Three years ago, I encountered a moment that shifted my perspective on language learning. Learning that a friend had mastered French to the point of writing and delivering an artist’s statement in a museum made me reconsider my own self-imposed limitations. I had always thought it was “too late” for me to learn French effectively. My friend, undoubtedly driven and talented, demonstrated a fundamental truth: the core of achievement is simply willingness. This realization sparked a question within me: why couldn’t I, too, be willing to learn French?
Taking the First Steps (and Facing Early Hurdles)
Embarking on this journey, I sought out a highly recommended French teacher. She was initially hesitant to take on a beginner like myself. Determined to prove I wasn’t a hopeless case, I began lessons. We made progress, a rewarding experience for both of us, yet my family offered a less enthusiastic response. “Stop speaking so loudly,” they’d say, and “it sounds too strained.” Their advice centered on refinement: focus on intonation, not just the accent. My son even declared that French words simply didn’t sound right coming from my mouth. My husband recounted an anecdote about a fluent American in Paris who, despite a flat “r”, was perfectly understood, suggesting I adopt a similar approach. However, by this point, my accent was already developing, and I felt it was too late to adopt a flat “r” – I was already committed to my imperfect pronunciation.
The Lisbon Film Festival: Immersion and the Brink of Despair
Two years into my French learning endeavor, I found myself at a film festival in Lisbon. Surrounded by Europeans effortlessly switching to French, I confessed my learning attempts to a Portuguese filmmaker, Marta Mateus. Marta, along with others, generously decided to consistently address me in French, a truly optimistic gesture, hoping I would eventually catch up. As a judge at the festival, my days were filled with movies, followed by midnight dinners where I pushed myself to converse in French. Returning to my room each night, I felt utterly depleted and discouraged. Real conversation remained elusive. I began to doubt my aptitude for languages, wondering if I simply didn’t “have a mind” for it.
Alt text: Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with the challenges of learning French, a woman leans against a wall, capturing the emotional hurdles of language acquisition.
It seemed that passively completing exercises in a textbook was a world away from engaging in an intelligent conversation, especially with someone like Fabrice Aragno, Jean-Luc Godard’s longtime collaborator, whom I encountered at the festival. Marta, still believing in me, offered a radical solution: “Go to Paris,” she urged, “and find a teacher to converse with you for several hours daily.” This intensive approach, she explained, was how she had achieved fluency in French. I countered with a hint of self-pity, “That’s because you’re European!” But Marta remained firm, unconvinced that I should resign myself to low expectations.
Paris Immersion: Turning the Corner in My French Learning Journey
As fate would have it, I already had a trip to Paris planned for a month of writing. I made a pivotal decision: I abandoned the writing plan and instead enrolled in an intensive daily French language course. By the end of that immersive stay in Paris, something shifted dramatically. I experienced a breakthrough. I could finally hold a conversation in French. I could speak French for an entire meal, although with close friends, I still find myself reverting to English after a while, seeking a level of communication richer than my French currently allows. My pronunciation has become less strained, more natural. While I know I still have a considerable journey ahead, the more I learn, the clearer my motivations become.
Alt text: A woman confidently converses in French at a Parisian cafe, illustrating the progress and enjoyment of language learning after overcoming initial challenges.
The Intrinsic Rewards of Learning French
I don’t actually need French for practical reasons in my life. Yet, I find myself deeply drawn to it. French represents a realm where I am deliberately out of my depth, stripped of the ease I experience in my native language. As a writer and artist, I naturally rely on rhetoric, imagination, intuition, and irony to engage with the world. I constantly absorb cues and formulate responses, always making mental notes. French, in contrast, presents itself as an authoritative structure. To navigate it, I can’t simply rely on instinct as I do in English. I must pay close attention and move beyond my personal, subjective reality – to embrace what is real for others. Learning French has opened up an expanded world, one I don’t seek to “conquer” but rather, humbly hope to understand and become a part of. This journey has been less about achieving fluency as a practical skill, and more about personal growth and embracing a new way of experiencing the world. If you’re wondering “How Can I Learn French?”, my experience shows that willingness, persistence, and immersion can lead to unexpected breakthroughs and profound personal rewards.
