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Illustration by Marley Allen-Ash
I was concerned when the School Director sternly stated: “If we hear you speak even a word of English, you will be fined two euros.” I had invested four weeks of my life to attend a full-time French Immersion program in the south of France. I had just written the first-day placement test, my first exam in decades. I started to question my sanity. This was going to be a very challenging month.
I first became intrigued with French in high school when I took the basic courses and enjoyed learning a new language. At university, however, the tedious curriculum of French 101 seemed spectacularly boring and my university language studies went no further.
My enthusiasm for the French language was reignited when our children attended a French Immersion school program. I loved reading French books with them and helping with their language studies. But I was too busy (or lazy) to study French myself.
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A couple of years ago, I had a chance encounter with a charming new neighbour who regaled me with fabulous tales of his lifelong French learning and experiences. He had recently taken his family to live in France for an entire year. I was so envious. A whole year in France!
I woke up the next morning and decided to create my own luck. Although I am in my mid-60s, I still enjoy new adventures and challenges. If not now, I wondered, then when? Three months later I arrived in Villefranche-sur-Mer and embarked on a month of French language studies. I assured my husband I would not leave him for a handsome Frenchman.
The school I attended is L’Institut de Français, situated in a beautiful old estate in the charming oceanfront town. We were immersed in French for eight hours a day, five days a week. Not a word of English could be spoken on the school property.
The first week of class was extremely challenging. I constantly stared at the floor to avoid eye contact with the teachers. I fumbled and stumbled over the French words and phrases. There were many embarrassing exchanges, in particular, the time my response caused the teacher to sigh in exasperation and ask for an aspirin. True story. Despite the challenges, I loved every minute!
Week by week, the immersion process worked its magic. My brain automatically switched to French when I walked through the school gates. Like a Pavlov’s dog, I had been trained to speak only French in that environment. One day I encountered an American woman on a tour of the school. The previous day I had spoken with her at length, in English, at a local restaurant. But when I met her on the school grounds, I instinctively spoke only in French. A weird but wonderful experience.
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It was fascinating to meet fellow students from around the world and learn their reasons for studying French. The school has many illustrious alumni, including ambassadors, politicians, judges and actors, so I was on the lookout for celebrities. I am quite sure I met a German spy whose past experiences, quirky demeanour and mousy appearance reminded me of a character in a TV espionage series. (Seriously. I asked her if she was a spy but she denied it. Of course she would!)
Many students needed to improve their French for careers in government or business. A few hoped to improve their chances of immigrating to nearby Monaco. And many, like me, were in attendance as a personal challenge. As a proud Canadian, I learned to say, “Je suis Canadienne et je veux apprendre l’autre langue officielle de mon pays.” I am Canadian and I want to learn the other official language of my country.
Each day students gathered together for lunch, to practice the art of French conversation. Mon dieu! I was a totally different, less-confident version of myself. With only a limited French vocabulary, I couldn’t tell any of my usual stories and jokes. I gained a huge new respect for multilingual people who effortlessly flip between languages. After much practice, I finally developed an amusing story to tell to whomever I happened to be sitting with. Yes, the same story every day. At least I was never fined two euros!
Attending L’Institut de Français inspired me to continue my personal French learning challenge. Last summer, I enjoyed a week of language studies at a French school in Montreal. And I’ve enrolled for another session at L’Institut de Français this spring. I can’t wait to get there and embarrass myself again!
Leslie Jones lives in Whistler, B.C.