Nice vidéo; no problems with your speed talking. i'm learning English ( i'm french). I don't speak ( or write) it very well yet but i think listening to podcast, seeing film ( and reading books) have incredibly improve my vocabulary, accent, understanding and listening skills. My advice for learning french: enjoy and do things in french you personnaly enjoy as i do in english. Best wishes from south east France.
@@Escapetofrance-Charente Hi friend from Perpignan, 🌴🌞 First, thanks for accepting slowing down a little in your speaking. Your accent is pronounced, and it's harder for me to understand. But it helps me progress in understanding different accents. Yes, I think learning a new language, such as French to English or the contrary, is difficult because each of us needs to reverse the words. It doesn't flow naturally when you first hear people speak and try to understand the meaning of a conversation. It takes a lot of time. Your interlocutor speaks while you try to catch the first phrase; the person is already at the second, but you're always attempting to understand the first. 😅It's a true brain gymnastic. It needs a lot of concentration, and it's quickly exhausting mentally. Good advice would be to attempt to watch French TV information channels on TNT. When the presenter talks about the day's events, he articulates and often speaks slower than in a French conversation. It helps a lot to catch the pronunciation and learn new words. The same goes for watching a lot of YT French video entertainment (reactions, sketches, culture, history, travels, etc.). It's what has helped me improve my English the most. The best tip for your American friends is to learn French for at least two or three hours daily (including the advices I gave you in these three hours, not necessarily at one time; they dispatch this at different moments in the day) before coming to France. Interacting with the locals will consistently change their appreciation of the way of life here in France. It will also change their minds, making the adaptation shorter and more accessible. They're welcome here. Peace, folks. ☮👈😎
@LetsChillPage Thank you very much. Great advice for sure. I’m trying to find Top Gun in French to watch as I know this by heart. And definitely RU-vid will help me Thank you for your kind words Passez une bonne journée mon amis
Le français que vous avez parlé avec les poules est très bon. Et votre accent aussi est très bon. Félicitations. Vous êtes doué 👍 Et bienvenue à Katie et Chris 😉
As a retired teacher, I’m interested in the difference in teaching in the UK and France. The teaching of grammar in the UK wasn’t good. It is improving. It doesn’t help that English is a loose language with several tenses being used in any given sentence and obviously, little is gendered. In contrast, French is a logical and methodical language. So if the subject is plural, so is the adjective. Plus, as grammar is so well taught in French schools, when we use French incorrectly, we’re just not understood. You are doing really well.
Thanks Jane so much. Robbie’s French teacher told us it’s really difficult to teach French children French for the same reason, especially written French. Children obviously learn spoken French at home and then the Teachers have to unpack it…..especially as French is a written Latin language with lots of silent letters It’s gonna be a long hard slog 👍🇫🇷
@@Escapetofrance-Charente we start French lessons October to July as we’ve been on a waitlist. We arrived just before Covid when everything was shut or didn’t start again. So, we’re really behind. Formal French lessons will hopefully help us catch up. Funnily enough, we’ve learned more informal/slang French from the TV than we should probably use.
Good luck Katie and Chris! You can do all the prep you want but there comes a point where just you have to jump - and don't forget to enjoy the journey! 😊
We've just returned from 10 days in Scotland, and I've missed a few of your videos. I started catching up with this one this morning. I must say that we completely identify with Katie and Chris! We, too, are from the Washington, DC area. We, too, are tired of "wash, rinse & repeat" -- so well said, Katie! We have three years to plan our retirement, and we have definitely decided to buy a place in France. I speak intermediate-level French, but I'm hoping to be much more fluent three years from now. Hubby is struggling, but he'll get there! As it happened, we ran into a group of 3 men from France who were checking into the same hotel when we were in the Scottish Borders last week. I (very bravely) engaged them in conversation, and they were truly overjoyed that I was an American learning their beautiful language! Question for Chris and Katie... Do you have family who will be missing you here in the states when you move? If so, how has your impending move been received by family and friends?
