french group

[fussy]

I have just had my tenth french lesson, progress very slow, owng to the fact that I don't have any french friends to practise on, all our neighbours are at work all day, does anyone know of a group that gets together to talk and listen to french, I would rather listen to a french person speaking french, than an english person speaking french. My local areas are La roche sur yon, Aizeney, or anywhere thats within 30mins drive.

[mint]

fussy

Just speak to anybody and everybody.  I speak to the boulanger, the boucher, the woman at the fish counter at the supermarket, the person in the queue in front of me, the person in the queue behind me, the hairdresser, all her other customers, the post lady.

You get the idea.  I also, of course, speak to my neighbours, the people at my mairie, my French teachers, the people who play table tennis with my husband, the people I meet walking the dog, the people at the petrol station, the people running the epicurie near my house.

Tonight, we have invited about 15 French people for aperos "avant Noel" and I expect to be speaking French all evening!

Hope that gives you an idea!

[Will]

Yes, surprisingly there are quite a lot of French people in France. If you go into towns you can usually spot them. They are often out and about in disguise - not all of them wear berets and striped sweaters or carry onions and baguettes. They are rather good at speaking French (though admittedly it's not necessarily the same French that you might learn in the lessons - but all the more useful for that.

[clarey c]

I know how you feel!.  Yes, there are a lot of people here in France who speak very good French but it is difficult for some of us to get into casual conversations with people who they don't know, especially if, like me you are not very good at their language.  I can't help you with anything local but- keep looking.

Well done for wanting to practice the language and keep trying, eventually you'll be as good as everyone else on this forum [;-)]

[Bugsy]

As Sweet 17 said talk to everyone you can. When we first moved I was hopeless and being partly deaf didn't help. I built up a friendship with the lady in our village patisserie (I bought our bread daily) and she taught me money and change in no time at all. Telling the time is another one worth grasping and the secretary in our marie has turned it almost into a game. Whenever we meet, even after five years, she still tells me the time.

It really does work, try it.

Gary.