Edith Piaf: the other pink meat
The second set of French classes are a little more difficult than the first. Whereas in the introductory session we were all starting out with almost equal inexperience, this time around all the other students have had at least a couple of years of French in school, or they've been speaking a few words of it all their lives. On the other hand, it makes me really work at my homework assignments, because, hey, I want to keep up. So far, I'm still fumbling. But I know I can get better at this, if I devote some time to it every day. It's nothing like taking a school course; there is no axe hanging over us ready to fall when we take the final, so the only thing making us learn is our own motivation. And I think I've got enough motivation to learn to speak fluently. It's fun, like learning a secret code as a child or Morse Code as a grown woman. Suddenly you have this whole new way to express yourself, and certain people are in the conspiracy with you as you learn. Perhaps you've had this feeling before, but it's entirely new to me.
I was too harsh about my fellow students in the last class, by the way. As the last couple of days of 9-to-5 fumbling beginners' French wore on, we actually had a pretty good time together. One nice thing was that we all went out and got lunch together every day, which more or less forced us to get to know each other. Unfortunately, none of them are continuing with the intermediate class. Still, the participants are a rather nice bunch.
This evening looks like an uneventful one, thankfully. Earlier today I had a nasty attack of cramps, which doesn't often happen to me. I'm feeling much better now (in fact I'm at the "skipping through a field of wildflowers in soft focus" stage of recovery) but I'm unusually tired.
If anybody has recommendations of French-language movies that might help me improve my listening comprehension--or simply be fun to watch--I'd be delighted to hear them. The subject line comes from a mistake in French class. Someone mispronounced the title of the Edith Piaf biopic "La Vie En Rose", so it sounded like "La Viand Rose"... well, trust me, it was a hoot at the time. I've been listening to a little music to help me with my comprehension, too. All right, what I did first and foremost was find a YouTube clip of the Battle of the Anthems from Casablanca and listen to it over and over. I know that sung French is different from spoken French, but really, any familiarity is good, this early in the game.
I was too harsh about my fellow students in the last class, by the way. As the last couple of days of 9-to-5 fumbling beginners' French wore on, we actually had a pretty good time together. One nice thing was that we all went out and got lunch together every day, which more or less forced us to get to know each other. Unfortunately, none of them are continuing with the intermediate class. Still, the participants are a rather nice bunch.
This evening looks like an uneventful one, thankfully. Earlier today I had a nasty attack of cramps, which doesn't often happen to me. I'm feeling much better now (in fact I'm at the "skipping through a field of wildflowers in soft focus" stage of recovery) but I'm unusually tired.
If anybody has recommendations of French-language movies that might help me improve my listening comprehension--or simply be fun to watch--I'd be delighted to hear them. The subject line comes from a mistake in French class. Someone mispronounced the title of the Edith Piaf biopic "La Vie En Rose", so it sounded like "La Viand Rose"... well, trust me, it was a hoot at the time. I've been listening to a little music to help me with my comprehension, too. All right, what I did first and foremost was find a YouTube clip of the Battle of the Anthems from Casablanca and listen to it over and over. I know that sung French is different from spoken French, but really, any familiarity is good, this early in the game.