How Much French Do You Know?

I always felt behind my classmates, with their ability to pick up the language quickly.  I knew I needed to practice, but I didn't know whom to approach. Except the professors, no one else around is completely equipped to teach you a second language. Tutoring is not always a successful venture. I knew that true immersion was the only solution would actually work for me. Like many students, I only spent a few hours a week practicing my French during class time. The rest of the time I was constantly surrounded by English, making it difficult to retain what I had learned.  I knew it was time to study in a French-speaking place.

Since coming to France, although I have definitely been immersed French all hours of the day, I have sometimes found it difficult to enjoy the dream of living in Europe. Since I lived in the countryside of France, I found it tricky to locate someone who could speak English.  I felt overwhelmed and sometimes I thought that my decision to come here was a bad idea. But six months later, when I was done with my classes and I stay more fully engaged in conversations, and my reading and writing skills improved exponentially. 

Only you can decide if learning a second language is worth the difficulties that I have experienced. You should consider whether learning a second or even a third language lines up with your goals, and whether learning them is worth the time and energy it takes to be successful. When I first walked into my first French class about eight and a half years ago, I could not imagine that I would writing this journal in my apartment in France. As I think about that now, though, I can tell you one thing, recalling a very famous TikTok quote:

-"Are you happy to be in Paris?"

-"Oui!"

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