The SERUM Points System: teachers advice for Learning French!

At Do it in French, we truly believe in learning by doing, especially for languages.

Between the tests, the intense trainings and deadlines, it might be easy to forget the big picture here: French is just a language.

Humans have organized and used languages in their community since the dawn of times because they needed to do things together. Since, the beginning, all we want is to share, bound and collaborate.

And languages are a tool to do exactly that.

When learning a new language, we can't separate the mean from the end: you will develop speaking skills in French by doing things in French.

Studying vs. speaking

Special attention!

What you do in class is important: you are exploring and studying French. You are testing things out, understanding how it works, getting feedbacks, guidance and encouragements. This is studying.

Studying and speaking are two separate, complementary things.

We want you to switch your focus: learning French is not about being able to recite all the subjonctive perfectly, but it is to actually use it, doing things in French everyday, multiple times a day.

Afraid it's going to be too much?

Remember: we're already all busy (hi, adult life!). It's not about adding French to your days, but turning some specific activities in French.

[you might want to read this article: Stop adding French to your life]

And you need an easy system to account for your French activities: the SERUM Points System.

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Guiding principles of the SERUM Points System

To be impactful and sustainable, your French activities needs to be:

Social

Enjoyable

Repetitive

Unavoidable

Mixed: reception and production

-> S.E.R.U.M

The base layer to keep your French fresh!

The potion you need to infuse your life with French!

The main principle to follow:

• Each activity you do in French is considered a "touch with French".

• You win by accumulating "touches" through your day.

How many touches you ask?

Depends on your current situation: are you learning and trying to improve, or are you just trying to maintain your current level?

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Let's dive in!

You are currently in training

I'd recommend to reach for 5 and more touches everyday while you're learning.

Seems a lot? Here is some help!

• some activities count double!

-one hour of one-on-one class

-oral interaction of any kind.

• you have touches already planned for you: hello homework!

• lots of activities are easy to integrate in your daily life

  
  

You want to maintain your level

So much hard work went into mastering these verbes, pronoms compléments, and subjonctif.

That would be an actual shame to loose it. Because if you don't keep up with it, it will become dormant, passive knowledge and it will be difficult to reactivate it when you need it. More difficult than you think.

Plus, you (and most returning students), will probably start thinking something is wrong with you:

-you'll start thinking you might simply be not good with languages,

-or internalizing the blame a bit too far: if you are not evolving everyday in a French speaking environnement, once your training is over, no one can expect you to keep your French skills as sharp as they were when you were in training. That would be madness.

You totally can limit the damages though.

To avoid this vicious circle of shame and guilt, let's just put in place some good SERUM routines for you, aiming for at least 3 touches everyday.

You can do it!!

Need some inspiration?

-> Check our next article about Practical examples of what a good and a realistically less good day of French can be with the SERUM Points System!