Gites South Brittany

They say the best way to learn is through experience. This is especially true for language-learning. You can learn the basics in class, which is a good place to start, but to really perfect your fluency and enrich your vocabulary you need to live in the country and learn through experience.

For example, I already knew such words as "une épaule" (a shoulder) and "l'hôpital" and even "les urgences" (A and E) along with such phrases as "Ca me fait mal" (it hurts) and "C'est douleureux" (it's painful). But a recent act of stupidity (getting into a rowing boat without waiting for someone to steady it) gave me the opportunity to learn other words such as "déboitée" (dislocated), "une luxation" (a dislocation), "des calments forts" (strong painkillers), "du kiné" (physiotherapy).

I already knew that in order to have even half a day off work you needed "un arrêt" (sick note – mine is initially for one month!) from your "médecin" (doc), but my recent experience has taught me about filling in forms such as "une attestation salaire" (employer's declaration of an employee's earnings) together with a whole host of paperwork to claim re-imbursement of doctors' and physio's fees – France really does revolve around paperwork. In the UK you would not have to pay for such treatment up-front and you do not have to have health insurance to make up the difference (the state only redeems 70% of such fees). However, would you be taken straight in to see the doctor upon arriving at A and E for something as "minor" (compared with heart attacks for example) as a dislocated shoulder? Would you have daily physio treatment for 3 weeks as soon as you reached that stage in your rehabilitation? Would you have the right to free transport door-to-door without having to justify it? (We haven't taken advantage of this option, preferring to use our car – as Paul doesn't work and so is available as chauffeur and nurse 24 hours a day!)

Being bi-lingual has many obvious benefits, but my French physiotherapist has discovered one that is not immediately obvious. I very confidently chat away in French (I do not "translate into English" in my own mind – when I speak French I think French) - and he needs me to let him know if a particular movement, or area is painful to help him gauge progress. If something is only slightly painful I say "Aie!" as my brain is in "French gear", but if caught unawares with a very-convincing dose of "douleur" (pain) I revert back to my native tongue and treat him to a nice loud "Ow!!". Thus he has learnt that he has no need to ask me for a scale of pain "from 1 to 10", he simply notes the language!!!

A useful bit of vocab that I had already learnt during the (almost) 3 years I've lived (present perfect!!! – for any of my adult students reading this!) in France is that "pins and needles" translates as "des fourmis" (literally "ants"). So when the doctor in Emergency asked me if I had any ants in my fingers I was able to understand and reply "Non, ça va." (No, it's OK). Just imagine the complications such a question may have caused – and at a time when delays are not welcome!

Finally, just so that you can enjoy a good laugh at my expense (as all of my friends and family have already) – yes I did fall in the river, yes I was fully-clothed and no, it's not on video so I can't even gain £250!!!!!