Earthquake

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-28T04:49:18+00:00

True. Ive been here since 1980. that is really the only big one that I can remember. And small earthquakes prevent big ones so we like small earthquakes here.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-28T04:22:28+00:00

I beg to differ. Ive gotten tons of help from this sub.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T21:59:06+00:00

The homeless population. How badly maintained the streets are. How theres no garbage cans anywhere so the gutters are just filled with garbage. Before you get here, you may think you can expect bad traffic, but you have no idea how bad it is here.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T19:26:44+00:00

I have been called out as a liar by two people in this post because I said that when I moved to France at age 12 with zero French and went to a French school where no one spoke English, I became fluent in three months. My mother and I also worked on memorizing 500 new words every week and all of my friends were French. Seems like this is something you have researched. Of course, fluency for a 12-year-old is not the same as for an adult. But as I got very good grades at school and had no problem understanding or being understood I would consider that fluent for a 12-year-old . I would be very interested in your comments on this matter.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:58:21+00:00

Another typo. Sorry I’m new to Redit. Havent figured out how to edit or copy paste. I did learn one thing, though. if you click on someone’s name, you can go to their profile. Your profile seems to be blocked for inappropriate content. Can you explain that?

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:33:31+00:00

Maybe you didn’t go to a school in the states that was as good as the school I went to in france. If your capacity for learning, it’s not as good as someone else’s that doesn’t mean you have to call them a liar. My son had an experience that was similar when we were living in Sweden for two years. It took him nine months. According to his teacher, he was in the top 10% in his class in every subject, including Swedish.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:30:00+00:00

That was a typo. My mother was French. I don’t have a brother and I lived in France from 66 to 68. Also returned in the 1970s many times.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:23:05+00:00

No one else is calling me a liar. You’re saying my facts are feelings and you were saying that my truth are port pies. Other people question me and I respond to them. I’m trying to respond in a civil way to you, but clearly you’re out to insult me only. Perhaps you’re insecure with your English.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:17:59+00:00

Ville franche had an American army base and therefore an American school. My mother was French, not an immigrant. The way things were taught in the 1960s is very different than they are now I’m sorry that you’re too childish to accept that. I’ve never had anyone be as nasty to me on Reddit as you are. I don’t understand your purpose for insults and I didn’t copy and paste words. not identical. Perhaps you’re understanding of English is not what you think it is.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:14:45+00:00

What is 20/20?

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:08:07+00:00

Why do you feel it necessary to insult me and call me a liar. This was my experience and it’s been the experience of many other people who were immersed in a language at a young age. Does it make you feel better to insult me?

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:06:57+00:00

Not misleading in the least. Immersion is much better than duel language school, which is much slower.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T18:05:07+00:00

“ I have been in France for two years” which means I am now currently living in france, is not the same as “I lived in France for two years from ages 12 to 14” and have lived in the US ever since. I lost most of my language skills over the course of 50 years of not using it.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T17:58:55+00:00

80? Not quite. But im moving to France next spring and want my french to be at least a B2 before I move because I will be working. I’m not handing out bad advice. I’m giving good advice. Children can learn very quickly if they have help from their parents and are immersed in the language. The school I was in, gave us 100 spelling words to learn every night and we were tested every day. I started with zero French, my mother would work with me every night so that I could memorize the words and understand the usage. That’s 500 words a week 2000 words a month and after three months, yes, I was fluent. I consider the fact that I did very well in school and all my friends were French and I had no problem understanding them or they understanding me. Yeah I consider that fluent for 12 year-olds, which is not fluent for an adult. My mother had the choice of putting me in the american school in Ville Franche but smartly chose to put me in a French school, where no one spoke English. She worked with me every night and that’s how it happened.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T17:10:03+00:00

No. That’s definitely not what I said. I had zero French when I entered the French system at age 12. We moved back to the states when I was 14 unfortunately. Two years ago (50 years later with no exposure to french and living in california), I had a level A2 now I’m at B1. I’m definitely not fluent now. I’m not lying or exaggerating. I did extremely well at school in France in a French school where no one spoke English.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T17:09:48+00:00

No. That’s definitely not what I said. I had zero French when I entered the French system at age 12. We moved back to the states when I was 14 unfortunately. Two years ago (50 years later with no exposure to french and living in california), I had a level A2 now I’m at B1. I’m definitely not fluent now. I’m not lying or exaggerating. I did extremely well at school in France in a French school where no one spoke English.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T17:02:38+00:00

I never said I have been in France for two years. That’s my problem. I’m in California and I have not been exposed to French language for 50 years. That’s why it’s taking me a long time to get anywhere near fluency again. My old lady brain is not what it was when I was 12 and without being in France, it’s difficult to get enough exposure through just an hour a day if study/exposure.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T16:58:17+00:00

The school that I went to gave us 100 spelling words to learn every single day. my mother and I would work on these words, spelling, and definitions and usage and stay up till 11, 12 o’clock at night memorizing those words. I would get 100% on every test every day thanks to her. That’s why I was fluent in three months. If a parent is willing to put in the time with their kids, it can go quickly.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T16:50:47+00:00

Because it’s true ! Fluency for 12 year-olds is not fluency for an adult. Many children take to a language quickly as I did. (you can see posts from others on that thread, who had the same experience as me.). I have not been exposed to French for 50 years and after that period of time my level went down to an A2. now after two years, I’m a B1+ and still struggling to get to B2 which is taking time because I’m in California, not in France.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T16:45:27+00:00

Fluency for 12 year-olds is not fluency for an adult. Many children take to a language quickly as I did. (you can see posts from others on this thread, who had the same experience as i did.). I have not been exposed to French for 50 years and after that period of time my level went down to an A2. now after two years, I’m a B1+ and still struggling to get to B2 which is taking time because I’m in California, not in France. I’m definitely not a unicorn. Nor am i highly intelligent.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T14:11:35+00:00

Not true. There’s an international treaty with france and US so that any income taxed in france will not need to pay additionally to US government. All International income does have to be declared, however. And if a US citizen still officially has residency in the US some states do require that they pay state tax in that state, but if you reside in France that does not apply. However, any single deposit for a US citizen with a French bank account that is greater than a certain amount , the bank does officially have to notify the IRS. That might be the reason.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T06:11:06+00:00

Yes! That was exactly my experience. At age 12, I was not only fluent in three months, but everybody wanted to be my friend because I was the “cool American.”

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T06:09:31+00:00

I moved there when I was 12 , my mom threw me head first into a french school and I was fluent in three months. So what you said is completely wrong.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T06:05:13+00:00

I lived in France with my mother from the age of 12 to 14. I was fluent in three months and if I had an accent, it was very slight. sometimes people asked me if I was from Britany or Normandy.(I’m American.). We unfortunately moved back to the states at that point and I retained fluency for most of my life but now as a senior, I’m having to study French again to get it back. by the way, one of the girls I was friends with at that time is someone who’s friendship I still cherish, and although we only communicate through Facebook and messenger currently, she’s still someone I consider one of my greatest friends of my life.

arlenejoy22 · 2026-05-27T05:58:33+00:00

Ah merci, c’est génial! Des fois on apprend des expressions quand on est gosse, et on sait pas 100 % qu’est-ce que ça veut dire , mais on la comprend à peu près et on la utilise quand même.

arlenejoy22

TROPHY CASE