Alice Twain

Chris:<BR><BR>To any non-English mothertongue English is not pronounced the way it is written. English pronounciations is amongst the hardest I have ever tried to master. To us non-English mothertongue, English pronounciation it taught to be "irregular", at school we are told to learn how each wors is pronounced because there are far too many pronounciation rules in English to be learned, so it is much easier face the problem of English prounciation rules at the university (if you are going to stuldy foreign languages) instead of at high school. On the other hand, the languages derived from Latin (and German and Greek as well) have far simpler pronounciation rules: once you lean how you proncounce the basical letter and a few "diptongues" you instantly know how eack word id pronounced. Sure, sometimes it is hard to learn to make the right sounds, and some sounds stay hard even after you have been practicing them for years (I still have problems pronouncing "tree" and "three") and some peoole just are not able to pronounce a different set of sounds (my "husband" can speak a decent english, but he pronounces it in "Tuscanian"). Yet every language written with an alphabet is pronounced like it is written, you just have to learn the different value that letters (which in the very end are nothing but signs on paper) have in each language.

Kelsey

So, "fessing up" is admirable, huh? Why don't you try a little of it yourself, "YesWell". Apparently the only other language you know is the skulking slander of anonymous cowards. Why don't you fess up to who you are and how many names you use to attack people here on this forum?<BR>

Kate

I've been working on French in the past year. If you have any French at all (eg rusty school French) and you're somewhat self-motivated, pick up a book to refresh your memory before starting classes. I started with a refresher book/tape package called "Teach Yourself French Grammar". It was very helpful. I tried the same thing with Spanish, though, not knowing anything - and found it very difficult to start on my own with just books and tapes. If you're a complete beginner, you might be better off starting in a class.<BR><BR>I've been taking French classes at Alliance Francaise for 6 months - I found that the 2 nights a week option was best for building ability quickly. There's a lot of conversation in these programs (generally a good thing). However, you might want to supplement your classes with a book that explains the basic grammar principles (eg the one mentioned above). I had a pretty good grasp of the grammar, but I noticed that some of my classmates who were learning a topic for the first time felt that they didn't get enough explanation and context in class. You don't need a lot - just an easy to read reference book that you can dip into when you need to. Also, my instructor recommended that we keep a journal, because it gives you practice in writing in French.<BR><BR>Immersion is the best way to really build up your skills. I just came back from a 2-week immersion course in Strasbourg, and it has made quite a difference in my confidence level when it comes to speaking and my aural comprehension. There are a wide range of schools in France, and there are at 2 associations whose members subscribe to a quality charter. One of them is <BR>http://www.souffle.asso.fr/eng/ and the other is www.fle.fr. I attended CIEL de Strasbourg, and it was excellent - and reasonably priced - and a lot of fun. Two more "language-holiday"-oriented organisations are www.languagesabroad.co.uk and www.cactuslanguage.com Cactus and Languages Abroad offer a lot of 1-week programmes if your time is limited. I'm not sure where you're located, but if you're North American, don't forget Quebec as an inexpensive immersion option - however, the Quebecois accent is quite different from the French accent - so you'd need to balance this with a course abroad some time.<BR><BR>An immersion vacation or two can also give you a chance to try living in different French regions before you move there.<BR><BR>Finally, find out what's available in terms of French language TV and radio. Even if you can't understand a word yet, you should try listening to French language programs daily - you'll train your ear.

Ursula

Ok, "fluent" to me means the following:<BR><BR>You can follow any conversation (jokes included) in a restaurant, bar, etc. among locals. <BR>You can read any book or newspaper without the need for a dictionary. <BR>You understand a dubbed movie without any problems.<BR><BR>By far the best way to get this level, is living for some time, I'd say at least 6 months, in that particular country. <BR>Avoid, if possible, to be all the time with English native speakers. Try to get in contact as often as possible with locals. <BR><BR>I consider myself almost "fluent" in English and French, not quite in Italian though.<BR><BR>In English and French, I always get the sense, even if I may not be familiar with a couple of words (slang, in particular) which I most probably will look up and try to remember them for future use.<BR><BR>And, of course, I am definitely fluent in German. LOL<BR><BR>And don't forget: A language is something that needs to be practised as often as possible. The more proficient you are already, the more you will be able to remember and to use yourself, when it's appropriate.<BR>A language is also something that is moving, changing. It's not a stiff thing. New words are being created, especially in France in combination with English. <BR>I think it was F. Mitterand who wanted to eliminate what the French call "Franglais", but the young crowds just seem to love to use words like "crazy", "cool", "great" and of course four-letter words, also here in Switzerland. But it doesn't make them "fluent" yet. It just sounds "hip" or they think it does. ;o)<BR><BR>Anyway, good luck Robin.

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