Learning French is about more than just learning a new language

Earlier this year, Mr Science and I gleefully took advantage of a Rosetta Stone sale and made the splurge to purchase their Levels 1 – 4 of French. It was exciting.

Growing up, I was lucky to be exposed to a lot of different languages. I spent several years at an international school, where we were taught English, French, Dutch, Spanish, and German at the age of 12. We got firsthand practice by traveling in different countries. When I lived with a house family in Cabrils, I could understand Spanish / Catalan almost fluently (speaking it was another thing!). But none of it has “stuck” with me.

I liked learning other languages when I was traveling, but I never enjoyed it very much in school. Something about the way that it is traditionally taught has always frustrated me. I was “taught French” for at least seven years in school, but it always felt like we were just learning the exact same thing, year after year, and never progressing. Even though Canada is a bilingual country, a year ago the most French I knew was “bonjour.” After all those years in elementary and junior high and high school, none of the French I learned stuck with me.

Over the years I’ve become increasingly more embarrassed about my total lack of knowledge when it comes to one of my country’s official languages. It’s a real wake-up call, as well, when French media calls your office requesting an interview, and you have to admit that out of the dozen people working in your office – at an organization whose logo includes French writing on it – not a single person can speak a word of French.

For these reasons, among others (including that being able to speak a second language is a nice thing to add to the resume!), Mr Science and I decided it was about time we learned French.

We didn’t want to just be able to say a few words. We want to be able to carry a conversation, to have a meaningful discussion, in another language. Rosetta Stone seemed like the perfect option in terms of flexibility and also learning together.

I knew that it would be a big undertaking to learn a new language, but I don’t think I really understood it. Mr Science and I have been working on French since May, sometimes practicing every day, and other times going for two or three weeks without opening the program. We’ve learned how to put a few very basic sentences together. We try to incorporate some of our French learnings into our everyday conversation together, but it is tough!

Learning French has been (and will continue to be!) more than just about learning a new language. As I’m learning French, I’m understanding more about the English language, as well, and how the way that we structure our sentences indicates a lot about the people that we are and about our cultures. I’m learning about committed discipline. I’m learning about how to think in a new language: Rosetta Stone doesn’t focus on translations, it focuses more on word associations, so that you aren’t always translating things in your head but are instead truly “getting” the new language.

It’s hard work, but I love it. We are still only just halfway through level one of four levels, and I know that I have a whole lot more to learn in the coming years. I’m excited for it.

Can you speak more than one language? What have your experiences been in learning a new language? Have you tried Rosetta Stone? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!