Apprendre le français!

Everyone agrees that the best way to learn a foreign language is to be immersed in it. Our youngest daughter has that luxury by nature of going to a French public school every weekday; she's definitely progressing faster than the rest of us. Even though we can get by, our ministry is in an English context, so Greg and I find ourselves using our native tongue much more than French. We try to improve our language skills by learning in our spare time.

Sometimes this learning happens on the street, in real-life situations. My favorite phrase when interacting with the French is "J'essaie apprendre le français" -- "I'm trying to learn French." For some reason, this sentence seems to be the key to getting language help. I think it's because it shows humility and a desire to enter their world. Whatever the reason, I usually get special attention when I say this phrase, and I almost always learn something new. For example, the other day we had repair done on our balcony doors. After welcoming the workers, I used the magic sentence, and in a matter of seconds I was getting a vocabulary lesson on construction tools!

Besides these types of daily interactions, I also participate in conversation groups and a language exchange partnership (wherein I help someone with English and she helps me with French). I also use a variety of free language websites. In case some of you are also "d'apprendre le français" I'd like to offer reviews of the tools I've found to be most helpful. And please send me a comment if you have found other great websites!

Coffee Break French - this is an excellent podcast by RadioLingua. In short, 15-20 minute segments, French teacher Mark and his "student" Anna take beginners through the basics of the French language using a thematic, conversational approach. Every 10 lessons, Mark offers a quiz to review the material previously learned. The podcasts are free but extra written materials are available for purchase. I love Mark's teaching style. He mixes grammar and spelling rules in with the lessons, but the focus is becoming comfortable in conversation. He excels at demonstrating how to build on what you already know to be able to succeed even in unfamiliar situations. Some of the more advanced lessons provide realistic "radio-play" conversations that Mark breaks down one sentence at a time, explaining the nuances of the language as he goes. I give this an A+ for explaining "real" French in an entertaining way.

Apprendre le Français avec TV5 Monde  - One of France's TV stations teamed up with French university teachers to create this fun and effective language tool. Learners watch a short clip from a television program, and answer a series of comprehension and grammar questions. There are usually four or five sets of exercises for each clip, which forces you to watch the same clip over and over again. This is not a bad thing; as a matter of fact, I've found that with each subsequent viewing, I understand a little bit more every time. At the end of the lesson I usually watch the clip one final time while reading the transcript provided. The lessons are categorized by level: A1 & A2 for beginners, B1 & B2 for intermediate and advanced. This website gets an A- because while it's fantastic for listening comprehension, it doesn't offer much in the way of explanation.

DuoLingo - A friend told me about this one, and I do use it from time to time but find that it has a lot of problems. On the plus side, it helps you learn to spell French words and introduces new vocabulary. Also, it's game-like approach keeps it fun. However, the sentences they come up with are really stupid. "The small elephant has a red dress." Really? I would never find this to be useful in real life. Another huge problem is the audio. I think they used the google translate voice -- it's very mechanical and hard to understand. In French, correct pronunciation is vital, and this website doesn't help in that area at all. C+.

LiveMocha - This is a social networking website, and it can be a lot of fun. It's necessary to create an account to get started, because the goal is to interact with other language learners around the world. You earn points by providing feedback to English learners, and you redeem your points to "buy" language lessons. Each thematic lesson includes vocabulary, grammar, speaking, writing, and listening. You have the opportunity to record your voice during the speaking lessons and have your submission reviewed by a native French speaker (for enough points, you can even get feedback from a professional French instructor!) I give this a B because the lessons are written by a variety of coaches, and some of the lessons aren't as useful as others. Also, I seem to always get sucked into spending more time reviewing English submissions than working on my French!

So there you have it, a few places to get started on your language adventure. Comment below to suggest additional French resources. Thanks!

My new normal

When our family moved to urban Lyon from suburban North Carolina, everything changed. I usually tell people I come from Charlotte, but due to typical American sprawl, we actually lived in a "small" farming town situated about 25 miles south of the big city. (Small is in quotation marks because the town is so widespread geographically: google tells me its area is about 30 square kilometers. In contrast, Lyon is 48 square kilometers, but has 44 times the population!)

Our former rental home sat on over an acre of woods. In the summertime we couldn't see our nearest neighbors thanks to the thick foliage. Occasionally, the sounds of lawn mowers or barking dogs would disturb the peace, but normally it was quiet.

By contrast, in Lyon we live in an apartment just a few blocks from city center. It's noisy. All the time. But as I've said before in earlier posts, I love my new lifestyle here. It has become my new normal.

It hit me like a ton of bricks the other day as I was walking back from the grocery store, toting my "caddy" behind me and carrying a baguette underneath my arm: "I have a new life." One that I'm actually used to. I don't find it strange anymore to exit the front door and immediately enter a living stream of humanity rushing along the sidewalks. It's no longer foreign to hop on a metro or take out a bike from the "Vélo'V" stands to get from place to place. I'm thankful, SO thankful, that I don't have to get in the car every time I need to run an errand. Everything the city has to offer is literally just outside my door.

I've grown accustomed to the urban noises. Cars, buses, and delivery trucks constantly cruise down our street, but I barely notice the ruckus anymore. Now I'm so used to the French police sirens (which sound like bagpipes to me), when I watch an American action movie I find the high-pitched siren noises strange.

When I need some peace and quiet, I simply head to the park. It's a 15 minute walk, 10 minute jog, or 5 minute bike or bus ride away from our apartment. This enormous and beautiful park has become my surrogate backyard. When I enter its imposing gates, I enter another world. Stress drains away. I commune with nature, and the God who created it. Sometimes I go there to exercise, sometimes I read a book or work a Sudoku puzzle, sometimes I just sit. And breathe. And after a while, I return. I return to the noise, to the chaos, to the energy of urban life.

Usually, I don't even hear it.