Elusive Idioms

by Heather Pears (edited by Lynne Hand)

You are strolling down a wide boulevard carrying some shopping bags. As you walk along you exchange witty comments with the street stall vendors, make clever observations about the weather, speaking the language like a native. You smile modestly at a compliment and reply, “No, I’m not from (insert the country of your choice here!), I’m just here visiting."  Hey, wake up! You’re daydreaming again! But what language learner doesn’t dream about one day having the words spill effortlessly from their lips? I’ve often imagined myself sitting at a cafe in Paris, ordering a cup of coffee and a croissant, and reading a local newspaper as the neighbourhood goes about its business around me.