Parlez-vous français?

Do you speak French?

In 1874, some renegade artists named Degas, Money, Renoir and Caillebot organized the first exhibit of what would eventually be known as Impressionist art. That year was also the last time Anthony and I studied French in college.

We make it a habit to learn the language of any country we visit. And the best way of doing that is through Pimsleur. The company breaks its lessons into 30-minute segments that you play while commuting. You listen while you're driving or performing other tasks. Each lesson building on the previous one and teaches you words syllable by syllable. Because you learn consistently and gradually, you eventually end up speaking the language, almost without any effort.

We've used the CDs to study not only French, but also Japanese and Italian, two languages we had never studied before. And we felt comfortable using those languages in those countries.

No, you won't be discussing Sarkosy's latest dalliances in French, even after you go through all three 30-lesson levels.  But you will be able to make hotel reservations, ask for directions, ask about art, buy souvenirs, shop at markets and find out about local cuisine. You can find out more about the Pimsleur method at their website. Or click the Amazon info on the right banner for pricing info.