I have been learning French with a modicum of stealth in the past few weeks. Everybody and everything says France is the one country in the world where rudimentary greetings will not cut the baguette. My strategy includes an iPhone app which has a passable phrasebook including samples and a Collins learn French cd and book.
Collins recommend you listen to and practice the cd at least four times before starting on the phrasebook. So I have been eagerly listening when I have time. My first lesson was during an exuberant lawn mowing session. Below the drone of the mower, startled crickets and birds would have been able to hear me muttering all manner of things in French. The French accent does not seem to be as hard to me as my ill fated Spanish lesson indicated Spanish was.
I can only put this down to hours spent watching Warner brothers cartoons and in particular Pepé Le Pew
Sadly if you were to ask me now to say some French I would be stumped. I had a good session this morning on the bus and was left wondering if I should wear a shirt saying “Learning French” to explain my quiet indecipherable babbling.
I am hoping that in a few months I can write a blog post in French. Just because.
In the mean time.
Pardon mon français