After getting AOR and our CSQ, I decided to go ahead and submit another application for the immigrant french course. I figured I still didn't qualify, but hell, what else do I have to do? Might as well send it in.
Well, today I got a call. It was a gentleman from Québec's Ministère de la Culture et des Communications. First of all, I TOTALLY UNDERSTOOD HIM ON THE PHONE! Not for a lengthy conversation, but after I asked him to please speak slowly, as I don't understand french well, he asked if there was someone who could help me with french on the phone (all of this exchange en français, bien sûr!), so I replied that my bilingual husband was home and could help. It was exhilarating to actually understand spoken french! Then I realized...he's not from around here, haha. My husband confirmed, after he spoke at some length with the gentleman, that he definitely didn't sound Québecois, but rather like he was from Europe.
Anyhow...the guy called to ask for more documentation to prove my PR app had been received. We didn't get a letter saying my app was received, but we did get a letter saying my husband's app was received, and listing both of our UCIs. Additionally, my status on ecas shows "Application received." So we sent him a screen cap of my ecas, my husband's, and the one letter we did receive from CIC, and hopefully he'll be able to get me into a french program.
Even if he can't...it was a pretty great ego boost to understand spoken french! I'll eventually learn to tune my ear to the accent in Québec, I'm sure. ESPECIALLY once I get some more intensive schooling in french!