I didn't learn much French at school and gave it up ASAP - terrified of the French teacher, but I was surprised what I could remember on our first visit there 16 years ago.
Started going every summer - OH doesnt speak a word, so thought I'd better learn. Got the BBC French experience pcak. Got addicted to learning it and went back to college to do me o'level. Got me o'level (woo hoo) and thought I'd be the bee's knees ..... trouble is those damn Frenchies speak so damn fast! And although I have long and extremely erudite conversations in me head - the minute I have to speak to a Real Live French Person - all the vocab flies out me ears!
Still - I find that as long as I have a go - they always reply in much better English. (Although that didn't hold true when we were staying on a completely French site near Lacave - Madame had very little English and she knew I had very little French, but she obvioulsy thought if she spoke quickly enough to me I was bound to understand!)
Small son made me laugh this summer - we had gone to book a couple of canoes, and he said to me " mum - you always speak French to them, but they always know you're English. How do they know?" Bless.
I did two years night school at my local college, cost me the best part of £300, I have even got the certificates to say I passed, looks good on the CV, but I still can hardly string a sentence together, and have no idea what they are saying when they reply!.
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Quote: Originally posted by Francais on 14/9/2009
I did two years night school at my local college, cost me the best part of £300, I have even got the certificates to say I passed, looks good on the CV, but I still can hardly string a sentence together, and have no idea what they are saying when they reply!.
Try and watch TV in french. I am fluent enough to hold a fairly detailed conversation on just about any subject and as well as staying with french families watching TV is what has helped me keep it up.
For iPod owners, there's a series on iTunes called Coffee Break French. 15 minute lessons covering almost everything I think - I've only reached number 10 out of many more and all free to download. The teacher and student on the recordings are Scottish (Ecosse) so have a head start with the accent!
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