E-mail: achappui@nd.edu
Language: French
Location of Study: Tours, France
Program of Study: Intensive French Course, Institut de Touraine
Sponsors: The Center for the Study of Languages and Cultures
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Hello! I’m Adeline, and I’m a visual communications design and supplemental theology major with a minor in French. I’m a resident of Walsh Hall, and will be a senior next year.
When I was six and my parents were taking us to Disney, they asked my sister and I to guess where we were going. After guessing correctly and being told that wasn’t it, I said France. And while we did in fact go to Disney, that dream of visiting France never died.
Continuing to be inspired by my French influences in my hometown of New Orleans, I took French in high school. In college, once I discerned a career in art direction and making fashion images, France became a potential post-graduation destination on my job search. Here at Notre Dame, I’ve gotten to know the language and culture better, and in turn, I can better understand French branding as it appeals to each brand’s heritage and location in France.
But nothing replaces immersing yourself in a culture to really understand it. And while I can write and read quite well, I get anxious speaking in French, and it’s my weakest skill. During my SLA grant, I’ll be at the Institut de Touraine, where I’ll be taking private lessons with an instructor who specializes in business and fashion French in addition to traditional language classes. It will be my first time abroad, and to my dream country to visit, too. By the end of my six weeks, I hope that I will finally be confident in casual and business conversations. I’ll be able to order true French cuisine, maybe finally read a French romance novel, and make friends internationally along the way.