After only a week with Chantal, I found that I was much better able to communicate with others in my subsequent encounters in Paris and elsewhere. It was partly because my grammar had improved and my vocabulary increased, but it was also because I had a clearer understanding of where the gaps in my proficiency lay. I knew to prepare for these difficulties, and I also had the confidence to do my best, knowing that, even if gracelessly, I would be able to convey my meaning.
Chantal was focused and clear from the beginning, catching and lightly correcting my mistakes while keeping the flow of conversation going. Later, in the context of morning lessons, she addressed in greater depth the types of mistakes I was making, giving a context and explanation for the new words and skills that it would help me to master. She quickly realized that my capabilities were spotty: I was advanced in some areas and yet made beginner-level mistakes in others. That’s one of the greatest advantages of working one-on-one with her: each of us has their own particular patchwork of strengths and weaknessses, and she’s really skilled at assessing the contours of your particular patch of knowledge—and expanding it where it’s most critical.
I was highly motivated to improve because I found Chantal so engaging. I wanted to converse with her, her lovely mother, and her partner, Stephane. All were welcoming, patient, and encouraging, acting as though it were a most natural thing to have a stranger from 5000 miles (8000 kilometers) away suddenly sharing meals with them, saying things awkwardly, slowly, and at times incoherently.
And the meals—delicious! I looked forward each morning to walking to the bakery with Chantal. In the evenings I was always surprised by the elegant collation she had prepared.
Add to these benefits the many ways in which Chantal shared cultural, political, culinary , and personal insights while cooking, driving, walking Grignote and Loulou, and exploring Chantilly and Senlis. Somehow, Chantal made it all look easy: ce n’est pas la mer à boire. But to me, it seems indeed an ocean. And the caliber of her work, teaching, will be an enduring motivation for me to continue learning.