French Aspirations

by Andy
(Ottawa)

Let me start off by saying that the French language is truly beautiful, the language of fine cuisine, fashion and wonderful culture. It is without a dispute, one of the world's most magnificent languages.

Up until the age of 13, I disliked French a lot. I lived in Canada, near the Quebec border, but I always hated whenever there were signs in French, and personally thought that it was a waste of time.

When I turned 14, I visited Quebec and immediately fell in love with the language. I studied intesively (2 hours a day sometimes, which is probably unusual for a teen). Within two months, I had a good accent going. A year later, I have developed a very good accent. I understand french TV and radio for the most part, and am able to speak it at an intermediate level. I can read as well without needing a dictionary for most of it. I could also write fairly well. I am now attending a course in French, and definately look to being fluent within a year.

However, learning French did not come without annoyances. I have not memorised gender yet for all the nouns. Conjugating verbs properly was also a trouble, but after three months of learning them, they were mastered. I also found spelling words correctly (especially the accents) difficult, as the pronouns, and the different moods in French.

Today, I am not perfect in French, but I am definately close to being fluent. I am lucky to have started at a fairly early age, so I could develop a good accent. I look forward to travelling to French spots. I grew up with Polish parents and speak that language fluently. I find learning a language a cultural experience and will probably learn a new one in a few years time.