New on this site

Welcome and the first thing is post this on the France forum.

Second 50 is young so you should be able to learn anything.

Third yes it is difficult to move to a new country with out a basic knowledge of the language.

Bob K

Thank you Bob for your reply have you moved to France and if so we're from?

There are many areas in France where the life is easy and rustic.
But the French are very proud of their language and they see no reason to speak another language then their own.

If you have serious thoughts about moving to French, you have to start learning.
You never to old to learn but keep in mind that you'll need more time.

You need also focus on what part of France you would like to live and gain as much information as possible. Visit the area for a while and explore the possibilities for your situation.
If you have questions you can ask on the French forum.  There are members who can serve you better then here on a general forum.

My suggestion is that you first rent an apartment then get acclimated to the area.  We usually rent for a month at a time. My french is minimal however I find that when immersed in everyday french life you will soon pick up the language.  I started small by ordering items at the market.  If someone wanted to speak English, I'd tell them I'm trying to improve my french and would insist they do the same.  I never got resistance but a lot of help. I also subscribe to free podcasts on U tube to assist with pronunciation.  I forgot to mention we are also retired and ages 59 and 62.  Yes it takes time, but you are never too old to learn!  Good luck

It is never too late to learn! 50 is far from being old, so come and spend a month I'm Amiens and you will learn a lot. Where are you from?
Zambawe

Hi

Are you buying or renting? If you are buying you can find Notaires ( Lawyers) who speak English and will be able to help you buy your house. Otherwise there are thousands of people who are bi-lingual who will translate for a fee, go to  http://www.onlinetefl.com and they will point you to someone local. That will cover you if you are renting and want the agreement translated.

Other than that day to day, you can go to your local markets or supermarkets - no need to speak French when shopping. Same goes for DIY big stores help yourself and pay on exit for items such as plasterboard or go into the store and shop for tiles etc!!!!!!

As to learning French buy the Michel Thomas CDs or download. I was never a fan of this form of learning but my mum bought the beginners course for me and within a week my French had improved greatly, I lent them to a friend who had married a French man and was struggling to learn  the language and he too noted in a short while how much her language skills had improved. So I cannot recommend him highly enough I am now well versed with his Advanced French CDs

Hope this helps, all I can say is I love living here and have no regrets, weather, food, wine, people all great. The only thing I would say is check on the type of weather you want I wanted sun all the way cold or hot and don't mind a bit of wind so I am in Herault having tried Soanne et Loire and Toulouse first, too wet and grey.

If you are not sure of the area you want to go to rent a gite that way you are not moving furniture around all the time and the price is all inclusive. You will always do a deal outside of July and August, just ask that is what I did.

Pamela