parler francais?

ok, so.....my eldest and i had an interesting discussion about language-learning over lunch.....he contends that french is a back-loaded language.....meaning that one can grasp certain basics....but the nuances may take years to perfect, even after frequent practice...on the other hand...his linguistics prof. says that russian is a front-loaded language......get past the basics and you have it made.......as opposed to languages that have multiple genders........as previously mentioned i am on disc 2 of my french cd's....and i am loathe to move on quickly because i am still stuck on such things as je vais versus je veux versus je besoin de.......and how exactly does one ask where to find the bathroom?....is it ou se trouve le w.c.?....as i learned in 1972........or is it ou sont le toilette?...or is it enough to walk in and ask toilette, s'il vous plait? with a humbleness in one's voice......i cannot say....after many days of disc 2........