When my mom and my sister picked me up from the airport, I was immediately met with the smell of In-n-Out – I knew I was home. After enjoying some of In-n-Out’s classic “animal fries,” I was still processing that I was no longer in France. The past few days at home have been a lot of me correcting my “bonjour” and “merci” to “hello” and “thank you” (which I am still in the process of adjusting to) and reflecting on the incredible summer of learning French. Looking back into my first expectations of the summer, I am really delighted to see that I have strengthened my confidence in speaking French and have gained so many new perspectives on lifestyles, humanitarian assistance, policy issues, or the time that is best to eat dinner.
In terms of the language acquisition process, I have had the privilege of having incredible teachers who have really underscored for me how important dialogue and constant conversation in French is. Before this summer, I had certainly been much more calculated in how I would speak when I would try to speak in French, however that is not how language works – it is truly more of a flow of words and the grammar and vocabulary are best learned when *attempting* to speak fluidly and not let my fear of making mistakes while speaking French inhibit my flow of conversation. In addition, through this language acquisition process, I believe that I have strengthened my ability to ask people for help while struggling to come up with a certain vocabulary word, or get validation for the correct pronunciation or grammatical structure.
Having the opportunity with the SLA grant to live in France for two months has opened so many doors for me and has really helped me grow into a person who is less fearful of asking for help and is eager to meet people from all over the world. With meeting new people, I have particularly seen the power of language bringing people together and forming a closer connection. In the hostel and in my French school, I would witness my friends where English is not their first language immediately light up when they met someone who shared the same native language. Seeing this connection has further strengthened my desire to continue learning French, and hopefully expand my language acquisition to new languages! I cannot thank the SLA grant and donors enough for providing me with this experience to practice French and immerse myself in French culture!