Learning French Again

I have determined that learning French, again, would be a good thing. Why French? Why not Spanish? Italian, or the ever more popular Japanese?

I took French in Junior High and High School, progressing each year with a basic understanding. My best friend those years, Beatrice, was a first generation American, both parents being from Belgium and she spoke French well, and fluently. I was the constant butt of her jokes (especially with my pronunciation of the word 'poche' which means pocket.)

I have traveled to France numerous times, and my older brother moved there many years ago, married a french woman and has three little french kids. I figure if he can learn to speak french fluently, so can I (you should have heard him play trumpet!...OUCH).

More and more of my prospects up in Canada speak french too.

I, at the very least can speak with my family (nieces and nephews, prospects and potentially my new neighbors if they are French Canadian, once I move to Toronto.)

More importantly (at least for me), we Americans (unless we are recent immigrants) seem to be sorely lacking in bilingual abilities and to me that speaks of the bigger picture of 'Ugly American' arrogance. We isolate ourselves from the world and the global community by refusing to do what Europeans have always done...learn other languages, travel to many other countries and attempt, understand their cultures (or at the very least, not expect them to 'speak American' at all times.) Heck, Queen Elizabeth I never left England her entire reign, but she spoke Italian, Greek, French, Latin and Spanish. It allowed her to converse with amassadors, read missives from other foreign leaders and have clarity of understanding beyond her realm. I want clarity of understanding beyond my realm.

First French...and then....maybe Italian...Spanish...and (though, I probably won't have enough time or brain cells) Japanese.