French

[Brandane]

French intermediate DONE. So, the next course includes a residential week in Caen next July. Anyone been? I'm thinking I might take an extra week and go exploring, maybe even on a bike...

Mais oui!
Been to Caen a few times now with a bike. Try the "Route du Cidre", a very pleasant rural cycle with the opportunity to partake of some local cidre, not cider, along the way. Normandy beaches is another good day trip on a bike. So is Bayeux, or Lisieux. An excellent base for cycling, actuellement.
So good, that I am going back soon, but this time flying to Bordeaux and then cycling up to Caen. Hopefully I won't be too wrecked by the time I get there, and will have enough time and energy to do some more exploring. Returning to the UK via the excellent Brittany Ferries which sail out of Ouistreham, about 8 miles north of Caen on a traffic free, smooth and wide paved cycle route which passes Pegasus Bridge.
Must try and have another listen to my Michel Thomas French CD course before I go.

 

[sazzaa]

Mais oui!
Been to Caen a few times now with a bike. Try the "Route du Cidre", a very pleasant rural cycle with the opportunity to partake of some local cidre, not cider, along the way. Normandy beaches is another good day trip on a bike. So is Bayeux, or Lisieux. An excellent base for cycling, actuellement.
So good, that I am going back soon, but this time flying to Bordeaux and then cycling up to Caen. Hopefully I won't be too wrecked by the time I get there, and will have enough time and energy to do some more exploring. Returning to the UK via the excellent Brittany Ferries which sail out of Ouistreham, about 8 miles north of Caen on a traffic free, smooth and wide paved cycle route which passes Pegasus Bridge.
Must try and have another listen to my Michel Thomas French CD course before I go.

Ah awesome!
I'm going to assume that you can hire a decent bike over there? I don't really want the hassle of keeping my own bike on campus for a week and having to fly with it.

(Hate to correct you, but actuellement doesn't mean actually! It means currently...)

 

[Brandane]

Ah awesome!
I'm going to assume that you can hire a decent bike over there? I don't really want the hassle of keeping my own bike on campus for a week and having to fly with it.

(Hate to correct you, but actuellement doesn't mean actually! It means currently...)

Oops; definitely need to listen to Michel Thomas again .
Haven't tried flying with a bike before; my trip to Bordeaux will be the first and to say I'm a bit wary would be an understatement!
Whenever I have been previously, it has been the train to Portsmouth (via London), then the ferry across, taking my own bike. I never noticed any bike hire places, but then I wasn't looking. I'm sure there will be some. It really is a brilliant area for cycling. A massive network of quiet back roads, all of which I found to be well surfaced and properly maintained.
I bought a good map, "Le Calvados a Bicyclette", which was excellent for navigating the area. I really love that part of the world; from the weather and the scenery, to the people and the culture. Fantastic, and looking forward to going back!

 

[glasgowcyclist]

French intermediate DONE. So, the next course includes a residential week in Caen next July. Anyone been? I'm thinking I might take an extra week and go exploring, maybe even on a bike...

That sounds great, are you lodging with a host family? You could use your exploring week to practise all the stuff you've learned from your course. Real life situations (and problems) are always more interesting than classroom setups.

I can't do French, the spoken word sounds to me like someone drowning and trying to clear his throat at the same time. French songs though...

Bonne chance, je suis sûr que tu réussiras brillamment!

GC

 

[yello]

non, je ne pas parle francais.

I can tell

I've lived in France for 6 years and I speak the lingo OK-ish. In truth, I speak English with French words and am only just starting to speak French French.

s7ephenie is right about the accent around here. I've heard it referred to as 'the French Geordie'! There's a number of local dialects/accents; Berrichone, Creusois and Marchois just to confuse things. Suffice it to say that the locals are not easy to understand for other French speakers. I've had a Parisian turn to me shaking his head as he could not understand a old bloke in my village!

In fact, I've been told that the French language was not spoken nationally until relatively recently and that there are still folk around who speak their local tongue and,for them, French is a foreign language!

