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raganiSo, my boyfriend has decided to learn French. He purchased the Pimsler CD set, which arrived today, and he has already ripped it to MP3 so he can listen to the lessons on his iPod. At the moment, he is in the living-room listening to the first lesson.
I have mixed feelings about learning French. In jr. high I tried Spanish. I switched schools mid-year, from one which only had language class twice a week, to one that had been teaching it five days a week. I was lost, and although I re-took it in high school, I ended up with a lame class (the teacher was spineless, and the class was full of slackers who spent more time bullying him than learning). In college, I had to achieve a passing grade in Spanish 2 in order to graduate. This time the teacher was good, but I had far too much catching up to do. It was one of only 3 classes that I received a grade of C (the other two were the mandatory health class and a holistic healing class that was a joke) and it was a struggle even getting that. I am impressed with friends, like![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
juliruge, who have not only learned another language, but have made it a career.
My impression is that learning a language and learning a musical instrument must use the same part of the [or maybe just my] brain, because I have had similar difficulties in learning either, despite my love of music and other cultures. I really wish that languages were taught to children at a much earlier age, as most of what I remember from Spanish to this day is what my older brother taught me when he was taking it several years before I did (when my mind was still pliable).
As for this foray into learning French, I am both excited (because it would be so cool to know another language) and anxious (because of the above mentioned success rate). My friend, Clare, has also been listening to Pimsler French CDs, so I will have to see how far she has come. Anyone else out there speak enough French to help us along once we learn enough to communicate some?
I have mixed feelings about learning French. In jr. high I tried Spanish. I switched schools mid-year, from one which only had language class twice a week, to one that had been teaching it five days a week. I was lost, and although I re-took it in high school, I ended up with a lame class (the teacher was spineless, and the class was full of slackers who spent more time bullying him than learning). In college, I had to achieve a passing grade in Spanish 2 in order to graduate. This time the teacher was good, but I had far too much catching up to do. It was one of only 3 classes that I received a grade of C (the other two were the mandatory health class and a holistic healing class that was a joke) and it was a struggle even getting that. I am impressed with friends, like
juliruge, who have not only learned another language, but have made it a career.My impression is that learning a language and learning a musical instrument must use the same part of the [or maybe just my] brain, because I have had similar difficulties in learning either, despite my love of music and other cultures. I really wish that languages were taught to children at a much earlier age, as most of what I remember from Spanish to this day is what my older brother taught me when he was taking it several years before I did (when my mind was still pliable).
As for this foray into learning French, I am both excited (because it would be so cool to know another language) and anxious (because of the above mentioned success rate). My friend, Clare, has also been listening to Pimsler French CDs, so I will have to see how far she has come. Anyone else out there speak enough French to help us along once we learn enough to communicate some?
ummm...
Date: 2004-04-07 11:45 pm (UTC)Pimsleur tapes actually made me miss my exit on the freeway once...I was yelling at my tape player about the lack of reflexive construction...anyway, I could use some practice.
Plus, yeah, it is my understanding that music/Language are sorta the same brain exercise.
Re: ummm...
Date: 2004-04-07 11:56 pm (UTC)Now, where are you located these days? Perhaps a French conversation event is in order once we get far enough into it that we need some reinforcement, and a chance to break out of the lessons.
Re: ummm...
Date: 2004-04-07 11:59 pm (UTC)Yeah. a conversation event would be cool!
Merci beaucoup, mon amie!
Re: ummm...
Date: 2004-04-08 12:28 pm (UTC)*except for the mildly annoying fact that they subtitles tend to be in Standard French while the language track is Quebeque French so you're hearing one thing and reading another and you realize they both mean roughly the same thing...
Re: ummm...
Date: 2004-04-08 01:15 pm (UTC)