I have good days in French (the language) and bad days. I think everyone learning a new language goes through this. I think I'm making steady progress toward fluency.
Some days, though, the rest of the world doesn't see it that way. Today was one of those days.
There are days when I encounter a french person who wants to practice their English, that's fine. Sometimes when someone starts to talk to me and I reply, all those American-English accented words tumble out. I'm sure they can understand me, since I can understand french people speaking English quite easily. But, they insist on speaking in English.
Today my downstairs neighbor caught me in the hall because he thought he got our tax bill by mistake. When I answered him that it wasn't ours, he started speaking about it in English, as if I hadn't understood what he said in french even though we'd finished the conversation. He got half way through the sentence and got stuck (a familiar feeling). So, I finished in french with him. When he answered it was again in English. Hmmm!
The grocery store was on the list of chores. They know me there and know that I am English speaking. Today I asked a question and the woman answered in french and then decided to try to translate it into English for me. Very cute, but not necessary.
Tail between my legs, English thoughts coursing through my brain, I'm at home now.
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