I opened the envelope and saw an old handwritten note. “Il faut persévérer en français,” it said, meaning “You should go on with French.” I remembered it well.
The comment was on my report card from Lycée Pasteur, the school I attended in Oran, Algeria as a teenager. My family lived there for a few months due to dad’s engineering job. Unfortunately, we had to leave the country when the Algerian Civil War broke out.
Returning home put an end to learning French, something I have always regretted.
When mom sent me the note a few years ago, I was settled in Chicago. Being in Paris was a wish, a recurring thought… I kept visiting, took some French classes, but a one-way ticket to CDG came later.
***
I never thought I would live in another country before getting fluent in the language. Yet, moving to Paris happened when my level of French was intermediate at best. Enough to get by in everyday situations, but not enough for my liking.
As a travel writer and Business English trainer, I don’t need French for work. But what if I wanted to make use of my communications background and find another job? Or continue my education? Or have to deal with official matters?
Then there is social life. Knowing French makes it easier to date and make friends – or rather, not being fluent makes it harder to build relations.
In other words, I chose to live in France and need to speak the language well. For my own comfort. And that teenage me in Algeria.
***
At times learning French feels like acquiring a superpower. The language is complex and will take time to grasp, but I’m enjoying the challenge! What better classroom than Paris?
Simply by being here, I absorb new vocabulary daily. You learn best when you have to use the language, but I also make a conscious effort to study.
Grammar books (to satisfy my inner nerd), slang dictionaries, French movies with subtitles, free papers on the Metro (to practice reading and stay informed on cultural events, a double win). It also helps to have a local friend who is willing to teach and challenge me. Even though he speaks great English, we have a deal that only French is allowed. “I used to simplify it for you, but now I talk the way I do with other friends.” Merci, prof.
There is one thing needed in the mix: regularity. I would like to have weekly in-person sessions with a trainer, like I do with my clients. But planning is hard without a fixed work schedule.
Recently, I have been introduced to Lingoda, an online language school based in Germany. They provide one-on-one and group instruction with native speakers via Skype. Classes are offered around the clock and you get to pick topics, which is the main appeal for me.
Learning French online is a new experience, but going well so far. I like having access to materials before each session. Since I spend much time on the train, I get to download PDF files onto my tablet and prepare on the go. I have been focused on grammar, but plan to take speaking and writing classes down the road.
***
When I moved to Paris a year ago, being able to read books or see plays in French was a distant future. Encouraged by a special someone, I picked up one novel, then another… and eventually got theater tickets. There is work to be done, especially with speaking, but I am headed in the right direction.
I’m going to continue, je vais persévérer.
Thanks to Lingoda for my online classes. All opinions in this post are mine.
Portrait photos by Parisian Clichés.
Very brave of you. My challenge is spanish. I should know it but I’m not fluent…yet. Still a work in progress.
Don’t give up! Practice makes perfect, as they say. :) love Spanish and was worried I’d lose it after moving to France… luckily I still get to use it.
Good for you! French is a language I’ve wanted to learn, although my skill with language is not so great. I’ve taken Spanish, Latin, and Italian, haha. I think I need to move somewhere in order to learn a new language. OR you can teach me! ;)
Erin Musich recently posted..Going Back to College with a Stay at Graduate Oxford
Haha… We could exchange language lessons for yoga lessons, deal? :)
Heh, French is a language I’ve lerned in primar school and I can’t speak now. The best way to learn other language is move to proper country like you :) Good work! French is beautiful, but to hard for me.
Sounds like my high school German education… I find French beautiful too, but more complex than some other languages I’ve studied.
Oh, a fellow English teacher, hey there;]
Well yeah, I’ve also had this dream of moving to a country, then acquiring the language, and then I understood I can’t really move away from my source of power, which is my hometown, for longer than two months. After this I start withering like a dying flower. But congrats for you, as you put it so nicely, there’s no better classroom than Paris.
S. recently posted..Genua, Włochy: Glenn, mój ulubiony psychopatyczny złodziej, cz. 5 i ostatnia
Too bad about your dream of living abroad, but I like how you call your hometown the power source. :)
There’s no better classroom than Paris – I totally agree! I spent one year working as an au-pair and living in Paris. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Talking French everyday, going to classes at language school, watching French movies in the cinema… I learnt so much! Unfortunately after I came back home I stopped using French, I only needed English in some situations. Now I try to go back on track and refresh my French. Good luck with your French classes!
I hope you’ll get to dust off your French! Perhaps on another trip to Paris?…
Well, I would say that speaking Polish could be a real super power for you, but you already speak Polish :) I have never lived abroad so there was no need for me to learn any other language but English, but I’m pretty talented to catch new languages, although with French I would need help for sure! :)
Haha… knowing Polish is a superpower too, no doubt!
My French isn’t any better than the last time I saw you. Good for you for really taking it seriously. I know it needs to be a bigger priority, but it’s just so maddening!
Leah recently posted..3 Easy Day Trips from Paris
Good luck, Leah! Next time we go to a café, you’re ordering in French. D’accord? ;)
It’s the best case to be able to learn language directly in the country of origin! I envy you and I wish you good luck with it! ?
Merci. I’m enjoying the process, even if I wish it was quicker! But can’t complain about learning French in France…
“At times learning French feels like acquiring a superpower.”
That’s exactly how I feel about my efforts to learn Spanish! Good luck! French is such a beautiful language and I’ve always loved it, though most of what I learned in high school has been forgotten now.
Kate Storm recently posted..Show Me The Money: Travel Budget for Honduras
Thank you, Kate, and good luck with your Spanish! Si se puede. :)
There’s no better way to learn French than being in France and practice it regularly! But learning it online seems like a good option as well, especially for people who can’t be in the country and immerse in the french-speaking environment. Good luck with your French learning!
Thanks, Cat! Online classes are an interesting addition to the mix, for sure.
I am a language nerd (as you know) and I agree – the best way to learn a language is to be fully immersed in it. I love how you called Paris your classroom :-) And then to have friends to converse with… it all makes a big difference. Great job, amiga!
Francesca recently posted..Planning a Legendary North Dakota Road Trip
Those friends, right? ;) Next time we see each other, we’ll have to talk languages.
You’re very dedicated to learning French, even down to reading the newspaper on the metro. I wish I could have your dedication to learning a new language!
I feel like I’ve been learning French too long… Living in Paris sure gives me extra motivation!
Love this! I had not seen such s detailed post before and it made me feel like I was there, such a fascinating culture.
Hello Rehlat. I’m glad the post made you feel like you’re in Paris. Hope you’ll get to visit and enjoy the city one day! Thanks for the note.
Eat, sleep, learn, repeat ? I’m joking! You are in the perfect place to learn French. Good luck!
I actually like that “itinerary,” Anita! :)
oh my gosh, I really loved this personal struggle and problem solving with French. I am in the same boat with Spanish at the moment in Mexico. I moved here, but I’m still struggling with the language. It doensn’t help that I can’t concentrate on just one aspect. It’s the internet, workers building the house, car accident (that was a fun one after 2 months of being here), the vet, shopping and immigration. I like the idea of focusing on words with a PDF. I will check it out, and encourage my Mexican friends to correct me.
Hey Tiffany, keep practicing! I love Spanish, especially Mexican Spanish, and I think you’re lucky to have all these topics to deal with (well, except the car accident), don’t let that overwhelm you. !Mucha suerte! :)