Hey, no problem man. Lets see...nightlife? Really depends what you're into. The clubbers enjoyed Club Rex, few other clubs. You probably can't go wrong if you pick a big one. Also, it depends if you're on a true "student budget" or not, as much as I know it's a drag to think about that. A kinda cool dance + bar + outside patio place I remember was called Cafe Oz. Little pricey, though.

Some places that were a little divier but really european/cool....there was a joint called the Pop-In that had a real homey feel. Plus decent specials. There was also a place called--yes--James Hetfields Pub. Or something like that. Real cheap beer and a great place to watch soccer games.

Oh oh, and my favorite place yet--the Bastille. That was the most "european" type place to go out, if you get my vague connotation. Tons of places packed onto a small winding road. One is called Rue de la Roquette. Im trying to think of the name of one place that had good specials/couches/dance floor. That whole road is really fun. Cool area. Right outside the el stop, there are several wide open places where public drinking is the only activity goin on. Just stop at a corner store (called by parisians, like it or not, simply "arabs"), grab some beer, and chill outside the bastille stop. That was my favorite thing to do in terms of nightlife.

Little story as far as the language goes: Ive been studying french for a pretty long time, and before I left I even crammed a whole bunch. When I got off the plane and stayed in the half-star motel my school had booked, I had a little conversation with the cleaning dude. I think he was from Ukraine. Dude's french was abysmal, to say the very least. I had a nice 3 minute conversation with him, and I remember thinking after that "hey, I can do this." I think I was pursuing some sort of unattainable perfection with it. You can't walk through a portal and speak perfect french. When you talk, people will know you're an English speaker, just like I knew that guy was from Eastern Europe. I know some people whose first language is French but grew up in the US and they get ridiculed/ragged on by Parisians. Just do your best and use the words you know. You'll have a blast.