24 May 06
Language and Priorities
The topic of learning French is a sore one for me. If you’ve been following my Weblog, you should already know that. To all of you who might be shaking your head right now, all I can say is it will happen, Insh’Allah, when it happens.
Maybe if all those free language courses the French government (OMI and FASILD) provided were any good, then I might be doing better; but since they were mostly just good at wasting precious days of my life, I have to learn this language on my own, and that, dear people, is not a high priority for me.
For me, learning French is no longer the fun activity the textbook prefaces would try and have you believe; it’s become a chore, one that I trudge through because I have to. I think that’s unfortunate, and largely due to this pressure that permeates French society and is directed at foreign immigrants to learn French quickly. I’m getting there at my own pace, and that’s just the way it’s going to be. I don’t like it when I’m constantly told that I need to do this or I need to do that, like for example that I need to only speak French when I’m at home with my wife. Sheesh, give us a break already, my wife has her limits too you know, and unless she wants conversation with a caveman, English it’s going to be.
And that says nothing of people trying to make me speak Arabic too, like it’s a walk in the park or something. I think that people who grew up in Arabic speaking households overlook the fact that I’m a 41 year old non-Arabic American who has just made a lot of changes in my life, and despite being a new Muslim, there is a particular rank to my priorities right now. One language at a time, please.
To be sure, I sincerely want to speak French, and it’s coming, slowly. Each day I understand more of what’s spouted at me from French television. If I could find a job in the region here with an internationally focused company that functions in both languages (and such companies do exist), I would be set; it would give me the breathing room I needed to make a living and still improve the French skills over time. Perfect.
My new son is another factor in all of this; a factor that will from hereon in my life be most important. I trust that the French educational system will do better for my son in the French language department than I can, so when I talk to my son, I talk to him solely in English, which should give him a considerable leg up on the other tadpoles in school here. Elyas needs me to speak English to him, so that’s what it’s going to be. As for Arabic, I’m sure his grandparents will teach him that; they’re already on it. That’s three big languages right out of the starting gate, and it leaves him with the ability to easily pursue a fourth in school, and I’m pushing for either Spanish or an Asian language like Japanese or Chinese; all of which will position him well for international business endeavors.
Nevertheless, perhaps there’s hope for me yet. I’m about to embark on a new French language activity that I’m actually quite excited about (and that’s a switch) because it doesn’t involve any French government programs that are good for nothing else but headaches and high blood pressure. I’m beginning to publish certain tech articles I write at wion.com in dual languages. The aim is to not only improve my reading, writing, and comprehension of the French language, but also to acquire a specialized French vocabulary specific to my professional interests, and ultimately to attract French readers to my business site. Most important of all, it will be fun again!
Nathalie :: 24 May 06 :: #
Sorry for your incomfortable feeling. I just want to assure you “que cela part d’un bon sentiment” from people whom you are appreciated.
Your experience is not so far from mine; It’s all except easy but time will work for you. No doubt. I’m sure!
Nathalie.
isabelle :: 24 May 06 :: #
Hi there ! ... have been wondering for two weeks now … how do you pronounce your son’s name ? I mean the intitial “E” is as the french “é” or as the English “e” (which sounds like a french “i”) ???
and what about the “y” ? is it like the french “i” or as the english “I” ... or is it an arabic pronounciation ???
Chinese is getting more fashionable nowadays ..let’s just hope there’ll be enough teachers of it by the time Elyas is getting to middle school !!!!!
Destry :: 24 May 06 :: #
I can’t say from the Arabic perspective, but we say it as follows:
First, divide the sounds into 3 parts: El-y-as
Then just say it like L.E.S., the three letters of the English alphabet, but with more fluidity between syllables.
isabelle :: 25 May 06 :: #
thanks for the explanations … my son was playing with a little “Eliès” back in France sometimes when we used to go to a playgroup …. so I suppose that the “a” is pronouced in an Arabic way then !(I would have said it as in the word for the female of a donkey !)