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How to make use of 3 days in France | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Questions About Your Target Languages |  | |
| animusnonperire Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5595 days ago 11 posts - 11 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German | Message 1 of 11 25 August 2009 at 10:17pm | IP Logged | ||
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Hello knowledgeable linguists/ polyglots.
I have just begun studying French on my own! In exactly a week from today I am to spend 3 days in France, seeing the Louvre, visiting Paris and eating in restaraunts. What could I do in these 3 days to make the most of my French learning, even though I have just started? Should I try to speak it? Thanks for the help! B.B. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cainntear Pentaglot Senior Member Scotland linguafrankly.blogsp Joined 6017 days ago 4399 posts - 7687 votes  Speaks: Lowland Scots, English*, French, Spanish, Scottish Gaelic Studies: Catalan, Italian, German, Irish, Welsh | Message 2 of 11 25 August 2009 at 11:40pm | IP Logged | ||
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My first rule: if there's something you can say, say it! Once you've learned "thank you" in a language, make sure and thank people. Make sure you know how to say "excuse me" (="get out of my way") and "sorry" (="I just stepped on your foot") and any time you're on the Metro, say them whenever the need arises.
This early in your learning, there won't be much you can say, but there's no need to be embarassed about it. Use what you can, when you can, and congratulate yourself for each minor victory. Prove to yourself now that it's painless -- it really is -- and then you'll always find yourself comfortable with using new stuff as and when you learn it. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Meadowmeal Pentaglot Groupie Netherlands Joined 5717 days ago 43 posts - 57 votes Speaks: Dutch*, French, English, German, Polish Studies: Romanian | Message 3 of 11 26 August 2009 at 12:07am | IP Logged | ||
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Try to avoid using your mother tongue as much as you can, for instance by using a french guidebook. Bring a pocket dictionary.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| William Camden Hexaglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6278 days ago 1936 posts - 2333 votes Speaks: English*, German, Spanish, Russian, Turkish, French | Message 4 of 11 26 August 2009 at 12:11am | IP Logged | ||
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In 1994 I went to Paris for a few days, bringing along a pocket dictionary, and tried to avoid using English. It went OK, though there is only so much you can learn in a few days. It certainly did my French no damage.
I also only bought French books, newspapers or magazines, the film I saw (I forget which, it was not very good though not so spectacularly awful that I would remember it) was a French one, and it was generally a bit of a language holiday. Edited by William Camden on 26 August 2009 at 11:58am 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| FuroraCeltica Triglot Senior Member United Kingdom Joined 6871 days ago 1187 posts - 1427 votes Speaks: English*, Spanish, French | Message 5 of 11 26 August 2009 at 1:30pm | IP Logged | ||
Firstly, use French as often as possible in shops. Secondly, buy French newspapers and magazines to take back with you. That will allow you to study real life materials in the flesh when you get home. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| patuco Diglot Moderator Gibraltar Joined 7021 days ago 3795 posts - 4268 votes Speaks: Spanish, English* Personal Language Map | Message 6 of 11 26 August 2009 at 1:35pm | IP Logged | ||
Those would be my recommendations also. For the first one, try to pretend that you cannot speak English, although I doubt if you'll have much trouble with people trying to practice their English with you in Paris! For the second, I'd prefer books (and audiobooks too if you can find them). If there's not enough space in your luggage, remove some clothes. You've got to prioritise :) 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| administrator Hexaglot Forum Admin Switzerland FXcuisine.com Joined 7382 days ago 3094 posts - 2987 votes 12 sounds Speaks: French*, EnglishC2, German, Italian, Spanish, Russian Personal Language Map | Message 7 of 11 26 August 2009 at 7:13pm | IP Logged | ||
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Animus, this is just great and you'll have a jolly good time.
Now please consider that you will encounter a certain number of Parisians who will be rude if you make even the slightest mistake in French. Jeez, they are even rude to me sometimes, and French is my mother tongue. This will happen especially in shops and restaurants and is just a cultural feature of the Parisian. So please don't let the morons grind you down and continue trying to speak as best you can even if you get snappy and rude answers. I'm sure you'll find plenty of nice people to talk to. Have fun in Paris! 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| ExtraLean Triglot Senior Member France languagelearners.myf Joined 6000 days ago 897 posts - 880 votes Speaks: English*, French, Spanish Studies: German | Message 8 of 11 26 August 2009 at 7:20pm | IP Logged | ||
Ahh administrator, it's not because of your French, it's because you're Swiss. :p And I have to say that after about 18 months of living here I haven't suffered from any remarkable rudeness on behalf of the 6,000,000 people that I'm sharing this city with. You'll alway get rude and grumpy people, especially in big cities, but I can't really see how Parisians differ from Brisbanites in that regard. But then again, I'm not Swiss. :p Pick up as much study material as you can. If you see a Fnac (not the one on Champs d'Elysées, try Ternes) go raid the French for Foreign learners section of the bookshop. If you're in St. Michel, try Gibert Jeans language shop as well. Thom. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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