Le français parlé

Ok, this next post might seem a bit...égoïste but I'm going to write it anyway just because we all like to toot our own horns from time to time. I cannot believe how well I've done with speaking french since I've gotten here. Its so strange, I was curious before I left if I would just slip back into the culture in language and not experience much culture shock since I've already spent 3 months in France at a time before. Well there is still a bit of shock as far as the culture itself, but I think thats because Moulins is a much more French town than Montpellier was. Montpellier was a university town situated on the coast of the Mediterrenean with a lot of foreigners and students of my same age group, so the town has less of a french feeling, and its easier for foreigners to cope with the difference because one doesn't have to search very far to find someone who speaks your language, or even from the United States. But as far as Moulins is concerned, I haven't met any foreigners other than the other English assistant from El Paso. But concerning the language, I have ever surprised myself. Even on the flight from Atlanta - Paris, I sat next to a young french guy and we spoke a lot on the way here, and he couldn't believe an American could speak french so well. And in the taxi from Clermont-Ferrand airport to the train station, the driver thought I was from Québec. He thought I was a native french speaker! Here in Moulins too I have had several people comment on me not having a strong english accent, and some of them will even talk to me for 2 or 3 minutes before asking me where I'm from as if they just realized I wasn't French. And even those that do notice keep asking me what part of Great Britain I'm from. Apparantly its usually quite obvious when an American speaks french, I assume its because the vowels in Great Britain are closer to the vowels in French, and not so open and rounded and dipthongized as they are in most American dialects. I had dinner with Madme Lecole and her daughter sunday night, and her parents came over for a while to visit. Her father told me I was a liar and I wasn't an American, lol. He called me "un français qui comoufle comme un américain" which means a Frenchman in American camouflage lol. As far as the French accent itself here in Moulins, I like it a lot. It is a very very general accent, and to me it really sounds like basic french. It might have the smallest tinge of the bizarre nasal vowels that there was in Montpellier, but only in certain speakers, and in certain words. These speakers are probably native to southern France anyway. All in all, its an accent I would much rather adapt as my own than the accent in Montpellier, which makes me sound like a plouc (redneck).

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Today was an interesting day. I had my first meeting at l'inspection académique which is like the board of education that administers all the primary schools here in Moulins and the surrounding areas. (I must not that when I say primary school, it refers more to the english elementary school. The school system here is as follows; école maternelle [maternal school] is free but not obligatory from ages 2-5, and is required at age 6. School is compulsory in France from ages 6-16. École primaire [primary school] starts at age 6 and goes to age 11. Then the collège [middle school] begins which is age 11 to 15. Then begins the lycée which is like high school though age 18. Students are required to complete at least one year of Lycée to age 16.) Whew! Just thought I'd get that out of the way! Anyway at the meeting this morning I met with several professors of English and German from the area who were mostly older French women or English or German men or women; of course I was the only American present. But they all seemed very nice and willing to help me with how to prepare lessons and what not. As far as the job itself I am somewhat scared because there was a lot of talk concerning discipline and keeping the kids attention. I also learned that I will not be allowed to speak any French while teaching, which I think is actually going to make the job harder rather than easier. But alas, on verra! We will see! Anyway It's midnight and although I don't have anything extremely pressing tomorrow to do, I would like to get up in time to eat breakfast which ends at 7h45! I think I'll put a movie on and crawl into bed. Thursday morning I go to visit the schools I will be teaching in...I'm pretty excited to have any opportunity to meet more people here in Moulins. The fact that it is a smaller town and most people here already know each other is making it a bit more difficult to meet people at first, but I think after some time, it will make it easier to meet more people as my social network grows more. I mean, it hasn't even been a week yet; I shouldn't expect to know everyone in the city yet. It just gets lonely in this little room sometimes, and especially when I'm out walking and everyone else is walking in a group and I'm alone. Anyway, Good night everyone and you will hear from me again soon! Bonne nuit à tous!