J'aime le français!

The following is a nerd PSA brought to you by smartgirl:

Learning a foreign language is really a lot of fun. It can be frustrating and embarrassing, especially in the beginning, but there eventually comes a point where you break through an invisible barrier. You don't know it the moment it happens, but one day it will dawn on you that you are thinking in a language other than your own. Once you break through that barrier, yes, you will still lose some sharpness if you don't practice. But so much is instilled in you at that point that it will always be with you.

Teaching Spanish, for now, is over. I am now taking the last class I have to ever take in order to get my Masters in Spanish. A French class. One of the program requirements is to have at least a year of a foreign language other than Spanish (or English, of course). I took my first semester of French last Fall, and I'm taking my last semester (or minimester in this case) now.

I'm super excited and super motivated. I'm not taking or teaching any other classes, so I'm able to focus completely on French. I'm going to France in January, so I'm really doing my best to try to get as much practice as I can before I go abroad. The language lab here has Rosetta Stone software for free, and I have plenty of time to do that for extra practice as well.

But here's the most exciting part for me. Spanish and French are both Romance languages. They have basically the same grammatical concepts and structures. Since I'm already fluent in Spanish, it's like I already have pre-programmed slots in my brain for a Romance language. Now, I just fill those same slots with French.

I must admit that French is a little pickier, though, especially where pronunciation is concerned. Spanish is completely straightforward. What you see written is what you pronounce (with the exception of 'h'). With French . . . not so much. Half the letters aren't pronounced and there's a bunch of nasal stuff going on which affects meaning. I guess trilling the 'r' is to Spanish what knowing what to pronounce and how is to French. Also, the numbers are wild. Ninety-nine = noventa y nueve. Simple. But ninety-nine = quatre-vingt-dix neuf? Really?

Still it's cool. I love how each language has a different personality. Spanish is very melodic and rhythmic. Every word has a ring to it. Every sentence is a poem. French has sharper sounds. Broken apart, each word can sound unpleasant. But altogether, it has an air of sophistication. The simplest statement sounds like a masterpiece.