I was now only practising French at school with my pupils. Their knowledge was far from being on a par with Frank’s. I wasn’t making progress any more. What I taught was all I knew. Neither improving nor stagnating, I had the impression I was regressing. I’d got a copy of the DALF exam for level C, the advanced level, from a past paper and realised the complexity of the analysis exercises. Without outside help and daily practice in the language, I was losing hope of being able to manage it. I decided not to waste my time in sitting the exam. Each new relationship brings its share of consolation along with regret carried over from preceding experiences. Each encounter is different and sometimes we suffer the consequences of our decisions. I’d chosen the convenience of a sincere relationship
