One of the first things I observed is that this can be a reversible system.  A native Frenchman (or anyone), not knowing a second language, would be able to use this method using his own resources – provided he could read the Volume method’s instructions.  I also wonder that if a person knew a second language well enough, could they use that one to learn a third?  That might come in handy if some foreign language books were only available in one’s second language.

The second thing I realized is that this is definitely a long term commitment.  The instructions warn the reader everywhere that it is long-term, but I didn’t realize precisely how long until I sat down and got into it.  It’s not for the passer-by, or the person who just needs to learn a little bit for a temporary time.  If I really try to increase output, then the current book I am on can be completed in a little over three months.  That estimation might be a little on the optimistic side.

Think positive!

The amount of time required has made me seriously look into why I want to hang on to French when maybe Finnish or German would turn out to be more productive in the long run.  Finland is our neighbor, and it is one of the biggest minority languages in northern Sweden.  German has much more usage in northern Europe than French, and it is a language that is (or was) popular in schools.  It is my understanding that the method wasn’t intended for tonal languages, so I can safely avoid using it for Swedish.  Right?

This has certainly dampened my motivation, but since I put a lot of effort into selecting the required books, I’m sticking with French.  If it’s proving to be too unrealistic, then I’ll reconsider.  I want to see this through to the far-away end.  Who knows what opportunities will arise once I am more proficient?  One never knows what the future can bring when one is prepared.

As for Swedish, I will be practicing my speech with my husband.  At least one hour a day for starters, then maybe more later.   It might become a juggling act because my daughter needs to learn English.  That requires me speaking it to her all the time.  No French allowed!

That aside, I’m quite excited about the first book.  I am convinced that it is the one I discovered in that library when I was with my mother.  The pictures and names of the chapters seem familiar, as well as the script.  The back of the book describes itself as a “comprehensive elementary book”, and it is filled with conversational sentences and examples.