TCF Canada writing · task 2
Learning a foreign language: the task 2 topic, and how to handle it
What it really asks, a plan, the vocabulary and the pitfalls, explained in English. No model answer to copy: you write the text yourself.
At a glance
The prompt, as candidates report it (in French, as on the exam)
Dans votre blog, Racontez votre expérience de l’apprentissage d’une langue étrangère (vous écrivez sur un forum internet en racontant votre expérience en apprenant une langue étrangère).
Translation: On your blog, tell the story of your experience learning a foreign language (you are writing on an internet forum about your experience learning a foreign language).
Word counts: France Éducation international, the body that designs the TCF Canada. Reports: a public archive of topics reported by candidates since 2023, explained in the study of 642 topics.
What the prompt really asks
- Which language, since when, and why you are learning it. French is the most natural choice.
- How you learned it: classes, an app, exchanges, a stay abroad.
- One difficulty, and how you got past it.
- What the language has given you, and a tip for readers.
Who you are writing to. You are writing for the readers of a blog or forum: « vous » or an impersonal tone, never « tu ».
A plan in five steps
About 140 words, for a range of 120 to 150. The numbers for each step are guides; the word range itself is part of the instructions, and every point asked for must be covered.
- Starting point. The language, when, why. about 25 words
- Early days. Your methods, how it felt. about 35 words
- The hurdle. One specific obstacle, then the breakthrough. about 35 words
- What it gives you. What has changed, today. about 30 words
- A tip. One sentence for beginners. about 15 words
Vocabulary for this topic
B1 to B2 words and phrases to use in your text, not to pile up.
- apprendre une langue étrangèreto learn a foreign language
- s’inscrire à un coursto sign up for a class
- faire des progrèsto make progress
- se découragerto lose heart
- ne pas baisser les brasnot to give up
- la prononciationpronunciation
- un échange linguistiquea language exchange
- oser parlerto dare to speak
- se tromperto make mistakes
- s’habituer à un accentto get used to an accent
- au bout de six moisafter six months
- avoir un déclicto have a breakthrough
- maîtriser une langueto master a language
Three pitfalls on this topic
Depuis, il y a, pendant
« J’apprends le français depuis deux ans » (present tense with « depuis »), « j’ai commencé il y a deux ans », « j’ai suivi des cours pendant six mois ». Mixing them up is one of the most common mistakes on this topic.
A list of methods
App, classes, films: listing tells no story. The forum wants an experience: one specific moment, a difficulty, a breakthrough.
Getting the past tenses wrong
Passé composé for what happened (« j’ai osé »), imparfait for what was ongoing (« je ne comprenais rien »). Everything in the passé composé makes the story flat.
B2-level sentences to inspire you
Two or three sentences, not a full answer: borrow the idea, not the words, and write the rest yourself.
- J’ai commencé à apprendre le français il y a trois ans, quand j’ai décidé de m’installer au Canada.I started learning French three years ago, when I decided to move to Canada.
- Au début, je comprenais assez bien les textes écrits, mais dès qu’on me parlait vite, je ne saisissais presque rien.At first, I understood written texts fairly well, but as soon as someone spoke quickly, I caught almost nothing.
- Le déclic est venu le jour où j’ai osé participer à un échange linguistique : j’ai compris qu’on apprend surtout en se trompant.The breakthrough came the day I dared to join a language exchange: I realized that you mostly learn by making mistakes.
Write it, then read your report
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