Language barrier
When I first went to Les Aliberts in 2003 I was eleven years of age and we met a couple of Belgian families with children of about my age. One girl in particular, Margaux, and I got on really well and despite not speaking the same language we managed to communicate and I would say that a large chunk of the French that I know I picked up from her in those two weeks.
The next year we went to the same place and so did she. Because we were both young enough to play together with minimal conversation that is exactly what we did do.
Almost every year both Margaux and I saw each other and as we got older we slowly drifted apart. I believe that this is almost solely to do with language. I want to talk to her, and by the attempts she makes I believe that she wants to do the same, however neither of us are at the age to play like we used to and so our different languages have put up a barrier around us.
I am sure that we would be able to get on really were we able to talk, but I think in the six years since I have been going my French hasn't improved drastically, despite five years of (pathetically useless) school French lessons.
Next year (I've promised myself) I will be able to speak French enough to hold a conversation with Margaux. Do you know any ‘teach yourself’ French guides that a really worth the money, or any tips to learning a new language? Any help would be very much appreciated.
