Yep, there’s integrated and integrated. My only form of communication in English is SFN, otherwise it’s French be that family or work or social and sport. My OH and kids don’t really speak English anyway (and certainly not to conversation level) I was already fluent when I met my OH and so we’ve always only ever spoken French. Of course, I do speak a little when helping my kids with their English homework although al the explaining is done in French, just the phrase that’s needed in English.
And the whole language thing for over 60s will affect less than 4% of people applying for naturalisation of which the majority are as I posted above, of North African origin, so over 60s Brits making up less than 1% of that total. I don’t think anybody’s having a go at over 60s Brits, Jane, it’s just a common sense measure in my eyes 
We’re also very lucky that France let’s people keep their birth nationality, you have to renounce that in many other countries!
And integrated into what? We live in a village where two surnames predominate, and there is a core of the population based on these two families. It is a close knit village, and we are well accepted but are lumped in with other French incomers as “not being of the village”. So we can never be fully “integrated”. But in terms of day to day life I am part of the community, participate in all sorts of things and the only time I speak English outside the house is doing English conversation with a neighbour’s 11 year old. So that does it for me…
And yes I do think it is reasonable to expect people to speak the language to an adequate level before getting nationality. B1 (sorry Cat) is not that high a hurdle and there is some room for flexibility with disabilities - so it is doable. They are not asking you to spout Proust’ian phrases or write poetic literature, just manage ordinary French.
Totally agree and my French is most def not B1 level - which is why I was incandescently pissed off with the result!
But I do think that demanding a high level of written French from people who haven’t studied it at school is harsh. Read any FB thread and it is full of (French) people poking holes in each other’s French. All comes from the elitist origins of the language I suppose but seems a bit designed to keep non native speakers out IMHO. I absolutely agree with the comprehension and communication aspect of the language being important but honestly, how many of us these days can write perfectly constructed sentences in our native language WITHOUT the use of a keyboard and spell check…?!!
So true! We set up french classes, at the IUT where i used to teach, for bts and licence pro students to try and cut out all the mistakes in their written work. 
I’ve no hope if there is written element, I.e. grammar 
. Mine’s bad enough in English…
Sadly my OH…in both French and English. One of those sickening people who has a brain that processes languages easily. We decided to go to Iceland on holiday, 2 weeks later he could say and understand a hundred phrases. Disgusting. I can’t even write a note for the postman without him finding something to correct…so he sucks his teeth a lot at messages from French friends!
So yes I agree, the written language aspect should be simplified and concentrate perhaps on something like a letter to Orange complaining about poor service?
Thing is, I can ‘write’ perfectly coherently using a keyboard which will correct my spelling and add accents etc but having used an ipad for four years now for all the stuff I write on a daily basis in English (which corrects my typos too) and almost never writing anything by hand, I find that I now struggle to spell words such as accommodation in English, let alone in French. Not ideal I know but in 2020 people use keyboards so if you are going to have a written test, it should reflect that. But, hey, I am just bitter about my B1… And did I mention that I am an ‘expert’ examiner (apparently!) and would have given myself more… 
I keep expecting the ghost of my English Teacher… to come and sort me out… I’ve forgotten so much English Grammar… and it used to be one of my best subjects… 
My spoken French is OK… in that I can carry on a conversation on almost any topic… but whether I could pass an exam… mmm… probably not… unless they allow me to question what I’m hearing/they’re saying…
I’m not sure if I’ll try to get it or not now I am a permanent resident 
We’ll see if I end up wanting to do anything (studies etc) that ask for French / EU citizens as that may be the force point for me! The kids are a different story and we’ll get them sorted out, although the eldest can’t be doing with the hassle / long wait and as he now lives in Holland with a permanent residence card and possibility to get citizenship in the future it isn’t a big deal. I’m not sure what dh will do. He was pretty upset when he didn’t get his CNF due to a nasty sexist law that was abolished in 1973 so i’m not sure how he’ll feel as someone who considers himself French already (his mum is French, he barely even spoke English until he started school at 5 in Yorkshire!) having to jump through all the hoops. I think we’ll let the dust settle now! We all already have 2 passports so a 3rd will just start getting waaaaaaay too expensive 
Without my phone when texting or computer when writing my French would be SO bad, I learnt French literally from my best friend (and then neighbour when we moved in next door!), usually over coffee / wine / watching kids playing. We didn’t ever crack out the pen and paper
Looks like I wont bother to apply then. Just had a look at the “levels” and A1 would be mine, and that’s after 30 yrs of visits. I’m nearly 69 and learning and retaining new stuff is a challenge.
Good job I like GB 
You also need 5 years continual residency before applying (backed up by feuilles d’impôts etc.) and then a million and one other documents (my file was about 3cm thick of A4 documents!) 
So owning a house is not the same, I mean how does anyone know I’m not in the house
there are 
everywhere - watching (nudge nudge, wink wink)
It’s a hugely different and more complicated process than a carte de séjour and yes you need to prove you’ve been here for over 5 years and resident, declaring and paying your taxes etc. etc. The process takes around 3 years by décret. It’s not just putting the dossier together, there’s an hour and a half interview to get through to where you’ll be grilled but it’s do-able
Thanks Andrew, un fortunately it’ll never happen, I’m resigned to spending as much time as I’m allowed in France. Also, there’s the magnet of grandkids 
My dossier weighed 1kg…and ended up having to be posted twice as translator had messed up a document. Well over 6 months now so hoping to get confirmation that the dossier is ok soon’ish.
Your local gendarmes will be asked, and sometimes the local mayor too…
I looked up on my local Alliance Francaise which says…
Depuis le mois d’avril 2018, les candidats à la première demande de carte de séjour longue durée doivent justifier du niveau A2 à l’oral comme à l’écrit tel que défini par le cadre européen de référence des langues. C’est-à dire qu’ils doivent obtenir le niveau A2 à toutes les épreuves du Test de Connaissance du Français (TCF) - Carte de résident.
Seuls les candidats qui n’ont encore jamais obtenu la carte longue durée et qui ont moins de 65 ans doivent passer le test de français.
…So if you are over 65 it looks like you dont have to do the test
Paddy… I think the rules may have changed… certainly for Citizenship/Nationality… there is no longer an easing/dispensation for the elderly.