I had decided that I wanted to spend some time in France. Six months. Perhaps, a year. I wanted to experience a new culture, new attitudes, new ways of thinking. I decided to learn something abut the language, even though I wasn’t sure if I would get there, or for how long.
Many people want to learn a second language. In fact, most. According to the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) French is among the easiest to learn for those whose native Language is English. This is probably because many of the French verbs and nouns are common to the English language due to 11th Century Norman occupation of France. Is is also the most commonly spoken language in the Western World after Spanish. And, it is the international language of diplomacy (“The art of allowing the other person have it your way. ”, Daniele Vare, Dvid Frost et al ), and of course, LOVE. All generalities, but basically true.
There are many claims to language fluency. I believe in order to claim fluency you must speak in the vernacular and accent common to the region. If you fail to meet this test, anything else is some form of proficiency. A conversational level is a shared nuance; but not necessarily proficient. Otherwise, you are just trying to find your way back to the hotel.
If you are learning a second language for academic or lifestyle necessity, then agree on a recommended protocol. Otherwise, determine Why. What is your goal. And, what is the best way for you to get there.
There is something about the French language that I learned very quickly that greatly influenced how I started. And, it is this. English is written and spoken in pretty much the same way, French IS NOT.
I started by learning how to read the language. Just the opposite of how I learned English as a child. In doing so, I had to decide what I really needed to know in order to understand the meaning and intent of the speaker. But, that is exactly how we learned to speak as a children. Isn’t it?
I began with a book of the most common French verbs. Each verb included a full conjugation table, followed by the use in simple and complex sentences. At first I tried hard to understand the verb’s tense. Soon I began to recognise words and the verbs, articles and other parts of speech associated with them. Before long I was reading and understanding relatively composite ideas with limited vocabulary, and without any particular knowledge of the grammatical construction. I read news stories, business correspondence and nuanced magazine articles with relative ease.
Some years later I traveled to France. Two extraordinary weeks in Paris. Just hanging out being French. Couldn’t understand a word. But, the ability to read in the vernacular made the experience much more enjoyable.
Over time, however, I have developed both grammatical and vocabulary proficiency. And I am quite confident that if necessary I could be reasonably conversant within a short period of time.
I learned my native language by listening and repeating. Then I learned to read and write, in that order. Speak – Read, then Write. I am convinced that for myself, and most others, the Inverse Rule works best for a second language. Learn to read. Then, if necessary, learn to listen and repeat. Read – Speak, then Write.
I will not be returning to France. I will not learn how to speak the French language. But, second language proficiency is a welcome challenge that I enjoy every day.