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I guess that I am lucky to live in an area where hardly anyone speaks English and hence have found it (relatively) easy to learn French, I.E no other choice!
I can honestly say that during 3 years I have only met one person that can speak English (she was my French teacher) although we only speak in French now unless we are alone, and even then often she will speak in English and me in French. I have also met a handfull of people who have after a long time overcome their shyness to want to practice a few words of English.
I went to a apero dinatoire Saturday at my AVF locale which is in a large and relatively cosmopolitan ville compared to where I live, for the first time ever someone asked me whether I would be more comfortable to speak in English or French (which I found charming), I chose French, the person was a new arrival from Paris.
I also had a fascinating conversation with a really interesting retired (early I think) Chef, he had worked for many years in French speaking African countries and had learnt English whilst working in Nigeria amongst others, it turned out that he started learning at the same late age as me (44) and did so for the same amount of time so we had a lot in common, although I was dismayed to learn that he has since lost all of his English. I hope that it is still there somewhere as I too have lost all the Spanish that cost me much time and money to learn.
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