Monday, October 15, 2007

French Update

Taking up a new language is, of course, not a trivial commitment. I have an ambition to be able to speak French with reasonable proficiency within two years (I started at Alliance Française in April). Term 3 just started and I felt a little flat in Term 2, so I've taken up some one-on-on conversation classes with Stéphanie, a française I met via another local blogger. Coincidentally, I met Stéphanie when she was volunteering at MIFF, and gave her my card, but didn't hear back from her. While I find these classes quite tough and draining (Stéphanie's game is "I don't speak English"), it's forcing me out of my comfort zone and I'm feeling much more positive and confident about learning the language. As time progresses, I'm finding myself picking up more and more from the French films I go to, particularly the differences that occur between the spoken words and the sub-titles.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think this is the best way to learn a language, especially when you've already had a little bit of formal training.

Hope it continues to go well!

Anonymous said...

I should probably stop saying I want to learn French (or, scarier, Russian) and just do it, shouldn't I?