Everyone knows that total immersion is the best way to learn a language. But sometimes, totality isn’t possible. Especially when you’re learning.

Like in this story of a French teacher who wanted no English at all. But maybe too that a little trop loin (too far).

Let’s see if this one has us saying oui or non.

 No English allowed? D’accord.

I used to take a beginner level French course at a local community center.

It was a chill class small group, older folks, travelers, a few professionals and our instructor, Mademoiselle Claire.

Sounds très adorable. But there must be something not chill about it…

She was a lovely but very serious Frenchwoman who believed in total immersion.

She had one strict rule: “No English in class.”

Fair enough. But enforceable?

This made sense in theory except this was day one, and most of us didn’t even know how to say hello properly yet.

Still, she made it crystal clear, speak any English and you’d be punished. (Said it in English)

Alright, double standard. But she has to give the students some leeway right?

One evening, about three weeks in, she asked us to write short dialogues in pairs. My partner was completely lost, and kept whispering to me in English for help.

Claire overheard and swooped in like a linguistic hawk.

Merciless raptor. But Madame, we don’t know any French! Help!

No English, not one word.

I tried to help but she cut me off

Silence, French only.

OK. How are they gonna handle this?

For the next week, I followed her rule. No English, not even when she herself lapsed into English to explain something complex.

I’d just blink and say, “Je ne comprends pas.”

Of course. Playing dumb. Will that work with Madame Claire?

When she emailed homework instructions in English? I pretended I didn’t understand them.

During oral drills, I deliberately answered everything in broken, overly literal French, even when it made no sense.

Now who’s taking it trop loin, Claire?

Eventually, after I raised my hand and asked, in French, what “homework” meant again for the fifth time, she sighed and said in English: “Okay some English is allowed.”

Merci beaucoup, Claire.

Something tells me Claire was not super heureuse about this situation, but I think OP made the point.

Let’s see what the comments have to say about this French connection…

This person says, well-played… but in French.

One poster has a waspy response.

This user was a college dropout.

A teacher weighs in to say, non non non.

One poster says sometimes no English is no fair.

Sometimes strict rules don’t work. C’est la vie.