Further, you will find even today that there are native speakers who do not speak 'proper' French. For instance, speaking in the present tense (because they don't know the correct conjugation) is not at all uncommon. Use of a time reference (e.g. I go to the shop yesterday) and/or context resolve.

 

[Archie_tect]

@sazzaa , just found this http://www.meetup.com/GlasgowFrench/ ...might be worth a go? [sorry if it's already been mentioned]

Ah, just noticed you're in Aberdeen.... as you were.

Edit: Aberdeen group's only met once, in January.... perhaps joining might gee them up a bit?
http://www.meetup.com/Aberdeen-French-Meetup/

 

[sazzaa]

That sounds great, are you lodging with a host family? You could use your exploring week to practise all the stuff you've learned from your course. Real life situations (and problems) are always more interesting than classroom setups.

I can't do French, the spoken word sounds to me like someone drowning and trying to clear his throat at the same time. French songs though...

Bonne chance, je suis sûr que tu réussiras brillamment!

GC

I think the lodgings are in Caen University, and from comments about previous years, there are a lot of class outings etc, so you get to practice your French with the locals. I'm looking forward to it already!

 

[Globalti]

Further, you will find even today that there are native speakers who do not speak 'proper' French. For instance, speaking in the present tense (because they don't know the correct conjugation) is not at all uncommon. Use of a time reference (e.g. I go to the shop yesterday) and/or context resolve.

That's pretty common in Britain. It really bugs me when Police officers and others recount events in the wrong tense: "So the driver has gone though the hedge and has abandoned his car and run off" instead of "The driver went through the hedge, abandoned his car and ran off."

 

[TigerT]

For a free online course www.duolingo.com is pretty good. I've been using it for German, but you can do French as well, and have found it a good way to practice what I've learned elsewhere.

 

[lanternerouge]

Really interesting thread this. So nice to see a positive attitude towards languages. I am Head of French in an independent school - even though we have a strong MFL Dept we still hear the kids say "everyone speaks English" all the time.... sigh.

Have always loved France and Italy so now I am very into cycling it has just got worse!! I managed to squeeze in a ride up to Eaux Bonnes in the Pyrenees last time we did an exchange - just a magical experience

If you are learning guys the best way is absolutely conversation / language classes. Duolinguo etc are good for vocab but you need to practise speaking! I second what has been said above about watching French TV - very useful.

 

[deptfordmarmoset]

Really interesting thread this. So nice to see a positive attitude towards languages. I am Head of French in an independent school - even though we have a strong MFL Dept we still hear the kids say "everyone speaks English" all the time.... sigh.

Have always loved France and Italy so now I am very into cycling it has just got worse!! I managed to squeeze in a ride up to Eaux Bonnes in the Pyrenees last time we did an exchange - just a magical experience

If you are learning guys the best way is absolutely conversation / language classes. Duolinguo etc are good for vocab but you need to practise speaking! I second what has been said above about watching French TV - very useful.

I get the impression that cyclists are one of the most Francophile bunches of people I've come across. Touring, TdF, road behaviour, etc.

 

[yello]

It was a big factor in my moving here.

Grass is always greener, as thy say

 

[sazzaa]

@sazzaa

Edit: Aberdeen group's only met once, in January.... perhaps joining might gee them up a bit?
http://www.meetup.com/Aberdeen-French-Meetup/

They meet monthly at a local French restaurant - perfect, thanks!

 

[sazzaa]

Really interesting thread this. So nice to see a positive attitude towards languages. I am Head of French in an independent school - even though we have a strong MFL Dept we still hear the kids say "everyone speaks English" all the time.... sigh.

I have a bit of a theory on this, I think it's that very British thing of being scared to make a mistake or look like a fool. People don't want to openly try to converse in a different language in case they mess it up and say something stupid, but it's the only way to learn. It does seem to be a more British trait than anything else though, fear of embarrassment...

 

[gavroche]

Anyone on here speak it, or learning it? Since quite a few of you holiday over there...

I speak it, read it, write it and teach it because I am French and proud of it.