Moving to France – Some Questions.

[mikeymikey]

Moving to France – Some Questions.

 

Ok, I have been planning for a few years to move to Paris (I’m 22). I find it a lot cheaper than where I live now (Dublin). I am planning on making the move in February 2008. I am going to also do 3 months studying intensive French to help with the language. My eventual goal would be after 5-10 years, be fluent in French, Have French Citizenship, Be living comfortably in Paris, have attended a French University and hold a degree. I know it’s a bit to achieve, especially seeing as I don’t currently speak French, but I think 5 – 10 years is a fair enough time. If I ever got to excellent proficiency in the French Language, once I get French Citizenship, I would love to eventually join the Police Nationale.

 

That’s my dream.

 

Now, I have a few questions:

 

1: How long do you think/ or how long does it normally take to pick up the language fluently, if living there in Paris surrounded by it, while also attending French Classes 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for the first 3 months living there. How long do you think it would take to pick up?

 

2: How long before the French accept you as “one of them”? I know, it’s 5 years to get citizenship. But what I mean is, once I’m a French Citizen and have my little French Passport, will I be one of them, or is it’s true that I will never be fully accepted as being “local”.

 

3: I’m looking at living in the Paris Proper (rent is still cheaper than here in Dublin). I will definitely be living there for the first 3 months in Paris, but after that I may consider outside, into the suburbs. Which suburbs would you recommend and which should be avoided at all costs?

 

4: Work – I am not planning on getting a job there for a good while, only when my money starts to run out – mainly because I think it will probably be impossible to find a job with out having French at the time. But I am considering doing the TEFL before I go, just as a back up to have, has anyone done it and is it worth it?

 

5: Is it actually possible to get a job with little or know French? Seriously, if I can get a job, I would be happy cleaning toilets for the first few years.

 

6: has anyone got any extra advice or info that they think I should know?

 

Sorry for all the questions, and thanks in advance.

 

Mikey

[Vive les Alpes]

Hi,

My brother in-law moved to Chambery from the UK to live with his girlfriend and it took him 2 years to become proficient in French from a 'standing start'. Another thing to bear in mind is that until you can write the language (as well as speak and read it) you would be technically 'illiterate', which narrows your options down work/education wise. 

Good luck with your dream.

all the best,

Paul

 

[PeterR]

Hi,

1)

please check carefully the french University system. It is in many

parts completely different from what you get in other countries.

There are Universities and there are "grandes écoles".

In some(!) areas, the university degree is not really considered as a good degree.

What do you want to study ?

2) suburbs: In the West-South West

[Loiseau]

[quote user="Vive les Alpes"]

My brother in-law moved to Chambery from the UK to live with his girlfriend and it took him 2 years to become proficient in French from a 'standing start'. ...[/quote]

 

This is far and away the most effective method of becoming fluent in a language.  So I recommend you seek out a well-spoken French girlfriend at the earliest opportunity.  Of course, you will have to concentrate on the grammar at other times...  [;-)]

Re becoming accepted...   Well, that French girlfriend might make that easier.  And being a student means you will meet people your own age.  Join something - a choir, a rambling group, or whatever, and meet others perhaps.

Angela

[Panda]

Hi

I presume from what you describe you are taking french as a foreign language at Uni in Paris.  I did this for a similar amount of time and after the course I could converse fairly freely, I had already been in France for a year though so was probably a bit further down the line.  Writing is another matter, I still struggle with this (and not just in french today!) and I think you should consider taking more than the 3 month (1 term) course, at your age you will be fine and you will meet lots of people on the course.  My class had 12 different nationalities, the only common language being french so you either start learning quickly or you sink. 

I think if you did at least 3 terms you will find that at that level of immersion (40 hours a week my course was nearer 25 hours), along with taking the others advice and seek out lots of french friends you could be near to fluent in under 2 years.

Good luck with it!

Panda

[mikeymikey]

 

Thank you everyone so far with the replies.

 

In regards to the doing the French at uni, No will be doing French lessons with Alliance Francaise, full time intensive for the first 3 months I move to France and then will continue on learning it, trying to do as much as I can until I get to fluent level.

 

Once I get to fluent level, I want to study at University in France – not study French, but go to University (just as a French person would), for a 3 year degree in something of my choice (was going to attend university here in either Law, Architecture or Finance, but I think doing that at a French university would probably be very difficult, so not too sure what I will study yet. Having a University degree is not one of the requirements to join the Police Nationale– but I would still like to have it, also as a back up.

 

I don’t plan to attend French University until about I have lived in France for about 2 or 3 years. I think my first few years living in France will just consist of learning French by every day live, attending courses with Alliance Francaise and if possible, working in a job – no matter how small and trying to fit in.

