Most people start their study of a foreign language by taking a class. They appreciate the structure, discipline, guidance and access to an instructor who actually speaks the language. On the other hand, can you really do without classes and teach yourself to speak French? Also called self-study or independent learning, self-teaching is possible. Many people have done it or at least have attempted.

Be forewarned that it is not easy. There are thousands of words to memorize. Grammar is not the most fun thing to study. Learning pronunciation by yourself is at best tricky. Indeed, most people quickly give up trying to learn a language on their own because it is such a daunting task. But if you feel up to the challenge, here are some suggestions about how to go about it.

The first thing you need, of course, is some textbook or self-study course. Before buying anything, pay a visit to your local library. In addition to books on French, many modern libraries have entire courses available for borrowing or for use at workstations in the library. Try different books or courses until you find something that you seem to like.

Another option is to poke around used books stores. You'll certainly find old textbooks, courses and reference works on grammar. The books may be a bit old, but French grammar changes very slowly; so, anything published in the last 20 years will be fine.

You'll also need a bilingual dictionary. This is where age is important. Since vocabulary does change rather quickly, try to get the most recent dictionary possible.

In this Internet age, all of these materials can be found online. There are dozens of websites that will teach you grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. You can even find people to practice speaking French when you feel ready.

Most courses or books start with some sort of guide to pronouncing French. This is very challenging if you do not have access to a speaker of French. How do you know that you are making the right sounds? Here you are on your own. Certain self-study courses allow you to record and listen to your voice on your computer.

Most courses and textbooks follow the same format. Each chapter or section focuses on some aspect of grammar illustrated in a dialogue or sample text. There is an explanation of the grammar, a vocabulary list and then exercises.

Obviously, things get gradually more complicated as you go along. This is why learning on your own is so difficult. If you have questions or require some explanation, whom do you ask? This is where the Internet can be wonderful. With a bit of searching, you can often find an answer or even someone that you can consult with.

In addition to the actual daily studying, there are other activities that you should consider. While listening to movies and television in French is probably too difficult in the beginning, you could start listening to songs in French. Find a musical genre that you like. Even consider songs for children. Find the lyrics and listen to the songs until you feel you know them by heart. This is wonderful practice for pronunciation.

Another major activity that you have to consider at some point is actually visiting a French-speaking country. Whether it is France or Quebec, among many choices, you will actually experience the language in everyday life. Reading a book or a computer screen is one thing, actually seeing, hearing and using the language is another.

Where else can you get on a bus and give a resounding Bonjour to the driver? Where can you actually go grocery shopping, attend a concert, ask for directions or even order a meal, all in French? When you find yourself understanding what is being said and, better yet, making yourself understood, then you can pat yourself on the back and say that it was worth all that effort. Congratulations.

Stanley Aleong is an independent language consultant and coach specializing in learning strategies for foreign languages at the advanced level. He strongly believes that a proven strategy for achieving advanced proficiency is to work with many carefully selected authentic examples. To learn more about some very effective learning tools based on this principle, visit Advanced French / Spanish http://www.langcal.com