Three Years of French

 Today is my third anniversary of using the Duolingo app, learning - or more to the point, re-learning French.

In those three years, I haven't missed a day - normally spending 15-20 minutes doing my little French lessons. 

Yes, this is an achievement.

If I think about it, the time I've spent learning French would be about equal to the time I spent learning French at high school. Mind you, in your teenage years, your brain is so much more pliable - and you're trained to retain more. 

And yes, I'm blessed with a very good memory and a talent for languages. Being a polyglot has it's uses. I'm also a reasonable mimic, which makes picking up pronunciation a bit easier. 

And sure, I have always been able to roll the Rs, thanks to training from Mr Noon, who always swore that you had to get kids before they were 15, so they could master this. And I can still decline the past simple of Etre (fus, fus, fut, fumes, futes, furent). These are the stupid things you get stuck in your head - and never use. 

And I love that the French have some great words. Like libellulle (dragonfly), parapluie (umbrella), pissenlit (dandelion), coquelicot (poppy) and epoustouflant (breathtaking). 

I love that I can read this language, understand it, and read it aloud, with few stuff ups. 

I love that when I speak French I don't sound so nasally, not that I've got an overly nasal accent, but after listening to myself on recordings for the last two and a half years, that I talk through my nose at times is awful - but then again, I might be mimicking the Darwin accent. 

Also, where to from here? I head to France on the weekend and will have two weeks there wandering around, speaking French, taking in the language and being French me - somebody I love. A strangely happy, confident, funny woman who's verging on bilingual. 

My old French teacher would be very proud. 

I don't think I'll be giving up this language study. It's good for my soul. I don't have any reason to continue other than wishing there way a way I could go and live in France for a while. Stay for at least a few months - and come back all but fluent. 

We can dream. 

Bonsoir. Reve des beaux reves. 

xx

Today's song: