Antonia Forest fans

People learning a second language in school usually are stronger in written than in spoken work. This was probably more true at the time the book was written than it is now, because older methods of teaching encouraged written rather than spoken expression and also tended to teach formal language suitable for reading and writing, rather than the informal/colloquial language of conversation. Patrick may well struggle in written French as well, but his level of written French is almost certainly higher than his level of spoken French.

--Katy