These are great ideas, and fortunately for you Nice seems to have a lot to offer.
I came to France after teaching French in the States for 8 years, and although I was certainly fluent, I was likely C1 level -- still considered adequate to teach -- rather than C2. I too learned a lot dealing with French bureaucracy and becoming part of French society. For example, I learned a ton from taking and passing the drivers' license test, which was a big language learning experience, as well as bearing children!
It's interesting you mentioned the "pedantic" exercises in one of your language groups. After teaching English here for years, I took the Cambridge Delta teacher training program and became aware of the value of that type of exercise, which I had often poo-pooed as boring and not communicative enough. If they are too easy, they will be boring, but if they are pitched right they help reinforce your learning, especially if you go back over them.
I learned this first-hand when I took a stab at self-learning Portuguese a few years back.
Thanks for the comments about the word exercises I mentioned. I do appreciate that they can have value, and I think that pedagogy can add or detract from that value. When I studied German as an undergraduate, the instructor taught German cases in terms of subject, direct object, indirect object, etc., with the result that everyone struggled with the complexity. It was only when at Goethe Institut that cases were taught in a very different way that it all began to be clear and make sense.
Have you written about your experience with Portuguese?
I just read this morning a fascinating piece on how the English language evolved from Old English to the present, losing the use of cases, with vestiges found now only in pronouns. You might find it interesting, too: https://substack.com/home/post/p-157654375?source=queue.
No, I haven’t written about the experience as I wasn’t writing at the time — I was plunged into Portuguese! In fact, I even went to Lisbon for a one-week “intensive” course to reinforce my self-study, which was a most interesting experience as a former language teacher. I’m not sure I learned that much more but it was a very fun experience, and interesting to check out how a private language school functioned.
I also studied a bit of German at university and remember the dative/accusative case being very complicated. I read the article, and somewhere in the recesses of my memory, I was aware of this existing in Old English as well, but I didn’t know the details.
Thank you for your article. I am hoping to convince my partner to retire to France with me because America is becoming so politically oppressive. I visited Nice and Villefranche su mer while in the Navy and I fell in love with France 🇫🇷
That is a great set up you have in Nice. I don't know of a similar sort of arrangement in Germany, but might try to set one up. Will mention it to German and American friends here in Germany.
Most of the Germans I know are not going to even try to improve their English. They use it to travel, but do not seem interested in learning it beyond that. I have one acquaintance who speaks English well, except for the spouses of my American friends, who are German and have lived at least some time in the States, so their English is fluent and is constantly honed during conversations with their American spouses and our gatherings.
I think creating such a group would be a great piece to furthering German-American relations right now. Americans make up a very small part of the immigrant population here and could be received either way. There has always been a large contingent of Germans who are against American military colonization of Germany. Trump has expanded that circle of people. At the same time in my city there is a German-American club, but it is largely for networking.
For many years I was a member of a Musik-Verein in Hessen (initially in Kassel, then later in Frankfurt). I wonder if there is an index of such organisations, of if perhaps the consulates of the UK or US sponsor any such activities?
By the way, there is also an Association France/Allemagne in Nice that seems somewhat similar to what I described; the Association France/États-Unis seems to be inactive.
Another thoughtful, well-written and helpful article for people looking to integrate abroad. Thank you as always for sharing your experience!
Thanks, Christina
These are great ideas, and fortunately for you Nice seems to have a lot to offer.
I came to France after teaching French in the States for 8 years, and although I was certainly fluent, I was likely C1 level -- still considered adequate to teach -- rather than C2. I too learned a lot dealing with French bureaucracy and becoming part of French society. For example, I learned a ton from taking and passing the drivers' license test, which was a big language learning experience, as well as bearing children!
It's interesting you mentioned the "pedantic" exercises in one of your language groups. After teaching English here for years, I took the Cambridge Delta teacher training program and became aware of the value of that type of exercise, which I had often poo-pooed as boring and not communicative enough. If they are too easy, they will be boring, but if they are pitched right they help reinforce your learning, especially if you go back over them.
I learned this first-hand when I took a stab at self-learning Portuguese a few years back.
Thanks for the comments about the word exercises I mentioned. I do appreciate that they can have value, and I think that pedagogy can add or detract from that value. When I studied German as an undergraduate, the instructor taught German cases in terms of subject, direct object, indirect object, etc., with the result that everyone struggled with the complexity. It was only when at Goethe Institut that cases were taught in a very different way that it all began to be clear and make sense.
Have you written about your experience with Portuguese?
I just read this morning a fascinating piece on how the English language evolved from Old English to the present, losing the use of cases, with vestiges found now only in pronouns. You might find it interesting, too: https://substack.com/home/post/p-157654375?source=queue.
No, I haven’t written about the experience as I wasn’t writing at the time — I was plunged into Portuguese! In fact, I even went to Lisbon for a one-week “intensive” course to reinforce my self-study, which was a most interesting experience as a former language teacher. I’m not sure I learned that much more but it was a very fun experience, and interesting to check out how a private language school functioned.
I also studied a bit of German at university and remember the dative/accusative case being very complicated. I read the article, and somewhere in the recesses of my memory, I was aware of this existing in Old English as well, but I didn’t know the details.
Thank you for your article. I am hoping to convince my partner to retire to France with me because America is becoming so politically oppressive. I visited Nice and Villefranche su mer while in the Navy and I fell in love with France 🇫🇷
That is a great set up you have in Nice. I don't know of a similar sort of arrangement in Germany, but might try to set one up. Will mention it to German and American friends here in Germany.
Most of the Germans I know are not going to even try to improve their English. They use it to travel, but do not seem interested in learning it beyond that. I have one acquaintance who speaks English well, except for the spouses of my American friends, who are German and have lived at least some time in the States, so their English is fluent and is constantly honed during conversations with their American spouses and our gatherings.
I think creating such a group would be a great piece to furthering German-American relations right now. Americans make up a very small part of the immigrant population here and could be received either way. There has always been a large contingent of Germans who are against American military colonization of Germany. Trump has expanded that circle of people. At the same time in my city there is a German-American club, but it is largely for networking.
For many years I was a member of a Musik-Verein in Hessen (initially in Kassel, then later in Frankfurt). I wonder if there is an index of such organisations, of if perhaps the consulates of the UK or US sponsor any such activities?
By the way, there is also an Association France/Allemagne in Nice that seems somewhat similar to what I described; the Association France/États-Unis seems to be inactive.
John thank you. These are really good ideas to pursue.