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  • Well, how are you generally with languages? As you're a musician, your musical ear should help you in being able to pick up spoken everyday French, including a good accent, pretty quickly. Spoken French is fairly different from what you may have learned in school (although it varies considerably between the Paris banlieue and la France profonde), but the basics are pretty simple, and France has the not inconsiderable advantage that they don't speak English there as well as they do in Germany (although that's obviously also changed a lot with the Internet), so people might be more willing to help you improve than elsewhere where they'd rather practise their English. I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you needed French for your job; that would obviously require much greater proficiency.

  • Don't worry about the language - you'll pick it up quickly (again). I studied at school (D in A-level) and then didn't really speak it for 20+ years... I moved here 5 years ago and now I'm native (I just got my nationality) and working in highly technical areas where communication skills are essential (medicine and research). I made a big effort when I got here to not meet English-speaking people, instead trying to speak only with people in French. It was super hard!! And quite lonely too... Now I'm much better so I'm trying to expand my friend circle (as most of mine were back in London, difficult to see with all the travel shenanigans associated with the pandemic) hence have been branching out again to other ex-pats. And if I lived my life over, I'd totally do it again, I love it here and a recent visit back to Blighty only confirmed that to me. Hence, I'm heading south for winter to spend on my own in the sun (and with some friends) rather than going home to do the family thing. Yes, my folks are disappointed, but really I find the UK too scary at the moment.... I do know there are good things there too, though ;-)

    (obviously that's in response to @ReekBlefs but just following the thread in replying...)

  • I love it here and a recent visit back to Blighty only confirmed that to me

    I don't live in France but I've been in Luxembourg for 10 years and if I leave here, it won't be to move back to the UK. I enjoy visiting the UK but the draw "home" has vanished and it's just a place I lived now.

    My French has got back to a level I'm happy with and I'm starting to learn Luxembourgish, less to be able to integrate (the locals all speak French and German and most speak English) but to more be a part of the country. It's not an easy language for me but having some German helps a bit.

    For @ReekBlefs - I've spoken French since I was a toddler so for me it was a case of learning grown-up French rather than learning from school-level. That said, immersion does a lot to improve things quickly. I'd never had to deal with doctors, government, legal stuff but the vocab comes quickly if you HAVE to use it daily. I read the free daily newspaper when I'm at work as it also helps (google translate is one of the most used apps on my phone).

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