Language Aquisition as a Senior Student

It's official! I just found out today that I am presently the oldest student in the school. Most of my classmates are in their late teens (some as young as 16 yrs) or early 20's. There are a few students in their 30's, 40's or 50's and we have managed to find each other. As we share stories, I have heard about young students who either don't come to class very often, sleep through the class, text or talk in their native language throughout and come to class ill prepared. Regardless, these young people have youth on their side and somehow through osmosis, they are often able to respond appropriately when asked a question in class. I, on the other hand, and this won't be a surprise to those of you that know me well, come to every class and arrive early. I study everyday, complete all my homework assignments and converse as well as I can with my host. Regardless, I struggle with comprehension, grammar and vocabulary. Even though I may learn a new word or phrase in the morning, I might forget it by the afternoon. This is without a doubt, one of the hardest things I have ever done. It is even more difficult than I thought and I often wonder if it will even be possible for me to acquire some level of fluency and comprehension.

On Monday, I will be moving up to the next level known as B1. My prof assures me that I will do well, but I am not so sure. My friend Enio is in B1 and he comprehends 90% of what is being said in French. I have heard from him and others who speak languages like Spanish, Portugese or Italian, that mastering French is much easier because the root words are Latin based. For this old English gal, I'm lucky if I make out the odd word, phrase or concept. That said, I think it is important for me to move forward. If I find that it really is too difficult for me, I was assured that I can ask to move back.

This experience has been an exercise in patience and perseverance. I have to remind myself that I have been here less than 4 weeks and that I am no longer 20. I must remember to celebrate the small successes like the times when the waiter actually understands my food order in French and does not reply in English. 

To end this post, I have to tell you that the French language is as beautiful as I remember. When native French people speak, it has an almost musical quality and they are generally very quiet spoken. This is in direct contrast to some other counties I have visited where the oral language is loud and harsh to my ears. I look forward to the day when I can participate in a meaningful conversation en français.