Name: Kevin Hauger
E-mail: Kevin.Hauger.1@nd.edu
Language: French
Location of Study: Tours, France
Program of Study: L’Institut de Touraine
Sponsors: Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures and Nanovic Institute for European Studies
Blog URL: http://sites.nd.edu/sla2017/author/kevin-hauger-1nd-edu/
A brief personal bio:
I’m a sophomore army brat majoring in English and FTT with a film concentration. Most of my family’s from Texas so that’s my official “where I’m from” response. I love intercultural learning in general and French culture in particular. In my spare time I enjoy writing, playing guitar, and rock climbing, and am currently on the road to becoming an intramural curling champion.
Why this summer language abroad opportunity is important to me:
I intend to write professionally, a trade well complemented by linguistic and cultural knowledge. Learning French will help further intentionality in my use of language and provide an avenue for me to immerse myself in another culture. More personally, I would love to read French books and watch French movies in their original format.
Beyond contributing to my passions, my SLA Grant is an essential step in my course of study. I will be studying abroad at L’Universit̩ Paris Diderot next spring, where I will be expected to be almost fluent in French. The SLA Grant makes that possible. These opportunities will open up the possibility of working in a Francophone country, which is something I’m deeply interested in.
What I hope to achieve as a result of this summer study abroad experience:
I hope to form good speaking and writing habits as I learn to speak French in the descriptivist sense, pragmatically and with attention to nuance. That aim is nearly unachievable in an American university, where the students all learn according to the same French program and speak with sensibilities correspondent to their first language. The SLA Grant affords a chance to form my French habits around the people who speak it most naturally, and that experience will be something I can refer to going forward.
The broader reasoning behind all of this lies in a common belief that I fully agree with–cultural studies nurture global-mindedness and humanity. Learning the customs and modes of communication that other people operate within encourages kindness and tolerance, and heightens the potential for self-discovery. I hope to achieve a fuller sense of self and of global solidarity.
My specific learning goals for language and intercultural learning this summer:
1. At the end of the summer, I will be able to speak, read, and write at an Advanced level of French according to the Notre Dame curriculum (at least one semester beyond my current course level).
2. At the end of the summer, I will be able to discuss films and literature in French, and read intermediate French literature with relative ease.
3. At the end of the summer, I will be able to read Le Monde at a comparable level of comprehension to that at which I read the New York Times.
4. At the end of the summer, I will be significantly more willing to engage in French-speaking activities outside of my comfort zone.
5. At the end of the summer, I will be able to write essays in French that are grammatically accurate.
My plan for maximizing my international language learning experience: