Because I'm generally indecisive in just about everything, figuring out which language I want to focus on has been a real challenge. I suppose I like Italian best, but my goal is to become reasonably fluent in at least one language. Doing that with Italian would take the most effort and time, because I have never had any formal training in it; whereas, in French I have a degree and years and years of off-and-on exposure and practice. In addition, it is a little easier to find people to practice French with; while it's pretty hard to locate someone who speaks Italian.
So I resolve to take the substantial vocabulary and grammar mastery I have of French and run with that. Oh, yes, I'll still write to my Italian pen-pals, but I think I'd make more progress if I zeroed in on one language. And it's not like I hate French. I like the language very much and have studied it for so long that it is beginning to sound less 'foreign' and I almost find myself thinking in the language at times. Italian still sounds like someone singing to me.
In truth I would feel much more confident Skyping someone in French than in either Italian or Spanish. I've even noticed that I'm getting noticeably better at understanding the French in movies and TV shows. I still say that French is slurred and elided and mumbled over way more than Spanish and Italian. Italians pronounced every character, even if there are four vowels in a row, which there often are. French speakers seem to completely drop entire groups of letters. Pronouns like 'te' or 'me' end up sounding like a whispered and clipped 'tuh' and 'muh'. Finally, though, after hours of listening, one gets used to this and she learns to do it herself.
Well, I guess I'd better get cracking. Does anyone know the French for 'get crackin'? Vive la France! et J'suis Charlie!
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