A lovely looking group. Do you find, living in France, that conversation gets easier? I manage perfectly well when we go to France but then when I ask a question they bloomin' well answer and I'm lost!
@judithdeacon Yes, it gets easier with time and practice, but I doubt if I could learn French without living here and being exposed to it all the time. And it still happens that people forget and speak too fast, the vet did it yesterday. And sometimes it is me that forgets - one of our group, Nicole, is a retired French teacher and anglophile, but if I don't moderate my Manchester accent when speaking English, then I can completely confuse her with words with strong vowel sounds like 'mud' and 'bath'.
Rule for francophones - everybody speak at the same time, loudly !
Rule for anglophones - mumble and look embarrassed about your accent.