The most valuable thing for me is:

- to be able to be properly polite to folks here. The silly phrases that actually make a huge difference here in terms of being nice to people and show them you are trying..I think to work on the social skills in the foreign language is a big thing, different culture, different concept of appropriacy, different phrases. So I appreciate being a little more fluent in this. I used to smile and clumsily say sumfin to our old neighbor when she was smalltalking before, today when I met her I smiled differently, because I actually understand her and can reciprocate.

- to read and watch the news and listen to the radio (still little hard). I just hated to have to live somewhere and not know what is going on and what buggs the locals and what they worry about. Trying to get familiar with the local issues makes me feel more at home. Gives one knowledge of the rights and possibilites, too. I can't tune it out, either.

- French is beautiful when you listen to it. I love listening to the nuances, the weird unfamiliar sounds, I love to imitate. To listen to locals (and actually understand) pleases one's ear. The culture fits the little specialities I perceive in the language too. Trying to put my hands down on a culture and country's mentality and language goes hand in had. Reading French poetry is very rewarding.

So, basically, learning a local language gives one independence.