Well done you on speaking French with the French at your hotel. Very brave and it’s something I would have tried to do. Best of luck with your move for the future. I’ll let Katie and Chris know there are more comments for them 👍🇫🇷
I'm French and in my teenage years I lived in Charente Maritime (17), the department next to yours. Very interesting video. It amazes me that some Americans want to come and live in France. Here we usually hear about the other way round, French people wanting to leave France because of lack of opportunities or whatever. Welcome to France, to you and your American friends who seem like very nice people. All the best to them. I taught English for many many years and among the many things that you can do to improve your French is maybe if you're watching a show or a film, streaming or DVD, try to turn on Close Caption, (French subtitles I mean) so if you didn't understand a word you can see it written, and next time you hear it you'll know it. Just a little tip but every little thing helps. 🙂
Brilliant you’ve met a lovely American couple moving to France next April. Love it. Yea I can see why lots of people are moving there. I praise the fact that the French have Sunday as family day no using power tools they want everyone to relax. Also the 2 hour lunch break. Wish I had that in my working days. It reckon that’s why there’s so many angry people in the world. They spend the majority of their days working. Good for you picking up the pace of your learning French language
Pretty good french with the chickens, you're on the good way to become fluent 😀 Yes you speak really fast, sometimes it's a bit hard for french people like me to understand it well. But a good training anyway. If you can try to become a bit more "frenchified", take your time to live, and breath, and speak ... 😋
Thank you so much. Our children will be fluent a long time before me for sure, but I’m getting there slowly. I’m still trying to speak more slowly but it’s difficult lol 👍🇫🇷
@@Escapetofrance-Charente I spent one year in Manchester (United) when I was 11 (first form, and I'm retired now). When I came back to France, I was dreaming in english and spoke english when I woke up, before realizing I was back in France 🙂 So yes, your children will be be very quickly frenchified
What a lovely chat with Katie and Chris. I also worked long hours up at 4 am, it is never the right time, just do it. The community have been overwhelming welcoming something that just would not happen in the UK, good luck xx
If Rob and Lisa are any indication of the hospitality of the expat community in France We are going to be right at home. In addition, ALL of our interactions with French locals have been gracious and kind.
We will come over also to the Charente ...but Joep must work for another few years ...until then we are traveling with our campervan and looking the place to be
Hi my husband and I think you’re doing great with the French language. Veg patch doing well. You all look really well and healthy. Videos are great. Best wishes to you all
Do not despair! French is not that difficult! French tv helps ! Also magazines with photos like Paris Match! I learnt in a few months! Years later I can now choose to read in English or French depending on the author!
We've all got to learn somewhere. It was lovely that some of your French subscribers corrected the unpleasant character! Keep on succeeding with your very beautiful french👍❤
Some people are just a holes. Truer words were never spoken my friend. As someone who used to live outside dc a couple of years ago, those people are just going to love it here. Night and day. We live near pau, and life is fantastic. As far as learning French goes, we also do the duolingo, but we have a tutor from the village come by twice a week to help, mainly with pronunciation. She's fantastic, 84 yo, worked for a time in Ireland, so her English is great. She is actually a defacto grandmere to our youngest. I didn't see myself retiring to France, but now, never want to leave. At least for any length of time. Cheers.
Brian, how lovely that you have a French neighbour that helps you out. I need to find me one of those for sure. Katie and Chris will love it here I’m sure. Thanks for the comment 👍🇫🇷
Great vid, and happy to see some US peeps doing the same thing I am doing - but they'll get there soon er than I , I suspect. I was hoping for Spring, but thinking September now to avoid the possible dearth of long-term rentals that may be shorter-term rented over the summer through August. Also: where did you find that awesome alphabet video? Must have!!! (Sue)
@@RetiringToFranceOnAShoestring Hi Sue, thanks for the comment. The songs off RU-vid. Loads of them in there. Yeah September the rental prices drop right down. That’s what we did 👍🇫🇷
As far as I'm concerned, listening to French radio and watching French television are the very best ways to learn how people really talk. Particularly the stupid game shows are useful, because the words are simple and there are plenty of visual clues to help you understand. Formal classes often teach you the wrong stuff.
I think people asking you to speak slower mainly want to train their hearing as what we learn in school is very close to how Rees-Mogg speak both in accent, pronunciation and speed. And if I remember correctly my time, the same haughtiness. What most French people are used to are Londoners speech and American English in movies that don't always let you hear the many accents English speakers have. Like in French movies and TV, it's mostly Parisian's French and accent. You rarely hear other regional accents and idioms.
@@Escapetofrance-Charente c’est une très belle région rurale un peu endormie pas riche non plus mais où il fait bon vivre si l’on accepte de renoncer à certaines futilités de la société de consommation Je suis originaire de Niort un peu plus au nord : plus actif mais la vie reste très cool (hélas c’est moins cool pour y trouver un travail)
My wife sells on eBay, and the rare negative reviews are what gats her attention, it’s hard to ignore them but more people are positive than negative. You are going well, just keep going and rise above the connards.
