As of my writing this post, I am a week away from flying to France to begin studying at the Institut de Touraine. I would be lying if I said I was not a little nervous about living in another country for six weeks, fully immersed in another language. That anxiousness, however, is overshadowed by my excitement for this experience. Full immersion is certainly intimidating, but I believe it will help me to learn French at a much more rapid rate than classroom learning. At Notre Dame, I am used to switching my mental focus around constantly to keep up with all of my classes. It will be a refreshing change of pace to not have to worry about other assignments or exams in other classes that normally take my focus away from learning French. Additionally, the immersion will help me to constantly expand my knowledge, even outside of my time studying at the Institut de Touraine, in speaking French with my host family, at restaurants, and with other students. The learning never stops!
Outside of the general goal of becoming more proficient in French, there are a few specific ways I would like to use the language and learn more about French culture during my time there. I would like to become fully comfortable with using French to be a self-sufficient traveler: ordering meals, asking for directions, holding basic conversations, etc. I would also like to learn more about French politics from the people there. As someone interested in working internationally after graduation, it is incredibly important to understand the current state of geopolitics. I believe that the best way to learn about the current affairs of a country is talking to the people living within it, which the Summer Language Abroad grant has given me the opportunity to do this summer. Given the very recent French presidential election, there is much to learn from the people there when I arrive.
I believe that my time in Tours will allow me to become more appreciative of the vibrancy and distinctiveness of the world’s different cultures–in this specific case, French culture. This summer is the first time I have traveled out of the United States, so I have not had much opportunity to see the small intricacies that make each culture unique. What I have learned in my French classes about French culture has truly fascinated me, and I am excited to witness these things first-hand. I also believe that this experience will help me to become more adaptable. Living in a city with completely different customs that speaks French will be a shock at first, but adapting to these differences will prepare me for traveling to different countries in the future. I am incredibly grateful that I am able to have this opportunity, and I look forward to being in France in one week!