I started French class at 10:30 this morning.
I wasn't particularly thrilled about it last night, because it marks the significant change of my lifestyle here in Paris. It's another level of responsibility added to my life here...and it means I can't sleep in on Tuesdays and Fridays anymore. (THAT is probably the biggest disappointment). But, after going today, I'm looking forward to going back. It was really, really good. :) [Had I only known, I would have been like Nemo last night! NEMO]
The teacher was late--quite typical in French culture really. So, not too surprising. Her name is Joëlle, and she was quite gentle and almost fragile looking (aka FRENCH!), and just really lovely. She was so positive and encouraging, and welcoming. She created a great classroom environment almost immediately.
So, the course was quite basic. It's a debutante class--beginner of all beginners. She explained that because we are beginners, she will speak in English and French for the first few days/weeks of class...until we adjust. There was one girl who only spoke Russian. Felt so bad for her. The look on her face. Poor thing. I sat between Katie and David. Katie and I walked out together. She's also an au pair here, in the suburbs just on the other side of the 16th. She's 23 and Australian. Very nice.
As for content, we learned the French alphabet, numbers to 20, names of people and names of countries today. Joëlle quickly ascertained that my level was above this course. She made a few remarks to me about it (in front of everyone, although I'm not sure the others understood.) And while she has a point, and I DO know nearly all that we learned today, there are still things that I can learn from the debutante class. I made a conscious decision not to get cocky and allow myself to think that this was "TOO easy for me," even though it was not particularly a challenge. I picked up a few new words and expressions from her (80%) French lesson today. I can always spend time refining what I do know. Spelling, grammar, parts of speech, expressions, pronunciation, accents, and identifying masculine versus feminine are all things that I need work on, and I can certainly do that in her class.
I am not shy. Well, very rarely. And, if there's one thing I am pretty good at, it's being a student. I am not so hot at doing a lot of things, but in a classroom, I tend to feel quite at ease and don't feel the need to hold back when I have questions/concerns about content. I don't know if I am always a good student, but I definitely know that I am very good at BEING a student.
Maybe that's my calling in life. Professional student.
Anyway, I digress. Uh, so yeah, I'm not shy. And so I asked questions today. Not unrelated ones that derail the whole lesson (like a few students in my CELTA English teaching certification course had a propencity to do), but ones that pertained to the lesson. Pertinent questions. I got a little verbal "tap" on the hand for asking my first question in English. She told me to say it in French, especially since she knew I knew how. So from then on, I asked questions in French (I'm sure it was broken French, but I got my point across!), and I had several good conversations with Joëlle, the lovely, as a result.
What was interesting was that another girl came in a half hour after our class began, and she was just sitting in on our class--only for today--because she messed up and had missed her course at 9:00. She was a level above us, and decided to "slum it" with us for the 2 hours and 15 minutes. I'm sure I must have been on the same level as her (if not higher) because there were several occasions when Joëlle asked a question, and she didn't know the answer. And it was really a sign of how good Joëlle is as a teacher that this girl learned new things in class today, from a teacher teaching debutantes.
Although the prof. suggested I look into seeing if there is space in the next level of classes, and I may, it'd be a real shame to move up and not benefit from having Joëlle as my teacher.
Secondly, at the moment, I am at the top of this class, and that's a rather comfortable place. It's not so bad to be at the top. The trouble with moving is, I don't know where I'm going to fit in there. I'm not concerned with my status in that class...it doesn't matter if I'm not even near the top of the next level up. I just don't want to struggle. It'd be really nice to be challenged, but I don't want to be in over my head or uncomfortable.
I did my homework as soon as I got home, ate lunch, and then took a nap.
It was a very, very rewarding experience. On Friday, I start with French history lecture at 8:30, and then go back to French class at 10:30.
xo,
aKiP
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