Hello, don’t forget many english words became from french (30% approximatly). Don’t be afraid about grammar ; many french people make errors too specially with conditionnal tense and use only present tense, future and composed past. Î’m used Babbel to learn italian and it’s nice but I don’t know how is to learn french because it’s m’y native language. Try it… and good luck ! You made many progress with your chicken because they don’t be critical. Don’t worry too if french people correct you, it’s friendly because we are used to be corrected at school with teachers ( that the reason why french people is shy when they speak english) and we continue when we are adults.
A Friend of mine taught himself English by listening to punk albums and learning the lyrics, his English was very good but also very peculiar at times in his choice of words.
bah alors là! bang! if you do speak french to ppl as you speak to your chickens nothing can stop you, don't speak about KFC to french poules, they would start a revolution ;) great vid Rob !
Good vid, Robb! The observations that the Americans from DC made about the USA's "quality of life problems" were very accurate. I agreed with every one of them. ("Super Easy French" and "Easy French" on YT might be worth a look as well, btw...)
It seems lots are moving to the Charente. We can't all be wrong😁 You are so right, life is too short for regrets. Too often in my porfessional life i met people with grand plans for latere in life/retirement that never came true due to ill health or death. I dont want to be on my deathbead wishing I had doen something Time will fly by for Katie and Chris, Spring is not far away. We start our move in mid Octobert and hope to be in our new home for early December. Currently sitting surrounded by packing boxes which is stressful 🤣 I at least get to excape to the Charente for a week shortly, for a business handover. Would love to hear your view on buying a car in France, I saw the vlog when you picked your one up and the delay. But why did you pick that dealer etc. Im planning to do what you did by bringing our car down for the move and then returning to UK to sell it through we buy or similar.
Yeah we can’t all be wrong. Charente is amazing for sure. There are loads of main dealers in Champniers selling new and used (d’occasion) cars. Whatever is on the windscreen is wrong. You need to pay another 900 euros ish for tax etc ontop of that. You’ll also need a utility bill, if not EDF a mobile phone one should suffice Hope that helps mate 👍🇫🇷
I'm from the States, and live in a small town in the Midwest. Our town is small, laid back and peaceful. I don't get where that lady says that in the States they can't find that anywhere. Anyway, I like your channel. Laters!
I'm from the North East of England,and we speak even faster, its something to do with standing around in the cold. Lol. The fun is that I understand what they are saying even though they think I am thick. Lol. DIane et Eliott le Chien
As you're a Top gun addict, try to find the french film " les chevaliers du ciel" it was inspired by the Tanguy et Laverdure cartoons ( bande dessinée) Same humour in the film, the flights filming are real, the making off of the film is interresting too. And if you do 't understand all in first viewings, you could enjoy the flights views ! I mostly learnt english while leaving in a share flats with foreign student, fun fact I better understood the Liverpool girl than the Windsor one ! And after I married a british, my kids are bilingual as my granddaughters will be. Family meals are a mix of french and english as my kids only speaks english to the granddaughters but french between them 😂. After my divorce I try to relearn german, it was my first foreign language at school and was fluent after sommer holidays in our twin town in Bavaria ( Bavarian Swaben exactly) fluent but with some bavarian/ souabe accent 😂 I found a YT channel with Jeanne and did her classes it's fun ! After as I was close to retirement, I used all my rights to training to do a course with Lingoda (90 hours ) I really like that, small class maximum 5 and was sometimes alone with the teachers ! My courses was paid for me but they do some promotion like Spring. You could have a look or even z free try. There is also a good App ( not free) Gymlish with french, english, german, Spanish, Italian. I do the german one, not bad at all ! There are also free tries. I play also with Duolingo, but the french isn't so good then not sure about the german ! And thanks to VPN I watch german TV ( Krimi police series or films) and mostly follow my Unicorns games ( American football team of Schwäbisch Hall) I don't understand every words (70-80%) but I understand the meaning. Being constant improve a lot too, better 10mn every days than 2 hours every fortnight ! 👍 Pour votre conversation en français avec les poules !
Thanks Brigitte. That’s amazing that you speak so many languages. Well done you. Thank you for telling me a little of your story, very interesting No doubt our meals with the family will be pretty much the same with our children Thanks for all the advice Passez une bonne journée
We are wanting to do the same, move from the US. Looking for a small farm/detached property. What exact area are they locating in? Any recommendations would be much appreciated.
