Recently I've thought a lot about how to explain the difficulties of learning French. I can't say it's that special. It's difficult in the way training for a marathon is difficult. It's difficult the way calculus is difficult. How difficult is that? It's difficult enough to make you reconsider the value of your time.
French isn't Spanish, this is true. However, I've found that Spanish often lets me read French. Also, thanks to William the Conqueror, English has more than a little to do with French. Recently I sat around the dinner table eating fromage and talking with my buddy and his folks. When faced with a specific word absent from my French vocabulary I'd ask him to translate only to have him repeat the word back to me with a French accent.
Language learning has become a much smaller part of my trip than I anticipated. After one month I'm neither disappointed nor discouraged. I've spend July appreciating France. From here, the language I learn will reflect a deepening affection for the culture and people. This is the way language learning should be.
