french classes

I have started my French Classes...

Friday I went to the Alliance Francaise (a French Language School that teaches French to students all over the world)...to register and take my placement test. I think AF's placement test is pretty hard btw. You have 30 mins but it could easily take 2 hours. I am not quick on my feet nor am I good at reading and comprehending in French yet. Which is the majority part of their test.

I tested somewhere in between A2 (advanced beginner/or beginning intermediate) and B1 (intermediate) and my counselor let me choose which level I would like to take. I decided to take the harder/intermediate level. Well after 2 days I feel that I need to go down 1 level and do a review. It has been 2 years since I have taken a formal French Course.

I can understand almost everything someone says to me (i.e. when F's parents speak to me, when shopping, when I was at all of my immigration appointments, at M's doctor's appointments)...BUT being able to speak easily/freely is the most important thing to me! I need to be able to express myself in French and to conjugate my verbs properly.

I am also soooooo shy in French...

Living here has shown me that I have a shy side...I find myself sticking to what I know (i.e. not trying new things). This is NOT integration...like the French Gov't wants. So taking these classes allows me to break out of my shell a bit while learning the language.

I'll keep writing on my progress...but right now I feel disappointed and discouraged. I can speak...it's just how a 5 year old would speak haha! But I'm sure just one day the light will turn on ;-)