 

I have tried learning French here, and was able to pick up bits, but once you leave the class your back to talking English as it’s not a French speaking country so it just makes it much harder, that’s I think living in France will make it easier, and in a way force you to learn the language.

 

PeterR,

You said there are Universities and then there are "grandes écoles". What are "grandes écoles"? are they kind of similar to a Community College? Not a university where you can get a Degree, but more of a Further Education College where you can get Certificates and Diplomas in a course?

 

Thank you everyone for the info and advice so far.

[suein56]

[quote user="mikeymikey"]

 

 You said there are Universities and then there are "grandes écoles". What are "grandes écoles"? are they kind of similar to a Community College? Not a university where you can get a Degree, but more of a Further Education College where you can get Certificates and Diplomas in a course?

 [/quote]

 

Grandes écoles are quite elitist and difficult to get in to - there are usually competitive exams to gain entrance. Wiki describes them here reasonably well:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandes_%C3%A9coles

 

Sue

 

[Panda]

Hi

Just checked out the Alliance Francaise website, I can not believe the price of the course 285 euros per week for the 32 hour intensive course!  The course at a french university that I described is about 680 euros per term, less if you sign up for more than one term, a term is 13 weeks so the difference is huge!  

The other big advantage is that you can be coached for your entrance exam to attend the main stream courses that you mention, most of the class I was with did just that, took 3 terms studying french and at the same time gained the required qualification to study at the university in law the arts etc..

Worth thinking about if it's not too late.

Panda

[mikeymikey]

Thanks Panda, you’re a life safer.

 

That cost is a big difference, the price you gave with AF, is the one I was going to book, I thought it was an ok price and didnt think I would get it much cheaper, it seems very expensive compared to your one. Your course also sounds a bit better, with the fact that it can help you get to do the exams to get into the mainstream studies at university. I have not booked my AF course yet, was going to do that later (around August) seeing as I wouldn’t start it until February.

 

Are you able to give me as much info as possible on the one you did? Also how did you find it? How many terms until you where comfortable speaking it and got to fluent level. The one you did sounds like what I’m looking for and would seem to suit me better, so any more info would be great.

 

Thanks

 

Mikey

[Panda]

Hi Mikey

The course I did was not in Paris although I know of other Unis that do the same course and so finding one in Paris should be possible.  In the meantime, follow this link, this is the course I studied, http://cfle.univ-poitiers.fr/en/index.asp this tells you all about the course, charges etc.. (and it's helpfully in english on this link).

Have a look and if you have more questions just ask. 

As for fluency, I can speak freely (although would not class mysefl as fluent as my written work is still questionable) I did about 17 weeks 2 years ago, so I did 1 full term and started the next but had to cut it off early due to work commitments.  To be fluent from scratch it's hard to say, depends on how dedicated you are and how quickly you pick thngs up but 4 terms and you should be flying at your age!

Panda

[mikeymikey]

 

Thank you very much Panda, I’m going to go off now and have a look at the link. I would be happy to study somewhere else in France, it doesn’t have to be in Paris. Paris is just where I want to eventually end up, so if that means studying somewhere else in the country I don’t mind.

 

I’ll go read the info now and come back to ya if I have any more questions. Oh, how are you finding French life? Where are you originally from if you don’t mind me asking? Have you found it easy to fit in?

 

Thanks a lot.

 

Mikey

[Chancer]

Mikey Mikey.

I too like you used to use the word and longed for the day that I would be "fluent" in French, the truth is you will never be fluent in French for the simple reason that you are not probably fluent in your own language, ie you are learning new words all the time.

In fact the more proficient that you become in French the more your English fluency will suffer.

However you have the benefit of youth on your side! I was in a similar position to you when I moved here 2 years ago, I really wanted to commit totally to tuition like you but couldnt afford the time at a university (I have to progress with my renovation to have an income before running out of money) I did however have 2 weeks intensive tuition when I arrived and have 4 hours of lessons every week during term time.

Luckily (for the learning) I live on my own and only converse with friends and neighbours in French (as I suspect that you will) to the other English in my region I am already fluent, which just means that I speak French better than them, however I long to be able to express myself better as I can in this message in my mother tongue.

On the positive side after 2 years I now never find myself in a situation that I need help or translatiion and hence can tackle anything that I want to do with confidence, which after all for most people is the objective.

I also recommend that when you arrive that you contact AVF (Acqueil des villes Francais) for social contact/networking and to improve your French.

Bon Chance!

 

P.S.

I used Alliance Francais when I was travelling to practice my French in some unlikely places like Chile New Zealand and Vanuatu, I didnt have to join, they were quite happy to have a new face and accent in their conversation classes as are AVF