I said I would write this last post in French to complete this goal, but my feelings about it are too complex to get across in my new extra tongue (eeuw!).

I feel really proud of myself. I just finished listening to Michel signing off, just me and him without the two students I have been learning with, and I felt quite sad. I’ve listened to his voice nearly every day now for months. He’s got a very expressive voice, an old man’s voice, and knowing his life story, well… I feel I’ve gotten to know him in a weird way. I’m not making this up! He’s quite fatherly, a strict but kind-hearted teacher.

The grieving process will be eased by my knowing I can go and visit him whenever I want to :-) and in fact I will be going back to him quite a lot over the enxt few weeks as I prepare for our trip to Paris.

The best bits – being able to speak French in a proper French accent, the speed of learning, the way he explains the grammar and doesn’t worry at all about situations (like “In the cafe”, or “Buying a ticket”). I feel confident I can express myself now in any situation by patching my own sentences together, not by trying to remember set phrases.

The negatives – because these were CDs, there is a lot of speaking practice, a little listening, no writing and no reading. He spells things out, but it’s not enough. But that is a minor minor quibble. I knew that at the start.

The “learn french” thing will obviously go on forever, but I have achieved what I set out to do.

Je peux parler Francais. J’ai la confiance. Je veux apprendre plus. Et je peux diner en France et comprendre le menu! Je suis tres passionnant.