OUI ! I've immigrated to France in high school - my French was pretty good by academic standards, and I was able to understand what teachers were saying in cla

OUI ! I've immigrated to France in high school - my French was pretty good by academic standards, and I was able to understand what teachers were saying in class, from day 1. Conversations with my peers were a different story - like they were speaking another language. First time I've heard (on the first day there) 'chais pas' and somebody explained that to me, I realized I'm in for another 3-6 months of learning the language. One thing that was apparent though, is that the best way to learn is just to immerse yourself into a group - even if you don't understand anything in the beginning. The progress will be much quicker than any sort of academic training.