Learning French

When I auditioned for the Church choir that I sing with (The Choir of the Cathedral of Saint-Eustache), I had been in France for three weeks, and my French was atrocious.  It's not great now, but back then I was unable to ascertain most of what people were saying, and I had no way to respond appropriately to what little I could understand.  As a result, my default response was always "Okay" or "I don't know".  Despite this, I really wanted to be part of a choir, so I braved the francophone sea and auditioned.  For whatever reason, I brought a recorder with me, and just listened to it today.  It's a wonder I was accepted into the choir at all, as this is what happened:

Lionel (The choir director): Ok, we'll do some vocalizes, then you can sing a song that you've prepared, then we'll do a little sight reading, ok?
Me: Ok.
L: First, just a few questions.  Do you know your voice part?
Me: Soprano.
L: Can you sight-read?
Me:  I don't know.
L: Ok, you're not sure.  Can you read music?
Me: Umm, I don't know.
L: Ok, well... have you ever been in a choir before?
Me: Ummm....I don't know? (If I were Lionel,  I would have laughed here.  Then again, maybe he truly believed that it was possible for me to have been in a choir and not known about it?)
L: Ok.  (Looking at me doubtfully, thinking I do NOT need a person in my choir who has never sung before and doesn't speak French) So what song do you have? Did you bring a song?
Me: I don't know.
L (Looks at me quizzically, then at the book of French Art Song that I brought with me): Is it in there?
Me: Oh, yes.  It's Beau Soir by Debussy, is that ok?
L: Yes, of course.  I don't have the music, can I look at yours? Do you know it by heart?
Me: No.
L: Ok, well can I read out of the book?  You can stand behind me.
Me: Oh, it's ok, I can sing it from over here, I memorized it.
L: Oh, Ok...
Me: So, should we start with the song then?
L: No, we'll do some vocalizes first.
.....................Vocalizes and Song...................
During my singing he looked confused.  Probably because I obviously have a lot of musical experience but told him that I didn't know if I had ever been in a choir.
L: Well, that was good, so you do sing; you've obviously studied voice.
Me (This was probably the first thing that he said that I really understood): Oh yes, I have a Masters in voice.
L (I wish I could describe his face.  It was a mix of surprise, exasperation and bemusement): Okay, well that's good.  But you're not sure if you can sight-read?
Me: I don't know.
L: Ok. (Sigh) Well, we'll just try.
..............sight reading............
L: Ok, well you can sight read, since you just read through that piece perfectly.
Me: Yes, I'm decent at sight-reading.  (I was able to say this because I realized that the word he kept saying - dechiffrer - meant sight-reading, so I just repeated it.  Meanwhile he was probably thinking Why did she say she didn't know if she could sightread and then tell me she's pretty good at it?
After giving me a strange look that conveyed the thought What is this person doing here? I hope this is a good idea, he smiled and told me that he would love to have me in the choir.