🎯 How I Passed the French B2 Exam Without a Formal Course (My Real-Life Journey to Fluency)

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✈️ Moving to France: A New Life and a New Language

Moving to France was not a plan, it happened out of the blue—but I love the fact that I did. I always wanted to learn French, and never thought I would do it by living in the country. That’s how I started my journey of how I learned French, without formal courses.

When I arrived around Christmas time, I had just passed my C1 German exam in Austria and was excited to start a new life with my French husband. French? I barely knew it.

👉 If you’d like to check out how I passed my C1 German exam without a course, I’ve written a full post about it here: How I Passed My C1 German Exam .

That first Christmas, I received a French-English beginner’s book as a gift. I started right away—comparing French to English, despite what people say about not comparing languages. But that’s how I function. Selective comparison works for me, and it gave me a head start.

Soon after, I registered at the OFII (Office français de l’immigration et de l’intégration) and took a placement test. I was given 100 hours of A1 French classes, but the course didn’t begin for two months. During that time, I started learning on my own. By the time the course began, I was already introducing myself and trying to speak.

After those 100 hours, I searched for free French courses—most didn’t last long. But I kept going.

💬 First Things First: Having a French Husband Didn’t Help (Much)

One of the things I heard constantly when people learned I was learning French was:
“Oh, but your husband is French — that must make it easier!”

Let me say this clearly:
It didn’t.

We’ve always spoken English to each other. That was the language we connected in from the very beginning — and it stayed that way. In the early stages, when my French was weak and my confidence was lower, English became my escape. A comfort zone I didn’t want to step out of.

It wasn’t just about convenience — it was also emotional. Speaking a new language in a relationship where you want to feel understood and supported is scary when you don’t yet feel fluent. So I avoided it. And because we didn’t need to switch to French, we didn’t.

People would often assume that having a French husband meant I’d pick it up easily. But in reality, how I learned French had very little to do with that — we spoke English most of the time.

So no, having a French partner didn’t magically boost my fluency or fast-track my learning.

Language learning, I’ve realized, is a personal journey. No matter who you live with, you have to be the one doing the work. Immersion helps. A supportive partner helps. But unless you push yourself to actually speak, listen, and grow in the language—it won’t happen.

It’s a myth that having a native-speaking partner guarantees fluency.

If anything, it can delay your progress if you lean too much on a shared “easy language.”

😅 The First Year Wasn’t As Smooth As I Thought!

Even though I had already learned German up to C1 without a course, French was a whole different challenge. People spoke quickly, used slang, and often dropped words. I was lost. The basics from my A1 course weren’t enough to keep up.

At bakeries, in the prefecture, even just trying to understand simple instructions—everything felt overwhelming. I wanted to speak, but couldn’t find the words.

But that discomfort became my greatest teacher.

I had to use the language to live.

And slowly, painfully, I started learning through real immersion.

By the end of Year 1, I could hold basic conversations. Still shy, still unsure—but improving.

💪 Year 2: Learning Through Action (Without Realizing It)

In my second year, something big happened—I got accepted into a web development course entirely in French.

No prep. No translation. Just dive in.

I was terrified. I had to understand technical instructions, pass exams, and present my projects in French. I constantly doubted myself.

“What if I don’t understand something critical?”

“What if I embarrass myself while speaking?”

But I showed up. I listened, I spoke, I asked questions. I passed the exams, and I understood enough to follow the entire course.

I hadn’t done a single mock test or textbook grammar drill. But my daily reading habits—manuals, emails, articles—gave me the formal language skills I needed to succeed.

🗣️ Year 3: Finally Understanding Real, Everyday French

The third year marked another breakthrough: I began to understand “langage familier”—the casual French people actually speak at home.

Books don’t teach you how people really talk. And this everyday French is full of:

Expressions
Wordplay (jeu de mots)
Cultural references
Jokes that just don’t translate

What helped me get there?

Big family gatherings
Conversations with friends
French TV and radio

I stopped being just a “learner.” I was understanding jokes, using idioms naturally, and feeling the rhythm of the language. For the first time, I truly felt like part of the culture—not just a guest in it.

🧵 Building a Business in French (Still No Exam!)

Around the same time, I started sewing again, and eventually created my own business—all in French.

