{"id":1282,"date":"2018-06-07T08:49:41","date_gmt":"2018-06-07T12:49:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2018\/?p=1282"},"modified":"2018-06-07T08:53:09","modified_gmt":"2018-06-07T12:53:09","slug":"french-by-the-ocean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.nd.edu\/sla2018\/2018\/06\/07\/french-by-the-ocean\/","title":{"rendered":"French by the Ocean"},"content":{"rendered":"

After the initial trajectory of cultural shock, binge cheese-eating and my eventual adaptation of the French ways, I think today is a perfect time (not too early after four weeks) to talk about my improvements in the French language. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Absolutely beautiful and sunny in St. Malo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When I first got off the Ouibus at Tours, I called my host mom for the first time to let her know I have arrived. Ten seconds later, I was left dumbfounded with a disconnect tone. A few questions crossed my mind: Is my host mom coming to pick me up? Is she already here? Is she bailing out on me? Was that even my host mom, or did I dial the wrong number? Did the woman on the other end of the receiver speak French or Arabic? \u00a0Last Sunday, my host mom called me to see if everything was okay, since my host family was out of town, leaving me alone at home on Saturday night. It was a real dialogue. She asked me if I had already woken up, if I had enough to eat (I could eat whatever in the fridge), whether my excursion on Saturday had went well, if it rained and blablabla, then she told me how to microwave the pasta box she had prepared for me. It was only after the phone call ended that I realized how much my oral comprehension has improved. It\u2019s at a whole new level. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

After three full weeks of French radio, Youtube, spotify and everyday life, my ears are now a lot more accustomed to the bouncing flow of this new tongue. While I could write, read and even speak at a higher level, they didn\u2019t mean much until now when I can actually respond like a human to cashiers and waitresses, to my classmates and host parents. Another weakness I have noted is my limited vocabulary. While I seem to sail smoothly with grammar and even phonetics (which is surprisingly easier to comprehend than anticipated), I know no vocab beyond the outdated \u201c1000 Most-Used French Words for Beginners.\u201d \u00a0Now that my phone is set in French and I have purchased a second-hand \u201cP\u00e8re Goriot\u201d by Balzac, I might actually learn a few useful words, just in case I need to elaborate on the value of wealth in the conditions of human existence.<\/span><\/p>\n

I am also absorbing more of the subtle, slangy words in French:<\/span><\/p>\n

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So this is the dinner table at my host family. Just kidding: It’s the royal dining salon in the castle of Azay-le-Rideau.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n