Does this sound familiar ? You did French at school, you struggled through the exam, you got your French certificate. And then promptly forgot it. You can’t even remember how to say “please”, let alone “I’ll have a toasted camembert sandwich.” And after those aeons of oblivion, you need to get it back. Now !Whatever the reason, whether you’re planning a vacation in Paris or on a quest to Quebec, don’t panic. Here are 10 ways to tune up your French and get back on top.1. Remember — what you learned previously is still there, tucked away — somewhere — in your brain. So you have a head start to improve your French, if you choose to use it.2. Reassure yourself — French is a Latin language, and you are officially allowed to wave your hands around while speaking ! Not only does this help get the words out, but it’s amazing how helpful and complementary this non-verbal language becomes for your spoken French.3. Find someone who has a similar or better level of spoken French than yourself. Compare what you know with what they know, help each other to fill in the gaps. And marvel at the fact that you are not actually as bad as you thought you were…4. Start with the basics, by which I mean literally what you need to survive. The French phrase for “Excuse me, where are the toilets” is probably going to be a lot more useful in the short term, than “I adore the architectural splendor of your town hall.”5. Dig out any French audio you might have, perhaps even a French course from way back. Flick through the book, or put the tapes on when you’re in the car. A French word recognized is a point scored. How many points can you score today ?6. Watch a simple French movie — in French ! No dubbed versions please, and turn the subtitles OFF until you feel that you are near to your pain threshold. Then have a break and do some more.7. Imitate Inspector Clouseau / Peter Sellers’ French accent (what, you don’t have your DVD of the “Pink Panther” ?), when you’re speaking those fun French words again. It helps to get you back into the swing of it.8. Learn by heart a couple of words or a short phrase in French every day. Remember, stick to the basics first of all, the words and phrases that will be of immediate use. If you can retain three or four essential words a day, that’s good.9. Visualize the situations that are likely to occur when you will need to speak some French. An old trick, but a good one. Try to say a few words in French corresponding to the situation, and if you can’t remember any, now is a good time to look’em up in your dictionary !10. Don’t worry too much about being word-perfect. It will come with practice. Hand movements and your natural charm will help you through. Better to have half a French loaf (yes, that’s right, a “baguette” — excellent, you’re really getting back into it !) than no bread.These 10 suggestions may be light-hearted, yet at the same time they are practical and have proved their worth. The more fun and usefulness for you, the quicker you’ll see noticeable improvements in your spoken French.Author: Marc DuboisArticle Source: EzineArticles.comProvided by: Programmable Multi-cooker