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Becoming Bilingual?!

Rick C.

Rick C.

Site Owner
Staff member
Serious question. I have grade 12 french, much of it has been long since forgotten. What does it take to become 'bilingual'? What's the options available to learn french fairly quickly, and fairly economically? Thoughts/suggestions?
 
Rick said:
Serious question. I have grade 12 french, much of it has been long since forgotten. What does it take to become 'bilingual'? What's the options available to learn french fairly quickly, and fairly economically? Thoughts/suggestions?
Click to expand...

How bilingual do you need to be?
 
Madferret said:
Rick said:
Serious question. I have grade 12 french, much of it has been long since forgotten. What does it take to become 'bilingual'? What's the options available to learn french fairly quickly, and fairly economically? Thoughts/suggestions?
Click to expand...

How bilingual do you need to be?
Click to expand...

Good question.  I don't know.  Somewhere between ordering a beer in french and what it takes to coach the Montreal Canadiens.

I think I'd like to be fluent enough to be able to apply for jobs that say "applicant must be bilingual"...
 
Rick said:
Madferret said:
Rick said:
Serious question. I have grade 12 french, much of it has been long since forgotten. What does it take to become 'bilingual'? What's the options available to learn french fairly quickly, and fairly economically? Thoughts/suggestions?
Click to expand...

How bilingual do you need to be?
Click to expand...

Good question.  I don't know.  Somewhere between ordering a beer in french and what it takes to coach the Montreal Canadiens.

I think I'd like to be fluent enough to be able to apply for jobs that say "applicant must be bilingual"...
Click to expand...

Un autre biere froid svp..

Is the job in an area where bilingualism is needed? What level would you say your french is at now? Check out the library / online if you want to teach yourself - I'd recommend some night / adult courses though.
 
Madferret said:
Un autre biere froid svp..

Is the job in an area where bilingualism is needed? What level would you say your french is at now? Check out the library / online if you want to teach yourself - I'd recommend some night / adult courses though.
Click to expand...

Other cold beer please?  That's a guess...

I don't have a job that I'm applying for - I just want to learn enough to say that I am fairly fluent in the language.  Do to health problems, I can't work right now... So I was thinking learning french is a proactive use of my time, and could help career-wise in the future.
 
Rick said:
Madferret said:
Un autre biere froid svp..

Is the job in an area where bilingualism is needed? What level would you say your french is at now? Check out the library / online if you want to teach yourself - I'd recommend some night / adult courses though.
Click to expand...

Other cold beer please?  That's a guess...

I don't have a job that I'm applying for - I just want to learn enough to say that I am fairly fluent in the language.  Do to health problems, I can't work right now... So I was thinking learning french is a proactive use of my time, and could help career-wise in the future.
Click to expand...

If you are on EI they'd probably pay for you to take some french courses.
 
Madferret said:
If you are on EI they'd probably pay for you to take some french courses.
Click to expand...

EIB ran out last April.  I've had zero income in just about a year.  Just waiting on an application to CPP-Disability.  Thank god Sherry has a management job in government!
 
Rick said:
Madferret said:
If you are on EI they'd probably pay for you to take some french courses.
Click to expand...

EIB ran out last April.  I've had zero income in just about a year.  Just waiting on an application to CPP-Disability.  Thank god Sherry has a management job in government!
Click to expand...

Check out your local library - they usually have a wide selection of self-taught language books.
Practice your french here with me if you want. Watch french television too - osmosis ;]
 
Guru Tugginmypuddah said:
What about Rosetta Stone?  Saw some on Kijiji for not too shabby of a price.
Click to expand...

Some of those Rosetta Stone books have found their way to the libraries...Rick you're in Cambridge right? I'm trying to remember where the library is out there...
 
Madferret said:
Guru Tugginmypuddah said:
What about Rosetta Stone?  Saw some on Kijiji for not too shabby of a price.
Click to expand...

Some of those Rosetta Stone books have found their way to the libraries...Rick you're in Cambridge right? I'm trying to remember where the library is out there...
Click to expand...

We have 3 library branches in Cambridge, one of them my son works at p/t.  I'll check it out - thanks for the suggestions!
 
Rick said:
Madferret said:
Guru Tugginmypuddah said:
What about Rosetta Stone?  Saw some on Kijiji for not too shabby of a price.
Click to expand...

Some of those Rosetta Stone books have found their way to the libraries...Rick you're in Cambridge right? I'm trying to remember where the library is out there...
Click to expand...

We have 3 library branches in Cambridge, one of them my son works at p/t.  I'll check it out - thanks for the suggestions!
Click to expand...

D'accord - bonne chance!
 
Madferret said:
Rick said:
Madferret said:
Guru Tugginmypuddah said:
What about Rosetta Stone?  Saw some on Kijiji for not too shabby of a price.
Click to expand...

Some of those Rosetta Stone books have found their way to the libraries...Rick you're in Cambridge right? I'm trying to remember where the library is out there...
Click to expand...

We have 3 library branches in Cambridge, one of them my son works at p/t.  I'll check it out - thanks for the suggestions!
Click to expand...

D'accord - bonne chance!
Click to expand...

Merci!
 
I don't know what the french intructional courses are like at Conestoga but my mom is going there full time right now and speaks very highly of the place, fwiw. She's quite the inspiration, almost retirement age and decided to take the medical secretary course, she thinks she's got at least 20 good years left or so she says...

Here's a link to the part time french course page...

http://www.conestogac.on.ca/ce/catlg/pgmdetails.jsp?ProgramCode=1180&v=1109

Also, I don't want to this to seem stupid or anything but look up the old Parlez-Moi sketches on youtube or wherever with the Sol clown, it's basic stuff but it's conversational and I'm pretty sure it's Quebecois as opposed to the old Parisian stuff we took in highschool ( same boat Rick, took it until 12 then really forgot a lot of it )

I so remember him saying 'now here's the complete sketch again' when I was a lad. :)

Good luck!
 
He's almost better off learning Parisian french. Outside of Quebec and rural Montreal french has become very slangy. He can learn franglais later...
 
I looked into this a few years ago, and, I know, there's a certification process to get to the level most employers will be looking for. It was also cost prohibitive for me, at the time, but, that may just be because of the institution I was looking at.
 
You can 'acquire' the full Rosetta Stone with multiple languages from Demonoid amongst others.

I'm currently learning Spanish via this method, I of course acquired it legally(sup feds?). ;)
 
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