My Year of French Lessons

 Yesterday, my near obsessive relationship with Duolingo turned one. 

Or more to the point, it was a year ago that I committed to go on this Writer's Retreat in Paris and I made the decision to learn French again. I say learn again, as I learned French at school and did it until first year university, where I just failed the subject, mostly because did next to no work, and partly because I hated my tutor at the time. 

However, I've always kept a bit of the language around me. I love French movies. I've had French flatmates and friends over the years. Remnants of the language have never left me, and I'm quite proud to be able to read, write and speak a little of the language. Then again, I'm a polyglot and I pick up languages like most other people get head colds. 

In my year of re-learning French I've somehow remembered about MR VAN DER STAMP - that handy mnemonic we used to remember the coming and going verbs that use etre rather than avoir for the past tense. 

Monter, Retourner, Venir, Aller, Naitre, Descender, Entrer, Revenir, Sortir, Tomber, Ascender, Mourir, Partir...

You also have to use etre with the past participle when you've got a reflexive verb e.g. se lever...

I've found myself singing the verb ending for the past imperfect to the tune of the Mickey Mouse Club song (-ais, -ais, -ait,-ions, -iez, -aient...)

(Stupidly, I also remember the first twenty elements of the Periodic Table thanks to Mr Mundy, Chemistry teacher, complete with beige sports jacket. Talking to Barney tonight, he had some crazy mnemonic 

I've remembered stupid things like an abeille is a bee and a mouchoir is a tissue. A poubelle is a waste paper basket and a lavabo is a sink. I still struggle with the masculine/feminine thing. It's what sounds right for some of it, others is more rote learning. Pizza is feminine. The vagina is masculine. Go figure. 

I can swear in French, thanks to this pocket rocket Parisienne at Laneway Learnings. 

And I'm contemplating going to a mason's meeting while I'm in Paris, which might be interesting. Other than most Parisiens will say, "But I speak English..." I'm interested in seeing the ritual in French. It's an experience. At least some things don't change - i.e. the handshakes, passwords etc. We will see what happens there. 

While in France, I'll be fine. After the retreat I'm meeting up with Reindert and we're driving around Brittany and Normandy for a few days. Reindert speaks no French (he's fluent in Dutch and Spanish). I don't know how to drive on the wrong side of the road. I'll do the translating. He can do the driving. 

My other question is once I get back from France, do I keep up with the language classes. I have to say that I've really enjoyed them. I love languages. But is there a point? Something to think about later. 

For the moment, I'll keep up with my daily use of this app. It's rather fun. 

Today's song: