Obviously living in the U.S. doesn't call for speaking French on an everyday basis. All around me is English.....this is one thing that I really miss about living in France....hearing it daily, 24/7. With this said it is even more important for me to keep up with my language skills. As with any language that you don't speak on a regular basis you tend to lose it. You're not as fluid as before, and you might even lose some vocabulary.
To avoid this problem, besides the not-as-often-as-I-would-like trips to France (I work for an airline so this is semi-easy to do), I read novels in French. I found a wonderful bookstore in Manhattan that sells untranslated literature -the livres de poche that you find in the bookstores in France. I also try to buy magazines in French or Le Monde when I can. I also try to watch Scola TV which broadcasts news directly from the foreign countries. If I'm lucky I get to talk to a French speaking passengers at the airport or my great French aunt. There are also groups out there that get together and talk in your language. Join in!
Keeping up with your language skills is essential, especially for the translator that doesn't live where their source language(s) is/are spoken.
As an anglophone Canadian in France, I need to keep up BOTH languages. I find that reading online, whether in French or in English, just doesn't cut it. I don't seem to absorb very much; I just find myself quickly scanning.
ReplyDeleteBooks and newspapers are so much enjoyable. My local library is just a few blocks away and no one every takes out The Guardian Weekly, The Economist or Newsweek so I get all the current issues!
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ReplyDeleteliva