Bienvenue à 2016
2015 was a year of immense change for me and honestly it exhausted me. Unfortunately it looks like 2016 is going to continue that streak since I found out I am being laid off and am currently in the stressful process of looking for a new job. Not all of the changes in 2015 were difficult though. I look back fondly on my French re-awakening so to speak. Afters years of being a francophile I finally took the steps to actually start to learn the language I had lusted after for so long.
The process started out rough, it usually does. It's challenging to learn a new language and the frustrations are usually greater than the triumphs in the beginning stages. Once I found the right class and teacher (for me and my learning style) I was able to get into the rhythm of learning French. Of course there are still going to be points of frustration on my language learning journey, but I have broke through the new learner (anxiety riddled) barrier.
I finished my first semester of French last month. I am proud to say I received an A+ on both my comprehensive final exam and the entire course. My next French course just started this week so I am back in class for the spring semester. It feels good to be back. I didn't study as much as I would have liked over the winter break, but I did watch a lot of French tv/movies.
I would say the two biggest challenges in learning French are still finding the time and motivation to consistently study and finding a way to practice speaking the language. The verbal portion of a language is always the hardest if you live in a place where that language is never used/spoken. You can learn to read and write French from a book and with a teacher, but finding a way to consistently practice speaking is next to impossible. I have no one to speak French with. I am at a place in my life where it will be next to impossible to get to study abroad in France (I am married, have dogs, a mortgage etc.). I am going to have to continue to look for a way learn to speak French.
I am still watching as many French movies/shows on Netflix as possible. I am currently obsessed with the French tv show Engrenages (Spiral). I am on saison 4 (the last season currently available on Netflix). It's a great dark crime thriller/drama and of course is a good way to practice listening to street French (as opposed to textbook French).
I am continuing to find new fun resources for both French language and culture.
- http://french.about.com/
- http://www.theparisblog.com/
- http://www.parisisinvisible.blogspot.com/
- http://ouicestca.com/
- https://www.youtube.com/user/learnfrenchwithalexa
- https://www.youtube.com/user/MonsieurDream
- http://www.comixity.fr/
À plus tard
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