Alright, let’s talk about learning a language. The down & dirty of it.
In French, like in any other language, there are rules. There is grammar. There are colloquial conventions, and there are official spellings (with or without silent letters and phonetic rules). You need to put this all together and communicate. But the person you are communicating with doesn’t in fact see the rules or the grammar or conventions or spellings or exceptions. They just know the language.
For instance, as per Duolingo, when I go to a restaurant, my typical dialogue should go something like this:
Me: Bonjour Monsieur! Je voudrait un cafe et une poulet sandwich, s’il vous plait.
Waiter: Oui Madame. Autre Chose?
Me: Non, merci beaucoup! Je paierai par carte s’il vous plait.
Waiter: Oui, merci Madame. Au revoir. Bon journée
Me: Au revoir, bon journée!
Simple, clean sentences. Easy to speak, easy to understand and a happy, coffee & chicken sandwich bearing me walking out of the restaurant.
But this is what actually happens.
Me: Bonjour!
Waiter: Bonjour Madame! something else in French
Me: Ummmm…*smiling, but wearing a mask so I’m hopeful that he sees my smiling eyes*
Un cafe? *gesturing & pointing to the coffee machine*
Waiter: Cafe? Americano?
Me: *nods vigorously* Oui! Et une…un…sandwich, s’il vous plait.
*pointing to the one I want*
Waiter: Poulet?
Me: *more vigorous nodding* Oui!
Waiter: something in French
Me: …
Waiter: something else in French, and pointing towards the toaster
Me: …*maybe he’s asking if I want it hot*
Oui, merci!
The waiter then proceeds to slice the sandwich (Oh, so that’s what he was asking!)
Waiter: C’est bon?
Me: Oui, c’est bon. Merci beaucoup!
Me: *taking out my card and showing how I’m gonna pay*
Waiter: some number in French
Me: *swipe card without knowing how much I’m paying for*
Waiter: Au revoir, bon appétit, bon journée!
Me: *finally* Au revoir, merci beaucoup, bon journée!
So basically, nodding or gestures and single word responses are the best I can manage. But there still is a happy, coffee & chicken sandwich bearing me walking out of the restaurant.
Makes me wonder though, how long I will need to (and if at all I can) go from responding in broken grammarless half-phrases to actual communication in whole sentences.
Que sera, sera, I guess.