We are looking around the Cherante area, but the right property was in the Limousine or northern Dordogne departments we would be open to those areas as well
@@cmetzb hi i made the move last year depending what state your from they have different agreements with the French government. Lots of ppl from Florida in the areas you talk about, I know of a few Americans, One couple had to give up after 5 months as they felt so isolated alot of ppl dont consider that. They are reducing the number of American applications as they are to benefit from French health care to much, So a medical in month 4 or 5 is now done on all applicants in person while your in France. and in the interim you still have to have private medical insurance. So its not easy, They will deliberately time out your application while your in France hoping you give up and go home, I have experienced this myself when dealing with French offices. And you have to prove your income your looking at around for a couple $2300 from pensions or investment income etc. So not easy
Been through the process not easy depending on the state your from in the USA and you have to do it online, Then go to mainly Washington DC or Florida to visit the French consulate and have your interview, Use a French estate agent please your money will be protected and you can back out of the deal within 14 days if you change your mind, With no paneities. Avoid a farm please some advice to you will be liable for up keep and all the French regulations if you have any live animal on your land. Dont look in the to cheep areas of France people with low income and recourses have moved into those areas from country's all around Europe and brought all there anti social behaviour with them. This is why I am moving from my current location in France to a more remote area.
Lol il commence justement par parler des français qui se plaignent dans les commentaires qu'il parle trop vite pour les français, et vous, vous en remettez une couche 😄. Il répond d'ailleurs avec humour que vous n'allez pas apprendre l'anglais correct avec lui 😊. Il parle vite comme les gens du nord de l'Angleterre d'où il vient. Mais ces commentaires de certains français l'ont un peu agacé et il dit qu'il y a des c*nnards partout. 😊 Un conseil, mettez les sous-titres automatiques, il y a parfois des erreurs mais la plupart du temps c'est correct.
Merci beaucoup à vous tous. J'essaie de mon mieux de ralentir et d'être compris, mais c'est parfois difficile. Je ne me plaignais pas que les téléspectateurs français veulent que je ralentisse, je soulignais simplement que je devais faire plus d'efforts. Passez une bonne journée à tous.
Have you thought about being a volunteer firefighter? You're athletic, you have your British first aid certificates, i guess? You don't need to be French citizen and since you speak English, it will be a good basis in the summer with English tourists.
Je pense que la plus grande " difficulté" que vous aurez en français sera de ralentir le rythme 😉 Il n'y a pas d'accent tonique et toutes les syllabes sont prononcées sur le même ton.. Par exemple lorsque vous dites "Angoulême", il faut dire AN-GOU-LEM 😁 J'avoue que je n'ai pas compris l'autre nom de ville que vous avez évoqué, précisément à cause de syllabes avalées.. Personnellement j'ai commencé à comprendre la langue de ma femme ( le portugais) en regardant les chaînes d'info😁. Le vocabulaire n'est pas trop élitiste et à priori les journalistes s'expriment à peu près correctement.
Je pense qu'il parle de "Confolens", en Charente, qu'il prononce comme "Conflans", ville des Yvelines. @Rob if you read this, if it is "Confolens" you spoke of, it's rear "con-fo-lan". Les chaînes infos, c'est pas une bonne idée en France. Il faut minimum un niveau B2. Les anciens journalistes ont un vocabulaire plus riche et pas vraiùent utile pour la vie de tous les jours. Les jeunes parlent trop vite pour entraîner l'oreille d'un débutant.
@@allegromoderato7404 Il y a aussi le fait que vous avez votre femme qui vous parle probablement aussi en Portugais tous les jours. Ça donne des bases plus solides. Sans compter que Rob a aussi des difficultés d'apprentissage académiques. C'est pour ça que je pense que ce n'est pas bon pour lui de vouloir aller trop vite.
@@allegromoderato7404 😂 En langue parlée, ceux qui ont une bonne oreille ont plus de facilité et apprennent plus vite. Ils peuvent associer un mot écrit au son qu'ils entendent. Sinon, il n'y a que la pratique progressive qui donne des résultats suffisants et relativement rapide.
Great Video as always have to say you interview like a right copper, 😁 , I am trying to work out what the American lady does for a job. That Aztect cafe I have actually walked past not so long ago. I am thinking of moving as there are to many Northerns around me plus I need a bigger house, in a more remote part of France, Congratulations on your CD still waiting for mine, glad someone managed to get one.
Katie works for a nursery that supplies plants to a home improvement store. She goes in early because it is 40°c+ during the summer. But she does work long hours
@@Escapetofrance-Charente Dont tempt me. You can always show the house opposite you on your next video and include the asking price. Have to raise some cash first,
