I actually hit the four year mark last November a little before my birthday. But my principal means of studying Duolingo soon tempted me to start a streak of daily practice. I put in nearly nine months of almost perfect daily Duo work until I ended it with a month long tour of France. Studying in France on Duolingo seemed redundant. However, what I had learned by that time was of only marginally useful in reading some public signs which I could probably have done anyway as English and French have so many words in common. Upon returning my stubbornness kicked in and I have maintained a daily Duo streak for almost 1200 days since my return. At my second month long visit to France I felt conversation was close at hand so I’ve continued with the intent of being fully conversant in French. I think I’ll be a little conversant by the end of this year.
Other posts in my France category tell a little more about my ongoing studies.
This month also marks the two-year anniversary of my correspondence with a French pen pal. Its now almost a daily conversation and ours has covered the full gamut of subjects and more that might be expected. I’ll mention just one of hundreds of charming, poignant or just darned fascinating details of one of our conversations. Her mother lived through the German occupation in World War II. Her Grandmother in a fit of nationalism once made matching red, white and blue dresses for her two daughters. Those are the colors of the French flag which the Conquering Germans had no love for. On a walk together wearing their dresses a panzer tank approached them with an officer standing up and looking at the girls. That tank pulled to a stop and the officer took out his pistol and pointed it at the cheeky French woman who dared show the colors of the tricolor so conspicuously. They all expected to be shown no mercy. But the officer put the gun back having made his annoyance quite evident to all.
Anywho, I also calculated how much time I’ve spent on Duolingo. For two years running I’ve been part of their top one percent of French students in terms of the time I’ve put in. I calculate that every day for four years I’ve averaged about two hours a day learning French in one way or another. Two hours out of 16 waking hours a day is one eighth of my waking hours or, over four years, half a year in daily French study. Its not quite as intense as living in France for half a year but I’d love to meet the staff of the French Embassy in Washington D.C. some day to see how much progress I’ve made…..Washington D.C.! It might be worth a shot.
