French?

[FSS2552]

I believe french classes in english schools are as useful as english classes in french schools.

it's awkward, not very practical and if you don't use it, you loose it fast.

I personally learned my english while working in another province. I had the basics from schools but i couldn't keep up in a conversation, let alone a debate. Immersion totally worked for me.

you get to a point when you practice enough that you don't loose it anymore, even if you don't practice it that much.

Bottom line, you're better off talking with a french buddy of yours and learn to speak normally (not like in school books) with slang expressions and accents. Then learn how to write it (if you wish). I found it way easier to speak it first, and then learn the syntax and the rules around it.

learning english for us french canadians is almost a must to "open doors". The opposite is not so true.

my 0.02

[YQLRookie]

Decided to keep French, partly due to some of the advice on here, and some conflicts with the school. Overall, its not gonna set me back if I learn French, and if its beneficial some day to my career, then that's just great. Thanks for all the advice!

[frozen solid]

Good for you. It's good for your brain to be able to speak another language, and believe it or not, it's actually good for your communication skills in english whe you try to communicate in another language. I was in the very first early-immersion class in Ontario, probably in canada for that matter. I have always been able to think in both languages, but sometimes I have trouble getting straight to the point when trying to speak french, and this sometimes requires a bit of circumlocution because I can't remember proper phrases. Being able to do this increases your communication skills in any language.

[Jack Klumpus]

The language of love? Rucking fight pick it up.

Any extra language you have is a bonus. Hence, if it's french you want, learn it, and use it at any given chance you have.

[Beefitarian]

Sounds ok but you should find some club to hang out in where they speak it. It's like many skills, if you don't use them you will lose it.

You need to do this.

use it at any given chance you have.

Otherwise it will be like my dual hours toward CPL, a huge waste of time. I can't even fly solo right now because I'm out of practice. I hope that doesn't sound negative it's just how it is.

[Gannet167]

Outside of Eastern Canada, Spanish is far and away more useful and more widely spoken, both used as a tourist and as a pilot. It will also allow Portuguese speakers to understand you (although with a snicker because they think you sound funny) and you can get your point across most of the time to an Italian speaker. If you can say buenas **** senora to the lady at the FBO desk in Miami, even though it's an English area, you're going to probably get things done easier. Plus, most women love it - either because you sound mysterious and romantic, or if they are Hispanic because you sound "cute" and they want to help you learn.

Learning a language is a great experience and very broadening. However, you need to be immersed in it and continually use it or it will be a waste of time. High school style second language classes never worked for me, conjugating verbs and all that nonsense. I learn in a much, much different way and I believe Rosetta Stone and other similar instructional methods are so successful because they are oriented around how people actually learn, understand and use language, rather than how some French Literature PhD student wants to teach it in some classical style because that's how he/she suffered through it, or it's their native language and they can't understand why it's so hard someone to learn a second language.

I took high school French because it was the only second language offered and I needed a second language to get into University. The only word I know now is tabernac and I probably say it wrong too.

In short, if you want to learn a language, you need to go and live in an area where language wise you feel like you're in the deep end of the pool, about to drown and you're barely keeping your nose above the water line. You need to continually be at max capacity and struggling to express yourself, no English and no "life-lines" from a bilingual person. At one point it will just click and become very easy. In my experience, this is best accomplished when there is a very attractive exotic woman in the picture, whom you really want to talk to. The motivation is incredible.

Personally, I'd rather date a hot latina, learn Spanish, and spend my time in high school taking something more applied or important to my future educational goals. If it's aviation, then automotive class, physics, math, metal shop, wood shop, geography etc. probably are all immediately a higher return on investment, so to speak. Just my $0.02, after spending far too much of my life in a classroom.

[Beefitarian]

Gannet you seem to have spelled, "Mandrin is far and away more useful and more widely spoken." incorrectly.

[Skyhunter]

Didn't take any French in highschool at all, took more math and science, didn't hurt my career at all, and am glad I didn't waste my time. I picked up some French later on but have not actually ever needed to use it other than on vacation. Depends what you want though, want to go into management side of aviation at a big company, then french might be a good idea. Just want to fly airplanes, not worth it.

[Gannet167]

Beef, good point. I just find the beaches and the ladies more attractive in Latin America, so that was my preference.

[Beefitarian]

I agree actually, spanish girls have allways been the beauties in my opinion too, but one of the signs that I'm getting old is the fact that I'm starting to find those girls with the fake cat ears much hotter now days.

Plus I'm here in Canuckistan so French would be a bonus if one of them sweetheart Government gigs comes up. Well that and like a current license.

[benoit.baril]

The only word I know now is tabernac and I probably say it wrong too.

Tabarnac!

[habs.fan]

If you have the means, you could always move to Quebec for your last year of high school (CEGEP) and then once you have Quebec residency and don't suck so bad in French, apply at the CQFA. You'll find the French classes and culture shock worth it when you're flying 45 hours of PA31 time or 120 hours of Bell 206 time for free. Quebec also has way better and easier women. Finally, Spanish IS a good idea, but completely useless unless you're leaving the country. Personally I like to keep my options open (anglophone going to French school while dating a South American), but if you're going to know only one language in aviation I guess English is the right one.

