Reach French A2

Proof required

Record a 4-minute unscripted monologue in French describing something you did recently (yesterday, last week). Use passé composé at least 5 times. Write 100 words in English listing your study method, approximate hours per week, and which grammar point you find hardest at this stage.

What gets checked

• Passé composé appears at least 5 times and is used correctly — avoir vs être auxiliary, correct past participle forms. If every verb is present tense only, A2 grammar range has not been reached
• The monologue is genuinely unscripted — natural pauses, self-corrections, and restarts are expected and desirable; a polished delivery with no hesitation suggests a memorized script
• Study method reported honestly — this becomes context for the verifier and useful for the learner's own reflection on what is and isn't working

Common mistakes

• Treating A2 grammar as memorization — passé composé must be internalized well enough to produce without conscious rule-checking; drilling rules without spoken practice does not achieve this
• Recording a monologue about a topic you have memorized in advance — the verifier will ask you to describe a different recent event live as a spot check

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Count passé composé uses in the recording. If fewer than 5, or if all verbs are in the present tense only, the A2 grammar milestone has not been reached
• Ask the submitter to describe a different recent event (not in the recording) live and unscripted, in French, for 2 minutes. This is the spot-check for genuine vs memorized production
• The 100-word study account should reflect realistic hours and methods. 'I use Duolingo 5 minutes/day' is not A2-level study. If the account seems implausible for the level shown, ask the submitter to explain their most-used grammar structure

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Proof required

Submit the recording (15 minutes minimum, both sides clearly audible). Write 200 words on: one topic where you felt genuinely comfortable, one moment where you broke down (couldn't find a word or structure) and how you recovered, and at least 3 specific questions you asked the native speaker during the conversation (quote them in French).

What gets checked

• You ask at least 3 genuine questions during the recording — open questions, not yes/no. This is the specific A2 marker: the ability to initiate, not just respond
• Both sides are clearly audible and the native speaker is responding naturally — not reading from a script or maintaining slow simplified speech throughout the entire recording
• The breakdown-and-recovery account is specific — names the exact word or structure that failed, not a vague 'I got confused sometimes'

Common mistakes

• Practicing only with tutors who slow down and simplify everything — real-world A2 use won't come pre-simplified; at least part of this conversation should be with someone speaking at a natural (if patient) pace
• Counting a one-sided 'interview' (you answering the native speaker's questions) as meeting this milestone — the requirement is genuine back-and-forth with you initiating questions

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Count the questions the learner asks in the recording. If fewer than 3, or if they're only yes/no questions ('Tu aimes le sport?'), the back-and-forth bar has not been met
• Listen for whether the native speaker is responding naturally or performing exaggerated simplified speech throughout — some accommodation is normal; the whole recording sounding like a children's lesson is not
• Ask the learner to recall live what the native speaker said in response to one of their questions. If they cannot explain it, comprehension may not have kept pace with production

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Proof required

Submit a recording or (if recording a stranger isn't appropriate) a detailed written account produced immediately afterward plus a supporting artifact from the interaction: receipt, email confirmation, photo, or phone screenshot. Write 200 words describing exactly what you said, what confusion arose, and how you resolved it without switching to English or your native language.

What gets checked

• The interaction is with a genuine stranger — not a tutor, language exchange partner, or someone who already knows you're learning. This tests real-world transfer, not practice-environment performance
• The interaction was completed entirely in French — if you switched to English or another language to resolve confusion, the account must say so honestly; the milestone cannot be claimed if switching occurred
• Supporting evidence corroborates the account — the proof should not rest solely on self-report

Common mistakes

• Choosing an interaction with someone who already knows you're a language learner — the point of this milestone is real-world transfer with someone who has no reason to simplify their speech
• Switching to English the moment confusion arises and not honestly reporting it — this milestone tests ability to navigate confusion IN French, not just comfort-zone interaction

Resources

What a verifier looks for

• Check whether the supporting evidence is consistent with the written account — does the receipt, confirmation, or photo corroborate what was described?
• Ask the submitter: 'Did the person know you were a language learner before the interaction started?' If yes, ask how — if the stranger was told in advance, the accommodation question arises
• The account must be honest about whether any switching occurred. If the submitter claims perfect French throughout but the scenario described was challenging, ask them to demonstrate the specific phrase that caused most difficulty

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