Is so, please don’t answer in French. Unless it involves bathroom fixtures, I probably won’t understand it.

I took French in high school — many many years ago. The only thing I remember, and won’t burden you with trying to spell it in French, is “Stick your head in the toilet.”

The instructor taught us that the first day of class. An ice-breaker, I guess. And I still remember it.

But not much else. Of course, I never went to France or Canada, so after high school it all just slipped away like butter on a hot croissant.

Many schools today are trying new ways to help students learn and retain a new language. They have language immersion sessions and connect students of different languages via the Internet. Many schools also start earlier teaching foreign languages because students retain more at a young age.

My 4-year-old daughter knows some Spanish, thanks to a special daycare teacher and to Dora and Diego. She even corrected me once when I said green was “azul” in Spanish. (That would be blue.)

But she better watch out. I know at least one handy phrase in French. And she probably shouldn’t repeat it.

E-mail me at ssimpson@oklahoman.com and tell me about your experiences learning a new language.

Susan Simpson, Education Writer