A couple of visits to France is all it took for my wife and me to fall in love with the country and its people. Typically American, I had no language but English - so a short course of CD travelers’ French had equipped me with the essentials: oui, non, bonjour, merci, où se trouve le toilette, encore du vin SVP.

After being widowed I wanted a major project; learning French in France seemed just the thing, never mind that this senior citizen had no obvious talent for languages. I discovered Ceran Provence on the web and set out to spend three weeks there.

A taxi from Avignon dropped me off at a little enclave in nearby Morières lès Avignon, a former hotel. It was French-only from the moment a young man greeted me and showed me my room. At table that Sunday evening the food was excellent and the conversation a complete mystery. Almost all the other trainees were folks who needed to brush up language which they were already using for business or diplomacy - and me, along for the ride. All of them chattered energetically at dinner, but never mind, I was made to feel welcome by everyone, and could at least ask for the bread and - encore du vin, SVP.

From Sunday evening until Friday afternoon it was for me a unique experience in learning. Experienced and energetic teachers guided small classes in the mornings, never more than four of us. There was the language lab, directed study and a private lesson in the afternoon. The big surprise was that the days were not unending hours of incomprehension; there was the feeling that this thing was possible after all. Rather than leave while the learning was going so well (and I was still a novice, mind you), I arranged for a fourth week.

Weekends were special. Usually there were other trainees staying over for the following week - excellent company for meals in the village or in Avignon, as well as for day trips all over Provence. (Provence in the spring - perfect!) I have made fast friends - in Avignon where I have done volunteer work, among the other trainees at Ceran, and among the teachers there.

I have been back several other years, and have studied at home; - there is still a passion for the language. I can get along in France just fine, never mind that my French is anything but fluent.

David Barnes
Perrysburg, OH