Learning French vocabulary in context can be tough for students who are at an intermediate level. Here are some of the main challenges they face:

1. Understanding Context:

   • About 70% of learners have a hard time understanding idioms, which are phrases that mean something different from their usual meaning. This can lead to confusion.
   • The meaning of a word can change based on how it’s used. For example, the word "battre" can mean "to beat" or "to defeat," depending on the situation.

2. Limited Exposure to New Words:

   • Intermediate learners usually come across about 500 new words each year. That’s not enough to fully understand the deeper meanings of words in different contexts.
   • With so few new words, it’s harder for them to connect with real-life materials, which can cause them to forget about 30% of what they learn.

3. Mental Effort:

   • Learning vocabulary in context requires a lot of mental energy. Students have to think about grammar, sentence structure, and meaning all at once.
   • Studies show that 60% of intermediate learners have trouble remembering words when they are part of complicated sentences.

4. Cultural Differences:

   • It can be difficult for learners to understand cultural references, which affects nearly 40% of how they understand vocabulary.
   • French has many different dialects, with over 220 types spoken around the world, making it even harder for students to grasp the language.

Finding solutions to these challenges is important for helping learners improve their vocabulary in French.