How to Talk to Native French Speakers at A1 Level? — 5 Tips!
- sophiefrenchtutor
- Nov 9
- 4 min read
How to practise speaking French when you’re a beginner? — Our five tips!
When you start learning a foreign language, the first steps can feel frustrating. You might think it’s impossible to have a real, interesting conversation with an actual native. But I’m here to tell you: it’s absolutely possible 🙂.
If you’ve been wondering how to talk to native French speakers at A1 level, this article is for you!
1. Overcome your French-speaking imposter syndrome
This is a big one: many learners experience what we call imposter syndrome when learning French. It’s a psychological barrier that makes them believe they’re not good enough to hold a conversation in this language, that people will laugh at them, or all sorts of scary thoughts that make them doubt themselves.
If you’re at A1 level, it means you already have solid foundations in the language of croissants and macarons! Sure, you might not speak like Victor Hugo (yet), but that doesn’t mean you can’t communicate in French. It’s time to beat this imposter syndrome, and the best way to do that is to dare to talk!
So go stand in front of a mirror and repeat after me: “Je parle français !” 💪😎
2. Discover how to talk to native French speakers at A1 level
At A1 level, you can talk about more topics than you think (and not just boring ones). You already have enough knowledge to:
Talk about yourself en français
It’s the first thing we do when we meet someone new, right? Tell people who you are, what you like (or don’t like), your favourite TV show, your hobbies, your family, your friends — even the dramatic personality of your cat if you want!
Talking about yourself is easy, familiar, and you probably already know most of the words you’ll need. It’s the perfect way to start a real discussion, even at a beginner level.
Get to know someone
After introducing yourself, you’ll probably want to know more about the person you’re talking to. And the good news is: at A1 level, you already have everything you need to ask interesting and even deeper questions!
Asking questions is one of the easiest ways to connect with someone and keep a conversation going — even with very simple French. Take a look at our list of practical, deep, and downright wild questions you can ask at A1 level!
Talk about the future
Yes, even as a beginner, you can talk about the future of humanity! 🌍
All thanks to the futur proche (near future)! You can share your plans, what you’ll do on your next holiday, or on New Year’s Eve.
And if you’re feeling adventurous, you might push it a little further and chat about bigger ideas — like the future of our society, why not?! — all at A1 level! 🚀
💡 A little reminder : FUTUR PROCHE = ALLER + INFINITIF
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Chat about your past in the world’s most romantic language
At A1 level, you might have started learning the passé composé. That means you can already tell people about your day or what you did last weekend 🥳. And we both know that’s the kind of small talk we use even in our mother tongue!
So there you go — if Jean-Jacques asks you, “Qu’est-ce que tu as fait ce weekend?” you have no excuse not to answer 😜!
3. Make sure to never switch to English
This is one of the 10 commandments! You shall not switch to English — ever ☝️! Even if the person in front of you starts speaking English (that tends to happen a lot when they hear your accent), you can keep answering in French and politely tell them it’s important for you to keep practising.
And what if you can’t find a word? Don’t worry, there’s always a way to explain it! You can try using synonyms, describing the phrase, giving the opposite word, or, as a last resort, simply ask: “Comment dit-on ‘pineapple’ en français ?”
Spoiler alert, we say “ananas”. (Of course, you can swap “pineapple” for any word you’re looking for. 😉)
➡️ Scared to chat en français in a group? Find out tips to overcome you fear in this article!
4. Connect with Francophone speakers
To practise French conversation at A1 level (and really, at any level), you need to find people to talk to! Here are some ways to meet native speakers, depending on your situation:
If you are in France:
Chat with colleagues (if you work in a French company).
Talk with other Francophone students (if you are doing an exchange program).
Join a sports club or any cultural activity where you can meet and chat with locals. 🏄
Engage with shopkeepers while doing your shopping.
Dare asking for directions while walking on the street. 🧭
Try to find a tandem partner: you teach them your language, they teach you theirs!
If you’re in Australia (or another country):
Make French-speaking friends. There are usually plenty of Francophones traveling or living around the world waiting to meet locals, especially in Australia!
Ask them if they’d be up for chatting in their mother tongue with you — without switching to English when it gets difficult 😉!
Book an online session with one of our native tutors to practise your speaking skills! 🥐
5. Embrace mistakes on your language journey
This advice applies to all aspects of life, and is especially true when it comes to language learning! You’ll stumble over words, there will be awkward silences, you’ll make mistakes — and that’s totally ok! Just like a baby learning to walk and falling again and again, mistakes are necessary to move forward. They’re all part of the normal learning process.
I hope you enjoyed this article, now you’ve got all the tools you need to talk to locals, even at A1 level! And remember: “Tu parles déjà français ✨!”
Do you have any other tips? Share them in the comments! ⬇️
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