Conversation killer
I just completed my first year of taking French classes. A year ago, when I was taking the oral placement exam, I couldn't even tell the pretty, pretty teacher testing me what I did that morning. Now I can tell anyone who's willing to listen what I did, how I did it, and what I'm going to do tomorrow. Of course, I'll say it fairly slowly and with awkward pauses...but that's just how I talk anyways. All in all, I have to admit that I'm making some progress.
I "admit" because I think it's easier to deny any ability to speak another language. To own up to it would involve having to prove it to somebody someday and I'm not into pop quizzes like that. But there's other kinds of pop quizzes that I...uh, nevermind.
Saying I speak Teochew isn't the same, though, because I never learned it through study. I just know it, but not really know it. I could never teach another person how to speak it because I don't know the grammar rules or the correct tones or anything other than how to talk to my family. They, incidentally, are the only people in the world who speak Teochew. If you speak it, I'm related to you. There's a small town in China where everyone speaks it. They're all my cousins. All of them.
Anyways, with French, I took three group classes before my patience (and, you know, my ego) ran out. Private lessons with my charming and cute teacher (let's call her LB) have been immensely helpful. LB's a super-teacher. She has the ability to re-word any phrase until I understand her without having to fall back on English. She'll wait for me to speak awkwardly and respond to me as if I'm a brilliant conversationalist. You'd think she'd also have to be delusional, but she's not! I don't think so, anyways...
Here are two snippets of a brilliant conversation we had recently. It's translated so that you won't be irritated at me (for this, at least):
LB: Do you have TV5? <--This is a French TV channel
Moi: No, I can not receive the satellite. <--that word was definitely said in English
LB: Because of trees?
Moi: Uhhh... <--my most commonly uttered French "sound"
LB: Because there are trees?
Moi: Uh, yes.
LB: Move.
Moi: Uhhh...
LB: Mooove. (Day-mayn-nah-jayyyyy.)
Moi: Oh. Hahaha.
Moi: Next year, I'm going to France for the first time.
LB: Your first time? You have to go to Normandy. <--That's where she's from.
Moi: Well, I'm going -
LB: No, you must go to Normandy.
Moi: But I'm going in the month of -
LB: Normandy is like Wisconsin. We have fairs.
Moi: But it'll be -
LB: Oh, yes it'll be cold.
Moi: But I want to go to Normandy...someday.
LB: Someday?!
Moi: Actually, in two years.
LB: Two years?! <--I stopped talking after this.
I wrote that all wrong because it seems like she's cutting me off a lot. She doesn't. LB's one of the politest people I've ever met. But the real reason is, being a super-teacher, she can read my mind and (bonus!) is also very good at charades. Because, you see, while I'm speaking at my incredibly slow pace, I'm also miming half the words.
Labels: French
« December 14, 2006 12:09 PM | Post a Comment »
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