[Cooney]

I took French for 7 years, from 7th grade through freshman year of college, and I was nowhere near fluent. Problem was, the pre-collegiate French classes weren't that good, and I learned more in my one final year than the previous six put together. I wish now, of course, that I had continued, but at the time it wasn't a priority for me and I stopped. It's been five years since I studied French formally, and I've forgotten a lot. The difference the last couple months of self-study (since I really fell completely for Alizée) has made though is huge.

At my current level, I figure I could get by in France without insulting people, and do the stuff a tourist would do, but I'd have problems with lots of things. Immersion really is the key. A person who has studied for a year or two, and then spent a semester in France studying and interacting, will blow me out of the water.