Fluency doesn’t mean perfection. It doesn’t mean sounding like Victor Hugo or mastering 17 verb tenses on day one. Fluency means you can comfortably express your ideas, understand others, and navigate daily conversations without constantly reaching for your phone or a dictionary.

The good news? Yes, it’s absolutely possible to learn French on your own. The bad news? At some point, you’ll end up talking to your dog in French, sticking Post-it notes all over your apartment, and shouting at irregular verbs that refuse to cooperate. But if you do it right, it’s worth every awkward moment.