Claire writes: ‘We spent a great weekend in Le Touquet in September.  Why Le Touquet?  It was the only hotel room we could find in Northern France during the Rugby World Cup and we had booked Eurotunnel tickets with Tesco Clubcard vouchers without realising France was already full!

With A level French and several student summers spent in France, I am reasonably confident… so I went up to the information desk in the Pas de Calais and asked: Excusez moi, madame, ou est Tesco? The reply was ‘Down there on the right’.  We had the same experience in other shops in Calais. We spoke in French and were always answered in English. So it was a delight to get to Le Touquet where they let us all try out our French without trying to rescue us.  At a restaurant the following day when we were given an English menu, we were asked if we wanted to order in French or English. We chose French – quite a feat when the whole menu was in English!

How will Lucy and Ellie develop their French if French people in France always speak to them in English?  How will I maintain and develop my language skills?  We won’t. That’s a really important lesson for developing staff, colleagues, volunteers and even family.  When people keep rescuing us, we don’t learn.  When we keep rescuing people, they don’t learn.  Development can be slow and stilted but fluency only comes through practice – whatever the task.’

(c) 2007 3D Coaching Ltd