Le plume de mon tante - or something...
As for the language! We're very proud of the English language. It is after all a polyglot of words from every country on the planet - isn't it? Well, actually, Maupassant once said as he returned from England after a holiday "English - it is the same as French but spoken badly."
You see - over 60% of our words are French words. Scary? Think of all words ending in 'ion'. Station. Plantation. Vision. Inernationalisation. They're all identical in French and English.
As are all words ending in ent, ant, el, al, ible, able. All of them! There's hundreds and hundreds of words you know already! And so it goes.
So why was French so difficult to learn at school?
And another thing - they've tried to make their language difficult for foreigners by giving everything a 'le' or a 'la' - a 'un' or a 'une'. We struggle through school trying to remember which is which - but they don't. They just say 'l' or 'n' really quickly. But then - the myth of the professional. Why shouldn't they make it hard for you? It's their job! I used to teach Maths and could not believe how they managed to stretch it out over ten whole years. Getting on for 2000 hours of tuition and homework. If you can't get that whole lot into the head of a child by the time they're thirteen then somebody is conning somebody.
It wouldn't be professionals conning us - again?
Anyway. I had to take my French exam twice and then very luckily scraped through - just. Yet after an hour of Michel Thomas I was flying high. The people outside of Paris understood me, and smiled! It was great fun!
Of course - I'd got no idea what they said back to me!!
You see - over 60% of our words are French words. Scary? Think of all words ending in 'ion'. Station. Plantation. Vision. Inernationalisation. They're all identical in French and English.
As are all words ending in ent, ant, el, al, ible, able. All of them! There's hundreds and hundreds of words you know already! And so it goes.
So why was French so difficult to learn at school?
And another thing - they've tried to make their language difficult for foreigners by giving everything a 'le' or a 'la' - a 'un' or a 'une'. We struggle through school trying to remember which is which - but they don't. They just say 'l' or 'n' really quickly. But then - the myth of the professional. Why shouldn't they make it hard for you? It's their job! I used to teach Maths and could not believe how they managed to stretch it out over ten whole years. Getting on for 2000 hours of tuition and homework. If you can't get that whole lot into the head of a child by the time they're thirteen then somebody is conning somebody.
It wouldn't be professionals conning us - again?
Anyway. I had to take my French exam twice and then very luckily scraped through - just. Yet after an hour of Michel Thomas I was flying high. The people outside of Paris understood me, and smiled! It was great fun!
Of course - I'd got no idea what they said back to me!!
posted by Wizard Wonky at
1:58 PM
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