So, out of a sense of duty, I'm trying to learn French because my folks have moved there and it's a bit embarrassing trying to converse with their French friends.

I failed dismally with French at school; they made us do six weeks each of French and German - I got 80 or 90% in German vs 16% in French. So obviously, I carried on with German.

I've got cds by Michel Thomas - it's meant to be a revolutionary method - 'no homework, DON'T TRY TO REMEMBER, don't write it down', he keeps bleating on. He also sounds geriatric – and despite the French name, sometimes sounds German, which isn’t helping.

Now the trouble is, whenever he says 'how would you say [I would like]’, my brain is automatically reverts to German in response. How do I condition my mind to stop trying to remember the GCSE German and actually try to remember the French that I’ve heard in the last 30 minutes?

Other than that – any other suggestions on learning techniques are very welcomed. I was already reluctant to do it, it’s a bastard, but I’m now determined – and it’s proving to be a mare ?