After a month of silence, I'm back — and I have a very good reason for disappearing.

Instead of my usual self-study routine, I did something completely different: I enrolled in the Saturday Express course at Institut Français in South Kensington, London. Five full Saturdays. A real classroom. Real classmates. And a very honest wake-up call about where my French actually stands.

In this episode, I share:
✅ How I learned French from A1 to A2 as a busy adult with zero immersive environment
✅ How a random conversation with my French tutor led me to Institut Français
✅ What my first day of French school actually felt like (spoiler: very nervous)
✅ The real pros AND cons of group language learning vs. self-study
✅ What I discovered about my speaking and listening skills
✅ Whether I'd do it again — and the smarter way to approach it

🎁 FREE French Vision Board (desktop + mobile wallpaper):
Get my French Fluency Vision Board
→ https://rachelwmak.com/newsletter/

📺 Watch the full video on YouTube (includes the assessment, classroom footage & my French journal entry — can you understand it without subtitles?) https://youtu.be/BkBF5bLYBpA

---

🔗 LINKS MENTIONED
- Institut Français London: https://www.institut-francais.org.uk
- Saturday Express course: https://www.institut-francais.org.uk/french-courses/saturday-express/#/
- My 30-Day French Speaking Challenge (YouTube): https://youtu.be/WjGJU9LD6mQ
- How I Learn French Without Living in France (YouTube): https://youtu.be/iROGBIXhlZc
- Free French Vision Board download: https://rachelwmak.com/newsletter/

---

💬 LET'S CONNECT
I'd love to know — what's YOUR biggest challenge as a French learner right now?
Speaking? Listening? Finding the time?

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review — it genuinely helps other
French learners and francophiles find this podcast. Merci beaucoup! 🇫🇷

#LearnFrench #FrenchLearning #AdultLanguageLearner #InstitutFrançais
#FrenchInLondon #Francophile #LanguageLearningJourney

Support the show

- - -

🧡Support the show

Hosted by Rachel W. Mak — creator of Rachel mais Rachelle en français

🎬 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@rachel_mais_rachelle
🌍 More reflections & updates: rachelwmak.com/podcast
💌 Say bonjour: hello@rachelwmak.com

In this episode, I reflect on a real classroom moment from my university years in Hong Kong and how learning French later helped me understand it differently. From French philosophy and education to the famous thèse, antithèse, synthèse structure, this is a story about how culture quietly shapes our voice.

It’s not about one culture being better than another — it’s about understanding why silence feels safe for some, and expression feels natural for others.

If you love French culture, are learning French, or are curious about communication, identity, and critical thinking, this episode is for you.

🎁 Free Download:
Get my French Fluency Vision Board
→ https://rachelwmak.com/newsletter/

🎧 Recommended listening
If you haven’t yet, you might enjoy the previous episode:
Why French Culture Is So Irresistible to Me

Support the show

- - -

🧡Support the show

Hosted by Rachel W. Mak — creator of Rachel mais Rachelle en français

🎬 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@rachel_mais_rachelle
🌍 More reflections & updates: rachelwmak.com/podcast
💌 Say bonjour: hello@rachelwmak.com

In this episode, I share how I manifested my French fluency — not in a magical or unrealistic way, but through mindset shifts and real-life practices that genuinely worked for me and helped me build calm, confidence, and consistency in French.

If you’re a French learner, a francophile, or someone who feels stuck despite years of learning, I hope this video gives you encouragement and a different way of seeing your journey.

🎁 Free Download:
Get my French Fluency Vision Board
→ https://rachelwmak.com/newsletter/

Support the show

- - -

🧡Support the show

Hosted by Rachel W. Mak — creator of Rachel mais Rachelle en français

🎬 Watch on YouTube: youtube.com/@rachel_mais_rachelle
🌍 More reflections & updates: rachelwmak.com/podcast
💌 Say bonjour: hello@rachelwmak.com