I have to consult my calendar to make sure we are still in June and I haven't somehow overslept half a year and woke up in November. A quick look out of the window--a milky fog and a heavy shower. What happened to our summer?!At least I have something useful to do--I enrolled in a super-intensive French course at the French Institute. I'm a student again! Ok, technically I was a student last year, too, when I took a course with the Open University but when you only study online you don't really feel like you are a part of something.
It's also been ages (seven years, precisely) since I last attempted to take a French course, and that one wasn't much of a success--we had too many levels in the group and I missed a lot of classes because of travel so in the end I just stopped going.
To be fair, I was so not motivated. I wanted to enroll Italian but reached a pragmatic decision that
a) since French is more useful (it's one of 5 UN languages)
b) and I had some basis back from high school
I should actually try to "take it to the next level," literally. But it didn't work.
This time I think I might actually enjoy it, for a change. So, while the enthusiasm lasts I might as well go do my homework...
*a paraphrase of a poem by Jacques Prevert (Ruslan's influence is showing already)
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8 comments:
Nice sunny day here in Paris. Sorry, that sounds like rubbing it in! Hope your weather (and French) improves quickly.
It has to get better (the weather, I mean), since I don't see how it can get any worse (a tornado? a flood?). At least I don't have a feeling that I'm missing out on anything while I'm sitting in the classroom :)
And is it still raining sans cesse in Budapest?
I've just done a full year of French, took exam, got really fed up, need a break, won't speak a word in French while in Chamonix in August!
But good luck anyway, courses are good fun.
Still raining, and the forecast until the end of week is moreof the same...
Have you started from zero with your French courses or you already had some knowledge?
No, I already had kinda A-Level French before the course started, which is where it got hard because we had to watch films and then TALK about them IN FRENCH, by which time it was usually around 8pm and I was thinking I can't believe I'm paying money for this!!!
I'm not trying to put you off, I'm sure you already know it's not an easy language to learn, but if you have good reason to learn it then you'll find it lots easier.
I'm going for more "manual" course next year. Most likely sewing. Enough with languages!
You made me laugh, Polly--after attempting to learn Hungarian (and partially succeeding), French doesn't seem scary at all. Plus, I'm also not starting from scratch, I had it in high school (ok, I admit this was ages ago).
But I think you meant to say that it's not easy to become fluent in it, which is probably true. I'm aiming for B2 level now and will take it from there if we ever move to a francophone country
Good luck with the studying!
I "need" to study Spanish but...;-)
Hope you enjoy school!
Hi Jelica
I think that you will find the school girl french will help you a lot. I have done a couple of courses and was amazed at what popped out from a 40+ year old dustbag. Not just the vocab, but the declensions, and syntax and the sexy voice!
Happy Days en francais
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