Do you know that moment?

You’re talking with a French person.
You understand almost everything.
You follow the conversation without any problem.

And then…
it’s your turn to answer.

Your brain goes very fast.
Your mouth, much slower.
And what you say doesn’t really sound like you.

It’s not a grammar problem.
It’s not a lack of vocabulary either.

It’s something else. And it’s extremely common.

 

“I understand French, so why can’t I speak naturally?”

Many learners describe exactly the same feeling:

  • “I know what I want to say, but it doesn’t come out fast enough.”

  • “I understand well, but I feel awkward when I speak.”

  • “In a group, I stay quiet, almost invisible.”

And often, the conclusion is the same:
👉 I need to study more.

More grammar.
More rules.
More vocabulary.

But the truth is that most intermediate learners don’t need more knowledge.

They need to change the way they use French.

 

The real problem: overthinking when you speak

If you’re serious, motivated, and committed to your learning, you’re probably already doing many things right:

  • you take notes

  • you watch videos

  • you understand explanations

  • you recognize structures

But as soon as the conversation becomes real, something blocks.

Why?

Because your brain is doing everything at the same time:

  • it translates

  • it checks if it’s correct

  • it anticipates mistakes

  • it tries to protect you

The result:
French becomes a performance, not a tool.

Instead of reacting naturally, you hesitate.
Instead of showing your personality, you censor yourself.

 

In reality, you don’t want to “speak French better”

You’re not looking for:

  • grammatical perfection

  • advanced rules

  • a higher theoretical level

What you really want is:

  • to enter a conversation without rehearsing your sentence in your head

  • for French people to stay in French (without switching to English)

  • to speak in a relaxed, natural way

  • to express your humor, your opinions, your stories

👉 You want French to become yours.

 

Why traditional methods aren’t enough

Most methods treat French like a school subject:

  • rules to apply

  • mistakes to avoid

  • correction before communication

But real life doesn’t work like that.

A conversation is:

  • fast

  • imperfect

  • emotional

  • human

You don’t apply rules.
You react.

And this ability to react doesn’t develop by studying harder, but by changing what happens in your head when you speak.

 

Another approach: stop studying French, start living it

After supporting more than 1,000 learners, one thing is clear:

The main obstacle is almost never your level.
It’s the way you think, judge yourself, and hold back when you speak.

That’s why I created a free challenge.

🎯 The free challenge: 30 Days to Speak French with Confidence

For 30 days, you receive one short email every morning with:

  • a simple mindset shift (no clichĂ©s)

  • a realistic mini exercise

  • one concrete action to do the same day

⏱️ It only takes a few minutes.
But it changes the way you speak French.

This is not:

  • “study more”

  • “speak every day without thinking”

  • empty motivation

It’s based on what really unlocks speaking.

 

The Ohlala method: French as a living tool

My approach is simple:

We stop treating French like a subject…
and start using it as a real-life tool.

Less pressure.
More presence.
More naturalness.

Day after day, you:

  • overthink less

  • react faster

  • feel more legitimate

  • rediscover your personality in French

Ready to feel comfortable speaking?

If you recognized yourself in this article, this challenge is for you.

👉 Join the free “30 Days to Speak French with Confidence” challenge
You’ll receive the first email immediately, then we move forward together, step by step — simply, humanly, effectively.