Sue56

Oh if that's the case I'm going to throw away all my French books and cancel my French course now!! [;-)]

Hi - have you tried looking at the Open University web site - they have week long summer courses every year.  There's no commitment to doing anything further with the OU you can just do the course on its own.  I haven't personally been on it but others have said how they enjoyed it. Good luck Sue

Many thanks for all the replies. Just to clarify - the roofer knows the neighbour and the neighbour previously agreed to let him do the work. Neighbour said he wouldn't agree to any other roofer which was fine by us as we didn't want to ask any other roofer.   It now transpires that the neighbour doesn't actually own the land but his brother.  Our agent in France had previously sent a letter to the land owner advising of works but he had refused to accept the letter and it was returned.  Anyway yesterday a local municipal officer went to see the neighbour and they were apparently objecting to the pointing being done because they had not received any notification.  Apologies and explanations given.  Letters sent again direct to neighbour, land owner & mairie now all is well and pointing being done! There was a bit of history - 2 years ago when we had the fosse installed the lorry driver blocked our neighbour's drive and wouldn't move which caused a big row and then there was a dispute over our garden boundary - they thought they owned a bit of land that was actually ours.  So there have been a few things and this latest was yet another.  Having said that since the fosse business they have given us some fruit from their garden so it wasn't so bad that we weren't talking. Will take the neighbour's mother (who lives next door to our neighbour at the back) "une petite cadeau" on our next visit.   I don't think it will come to us selling up as we don't even have to pass their house to get to ours or in and out the commune so things should settle down after this work.  They're probably just a bit fed up with us, we've come along and upset the balance a bit, even though we've tried our best to be considerate but as I say, once this is done we wont need to trouble them anymore. Thanks again for responses.

The garden of our holiday home is on the side of our property and, as such, a neighbour living behind us owns the land that goes right up to the back of our house. We need to carry out some repair works to the rear of the property, roof and pointing.  The neighbour has allowed the roofer to errect scaffolding to carry out the work but today refused to let the man doing the pointing to go round the back of our house. Can anyone advise how we stand on this matter and what options are open to us.  The house desparately needs repointing and once it has been done we will not have to "trouble" our neighbour again.  He is being very difficult and relations between us are now very poor. I feel that we may need legal representation and also wondered if anyone could recommend a solicitor in the Morbihan area. Many thanks.

Hi - have recently looked at the earlier link "trouble remembering genders" and can see the reasoning behind the method. For me I find it a long winded way, its too much to remember when in conversation when you want it to flow.  I guess I'm a different kind of learner ( apparently there are 3 types but that's for another day). I have just looked on the OU French website and someone gave the following tip which, for me, I find I can access quicker during conversation. All words ending "age" ie. bricolage, are masculine with the exception of  la plage, la page et l'image. Words ending "ade", ie. prommenade, are feminine Words ending "tion" ie. révolution are feminine Words ending é are feminine except for le coté (sorry can't find the hat accent for the 'o') General rule for foreign influenced words are that they are masculine.   If anyone can add any exceptions please feel free. Sue[:)]

For some reason I have such a mental block about the past tense even though I have done GCSE (A) and OU course - I cannot for the life of me remember what's what without going back and trawling through my books. Is there a quick, easy, unforgetable way I can remember which one to use.  Something that I can attempt to remember and bring to the fore whenever necessary?  I tend to use the perfect tense for all past occasions which I know isn't right and I also know you can start a sentence off with one and switch half way through to the other but that's just confuses me even more......[8-)] Also, out of curiosity and confusion, which one is the passe compose? All and any help gratefully received.  

We live in 56 and although our neighbours have always been pleasant and welcoming after 3 years of owning our holiday home I think maybe the "honeymoon period" is over.  We have had a little dispute with one of our neighbours and although still on speaking terms he is definitely less hospitable.  Have been told by some other French neighbours who are not local to the area that we are in the club with them and another non local French family.  Said tongue in cheek but no doubt with a hint of truth.  Totally understand what they mean and don't have a problem with it.  As I say we are still made to feel welcome but don't appear to be such a novelty now.  Thing is, once you start looking for it often you can read something into a situation that isn't there and normally wouldn't have troubled you.  I just enjoy being there and understand that we will always be etrangers.  

Hi My husband, his brother + 1 other are working on our house in department 56 and need B&B accommodation, for a Thrs & Fri night in July. Does anyone know of a B&B in 56 - Serent, Redon, Rochefort, Lizio area? Many thanks.

Hi Whilst my husband and his brother + 1 other work on our house in France they need B&B facilities - usually for just a Thursday & Friday.  Can anyone recommend a B&B in the Serent, Lizio, Redon, Rochefort area.  Many thanks.

You need to find a local exam centre, in the UK it's usually a local secondary school. Not sure how you go about it if outside the UK.  You take the speaking, writing and listening exam through the school/local exam centre but the oral exam has to be taken in London or Oxford. Not sure if this is the case for GCSE but certainly for AS level.  The cost of exam for GCSE this year was £25. Sue

Hi Oxford Open Learning offer distance courses.  Not sure if they are open to non UK residents but there is a web site.  I have done the AS level course with them and my tutor telephoned me every 3 weeks to discuss, in French, related topics.  Unlike the OU there was no video to follow and only 1 CD for listening.  It mostly consists of reading and answering qestions p;us grammar sections. Out of the two I prefer the OU - it is more comprehensive and gives you more variety of material.  Although I feel my Oxford Open Learning tutor is very dedicated and puts a lot more effort in than is probably required - I can't comment if the other tutors from the Oxford Open Learning are as helpful.  Anyway their link is below. Bon chance. http://www.ool.co.uk/index.htm  

Hi Does anyone know if the French have a word for "rock pool".  When speaking to my French friend even she couldn't think of an equivalent or find it in her HUGE dictionary!  I used "l'etang de rocher" which she said wasn't quite right although knew what I meant, she thought of "trou d'eau dans les rochers" but said it was a bit long winded.  She asked her sister who still lives in France but she couldn't think of a specific word or expression either. Any advances...? Thanks.

