All That et Une Frites

Bonjour! La pomme et les robes sont rouge. Le garcon est riche. L'homme et la femme ecris une lettre.

That was French. I wrote it myself. I didn't use Google translate or anything, it came out of my very own head, my own head which knows French now. Four days ago I knew no French. How did I do it? It's a secret. OK I'll tell you. I went to Paris and sat in a cafe for four days and spoke only French and ate baguettes and snails. There was a beret.

That was a lie. Snails are gross. I didn't eat snails. The rest is true.

That was a lie too. I didn't go to France. What I did do was use a free app on my phone while laying in bed at night. I'm amazed at how well this works. If this free app has performed this miracle, I can only imagine what the far too expensive Rosetta Stone can do. I'd almost be willing to buy it if I had any kind of real reason to learn French other than wanting to feel fancy.

I took Spanish in school. Spanish is a way sexier language than French in my opinion. “Tu es muy caliente” is much more arousing than “Vous etes choud,” which when pronounced properly sounds like you're falling asleep at the end. Also, I may have used Google translate for that one, I'm not far enough into my app to know “hot” yet.

I want to visit France one day. It is a beautiful, culturally wealthy country and when I go there I want to speak their language. Being able to speak the language of a country you're visiting sets you apart from the tourists. It makes you a traveler. Even if you can't speak fluently, most locals respect that fact that you tried and will then speak English with you. Communication aside, speaking a language allows you a deeper understanding of the culture. Speaking with someone in their native tongue puts them at ease and gives you a better experience.

The French are known to be, well, French. And Parisians are double French with a side of frites de pomme de terre. At least, this is the stereotype. My parents visited Paris (speaking no French mind you) and even my Father, after a lifetime of talking about how terrible the French are, found Parisians to be polite, helpful and kind. He even told me this after having his wallet and passport stolen and coming down with a cold. He also said that, not surprisingly, the food in Paris was the best that they had on their whole tour of Europe.

If my parents are correct, and Parisians are not as awful as their reputations says, imagine what speaking their language could net you. Imagine being in France and for the time that you are there actually being French. This goes for any country. I've learned in the past 4 days that it is surprisingly easy to learn a language if you want to learn it. It is, in fact, easier than learning it in school ever was. So do yourself a favor, download Duolingo and choose a language that excites you. You will feel enriched and you'll be better for it.