I stutter when I speak French

It is normal that you get nervous when trying to speak French in a real environment – you need more real practice not just theory.

One idea is to see if there are any French conversation classes for non-French speakers in your area? The Alliance Française, for example, offers evening classes in ‘oral French’. Sessions with a private tutor, perhaps by Skype, are another possibility – do a search for cours particuliers français langue étrangère.

Look for social groups aimed at expats such as a British association, or an alliance Franco- Britannique – see the Community section of connexionfrance.com Some organise events where French and English speakers meet to practise their language skills.

If you tend to be a perfectionist you need to – within reason – learn to silence your inner critic, after all almost everyone makes mistakes in a second language.

In French that will inevitably include getting the gender wrong sometimes. Most of the time this is unlikely to cause misunderstanding and it is best just to plough on. If you are keen, there are some rules you can learn, which you can find online or in good grammar books, linked to word endings (such as the sound written ‘ion’, ‘tion’, or ‘xion’, which indicates the feminine, as in la télévision) – but there are exceptions and often it is a matter of developing an ‘ear’ for what sounds right, which can take time. When learning new words it is best to learn the article at the same time ie la semaine and not just semaine.

If you are worried about vocabulary, remember some useful words as truc and machin, meaning ‘thing’ – you can use them in most situations.

Try to expose yourself to as much ‘real’ French as possible, such as by reading French websites, books, magazines and cartoons and watching French films and television.

However remember the most important thing is communication. If in doubt make your point simply, rather than trying to be clever or witty. If you cannot think of the exact word, look for an alternative, especially where one is similar to an English one – for example, le voyage instead of le trajet.

Use the present tense as much as possible if it is easier, and remember the simple form using aller for talking about the future.

If you tend to stumble on certain sounds, spend time practising them. Ones which are different from English, for example, include the nasal vowels, like the sounds in vin, temps or bon, which are resonated partly in the nose. The sound is made by slightly relaxing the soft palate at the back of your mouth such as when you hum. Another is the French ‘R’, which is made by rolling the uvula (the bit that hangs at the back of your mouth) against the back of your tongue. Practise by gargling with some water first!

English-speakers also often have trouble with the difference between U and Ou (as in tu and vous), which are important for being clearly understood. The latter involves rounding and pushing out the lips, the former does not and the mouth is small; almost closed.

It helps to practise repeating some basic words and phrases that you will need regularly so they roll off the tongue easily.

If you get nervous and stutter, also remember that you need to breathe to speak. Think of taking a breath at parts of the conversation where you would use punctuation in writing.

And do not be afraid to slow down. Some native speakers may speak fast but you are not obliged to do the same (some French people, on the contrary, speak slowly and take pride in articulating well). This will also encourage people you are speaking to, to speak more slowly, helping you understand. Speaking slowly in French is not a problem as long as you pause in places that make sense.

Try to speak up. It can be tempting to mutter so mistakes are not noticed, but you are only more likely to be misunderstood.

It also goes a long way if you are polite – for example, always say ‘bonjour (Monsieur/ Madame)’ if you approach someone or are meeting them for them first time that day.