onlyonebrenda

Well as long as you didn't join them.....
The one on one er, sorry, the one to one, er no, the private lessons certainly sound the best way forward.
I just have memories of long sunny days in the days when England used to have a summer, sitting gazing longingly out of the window while the French teacher droned on. Bless her, I now realise she was probably as bored as we were. But she did instill into us the French pronunciation of the alphabet - invaluable with my name, and she also encouraged us to get our lips moving and say sounds like 'eu' in a sort of rather refained Penelope Keith type way. Apparently English speakers are very lazy when it comes to using their lips (no rude comments please). So keep at it CB. It is worthwhile and you live in such a lovely part of France. I'm not trying to show off. I'm just trying to share what I'm learining because I find everyone else's comments so helpful.
A + (That is business speak at the end of emails for A plustôt/ speak to you soonest.)

G-J-B

My sister's boyfriend's Dad is a French teacher and I got a few extra lessons from him before I came to France. We were practising the err noises by gathering up flem in the back of the throat and pretending to spit afterwards - it must have been quite bizarre sight/sound for any fly on the wall.

Collioure_Bee

Sounds lovely g j b.

I can remember the French lessons at our school brenda. Mrs Gout (flavour????) or Gout The Boot. They were so boring, and just like Eddie Izzard goes on about in a very funny skit. The monkey is in the tree should ring a few bells to anyone that has heard it.

You keep at me Brenda, I'm certainly keen to learn now.

onlyonebrenda

I'll think of you when my man friend tells me jokes which are only funny in Occitan and then looks really nonplussed at my deadpan response. Fortunately he also tells jokes in French and sometimes, just sometimes, I laugh at the right moment

Collioure_Bee

'Scuse my ignorance, but what is occitan?

Ka Ora!

It's the old French Dialect used I think in the more southern regions see Here

onlyonebrenda

Very interesting site. good old Wikipedia. This maybe why you're having trouble with speaking to the locals CB as they probably lapse in and out of Occitan where you live and it can vary from village to village. My friend is a Gascon and can understand Spanish but claims that he is too old to learn English, although he can show a surprising turn of phrase on occasion.
The Occitan history is fascinatting. They probably originated from Crete or perhaps even further East. Their religion known as Catharism to us was dualistic and they were the original heretics so persecuted by the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. In fact it is only because of the age of the computer and the meticulous records kept by the inquisitors, which are now available to more scholars that we are beginning to find out more about them. They travelled across northern Italy, Southern France and along the coast of Spain and Portugal. In beliefs they had links with the Zoroastrans, the Minotaur of Crete, the worship of Sulis/ Minerva as visible at Bath and may well have been non-romanised Christian escapees from the Roman Empire where the Christians certainly persecuted the 'old believers'. The knightly chivalric code may well have been a secret code for believers. Rather than actually worshipping a lady from afar they were actually worshipping a female deity like Mary, mother of Jesus. They were Christians but they were dualists and their beliefs and their different racial roots brought them into open conflict with the Catholic Church leading to the first genocide in modern history. France in the Middle Ages was actually a very small country, little more that the Isle de France, but it was the ultimate suppression of the Occitan race during the hundred years war that brought about the unification of France as we know it. Uh oh, I'm rabbiting on a bit here. Sorry, I just find the whole thing fascinating.

themoose

What what................i need to know.

Ewood

Well, you remember all those years ago, when your mum or dad said, 'you've reached the age where we need to have a talk with you about the facts of life.......????

themoose

Yes

onlyonebrenda

No Moose, you're i france now. That should be Oui

Collioure_Bee

Or, if you are round here, "wey"

stanage2

Is the (e) said as a or e.

onlyonebrenda

This is ouai too complicated for me. Oc aye.

stanage2

The others will know.