[Beefitarian]

Holy shnike that sounds like a pretty solid plan. Tough to move that far from home in high school but if a guy can do it wow!

[watermeth]

I personally speak 3 languages and feel comfortable pretty much everywhere in the world, allowing me to spare time and lots of irritations when traveling. It'll make your life easier and will show to your future employers that you're open minded and able to adapt.

[Expat]

I personally speak 3 languages and feel comfortable pretty much everywhere in the world, allowing me to spare time and lots of irritations when traveling. It'll make your life easier and will show to your future employers that you're open minded and able to adapt.

+1
And knowing French allows you to allows you to also understand Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. And Russian. or Mandarin, will allow you to meet the best!!!
Go for it! A pilot is educated, and a diplomat!!!

[Expat]

.

[Expat]

.

[TG]

The only word I know now is tabernac and I probably say it wrong too.

It is not French but Québecois.

I believe "Merde!" would be the proper word.
At list Franco universally understood!

[co-joe]

In the old days the Air Canada recruitment people used to use a point system. They awarded a point for every 500 hours you had to some arbitrary max, one point for french, one for military flying, one for college or university, and perhaps something for having jet experience. Now who knows but I bet it doesn't make much difference. On the other hand if Air Transat offers you an interview they'll ask if you want it in french or english.

My opinion is why take something you're not interested in learning? Most french people I've met want to talk in english so they can learn better. And after taking french immersion until grade 9 I can only talk to people from France. Can't understand quebequois one bit.

[LousyFisherman]

And knowing French allows you to allows you to also understand Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

Expat, I usually respect your opinions but how you can claim this is beyond me.
I have been semi-fluent (at different times) in French and Portuguese but have never
really understood Spanish.

Many portuguese speak french, but if they don',t they do not understand it. As for frenchmen understanding
portuguese, it just doesn't happen.

Example dinero, moneida, argent all mean the same thing but knowing one does not help in understanding
the others.

Now I do agree that knowing one of the languages is a huge help in learning the others because of
the common latin base, but that is a far as it goes

To the OP, study it, you never know when it will be useful.

Just my 0.03 cents
LF

[Caracrane]

Co-Joe, I had a real hard time for a while too but from the people livin on the rock. Have you ever see something translated in english when the guy was actually speaking english! Well there was an episode of one of the canadian coast-guard ice-breakers on Discovery channel or something like this at Fogo Island (NF). They had to translate the ferry captain and crew's comments.

[Expat]

Fish,

I never learned Spanish, Portugese or Italian, but I can read headlines, traffic signs, menus, without problems...Even Romanian, because it it is close to Italian...
Pilot is an a career of travels, like it or not, and any pilot may at some point, travel outside of North America, where language skills become more important then. Imagine yourself in Paris, taking the stews out, and reading the menu for them, and ordering the cheapest champagne, without them knowing!

I never knew that Russian would be important to me, until I landed this job, in my fifties...

You never know, but it always pays to be prepared, and never miss an opportunity to get better, and more educated.

I am just sorry I did not learn Spanish when I had a chance, in school.

[LousyFisherman]

I never learned Spanish, Portugese or Italian, but I can read headlines, traffic signs, menus, without problems...Even Romanian, because it it is close to Italian...
Pilot is an a career of travels, like it or not, and any pilot may at some point, travel outside of North America, where language skills become more important then. Imagine yourself in Paris, taking the stews out, and reading the menu for them, and ordering the cheapest champagne, without them knowing!
.

Ahh reading, I now agree that knowing one helps with the others. Communicating verbally ..... different story

I never knew that Russian would be important to me, until I landed this job, in my fifties...

Yeah, thats sort of the way I ended up learning Portuguese. Here's the job, good luck with the language.
It was not aviation and I was in my early forties. It was a wonderful six months, I am so glad I made the effort
to learn the language though I had a heck of a time as I travelled around the country with the different dialects
20 miles from where I spent 6 weeks and had no trouble commnicating I ordered an apple tart "tartes meca"
and received a ham and cheese crossiant "sandes mixta". (slur the x, say mishta)
Both are wonderful but I thought my speech was a little better than that

You never know, but it always pays to be prepared, and never miss an opportunity to get better, and more educated.

I agree 100%, if the opportunity is offered take it. You never regret taking an opportunity but you may well regret missing it.
Even now, I know that if I spend 3 weeks in Quebec, France or Portugal I will be semi-fluent again and after another week
I will start thinking in said language. Very ungrammatically of course
It blows my mind to see people in a foreign country who cannot say the basic phrases, "Excuse me", "how much",
"where is the bathroom", "please", "thank you". How much effort is it to learn those 5?

I am just sorry I did not learn Spanish when I had a chance, in school.

Ahh the wisdom of youth You never know, you still may have the opportunity, or be forced to You're only mildly middle-aged

LF