French language for English speakers

Hey i'm a 17 year old student studying french in My HSC which is like the BAC for french students. I can speak and write pretty good frech but i have alot of room for improvement.
I am looking for someone to help me learn more french and about french culture and also im looking for a friend!
If any of this appeals to you dont hesitate to contact me
Bisous,
Muzzy

The summer after I graduated from college I had the opportunity to travel to France with a few close friends. A group of five of us left for France on the cheapest flight we could find the morning following graduation. We had plans to stay for the entire summer just to see what unfolded. None of us had jobs lined up or anything to rush back to, so we took things in stride, determined to have the adventure of a lifetime. We learned quickly, however, that forgetting a French dictionary was not the best way to start a great summer!

Ironically, we talked briefly about what we should each bring on our journey to France, and I even remember hearing one of the girls mention that we would do well to remember a French dictionary since none of us spoke a word of French. I thought that advice was wise, but I never thought to bring it myself. I was convinced that one of the more organized and responsible ladies would surely remember to bring such a valuable tool for our survival. 

This online translator offered by AltaVista has been around since the early days of the web.

Google Translate

Excellent dictionary with translations: www.answers.com

- French to English translation
- English to French translation
http://www.dictionnaire-mediadico.com/
alternate location:
http://dictionnaire.tv5.org/

French in Action ~ French in Action Website

You may have already seen this program on PBS stations across the nation. French in Action is a DVD, audio cassette and workbook series developed by Pierre Capretz of Yale University. It focuses on the "immersion" method, forfeiting English translations in favor of learning the language through observation. The series shows you ‘real’ French people in typical settings speaking and interacting. I found the course to be fun, entertaining and surprisingly effective. Although no English is used, the student quickly discovers they not only understand what is going on, but are soon able to ‘think’ in French. What makes the course unique is it simultaneously teaches you about French culture as well. It uses actual comics, TV ads, movie clips and much more so that you get the gist of the French mindset and lifestyle. The only potential downside of this course is it can be rather time consuming, however, if you have the time and patience to study a new language thoroughly, you cannot go wrong with this course.