Sometimes, the problem is not that you do not know enough French. It is that you are trying to understand French in English. You may know what “Je suis en retard” means, but instead of simply understanding it, your brain quietly says, “I am late.” Then another French sentence comes, and the process starts again. It may seem harmless, but constantly translating can make French feel much slower and more difficult than it actually is.

The first step is to start connecting French directly to meaning. When you hear “Il pleut,” do not search for the English sentence in your head. Picture the rain. When you hear “J’ai faim,” connect it directly to the feeling of hunger. You are teaching your brain to recognise the idea behind the French rather than waiting for an English translation.

It also helps to learn expressions as complete phrases instead of individual words. For example, rather than learning prendre separately and trying to build the meaning each time you see prendre une décision, learn the whole expression together. The same applies to everyday phrases such as ça dépend, tout à fait, je ne suis pas d’accord and en revanche. The more familiar these combinations become, the faster you will recognise them without mentally taking them apart.

Another important habit is to resist the urge to understand every word. This matters especially when preparing for the TEF. During a listening exercise, for example, you might come across a word you do not know. Instead of stopping mentally to translate it, keep listening and use the rest of the sentence to understand what is being said. Sometimes, the words around an unfamiliar expression give you enough information to understand its meaning.

You can also practise this by giving yourself a few minutes of French every day without translating. Listen to a short French video, follow a simple conversation or read a short article. Focus on the general meaning first. If you meet an unfamiliar word, try to understand it from context before checking a dictionary. With repeated exposure, words that once felt unfamiliar will begin to feel natural.

The goal is not to completely remove English from your French learning. The goal is to stop making English the middleman for every sentence. The more directly you connect French with ideas, situations and expressions, the more naturally you will understand what you hear and read, and the easier it becomes to respond without first translating everything in your head.