Did you study French in school in Ontario in the 70’s ?
If so you may relate to this post
I am here in Bordeaux France enjoying my lunch!
I having a great time but I am struggling with my ability to engage in conversation with the French language.
I realize that I speak very good Spanish and can carry on good conversations that are fluent but that is not the case when it comes to my French.
Not one person has given me a piece of paper and asked me to conjugate a verb.
And no one has held up a huge picture card with the family LaDuc (Jacques, Marie Claire, mama, papa, and their dog Pitou) and asked me to explain what’s happening in the picture.
Do you remember those cards where the teacher would hold up a large picture card with four scenes on it and then you would explain or talk about what was going on?
My favourite was when the LaDuc family went on a picnic and the dog Pito ran off with the chicken and the father ran after him yelling;
Pitou, Pitou , me donner le poulet, me donner le poulet!
No one in Bordeaux has yet to run after me asked me to bring back their chicken, LMAO
I can’t stop thinking about the French we learned in school and I’m reminded of the times when we went up to the front of the classroom with the telephone and pretended to call someone and have a conversation by asking them if they like to go somewhere with us.
I always got the girl who only knew one word so I could never practise my conversation.
They usually went like this;
” Allo Marie Claire, Voulez-vous aller à la discothèque avec moi ce soir?”
“No”
” Voulez-vous aller à la bibliotheque èque avec moi ce soir?”
“No”
” Voulez-vous aller à la cinema èque avec moi ce soir?”
“No”
Clearly if I were able to have said the the following in front of the class I might have been able to practice more oral French
” Mary Claire, that’s ok because I’m gay anyways and not really interested in you. I much prefer your brother Jacques and I’d rather go out with him instead. Can you put him on the phone?”
ROFL ?????
That never happened.
It doesn’t matter because I’m here in France practicing whatever French language skills I have and enjoying it.
I just laughed flashing back to elementary school French lessons!
KEEP WALKING!
I made a comment on FB about weird things that stick with you from grade school, noting the only French phrase my brother could quickly recall was “Pitou, Pitou, ou est le roti de boeuf?” My friends chimed in with the phrases that stuck with them “Pitou est sur la table”, “Pitou, donne-moi le poulet” and so forth. It started me on a journey trying to find that flashcard series/book, which is how I found a FB group from another Ontario HS reminiscing about French classes, and this blog.
I am highly disappointed that despite being in France, no one has run after you demanding the return of their chicken. C’est dommage.
I sat in the park in France the-living grades 7-13 French and I laughed!!
Your writing is convincing, it’s difficult to look away.