Finally today we got to our first proper French lesson.
The ones we enquired about oh last Octoberish.
I've really tried, honest I have, to buck the system and get things moving even to the point of trying to get someone round to give lessons while we were in Leeds but to no avail. I was beginning to think I was cursed to spend the rest of my life having the poor lady in the bread shop explain the difference between saying "I'd like two croissants AND two pain au raisins" and "I'd like two croissants OR two pain au raisins"
So today we have done days of the week, months of the year, bonjours and aurevoirs, thank yous and excuse mes. All of which I know but I am trying to get a proper grip of things to fill in the gaps and I thought going back to the beginning was the best way to learn all those pesky little making sentences words that get you beyond talking like a two year old and asking for socks of apples when you mean apple turnovers. On the down side it will probably make life very dull for the local shop keepers.
I always have a mental picture of myself as the policeman in Allo Allo (though he is probably better than me) as I wander round The Limousin generating gallic shrugs in my wake
Other than that we have mostly been doing the garden and I'm pleased to report that Bristish hooligans will soon be rampaging all over the place. Hooligan pumpkins of course.
9 comments:
Whatever you do, do *not* ask your grocer if there are preservatives in the yogurt. (Y a-t-il des preservatifs dans le yaourt?)
The locals will never let you live it down. Never.
"My hovercraft is full of eels!"
Bonne chance avec tout ça!
Once again we seem to be living parallel lives in separate (Gallic) countries. Usually when I try to speak Welsh the Welsh speakers all take pity on me and switch immediately to English. Either that or they can't stand what I'm doing to the language! And this after four years of lessons... perhaps my Welsh speaking is not to be.
Keep up the good work with the French lessons!
Imperatrix You didn't!
Kitt I well do my bust
Moonroot It's the understanding what they are saying but being struck dumb that really bugs me
Have you tried some online lessons? I think there might be some free for the download.
bonne chance avec les cours de francais!
It's taken me 4 years of living in France (1 year Bayonne + 1 year Orleans + 2 years Lyon) to get used to speaking French....now I even dream in French, how ridiculous is that?
You'll get there, keep on trying, don't give in....
And I remember asking for some cream to put on my sunburnt neck in a pharmacy. Struggling with the difference in the 'ou' and the 'u' sounds....made cou into cul....quite the embarrassment.
Especially as I offered to show him the sunburnt area....
Aims I have signed up for the online lessons but the problem is feedback from someone to correct your pronunciation (see TBNIL above!) and generally to be able to ask questions of. We have now sent off for the Michel Thomas CDs too. We are quite determined
TBNIL The only time I have dreamt in other than English was when I was doing my BSc with the Open University when I had a dream in chemical formulae. Strangely enough I got 99% on that assignment!
I bow to your funnier and more embarrassing faux pas I shall think of it every time I go in to the pharmacy now and they will wonder why that mad englishwoman is giggling insanely. I will write to you from my padded cell.
Oh! The penny just dropped on preseravatifs! Ouch! And "cou" vs. c--. *wince*
(I had some sleazy guy try to feel me up in a bar and I tried to say "Lâche-moi" or "Laisse-moi partir" and it came out "Lèche moi." Luckily, my actions spoke louder than my words.)
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