While my French courses in the US have been very rewarding and challenging by being surrounded by other peers who are eager to learn the French language, I am excited to be immersed in the French language. Studying in France provides greater accessibility to being surrounded by French and pushed to integrate French into my daily tasks, such as navigating the grocery store. I believe that with total language immersion I will gain confidence in my French-speaking ability, while learning the less formal, everyday nuances to the French language. In addition, I hope that being immersed with native French speakers will aid my development of a better French accent, to hopefully allow for more effective communication.
During my time in Biarritz, I will be using French to volunteer alongside a beach cleanup group to improve my ability to discuss the climate crisis in French. I am excited to simultaneously learn from my peers in navigating different approaches to addressing the climate crisis and finding ways to lead a more sustainable life, while also recognizing my own assumptions that I have from living in the US regarding sustainability. While in Paris, I will be volunteering alongside refugees in different sports and leisure activities, where we will help each other practice French. I am looking forward to using French as a medium for building relationships and learning to communicate in regards to migration and humanitarian issues. Through my study of the French language, I hope to strengthen my ability to communicate with a greater population. In order to build these strong connections and have a mutual learning experience, I am eager to strengthen my French skills and I am excited for the opportunity through SLA to hone in on my French skills.