Sounds familiar! I used to teach French and didn't bother with the passé simple even at uni level apart from recognition of it when reading literature.
Hi Steven..
We think YABLA is a great way to learn - and is definately worth the money (to us at least). It is the least painful option, and doesn't just improve ones command of French - it also educates one about France.
The fiver shouldn't be a problem with all that tax free income you are going to make renting out your property!(smile).
Hi Paul (again!) Thanks for the link - I tried the introduction and it is quite a refreshingly different style...question is am I too tight to pay a fiver a month?! ; )
Thanks Andrew, fortunately the grammar was drummed into us at school, we were doing nonsense like past historic after a couple of years yet none of us were confident in the parlaying out loud, listening and the endless vocab that I've got to get my head round! ; ) That's why I do love the news bulletins link for training the ear...and endless vocab!
La langue française certainly is a tough one, try and expose yourself to the language as much as possible and in as many forms as possible; TV, radio, face to face, written language. And don't forget a good grammar book ;-)