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How long did it take you to learn french ?

How long did it take you to learn french ?

Old Sep 28th 2008, 9:22 pm
  #16  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

I remember when I visited my sister in Paris years ago and she had a couple of friends round one evening. I nodded and smiled my way through the conversations, and after they had all gone home, asked her "Why did everyone say Adam Ant as they left?"

Now I know why she fell about laughing...
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Old Sep 28th 2008, 10:04 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Collioure_Bee
So far has taken me six months to be able to say slow down I speak very little French, how to get directions and tell any strumpet they have a beautiful smile (important stuff only at first lol)
That said I do hear myself saying Oui with a very strong Catalan accent.

At this rate I may be able to converse in around 27 years.
People now feel confident enough to turn round to me and say, 'Sorry Brenda, I didn't understand a word of that. Can you start again?' Incidentally do English people tend to forget when they hear another English person speaking French that it hasn't just come by magic?
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 1:00 am
  #18  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Jazzy n Lol
I remember when I visited my sister in Paris years ago and she had a couple of friends round one evening. I nodded and smiled my way through the conversations, and after they had all gone home, asked her "Why did everyone say Adam Ant as they left?"

Now I know why she fell about laughing...


A bit like me getting upset when I went into the shops and found everyone was wishing me a good journey back to UK I thought they thought I had come over on the ferry as a day visitor - took me a week or so until I realised they wishing me a good day
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 3:06 am
  #19  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Ha ha. I was the same Val. Even though I used my best French I thought 'well they can tell I'm only visiting because they've wished me a good journey back, they all do it'!
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 9:45 am
  #20  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Jazzy n Lol
I remember when I visited my sister in Paris years ago and she had a couple of friends round one evening. I nodded and smiled my way through the conversations, and after they had all gone home, asked her "Why did everyone say Adam Ant as they left?"

Now I know why she fell about laughing...
Hehe! That's a good one.
My girlfriend's friends are largely immigrants from places like Italy, China, Brazil, who all speak impeccable English, French and their native languages. They switch between all three during conversations which makes me feel all the worse. English alone is hard enough.

My GF came back from watching a British movie at the cinema yesterday, and during the conversation came out with "isn't it just!". I hadn't seen the film, but knew she must have taken it from there. It's quite a strange remark if you try and analyse it, but now I'll be hearing it crept into daily conversations.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 10:14 am
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by G-J-B
Hehe! That's a good one.
My girlfriend's friends are largely immigrants from places like Italy, China, Brazil, who all speak impeccable English, French and their native languages. They switch between all three during conversations which makes me feel all the worse. English alone is hard enough.

My GF came back from watching a British movie at the cinema yesterday, and during the conversation came out with "isn't it just!". I hadn't seen the film, but knew she must have taken it from there. It's quite a strange remark if you try and analyse it, but now I'll be hearing it crept into daily conversations.
What drives me Mad is, When im having a conversation working as hard as I can to do it in French and the sods shift to English. My NeuroSurgeon and Cardiologist do it all the sodding time. When I was under the Knife they would both harass me about learning French.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 10:40 am
  #22  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Ka Ora!
What drives me Mad is, When im having a conversation working as hard as I can to do it in French and the sods shift to English. My NeuroSurgeon and Cardiologist do it all the sodding time. When I was under the Knife they would both harass me about learning French.
Absolutely, that's another of my pet hates. You make the effort to speak French, but when they pick up on the accent they think they're being helpful and reply in English. I let them carry on speaking in English and reply back in French, at least that way we both benefit from the learning experience.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 10:48 am
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by G-J-B
Absolutely, that's another of my pet hates. You make the effort to speak French, but when they pick up on the accent they think they're being helpful and reply in English. I let them carry on speaking in English and reply back in French, at least that way we both benefit from the learning experience.
nice one.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 12:18 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by G-J-B
Absolutely, that's another of my pet hates. You make the effort to speak French, but when they pick up on the accent they think they're being helpful and reply in English. I let them carry on speaking in English and reply back in French, at least that way we both benefit from the learning experience.
Yep! That's exactly what I do. Been here three years and starting to pick it up now. One thing I have though are french friends that speak no english whatsoever. Just had our neighbour round this morning asking if he can plug in a cable at our house to get a feed down to his field 200 yards behind us to charge the battery for his electric fence to keep the boar out of the corn! Do you know what? I understood perfectly! I was dead chuffed. Other days I'm a buffoon.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 12:30 pm
  #25  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

