Quote Originally Posted by WES View Post
First leg only GG, in India for the 2nd leg sadly
Re: French. Does the glw speak it? Even if only basically, try to speak it together. It will get you more comfortable with the simple things so they come naturally - genders, common terms, verb conjugation and tenses - and get talking translation apps on your phones so you can both look for words or expressions you're searching for. It really helps if you're there with another Brit.

Oh, you're the sort of person who'd have Netflix. Watch everything in English with French subs. And pause and google when something doesn't make sense. That really helps.

And if you have a good French mate, ask them to correct you. We had lots of Italian raver mates in London. One spoke really good English, and I'd correct him when he made an error. He said "You're my only English mate who does that. Everyone won't cause they don't want to appear rude but how else will I learn?"

Get a local and chat with the barman. I never learned Italian but when I was in Sardinia once, using a Lonely Planet phrase book, I managed to get one to use teletext to find out the Arsenal CL qualifier score. {We won 3-0} and I started to communicate.

OH, this could be really helpful. One of my best mates moved back to France and does translation work. She says that by law, French companies have to pay staff who want it to do things once a month that would boost the worker's skills and productivity. So she teaches them business English by Zoom or whatever. {Also once got paid €4k for five days translating for their Foreign Office - they share that well paid work around. Very civilised.}

So it could be that your company, by law, would have to pay my mate Decibel [or someone else] to teach you French once a month.

Ask them, or if you want, I could ask her and see if it works that way.

Having an online one-to-one lesson with someone bilingual who can speak to you in French but correct and teach you could really help. And she works at every level - people having their first Business English lessons to translating formal documents for the French state.

Old skool raver but sweet as ****, married with a kid and two cats etc.

I think the state pays the company to pay your teacher once a month. So while they get one day's less work, it doesn't cost them and your increased proficiency adds to the company's {your} productivity.

Let me know if you want me to look into it. But always have Fr subs on Netflix and try to speak it at home.

Bon chance, poto.