How Anne Reached Near-Level 2 French in Just 19 Hours — and Why You Can Too

Apr 24

Anne’s Journey: From Hesitant Beginner to Starting to Speak French
 (And Why It’ll Work for You Too) Category: Real Learner Journeys

When Anne joined The French Room, she wasn’t looking for perfection — she was simply hoping to greet her newfound French family in French.


In her 60s, Anne discovered that she has ancestral roots in France and is planning a trip to meet her extended French family next year. Anne doesn’t have a background in learning languages; this is her first second language. She didn’t study it at school, but she knows this is something she’s always wanted to do.




How Anne Reached Near-Level 2 French in Just 19 Hours — and Why You Can Too

Never studied French before. Never lived in France. Started in her 60s. Here’s what happened.

> Start Your Own Beginner Journey

“I thought I’d left it too late — but after 19 hours I’m already speaking in sentences.”

Anne is in her 60s. She’s never lived in France, never studied French before, and has never even tried learning another language. When she joined me at The French Room, she thought it might be impossible.
Nineteen hours later, she’s within touching distance of Level 2 French.

What Anne didn’t know when she started was just how much joy she would find in the journey. Not only does it fit beautifully with her love of puzzles, but she can see and feel the transformation happening hour by hour. Not because she’s a language genius (though, of course, she is brilliant), but because she shows up — week after week, mistake after mistake — with presence and persistence.

“Learning French in your 60’s is a challenge. Ellie Louis, The French Room, makes it comfortable and welcoming. Ellie meets you where you are at and encourages you along the way. I’m learning not just the French language but why the language is the way it is … Ellie really makes it a curious journey.” Anne

What Anne Covered in Her First 19 Hours

Anne’s learning wasn’t about cramming vocabulary lists or slogging through grammar rules. Instead, she moved between different skills — grammar, listening, pronunciation, vocabulary — each reinforcing the other. Anne had 19 private coaching sessions supplemented with independent study using the libraries from the Bonjour Brilliance Program

Here’s what that looked like:

Grammar (Learn French Grammar Library)

  • Learned how La Bescherelle works — the “Bible of verbs.”

  • Discovered that être (Verb 1) and avoir (Verb 2) stand alone as irregulars.

  • Found that aimer (Verb 3) is the model for all regular ER verbs.

  • Practised conjugating ER verbs (aimer, garder, nager, manger, googler).

  • Began working with IR verbs through finir as a model.
    And more.

Listening (Listening Library)

  • Practised with French audio in real contexts (recipes, routines, cultural references).

  • Tuned her ear to differences between French intonation and English intonation.

  • Picked out key information and started to discover that she could understand spoken French in controlled settings for grammar and vocabulary she had studied.

Pronunciation (Pronunciation Library)

  • Corrected slips like over-pronouncing ils mangent or adding “Italian flourishes.”

  • Worked on nasal sounds (-in, -on) and final consonant silence.

  • Practised saying dates, months and years with confidence.
    And more.

Vocabulary (Vocabulary Library)

  • Built everyday ER verb sentences:

    • Ce matin, je mange un gâteau.

    • Cet après-midi, je nage à la piscine.

    • Ce soir, je joue au Rummikub.

  • Learned days, months, seasons, and how to express dates.

  • Began working with adjectives and masculine/feminine agreement.

Why Her Path Wasn’t Linear

Anne didn’t learn in a straight line. She zigzagged — revisiting verbs, doubling back on adjectives, dipping into listening and pronunciation when she needed.

That’s the point. Language learning isn’t about ticking off a checklist.

That’s why I built Bonjour Brilliance into six libraries — Grammar, Listening, Pronunciation, Vocabulary, Reading and Practical French. They’re laid out in a natural progression, but you should feel free to jump between them.

Focusing on just one skill won’t work. The magic happens when you let grammar, listening, pronunciation and vocabulary feed into each other.

Follow in Anne’s Footsteps

Anne had two supports:
> Self-study inside Bonjour Brilliance.
> My private coaching
You can take the same path — or choose just one. It’s up to you.
> Explore Anne’s Beginner Level 1 Course

Where 19 Hours Got Her

In less than 20 hours, Anne can:

  • Introduce herself 

  • Make basic sentences that include dates, routines and activities.

  • Understand how ER and IR verbs work in the present tense.

  • Understand how masculine and feminine works in French and how to build a system to remember them.


She’s not perfect. Masc/fem agreement and the “nitty gritty levers” of the language still trip her up. But that’s normal. But she’s already within touching distance of Level 2.

Final Word from Ellie

“Anne’s story proves it’s never too late to begin. With the right mix of self-study and coaching, you can make real progress in weeks, not years. Your first 19 hours could change everything too.”

Join the Beginner Level 1 Course Today

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