FRENCH IN MY LIFE

JEUNE AMOUR!

I fell in love with Elaine Eva Langlois when we were students at Al Sanger's Tap Dance Studio. She was four-years-old, I was seven.

We didn't meet again until ten years later at one of New Bedford, Massachusetts Teen Strolls.  I was with my friends, Casey and Walter (ball peen hammer hit) Wilson.  Elaine was with her good friend, Jean Trembley.

After a few minutes, Elaine was unimpressed and  turned to Jean and said with a smirk, "Ils sont des "squares!"  You can guess what that means.

But then, as they turned to leave us, Elaine told Jean, "C'est le garcon que je vais espouser!"  I didn't know what that meant until Jean told me after Elaine's death that it meant, "He's the boy that I'm going to marry."

How prophetic!  We married a few years later and had a wonderful married life for 43 years.  We were also blessed with three bright, beautiful children.

LA VIE D'ELAINE ET JOE

Early in the 1900's, Elaine's grandparents emigrated from Canada.  They formed an ice delivery company to serve the other immigrants who also lived in the area.  The business prospered and became known as Del Langlois Ice and Oil Company.

Elaine's parents could speak perfect English but opted to speak only French at home and when conversing with elderly persons.  Elaine was sent to Saint Anthony's parish school where she had classes given in French in the morning and in English in the afternoon.

Early on, Elaine decided she would speak only English at home, and in most other situations.  In fact, while visiting Montreal, she refused to speak French.  I had to do so at hotels, stores and restaurants.

Elaine's parents were very good to me even though I wasn't French, and even took me along with them on family day trips. They assumed that I couldn't understand French, so they spoke English when I was around.

But I did understand a lot of French that I picked up watching French-language movies at the Strand Theater, and a few years into our marriage I had no problem understanding anything my in-laws said in French.

LANGUAGE STUDY IN EUROPE

I spent over three years in Germany-based environments. Much of that time was spent doing important, but boring work at several secret RADAR sites.  I served eight to twelve hour shifts seven days a week.  

"Lucky, lucky, lucky me!

I'm a lucky son of a gun!

I work eight hours,

I sleep eight hours,

I have eight hours of fun!"

Not true for me.  I worked twelve hours, I slept eight hours, and had sixteen hours to study languages, my hobby at that time.   The sixteen hours was a combination of time on and off of work.

My main language study was, of course, German, because that was where I lived.

Next was French, so that I could understand and converse more readily with my future bride's relatives.

Next was Latin, for Romance Language background.

Then came Hebrew and Greek, followed by Esperanto and Italian.

I tried to study all these languages at the same time. My advice: Don't try to do that! 

I read recently that a famous linguist says that languages can not be readily learned after the age of 16.  I don't think that is true, but I have noticed a drop in my foreign language ability over the years.

And please don't ask me to read anything in Hebrew or Greek!

LANGUAGES AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY

My degree is in Germanic Languages and Literature, but I did study a couple of other languages there on the side.

Spoken Russian - I even gave a speech in Russian.  Now, how the hell did I do that!

Advanced French - As a G.I. Bill student, I had to watch my school budget while making sure that Elaine and I always had food on the table.  This meant that I had to scrimp in certain ways sometimes.

At the beginning of a Fall semester, I had to hold off on buying a very expensive French textbook.  I would be able to purchase it when my next Government check arrived.

The French professor (who had written the textbook) singled me out before the other students as being lazy and stupid for not having purchased his "baby," and made sure that he gave me the toughest assignments.  At semester's end I was surprised to find that he had graded me with an A Plus!

Ah yes, Edith! La vie en rose. (most of the time)

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