So you’re heading off on that property viewing trip. At last! But when a long-cherished dream gets real, you might suddenly feel far from your comfort zone, and very foreign. Learning a little bit of French puts you in control. But which is the best way to learn? Christopher Nye investigates your options for learning French for property buyers.
Ready to make the leap and start your new French adventure? You’ve probably already checked a hundred things off your list – finances, legalities and registration, taxes, maybe removals… However, you might have missed one of the key bits of settling in France: starting to learn French as soon as possible.
We have always been welcomed with open arms here in the South of France by our French friends and neighbours. Contrary to what some people imagine, the French are more than happy that so many British people have chosen to make their country into their new home.
In a bid to simplify the French language, the Ministry of Education has reminded schools to implement a series of spelling changes dating back to 1990 that appear to have gone under the radar until now. There are 2,400 spelling changes in total, which were recommended by the Académie Française, the guardians of the French language, 26 years ago. The Académie Française was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis X111. It was suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution but reinstated in 1803 by Napoleon Bonaparte. It is basically France’s offici
