Learn French: À force d'imiter le locuteur, nous maîtrisons le dialecte. - By repeatedly imitating the speaker, we master the dialect.

The phrase à force de adds the idea of repetition or intense effort. While en imitant just tells you how you master the dialect, à force d'imiter emphasizes that it is the constant, repeated action of imitating that leads to success.

Why is imiter in the infinitive form here when the English translation says "imitating"?

In French, any verb that immediately follows a preposition (except for en) must be in the infinitive form. Since de is a preposition, it must be followed by the infinitive imiter, even though English uses the -ing form after prepositions.

What is the difference between le locuteur and other words for a speaker?

Un locuteur specifically refers to a speaker of a language or dialect, such as a native speaker. If you were talking about a public speaker giving a speech, you would use un orateur, and a spokesperson is un porte-parole.

Can à force de be used with nouns instead of verbs like imiter?

Yes! While this lesson focuses on using it with an infinitive, you can also use à force de directly with a noun to mean "by dint of" or "through a lot of" something. For example, you could say à force de pratique (through a lot of practice) instead of à force d'imiter to express a similar idea.