Although the current global financial situation is still extremely uncertain, many British people are still leaving to live abroad. France is the favourite holiday haunt of many of us and so it's perhaps natural to try living in France.

It may be because France is our closest foreign country and so we believe we know it quite well. It's a popular British holiday destination and certainly it's easy to be charmed by the various beautiful regions, the great food and wine and that "joie de vivre".

What about the French language? It's true that many of us learned it at school ("la plume de ma tante" etc), and that modern teaching offers an emphasis on real communication. That doesn't stop many British people from being shy and unconfident to the extent that they refuse to try using the language when in France.

Others believe that they will be visited by an ability to speak French once they live amongst the French. In fact some French people also believe it and this can give rise to many difficulties for English speaking ex-patriots in France. I find it very frustrating that some French people quite clearly believe that I'm rather stupid in every aspect of life because I don't speak perfect French! Of course, these are usually people who have never had to learn any foreign language.

It's vital to make plans to learn to communicate in French. This isn't about learning verb conjugations or lists of prepositions; it's about understanding and using everyday vocabulary and phrases. The more you learn of these and some of the "etiquette" of France (such as greetings as you enter a shop, etc), the more confident you'll become about learning and using others. Confidence is important and enables you to take some risks and to improve constantly. It will certainly get a good reception from the French who applaud attempts to learn their language.

Successful living in France should be certain if you make positive efforts to gain the language.

Before starting to acquire or improve your working knowledge of French, you first need to lose something - your fear of looking foolish. Easier said than done sometimes!

For some people this isn't an issue and they will try, try and try again to make themselves understood by gestures, words and other means. They will probably get a French lesson in return as the other person tells them the French words for what they want.

If you're not quite so outgoing, it can be helpful to decide to make yourself work hard towards one special scenario. An example might be a visit to the dentist with a worrying problem. Preparing for the visit can be done using books, friends and the Internet to find vocabulary and expressions. Write it all down and learn it if necessary. Start by telling the dentist that your French is rather basic but you're working at improving it. While the dentist is likely to help with your French, this won't help you speak whilst there are instruments in your mouth!

Of course there will be set-backs - after all, we're dealing with human beings here and we can all be unpredictable and moody. But in general, taking each situation as it comes up and preparing well if possible, guarantees you will make progress.

With your good intentions and willingness to work, what tools are available to help you improve your French?

There are a growing variety of methods; there are numerous tapes and CDs available with written support; there are some good free on-line courses, e.g. the BBC, Radio France Internationale; there are distance learning courses that you pay for; there are telephone teachers who may also use e-mail; there are traditional books.

It's quite usual to employ a personal teacher to come to your home to help with a subject like French - a good option if you prefer not to start in group classes which are also available in many places.

Don't forget to consider how you learn best when deciding on ways to make progress. Methods that suit your individual personality are likely to be more successful.

It really is down to your own willpower and persistence to benefit in full from the ways you choose to learn French. Having a working knowledge of the language is a great base for living in France.

French Life and the joys of living in France have been featured in magazine articles the world over. To find out more of Living in France take a look at Amanda Lawrence's new website at www.frenchvie.com. Lots of real life stories and anecdotes from the Quercy. It takes you right there - you'll never want to leave. Don't forget to register for her free newsletter. Author of White Stone Black Wine.

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