Alliance Française, Day 1
I started my French classes today at the Alliance Française today. I was placed in Level 2 advanced beginner. I was hoping for a higher placement. I generally put more effort into my classes than the others so I know I could function fine in level 3 but maybe I am at skill level 2.
I thought I was running late. I arrived at about 8:32 and I thought classes started at 8:30, but no it was 9AM. The secretary said I was early and she offered me some coffee, with the caveat that it tastes like turpentine. Ummm . . . I’ll pass. What did she expect I was going to say after that?
It was nice because there were people from all over the world. There was a woman from Spain, Italy, Russia, China(thought not ethnically Chinese - but that’s another story), Colombia, and a man from Brazil, Australia, Germany, Colombia, and other places. It is perfect because people won’t revert to English when they struggle, as has happened in other French classes I have taken in the states, because they don’t all speak English.
PS, I am putting off doing my homework.
Congradulations! I stumbled across your blog and have been following your adventures. When my children enrolled in school (French Immersion here in Canada) I entered into French lessons and yes, it i to easy to fall back into English when the teacher isn’t paying attention. Good luck or should I say Bonne Chance?
It’s funny you say Bonne Chance, did you read much earlier my observations on my blog. Americans usually say Bonne Chance when the French would say Bon Courage. Different outlooks I’d say. Now a Canadian is saying bonne chance. What does it mean?
There is an Australian guy in class who confirms everything he learns with “oh that’s just like ______ in English”. I keep thinking no please don’t do that, think in French too. It’s only been one day so hopefully it won’t continue. Luckily most of the other people don’t speak English so they won’t join in with him.
Good luck at the Alliance. I attended the Alliance in Paris for a year back in the last century. Like you, I thought I’d place higher than I did after having taken French in grades 6-12.
But nooooo… I started at the bottom. But it was fine, and I ended up doing great as I progressed through the levels.
And I totally agree with you that the French class is much more interesting when the students are coming from different cultural and language backgrounds. What a challenge for the instructor!
I actually took Spanish from grades 6-12. In CA my Spanish was okay but then I never used it in Philadelphia. Here in Toulouse I hear Spanish all the time so maybe I’ll pick up my Spanish again.
Today some of the people who class was too easy for went up to the next level, one went to the beginning level, and a few people who were in the beginner lever moved up to our level. Basically the class was much better today as we were more around each other’s levels. There is still one person who really struggles and then reverts back to Cantonese and or English, depending on how frustrated she is, no one else speaks Cantonese so she must be really frustrated, it wouldn’t bother me so much if she hadn’t decided for some reason that we were friends. Today as i was entering the building at the Alliance Française she screamed “Copain copain.” I thought who is this strange person talking to, until I realized it was me, and yes I apparently have a problem with run on sentences.
Perhaps it’s the Quebecois influence. I live in BC so no one speaks French here anyways
An interesting first day. Did you speak to the secretary in French or English? I have to confess that I, too, say “that’s like _____ in English” and Robb keeps telling me to try not to think that way. It’s more difficult than it seems for me, and probably for the Canadian guy aussi.
I think the thought sometimes, oh that’s just like _____ in English but when you comment out loud to an entire class that doesn’t necessarily speak English it gets annoying. I am trying to think in French. that was why I had hoped to be placed in a higher level even though I am probably at the right level skills wise. I am not afraid to be in situations where I am out of my comfort zone, you might say that is my comfort zone. Anyway, today was much better.