Many students struggle to speak French confidently in class. They may hesitate, mumble, or switch to English to avoid making mistakes. As a teacher, this can be frustrating — but it’s a very common challenge.
The good news? With the right strategies and interactive speaking activities, you can help students overcome their fear, stay motivated, and practice French more naturally.
Why Students Hesitate to Speak French
Before diving into strategies, it’s important to understand why students avoid speaking:
Fear of mistakes: Students worry about mispronouncing words or using incorrect grammar.
Low confidence: Beginners may feel they don’t know enough to participate.
Habit of switching to English: When unsure, students default to their stronger language.
Limited opportunities: Without frequent oral practice, students never get comfortable speaking French.
Understanding these barriers helps you create a supportive environment where students feel safe to take risks.
Strategies to Encourage Students to Speak French
1. Low-Stress Speaking Activities
Start small: Short, manageable tasks reduce anxiety and build confidence.
Think-Pair-Share: Students discuss a prompt with a partner before sharing with the class.
Sentence starters: Provide phrases like “Je pense que…” or “À mon avis…” to help students begin.
Mini-dialogues: Simple role plays in pairs or small groups give practice without pressure.
These activities give students a chance to speak French without feeling overwhelmed.
🗣️ Encourage more French speaking in class with Chat Mats. Explore my collection here!
2. Interactive Games for French Conversation
Games can motivate hesitant learners while reinforcing vocabulary and structures:
Would You Rather / Tu préfères… ? prompts encourage spontaneous responses.
Vocabulary bingo or matching games integrate speaking and listening.
Question cards: Students ask and answer questions in pairs or small groups.
Games turn speaking practice into something fun rather than intimidating, which encourages students to use French instead of switching to English.
🍂 Check out my French Fall Speaking Activities blog post!
3. Build a Safe and Supportive Classroom Environment
Confidence grows when students feel supported:
Celebrate effort, not just accuracy.
Allow students to correct themselves or peer-correct in a positive way.
Model mistakes yourself to show that errors are part of learning.
Encourage students to take risks and try new phrases.
A safe environment makes students more willing to speak French and reduces their reliance on English.
4. Use Cultural and Real-Life Contexts
Students are more motivated when French feels relevant to their lives:
Discuss French holidays, food, or current events.
Have students create short presentations or dialogues about Francophone culture.
Integrate songs, videos, or stories in French to spark conversation.
Cultural connections make French engaging and give students a natural reason to practice speaking.
🌍 Check out my blog post: French Cultural Activities for the Classroom—A Guide to Engaging Resources!
5. Gradually Increase Complexity
Start with simple speaking tasks and build toward longer, more challenging activities:
Single-word or phrase responses → full sentences → short dialogues → short presentations.
Provide consistent opportunities for oral practice across lessons.
Gradually increasing complexity helps students feel successful at each stage, boosting confidence over time.
Quick Tips to Prevent Students from Switching to English
Remind students to try French first, even if it’s not perfect.
Use visual supports, gestures, or translation prompts instead of English explanations.
Praise attempts to speak French consistently.
Pair stronger students with beginners strategically for support.
Making French Speaking Fun and Confident
Getting students to speak French confidently takes patience, practice, and creativity. By combining low-stress speaking activities, interactive games, cultural connections, and a supportive classroom, you can help learners:
Overcome fear of mistakes.
Stay motivated to speak French.
Reduce reliance on English during class.
✨ When students feel confident speaking French, participation increases, engagement improves, and the classroom becomes a space where learning the language is enjoyable and meaningful.