I built my website, wrote product descriptions, blog posts, and handled every bit of business paperwork, emails, and phone calls. I even registered my business myself.

Yes, my husband helped with small corrections—but this was my voice, my project.

It was proof that I didn’t need an exam to function in French. I was already living, creating, and thriving in the language.

🎓 Year 6: Finally Taking the B2 Exam (And Surprising Myself!)

After six years in France, I finally decided to take the official B2 French exam.

Everyone told me I’d pass easily. My husband said, “You always underestimate yourself.”

He was right.

I didn’t prepare formally. I took the exam just after the holidays, and when I arrived at the school, I saw people pulling out notebooks full of notes from prep courses. I had… nothing.

During the listening section, I got distracted and lost track. That threw me off. Then came the speaking part, and nerves got the best of me. I walked out unsure of how I’d done.

A few weeks later, the email came:
I passed.

I rushed to get my results.
Not only did I pass—I scored marks that honestly surprised me.

🌍 Becoming a Polyglot

Looking back, I’ve now learned multiple languages through experience, curiosity, and self-motivation. I’m originally a native Nepali speaker, and I speak:

Hindi (fluent)
German (C1)
French (B2 and beyond)
English (fluent)

That officially makes me a polyglot—not because I have a wall full of certificates, but because I’ve lived, studied, worked, and created in all these languages.

Every language has taught me something unique—not just about grammar or vocabulary, but about people, culture, and myself.

💡 My Personal Tips for Learning a Language Without a Course

Here’s what truly worked for me:

✅ 1. Use the language daily

Talk to people, even if you’re scared. Get over the fear of sounding “wrong.”

✅ 2. Read everything

Books, labels, flyers, emails. Reading helps you internalize grammar and vocabulary without memorizing.

✅ 3. Listen actively

TV shows, radio, YouTube, podcasts—even in the background. Your brain will absorb patterns naturally.

✅ 4. Don’t aim for perfect grammar

Yes, grammar is important—but don’t get carried away trying to master every rule. Learn grammar in context, not in isolation.

For a deeper understanding of why focusing too much on grammar can be counterproductive, check out this insightful article: You Don’t Need To Study Grammar To Learn A Foreign Language.

✅ 5. Find the method that works for you

Not all textbook methods work for everyone. Some people thrive on grammar drills; others (like me) learn best by comparison, immersion, and observation. Try different approaches and see what actually helps you improve.

✅ 6. Make mistakes—and learn from them

Mistakes aren’t failures—they’re memories in the making. When you mess up, you’re much more likely to remember the correction. Embrace them.

✅ 7. Don’t wait for someone to “teach” you

Create your own opportunities. Use your surroundings, your curiosity, and your goals as your guide.

🌟 Final Thoughts & What’s Next

I never planned to move to France.

In fact, moving to Germany wasn’t planned either.

But both of those unplanned moves became the turning points that revealed something I hadn’t realized about myself:
I love learning languages.

Not in a strict, academic way. Not for a certificate or to impress anyone.

But in my own way—through real life, mistakes, conversations, and small everyday victories.

Learning languages has become one of the most meaningful and empowering parts of my journey. No textbook could have predicted this. No formal path could have prepared me better than just living the languages.

And I know—every learner is different.

Some thrive with courses, others with immersion.

Some need structure, others need freedom.

Whatever your method is, find it—and follow it.

You don’t have to learn a language “perfectly” to use it meaningfully.
You just have to begin. Stay consistent. Stay curious. And stay kind to yourself.

🚀 So… What’s Next?

Now that I speak Nepali, Hindi, English, German, and French, I guess I can officially call myself a polyglot—something I never expected to become.

And I’m not done yet.

One day—hopefully when life slows down a little—I’d love to start learning:

Japanese, for its beauty and complexity
Italian, because it sounds like music
Spanish, for its reach and rhythm

Whether I take them on one at a time, or just explore bits and pieces along the way, I know one thing for sure: I’ll continue learning my way, at my pace, with joy at the center of it all.

Thanks for reading my story.

I hope it reminds you that even the unplanned paths can lead to the most meaningful places.

💬 What about you?
Have you learned a language in your own way too? I’d love to hear your experience—feel free to share your story in the comments!