wish you success.

Can you share, how long this took you, resources, and time spent on studying and developing your skills? I'm already in Canada thinking of enrolling for a French boot camp but it's a bit pricey.

79733139:
Even if it is Tagalog, Hebrew, Aramaic or old Arabic, we Nigerians go still learn the language to japa to Canada. 🇳🇬 ✈️ 🇨🇦.

Hahaha, true that. It'll take a longer time still. We can't deny French's relative closeness to English and the availability of resources isn't a big advantage though...

Please i do need help

79733139:



You're welcome.


Sidenote: I am still available if anyone here needs help with studying for TEF/TCF exams.

OJ123:
Please i do need help

Check my profile for details and I have just sent you an email via Nairaland.

For many English speakers, the idea of preparing for the TEF/TCF exams for 1-2years is very unusual and many are shy to admit it. This is not to discredit the efforts of those diligently studying for these exams. However, some of us simply do not have the luxury of time to dedicate to learning to speak or write French, let alone the certainty of achieving a high score. Please, if you happen to know of alternative method that offer a reliable pathway to achieving excellent TEF/TCF scores, I kindly ask that you reach out to me via email or tag me in your response. Thank you.

If you go that route (you just implied that you want somebody to write the exam for you, in essence - cheating), you WILL lose your money (and likely get banned by Alliance Française and Le Français des Affaires). AF Nigeria got suspended in 2022 by the main body organising TEF, most likely because of cheating allegations and now they have changed the co-ordinators of TEF/TCF exams in all their centres (the one in Ikoyi is a white French women, very courteous but very strict!). It was that suspension which made me travel to Cotonou to write my 1st TEF exam in 2022.

Anything short of "learning French and taking the exams YOURSELF" will lead to serious disappointment. Anybody promising to write the TEF/TCF exams for you WILL scam you - that avenue has been blocked since 2022 (if ever it was available).

You CANNOT pay anybody to write TEF/TCF for you in 2024 - times have changed! You have been warned!

NOTE: We all collectively agreed back then in 2022 not to mention this sort of thing on this thread again.

Feignlies:
For many English speakers, the idea of preparing for the TEF/TCF exams for 1-2years is very unusual and many are shy to admit it. This is not to discredit the efforts of those diligently studying for these exams. However, some of us simply do not have the luxury of time to dedicate to learning to speak or write French, let alone the certainty of achieving a high score. Please, if you happen to know of alternative method that offer a reliable pathway to achieving excellent TEF/TCF scores, I kindly ask that you reach out to me via email or tag me in your response. Thank you.

Then find another genuine way, apply for jobs in Canada, go for provincial nomination or heck, go to another country. Why follow shortcuts? Did they use fraud and cheating to swear for you people? Tufia kwa!

Feignlies:
For many English speakers, the idea of preparing for the TEF/TCF exams for 1-2years is very unusual and many are shy to admit it. This is not to discredit the efforts of those diligently studying for these exams. However, some of us simply do not have the luxury of time to dedicate to learning to speak or write French, let alone the certainty of achieving a high score

Bonjour tout le monde 👋🏾

I recently came across the app Busuu and so far its been the best gamified app for my French learning experience. I regret not using it earlier and paying for premium version on Duolingo. I’m recommending it for anyone who is looking at starting or improving their French learning in bite sizes in a gamified format. The levels (A1-B2) are broken into bite sized chapters with shorter lessons which is way more easier to navigate than Duolingo’s long winding lessons/chapters that never end. There is less repetition on Busuu which allows you learn even more concepts as you continue. Also Busuu emphasizes the importance of learning spelling well as answers spelled right without the right accents would be marked wrong unlike Duolingo where you can get by without paying attention to spellings/accents. Another interesting aspect is that you can connect with native speakers of your TL (target language) who can improve your communication skills, Duolingo does not offer this feature.

I know this seems like a Busuu ad and I don’t know if this app has been talked about elsewhere on this thread but I just wanted to share my experience so far. After maintaining a 205+ days learning streak on Duolingo and 30+ days on Busuu, I regret not using Busuu earlier. Also please note that despite both apps, the role of other more serious avenues for learning (one-on-one tutoring, French texts, group classes etc) cannot be underestimated. The apps can be used as supplementary materials for learning and not the main source.


PS: I also tried another app, LingQ but I think it’s more useful for vocabulary and reading comprehension. Also there are lots of French books on that app as well as a recommendation of French movies on Netflix. I recommend it too.

One advice I could give anyone trying to learn French is to focus less on vocabulary. Focusing too much on vocabulary is one of the biggest mistakes beginners make when they learn a new language. The problem with learning vocabulary is that you end up never using those words you've learned. In fact, because you end up not encountering most of them in the next few days after learning them, you easily forget them. For example, say you learn the vocabulary for "cold", which is "froid", in isolation just like that, you are almost guaranteed to forget it shortly after, if you don't use it. In addition, by not knowing the context in which "froid" is used in French, you run the risk of using it wrongly or, at best, as a substitute in a literal English translation where you just replace English vocabularies with French ones. In effect, you are not really learning, but just consuming vocabulary.

What's better is to learn WHOLE PHRASES, instead of vocabularies. By learning whole phrases, you achieve three things simultaneously. One is, you learn French expressions exactly as they are used by French speakers. Two is, you have a better chance of remembering what you have learned because you have context. Three is, you learn more vocabulary and sometimes even grammar. So, in this case of "froid", imagine learning "il fait froid" instead. Now, you know how French people say "the weather is cold" and you know it's not the literal "la meteo est froid", which is the literal translation from English and which is just nonsensical. In addition to that, you also know that "fait" is the conjugation of "faire" in the third person, and that sometimes "il" can be used in the impersonal sense. In any case, you learn more from that whole phrase than you would from merely learning only "froid".

