Mardi

Today was absolutely gorgeous. The sun was shining, the temperature was just right, and it wasn’t raining! I was really tired, though, so I enjoyed the day from the comfort of my easy chair and did some studying. (No, I don’t think I missed out on anything; I love the sunshine and the breeze coming through the window just as much as being outside sometimes.)  

Ok, random musing: I was thinking today while I was walking to school that I really want to be an old lady someday. (Bear with me.) There's just something about them, with carefully coiffed hair, a little bit of red lipstick, a neatly tailored skirt, high heels – not too high, but just high enough - tastefully chosen jewelry, and a demeanor that exudes a certain surety that I both admire and covet. Looking into their eyes, I see a coexistence of self-confidence and humility that seems to say that they've learned that are strong enough handle life’s storms, but fragile enough to be human. They don’t pretend to be more than they are, and they seem content and at peace with life. They aren’t striving. There’s just something about old ladies that makes me feel like everything is alright.  Alright, end of random musing.  ;)

I had a consultation with my oral expression teacher today, and I was extremely encouraged by the feedback I received from her. After making some corrections and comments on my last oral test to help me improve, she told me that my “phonetique” (pronunciation, intonation, etc) overall was excellent. That made me quite happy, because speaking is what gives me the most trouble. I was also elated when she told me she thought I was speaking at the “advanced” level now. Of course, I already felt like I`d made a lot of progress over the past 5 weeks, but having it confirmed by the teacher was encouraging. Now I know it`s not all in my head.  :) 

Another interesting comment she made was in regards to the speed of my spoken French. She actually told me that I speak quickly, which surprised me. I feel like I speak at a turtle’s pace, but I suppose she`s talking about the instances when I know what I want to say and I’m not searching for a lot of words. Anyway, she said that I speak clearly at the same time, so my spoken French is very understandable. She finished the consultation by noting that my oral and grammar skills seem to be more or less at an equivalent level now. Closing that gap was actually one of my goals while I was here, so I’m satisfied with the progress I seem to have made toward achieving it.

I think the most encouraging thing she said, though, was that she hoped I would continue to study French.  :D