The musical sound of the French language tends to conjure certain images for English-speakers. Leisurely mornings of coffee and pastries in a café. The Bohemian life of an artist on the Left Bank of the Seine. The romance of « Je t'aime. » The understatement of « Ça va. » the inspiration of Liberté, Égalité, and Fraternité: French is a beautiful—and global—language, and one of the most rewarding you can study. Yet as with learning any new language, it can be a frustrating experience. Dozens if not hundreds of platforms promise to teach you with buzzwords like “immersion,” and suggest that passive listening for a “few minutes a day” is all it takes to learn a new language. There’s no getting around it: learning a new language is challenging, and it requires active participation. But with the right approach, it should also be a fun and incredibly rewarding endeavor.