So last week I sat down at a cafe with my journal and started to really consider things I want to accomplish in the next 5 years. Something at the top of my list is learning French, an idea I’ve toyed with for years. But now, I’m telling myself I’m serious and I’m getting down to business.

One of the things that helps me is coming at learning from different angles. In the past, I’ve thought using an app on it’s own would somehow magically help me make progress, but I realized that it wasn’t working for me (sorry, Duolingo) and I need other ways to learn.

To inspire my learning, I picked up The Story of French from the library, and it is giving me such an appreciation for the history of the language and how it connects people beyond the borders of any one country.

If you are interested in history and how language shapes culture and political influence, this is a great read!

Fellow learners: what else have you tried to help yourself learn another language? I’m taking any and all tips!

-LM