This is definitely true, though not such a big deal for basic understanding in practice, as the near-homophones usually have only subtly different meanings. I also don't often find myself having to transcribe stuff, and if I do, I can usually ask the speaker to check my spelling. On the other hand, reading something and immediately being able to pronounce it with some accuracy is very helpful, but attempting that with English words and especially names ("Cholmondeley" anyone?) often leads to unintentionally bizarre results.
(FWIW I speak English to a level that native speakers can't tell it's not my first language unless I trip over words I only know from reading - People ask me, "so where in England are you from" all the time. My French is just about passable - I can get by for basic everyday conversations as long as the other person doesn't speak too fast and they don't mind explaining/rephrasing the occasional sentence. I'd agree that perfecting your French is a lot harder than perfecting your English despite what I've said above.)
(FWIW I speak English to a level that native speakers can't tell it's not my first language unless I trip over words I only know from reading - People ask me, "so where in England are you from" all the time. My French is just about passable - I can get by for basic everyday conversations as long as the other person doesn't speak too fast and they don't mind explaining/rephrasing the occasional sentence. I'd agree that perfecting your French is a lot harder than perfecting your English despite what I've said above.)