I have recently returned to the United States after finishing the immersion program I attended and I am very content with the experience I had. At first, it was difficult to adjusting to being in a different country away from my family. But by the end of the program, I gained a lot of confidence in my ability to speak as well as my speed in speaking the language. I think this was due to just being able to speak the language all day to people who had a similar speaking level of it as me. I do still have much to improve which I hope to do in the upcoming semester in my next Irish language class.
And in further reflecting on my experience, I reread my very first blog post and found interesting comparisons in what I thought I would experience and what I actually did. One of my expectations was that I would be fully immersed in the language inside and outside of the classroom, which ended up not being the case for outside of the classroom. Though I was speaking Irish for the most part with my peers, it was difficult speaking it with locals because sometimes they did not have a good grasp on the language, so it was difficult discerning when to use it with someone and when not to. Another expectation I had was that I would learn more about the culture of Ireland and also grow into a more independent person while abroad, which I definitely think both happened. I believe that this experience really helped me mature and be more confident when living in an unfamiliar environment. Overall, I am incredibly grateful that I was able to attend the immersion program and I am overjoyed to study abroad in Ireland again in the spring semester.