Was wondering how to obtain a tv license and came across this thread.  With us, our house (holiday home not perminent residence) has been gradually renovated and so far have not had to pay any taxes.  Am expecting to pay tax d'habitation this year though.  We have just had sky installed for UK tv.  How do I go about getting a license and/or advising we have a tv?  We are not buying tv in France so authorities wont automatically be advised.  Waiting until October/November for tax bill seems a long time to go without a license, unsure what to do.  Any advice? Thanks Sue

What a shame.  Are you not entitled to a re-sit or re-submit if it was just this one peice of work which was not complete?  Is there anyway they could tell from what you did submit that there was obviously more? Or is it simply not worth the hassle - as I think we said before you passed the harder one so don't torture yourself over L192, there's always L211!!. Sue

I know I've read this somewhere in the dim and distant past but can't find it anywhere, so sorry to bore anyone... We want to plant either a hedge or conifer trees at the back of our garden (currently boundary divide is a few stones where wall used to be).  I'm sure I've read that a hedge has to be planted 1 meter into your land from the boundary. Assume this applies to trees also.  Could someone just confirm or correct.  Thanks.

There is a book "Living & Working in France" D.Hampshire.  This should be able to answer your questions.  Can't help you myself - sorry. Good luck.

Hi - sounds most likely explanation. I know my scraping through the exam was purely down to my lack of commitment towards the end of the course and being totally unprepared - as I said I very nearly didn't even go to the oral exam.   Will keep fingers crossed for you and hope OU come up with lost piece of work or are able to justify (or not as the case may be) the low marking you received.  Let us know of any news. Sue

Hi - does seem odd failing the lower and passing the higher.  Look on the bright side though - it could have been the other way around.  I passed my L120 but only just it would seem.  My TMA's averaged 84 but my exams (written & oral) came in at 47.  I am disappointed although I knew I had mucked up with the writing as I hadn't prepared properly for it and it really was a wing and a prayer.  The oral I was worried about and nearly talked myself out of it the night before.  I have looked at the Assessment Criteria which tells you what % you obtained for each element of the exams which has given me a good indication of where I went wrong - no big surprise. Anyway at the end of the day I've passed which was what I wanted.  I'm not going onto the next OU course yet partyly because of other commitments can't really fit in summer school but mainly because I want to be more confident at this level. Well done anyway for your pass.[:D]  

Good for you - Still think you're mad though  

Hi - I posted the L211 message earlier and read out of curiosity this posting. As Julie said, I found OU staff very helpful and supportive. Face to face tutorials, e-mails, telephone and written advice all very helpful from my tutor.  Any queries, telephone, e-mail or otherwise to local regional office have always been answered promptly and effectively.  I did not do L192 so unable to comment on content.  Sorry to hear students have had problems, perhaps it is because so much is covered at beginners level which the average 16 year old taking GCSE French has had about 5 years of study beforehand.  Therefore a year is cramming rather a lot in for a beginner.    Just out of interest Sarah - how on earth did you manage L192 and L120 at the same time?!  If you could do L120 why bother with L192?  15th December for results - not long to wait now.  Good luck to everyone waiting - let us know how you got on. Sue

Thank you both for all the advice - very much appreciated Off to have a good think!   Sue

Hi Malcolm-Thanks for advice/encouragement.  I probably didn't ask my tutor enough advice whilst doing L120 - a bit too independant at times, for what good it did me!! As a tutor - would you be able to tell me what level L120 is actually at.  Is it above GCSE at AS level or at A2 level?  Have been asked quite often but don't know exactly where it comes in NQF.  Was thinking may be doing an A level before attacking L211. Have posed question to OU direct but obviously v.busy at this time of year and waiting response. Any advice greatly appreciated from yourself or anyone else having been down this route. Sue

Do I speak French - to a fashion.  Understood by my neighbours, shop/bank assistant - Yes.  Am I fluent - by no means!   My OU tutor remarked that my vocab was good but I sounded English.  At first I was really gutted but afterwards thought about my French friend in England who speaks what I would call fluent English but with a French accent, no getting away from it.  Well if I can speak and be understood as good as her but in French then I'm not going to worry about an English accent. With regards to thinking in languages - if I am speaking French then I possibly fleetingly thinking in English but mostly French.  When my neighbour was speaking I was translating for my husband - I knew what the neighbour was saying straightaway but putting it into English for my husband was the diffiucult part because then I was making a conscious effort to translate. Also, if I come into contact with anyone who speaks a language other than English I automatically think in French.  In my Spanish class the words I didn't know in Spanish I filled in with French without realising it! Very confusing for my tutor and fellow students.... Sue

Thanks Julie - really useful info. obviously realise L211 is harder than L120 but there are some areas I still feel shaky on and although recapping now didn't want to commit myself until I was confident with L120 content.  Registered for the Diploma originally but started with L120 - like you say just for personal satisfaction. Thanks again. Sue

Have completed L120 and hope to pass - all indications positive! Considering L211 but have been warned it is quite a step up from L120 in terms of time and ability. Has anyone any experience? Thanks.