When I first arrived in France (a long, long time ago), I would say things like "le ciel pleure" - it's raining or "Ou est le seche chevaux" - where is the hairdryer!!
Of course people found it very charming at the beginning. Now I even help the French with their French
But, when I speak with the French admin (impots etc), they seem to dislike the fact that i understand everything and can express my needs and argue back. It's as if they test me and try to make me trip up!!
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 2:08 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by MoonShine
When I first arrived in France (a long, long time ago), I would say things like "le ciel pleure" - it's raining or "Ou est le seche chevaux" - where is the hairdryer!!
Of course people found it very charming at the beginning. Now I even help the French with their French
But, when I speak with the French admin (impots etc), they seem to dislike the fact that i understand everything and can express my needs and argue back. It's as if they test me and try to make me trip up!!
The funniest experience we had at the Tax Office was when the belligerent chap at the front desk refused to be helpful and sent us upstairs to see someone in another department. We were asked why we hadn't been able to get the answers we needed downstairs, and we tried to explain that the guy had been rude and thought himself to be "le Roi" - to which this other fonctioneer - who was very openly obviously gay - replied "Moi, je suis La Reine - il m'écoutera!" And he flounced off downstairs, gave "le Roi" a piece of his mind, and we were promptly sorted out.

Very funny it was too! Who said the French don't have much of a sense of humour?

Elaine S

Last edited by elaines; Sep 29th 2008 at 2:16 pm.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 3:35 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

I am making efforts Brenda honest. Have a lady booked to come round once a week startng in two weeks, and that is for genuine French language lessons before stanage or ka manage to worm an insinuation in there lol.

I was in the impots office in Ceret today and an openly gay bloke was called Madam over the tannoy. The sudden sharp turn of head and Larry Grayson style flick said it all before he got a "Oh. Pardon" over the same tannoy. The surpressed laughter now became open and loud, but thankfully I don't have to go back to that impots office now.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 3:53 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Collioure_Bee
I am making efforts Brenda honest. Have a lady booked to come round once a week startng in two weeks, and that is for genuine French language lessons before stanage or ka manage to worm an insinuation in there lol.

I was in the impots office in Ceret today and an openly gay bloke was called Madam over the tannoy. The sudden sharp turn of head and Larry Grayson style flick said it all before he got a "Oh. Pardon" over the same tannoy. The surpressed laughter now became open and loud, but thankfully I don't have to go back to that impots office now.


Now C.B. would he do a thing like thatto you,i think notand deep down i think you do
I would not dare one yellow card at moment,one more and out.This is not the U.S.A. (Three strikes and your out)
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 3:55 pm
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

Originally Posted by Collioure_Bee
I am making efforts Brenda honest. Have a lady booked to come round once a week startng in two weeks, and that is for genuine French language lessons before stanage or ka manage to worm an insinuation in there lol.

I was in the impots office in Ceret today and an openly gay bloke was called Madam over the tannoy. The sudden sharp turn of head and Larry Grayson style flick said it all before he got a "Oh. Pardon" over the same tannoy. The surpressed laughter now became open and loud, but thankfully I don't have to go back to that impots office now.
Well I have heard that the Girls that visit are very good French Teachers, Getting your arse spanked is a good excuse to goof though. Fret Not your reputation is not ruined here as Escort Girls and Fancy Massages and any strange form of tuition are Legal in France. I also have been Meaning to get some extra tuition of this kind, But I cant get the Oh out the house for long enough.
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Old Sep 29th 2008, 5:14 pm
  #30  
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Default Re: How long did it take you to learn french ?

A yellow card stanage, naughty naughty lol.

I am so naive Ka, I only found out this week what all those women sitting on plastic chairs on the road between Jonquera and Figueres were doing.
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