Now, think about applying this to several other scenarios where you can learn whole phrases with different French expressions and words. Bref, insist on learning whole phrases and fortify yourself with enough of those. That's the best way to greatly improve your knowledge of the language and ultimately your confidence.

79733139:
If you go that route (you just implied that you want somebody to write the exam for you, in essence - cheating), you WILL lose your money (and likely get banned by Alliance Française and Le Français des Affaires). AF Nigeria got suspended in 2022 by the main body organising TEF, most likely because of cheating allegations and now they have changed the co-ordinators of TEF/TCF exams in all their centres (the one in Ikoyi is a white French women, very courteous but very strict!). It was that suspension which made me travel to Cotonou to write my 1st TEF exam in 2022.

Anything short of "learning French and taking the exams YOURSELF" will lead to serious disappointment. Anybody promising to write the TEF/TCF exams for you WILL scam you - that avenue has been blocked since 2022 (if ever it was available).

You CANNOT pay anybody to write TEF/TCF for you in 2024 - times have changed! You have been warned!

NOTE: We all collectively agreed back then in 2022 not to mention this sort of thing on this thread again.

Doesn't surprise me Nigerians are up to it again, looking for every possible avenue to cheat. It's such a disappointment. Only God knows that the native French employees of Alliance Francaise say behind close doors, with all the information they have about the numerous efforts of Nigerians to cheat on the exam by having someone write it for them.

NuCypher:
One advice I could give anyone trying to learn French is to focus less on vocabulary. Focusing too much on vocabulary is one of the biggest mistakes beginners make when they learn a new language. The problem with learning vocabulary is that you end up never using those words you've learned. In fact, because you end up not encountering most of them in the next few days after learning them, you easily forget them. For example, say you learn the vocabulary for "cold", which is "froid", in isolation just like that, you are almost guaranteed to forget it shortly after, if you don't use it. In addition, by not knowing the context in which "froid" is used in French, you run the risk of using it wrongly or, at best, as a substitute in a literal English translation where you just replace English vocabularies with French ones. In effect, you are not really learning, but just consuming vocabulary.

What's better is to learn WHOLE PHRASES, instead of vocabularies. By learning whole phrases, you achieve three things simultaneously. One is, you learn French expressions exactly as they are used by French speakers. Two is, you have a better chance of remembering what you have learned because you have context. Three is, you learn more vocabulary and sometimes even grammar. So, in this case of "froid", imagine learning "il fait froid" instead. Now, you know how French people say "the weather is cold" and you know it's not the literal "la meteo est froid", which is the literal translation from English and which is just nonsensical. In addition to that, you also know that "fait" is the conjugation of "faire" in the third person, and that sometimes "il" can be used in the impersonal sense. In any case, you learn more from that whole phrase than you would from merely learning only "froid".

Now, think about applying this to several other scenarios where you can learn whole phrases with different French expressions and words. Bref, insist on learning whole phrases and fortify yourself with enough of those. That's the best way to greatly improve your knowledge of the language and ultimately your confidence.

100%

I would also recommend www.linguee.com/english-french.

It doesn't only translate words but whole expressions and gives different alternatives from a variety of sources. Useful for EE and EO....fantastic stuff.

Using froid as an example:

adjective, masculine - cool, chilly, unemotional, clinical
adjective, masculine [fig.] - distant [fig.]
noun, masculine - coldness

Used in context:

Le monde est devenu un endroit bien froid pour les dictateurs - The world has become a harsher place for dictators.

Il y faisait trop chaud l'été et trop froid l'hiver - It was too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

Je ne me suis jamais réveillée parce que j'avais froid. - I never woke up being cold at night.

GraciousWords:


100%

I would also recommend www.linguee.com/english-french.

It doesn't only translate words but whole expressions and gives different alternatives from a variety of sources. Useful for EE and EO....fantastic stuff.

Using froid as an example:

adjective, masculine - cool adj, chilly adj, unemotional adj, clinical adj
adjective, masculine [fig.] - distant adj [fig.]
noun, masculine - coldness n

Used in context:

Le monde est devenu un endroit bien froid pour les dictateurs - The world has become a harsher place for dictators.

Il y faisait trop chaud l'été et trop froid l'hiver - It was too hot in summer and too cold in winter.

Je ne me suis jamais réveillée parce que j'avais froid. - I never woke up being cold at night.

Both great advice.
Definitely to learn vocabulary in context.
In addition, repetition of those words/phrases is key.
You may use traditional notebooks or an app like Deepl that allows you save searches(in French-English and vice versa) and play them back, and the AI sound player isn't too bad.

Hearing those words out loud at different occasions allows the brain create neural pathways thereby engraving them. I believe this is called Spaced Repetition.

NuCypher:

Doesn't surprise me Nigerians are up to it again, looking for every possible avenue to cheat. It's such a disappointment. Only God knows that the native French employees of Alliance Francaise say behind close doors, with all the information they have about the numerous efforts of Nigerians to cheat on the exam by having someone write it for them.

Eventually someone (or a group of people) will come up with an elaborate scam to swindle those desperate folks... it is bound to happen.

The price has changed. It's 700k as of this morning 😓😓😓

79733139:
If you don't think you will be ready to take the exams in the next 6 months, my advice would be to buy the dollar$ equivalent of N450, 000 and keep it in your domiciliary account (or as cash). This will act as a hedge against the rising dollar. At the moment, the Naira is in free fall, we don't know when it will stabilise.

This doesn't apply to you patokenneth, it seems you are almost ready to take the exams.