Parlez-vous Français?

They say French is the language of love, but learning it has made me hate how dumb my brain can be at times.

Growing up in Peru, English was the second language we learned throughout high school but ever since the first day I arrived to Montreal, I knew that I would one day start learning French. Mind you, I expected it to be during the five years that I lived in the Francophone city but better late than never, I suppose.

Ahead of my trip, I've been thinking about how ready I am to communicate in French with the modest level of the language I currently have.  I don't think communicating in a highly-visited tourist hotspot like Paris will be too difficult, but what happens once I head off-road into some smaller towns?

To figure out just how ready I am to speak French, I decided to chat with one of my most francophone friends, Alicja. I met her a couple of years ago when we worked together at a movie theatre in Mississauga. She's a young, smart lady with great taste in music.

Alicja, is my cool 'amie'  that speaks French with ease.

"I remember taking French classes during the first grade and I didn't really think anything of it. It was a mandatory thing everyone was doing and everything I learned kind of just went over my head," she told me. "It wasn't until my best friend was telling me how she was switching schools to be in the Extended French program that things changed. I went crying to my mom telling her that I wanted to move schools to be with her and my  mom actually ended up switching my school and I was  immersed into this program."

A decision that has definitely marked her life, I'd say. So how do my first steps into the French language compare to her first impressions?

"At first, a lot of the French part of the day was repeating verb conjugations and filling out grammar sheets. It was hard and felt repetitive at first but eventually it got easier and I loved learning about the French grammar rules and the irregularities and I was obsessed. My French teachers also always made learning the language fun and I felt really lucky to have them to look up to," she explained. "After a while, I started watching movies, TV shows, YouTube videos and reading on my own in French. I think this is what really improved my French because I think it's important to immerse yourself completely in the culture."

Alicja definitely hit the nail on the head when it comes to the importance of having the right French teacher. Since the beginning of the year, I've been taking French classes at the Alliance Française in Mississauga with a great teacher: Mandeep Kaur.

This beauty of a building is Mississauga's Alliance Française

Speaking to someone who has taught hundreds of students throughout many years, I wanted to know what some of the common challenges new students find.

"There’s always a struggle when someone is only anglophone is already switching his mind from
English to French," she said. "One should understand that each language has its own rules. Follow the rules and you’ll learn the language."

While I don't think I'll be able to master the rules by the time I head to France, maybe my imperfect mastery of the language will be enough to get me by.

"Paris is extremely accessible to non-french speakers. Almost everyone in Paris speaks English, the younger generation being the more skilled one. This stays the same in all of Paris, but is definitely not true for the rest of France," said 22-year-old Parisian Leo Duceppe. "I'd say French people will help people in English more so to actually help the person rather than because of their own comfort in English. I hear French people speaking broken English on a daily basis just to give tourists a bit of help. It makes easier for both parties if they both make an effort to speak the other's language."

Mandeep seems to agree.

"Well, it’s a perfect opportunity to learn French when you’re contacting strangers. Think about that and don’t let the fear hold you back. It’s the right time to overcome your fears. You’re in the right ambiance, so why not?"

Sounds like it's time to take the leap.

The Beginning of an Adventure

I've never been to Europe.

For some, that might be a relatable statement. For others, something unimaginable. But the truth is that until very recently the opportunity had not presented itself.

At times, there was time but no money. At others, there was money and no time.

Finally, now that I'm a step away from being 30 years old, I've managed to find both the time and the money to take this kind of trip. Later this year, I will be embarking for France, travelling the country during 22 days. A couple of stops will take me to neighboring cities in Belgium and Switzerland but for the most part I'll be wandering around the Republique française. 

I leave on October 7th, three days after my big birthday.  I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm worried. I'm a lot of things at once.

I thought it would be helpful to write about my thoughts. That's the reason for this blog. I'll be posting main entries every Wednesday with some additional thoughts popping up here and there.

If you know me personally, I'd encourage you to follow along. You might see some familiar names pop up in the entries as I chat with friends, experts, strangers and acquaintances about different facets of my upcoming trip.

If you don't know me, I hope you'll be able to find enough value in the blog to join along anyway.

Can't wait to get started.