When I arrived in France I was thirty years old and did not speak more than three words of French. Some of you have asked me what was that like and how long did it take me to learn to speak French.
1) It was hard.
It took me a very
l………….o…………………..n…………………..g
time to learn French. I am still learning. I have a very thick accent that doesn't bother me in the least. Nearly twenty years ago at a dinner party a man asked me if I could read in French. I answered that I could read basic French but not classic novels. I also admitted I could not write in French. In which he replied (in French) "Aren't you ashamed of yourself? After all these years you haven't learned?" I replied, "I am stupid." I thought I might as well tell him what he thought and avoid anymore of his insults.
It worked.
The conversation about my French language skills ended, though the dinner conversation continued on lighter topics.
Years later when French people asked me how long I had lived in France I know in a small way they are judging my French. If I said, "Ten years," they often replied in one or two ways:
1) You speak well, but you have a very thick accent.
or
2. You speak like this after twenty years?
After awhile this sort of response started bugging me.
I thought I would change my answer so that we would all feel good. Therefore when a French person asked me how long had I lived in France I would say, "Not too long." They respond by saying;
1) Incredible! Your French is very very good.
They smiled and I smiled everyone was happy.
Yes I was bending the truth. But that was a fault I could live with. Unless God only spoke French in which case I would be busted.
I probably am busted for so many other things it won't matter anyway.
I speak French. I dream in French. I can follow a conversation in French. I started to speak French when I found out that I had cancer (over twenty years ago.) amazing what a little fear can do to one's language skills.
I can buy antiques in French. I can also kiss in French, make crepes, and I feel I have come a long way since the day I couldn't say more than oui and non.
Photos: French vintage pieces found in a scrapbook.
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