French Class

SHAPE (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) appropriately enough has a language center.  SHAPE employees and their families speak English, French, German, Flemish, Romanian, Greek, Spanish and many other languages.  The primary language is English as Americans dominate and we don't speak other languages.  In this part of Belgium, the primary language is French.  For this reason the language center offers primarily English and French classes, but other languages are available as well.

This week is test week at the language center.  Next week classes start.

Today was my placement test.  I began studying French when I was in 7th grade (the grade Kyra is in now).  I took the French AP test when I was in high school.  I minored in French in college.  I have studied French.  However, it has been a long time since I studied and used my French.  I find bits and pieces are coming back to me.  I can make my general intent understood.

I'm pretty sure I sound like an idiot as well.   When I was registering Kyra for dance classes, I am confident that my subject verb agreement was off, as well as my verb tenses.  I think I sounded something like this.  "My daughter, she to dance.  She dance much.  She good.  She to dance with girls of more age.  She nine classes one year.  I make registration for she.  I pay?"

My placement test was a ten minute conversation in French with two of the teachers.  Where do I live, where did I move from.  When did I arrive.  Do I have children, how old, etc.  Once again my verb tenses were where I struggled.

The language center has 4 levels of instruction - beginner, elementary, intermediate and advanced.  Some of these have a further distinction of pre- or + or upper.  I have been placed in intermediate +.  We'll see how it goes, I start next Tuesday.