tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301613.post6597662240292746437..comments2023-11-02T07:10:08.665-05:00Comments on 51313 Harbor Street: Parlez-vous français? Non, a thousand times, non!Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301613.post-53788853220097460012013-02-18T20:39:56.272-06:002013-02-18T20:39:56.272-06:00Jean, I've always wondered about the immersion...Jean, I've always wondered about the immersion courses. In movies, the pilot who lands behind enemy lines somehow makes himself be understood. I would have starved or been shot very early on.<br /><br />Wendy, I always got good grades in French -- I took two semesters in college -- but I never got to the point where I could carry on any conversation that didn't involve the weather, where or not Jacques was going to join us at the fair, or the fork and spoon by the plate. If they wanted to talk about something else, they were out of luck!SBBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00210338251868486006noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301613.post-2446024921015793082013-02-18T19:50:01.813-06:002013-02-18T19:50:01.813-06:00I actually got good grades in the semester of Fren...I actually got good grades in the semester of French I was required to take. Or at least for most of it. I was taking Algebra at the time with far less success, and toward the end of the semester Algebra was taking study time away from French, so my grade slipped a little. I'm not sure why I didn't continue with it because the teacher was wonderful. It must have conflicted with band or chorus, which were far more important then.Wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11421901072185773752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6301613.post-75739447428549517282013-02-18T19:37:38.112-06:002013-02-18T19:37:38.112-06:00I had most of a year of German in 9th grade, then ...I had most of a year of German in 9th grade, then I moved to Ohio. I started over and took two years of French (from a choice of that or Latin). My decreasing grades indicated if I took a third year of French, I might not have graduated high school, so I quit while I was behind. Since I had to take a language to graduate from college, I took German. The final class I took before graduation was the final German class I needed to take. I think I barely passed.<br /><br />While in the Middle East, I managed to learn to decipher a few numbers (as Mr L points out, we use Arabic numbers, so my success is less than amazing). <br /><br />Now, I live in Central Texas, where I would have done well to have taken Spanish.<br /><br />For a couple of years, I had access to a full range of those language courses where you learn by immersing yourself in the language -- just like I learned English, but hearing it being spoken and reading it. I tried German, Spanish, and even Chinese (just in case it clicked with me -- it did not). I did best with German, but I think that's because I've been exposed to it longer.<br /><br />In truth, I did terrible with all of them. From this experience, I can't imagine the miracle by which I was able to learn English.Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01805501348812702651noreply@blogger.com