Name: Nicolle Ho
E-mail: Nicolle.Ho.35@nd.edu
Language: French
Location of Study: Paris, France
Program of Study: Lutece Langue
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures and Nanovic Institute for European Studies
Blog URL: http://sites.nd.edu/sla2017/author/nicolle-ho-35nd-edu/
A brief personal bio:
I’m a junior from CA majoring in ACMS and minoring in European Studies. My interests in data, earth sciences and French led me to diverse opportunities (and four Major changes)! I interned at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Sequim, WA, and researched with ND’s Rocha Lab in arctic AK. I currently study Vietnamese communities in France. I look forward to immersing myself in French through intensive courses, children’s books, and films. Following SLA, I will complete a summer fellowship with l’Institut Pasteur, where I will conduct bio-image analysis and program in Python and R.
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
The SLA grant is essential to my research, career, and communication aspirations. I currently have a Nanovic Institute and ISLA-funded research project that investigates Vietnamese communities in France. The project is a compilation of stories and photographs of Vietnamese-French individuals, and their accounts of immigration, culture, and racism in France. SLA will allow me to conduct interviews and produce a work telling of immigration and integrated cultures. Additionally, I hope to have a career in France, working in statistics and data analysis. I am a Pasteur Institute Summer Intern, and will be working in data analysis and programming following the SLA. The SLA will allow me to communicate with my colleagues, and the skills to eventually work for an international company with an office in Paris, such as AirBnB or Etsy. SLA is important to me, lastly, because it will not only give me marketable skills, but also leave me with lasting cultural understanding. I look forward to embracing new relationships, fostering awareness, and furthering social progress.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
As a result of this study abroad experience, I hope to improve my French language, immerse myself in French culture, and form lasting relationships–both professional and personal. My intensive French course through Lutece Langue consists of writing and grammar courses, and a series of workshops to practice speaking and using the language. I also will be immersed with French language and culture outside the classroom as well. I would like to buy French children’s books and see French films at the cinema. Lastly, I look forward to engaging with locals and hopefully form lasting relationships. I plan to attend networking events to meet professionals in my field who can give me insight to finding data science opportunities in Paris. I also look forward to forming lasting relationships with other students, my host family, and local Parisians.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
1. At the end of the summer, I will be able to read and write in French at a business professional proficiency.
2. At the end of the summer, I will be able to conduct my interviews for my research project entirely in French.
3. At the end of the summer, I will be able to express complex ideas in French through conversation.
4. At the end of the summer, I will be able to read through menus quickly. This is hard for me.
5. At the end of the summer, I will be able to watch French films without subtitles.
My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience: