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Le début: Mes Premiers Jours à Tours (et à Paris)

What a week! I can’t believe I’ve already been here this long. I arrived in France on May 19 and stayed just outside Paris with some family friends for two days. They took me to a few really amazing places. On Friday night, we went to the Eiffel Tower, where I got to see the sun set over Paris. The following day, we visited la Basilique du Sacre-coeur at Montmartre, where we not only saw the inside of the basilica but also got to climb to the top of the dome (293 steps upon which I learned little by little just how out of shape I am). Paris, obviously, was beautiful and I loved every moment there.

On Sunday, the family I stayed with for the few days in Paris generously drove me to my residence in Tours. Once there, the man at the front desk showed me to my room and around the residence. Notably, I am pretty lucky in the fact that the residence is less than a 2 minute walk from the Institute I take classes at and about a 5 minute walk from the center of the town. After arriving, checking in, and calling my parents, I decided to head to the downtown area to get some lunch. Why is this notable? This is where our critical incident story begins.

Some background information: the area where I tend to get food is a t-shaped section of a larger downtown area that loops around to itself. There are lots and lots of restaurant options here, all of which are pretty good at the very least (at least, the ones I’ve tried). When I found it for the first time, I walked around to see exactly what some of my options were, and I knew I’d find something I would like at pretty much any of them. However, I couldn’t bring myself to actually walk into one. I made the loop once, then twice, then a third time, and before I knew it I had been walking the same t-shaped path for 30 minutes and had traversed more than a mile and a half in the process. Every time I tried to enter a place and order something off the menu, the little man in my head steered me away and down the same road again. Finally, I picked a place, walked in, and in the least intelligible French I think I’ve ever spoken, I began with, “Hello, I’m so sorry, I’m American and…”

Looking back on myself, I can laugh pretty hard, but in the moment I felt like I was watching myself fall over in slow-motion from a third person perspective. Anyway, the poor hostess was incredibly understanding. She asked if I wanted to sit inside or outside, and then if I wanted the english menu, to which I replied, “Non, je peux lire en francais…” I ordered a cocktail (because she said they had one and I was afraid to make a choice), a plate of salmon, and after, a panna cotta. I paid, and I ran back to my room.

As far as first interactions in French go, I’m genuinely unsure if mine could have been any more awkward. To the hostess and waitress who dealt with me at my most strung-out (I think ever), I’d like to issue both a huge apology and a huge thank-you. I never could have predicted just how terrified I was going to be even when just trying to order food for the first time.

Ripping that band-aid off proved to be the first defining moment of my stay in France, and my fear brought with it a lot of points for reflection. First, I realized I wasn’t as advanced, confident, and culturally competent as I thought I was. I had only really interacted with situations and people I felt I could express myself to, and when that fundamental ability wasn’t as in reach, I absolutely panicked. I got to actually see where the boundaries of my comfort zone were and then had to jump over them, instead of just toeing the line.

I also, though, actually managed to get through an interaction in French, and after that first one, asking for a few croissants at the Boulangerie didn’t seem as intimidating anymore (and I even got one for free). Despite how clunky my French still indubitably was, the interactions themselves began to run smoother and follow a now-comfortable formula, which let me see that improvement was actually attainable.

I met Martha and Andy as well, and got to walk and talk with them. I’m super excited to see how we all progress here and experience some wonderful things in the process! Allons y!

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Un día en la vida de una estudiante en Granada

Tomorrow marks the official start of my third week in Granada. In the time that I have been here, I have lived in a residence hall very similar to one you might find on campus at Notre Dame- except it is not single gender. El Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz la Real has a strong community of students who are often studious, sometimes boisterous, and always welcoming . Similar to a Notre Dame dorm, the colegio has a unique culture and engages in friendly competition with other residence hall’s scattered throughout the city. The majority of students living here have come to the University of Granada from throughout Andalusia and Southern Spain and they are preparing for and taking their final exams. There are a few international students who are directly enrolled in the University of Granada and five other Americans who are enrolled into the Center for Modern Languages to learn Spanish. The resulting student body is very multicultural and a great community for language learning. The colegio has integrated community-building “rules” that encourages students to interact with new people at each mealtime. Instead of picking up a meal tray and sitting only with English speakers or people who you have already met, new students are told that they must sit at a table that has already been formed. This feature along with the outgoing nature of many of the Spanish students have made meals an enjoyable and often interesting experience and have improved my language acquisition experience.

On my second day in Granada, I took a Spanish proficiency exam to determine which classes I was eligible for at the Center for Modern Languages. Although I dreaded taking the test, I was grateful for the opportunity to see my progression illustrated clearly. That same evening I received my results and was enrolled in two classes that correlated to my reading, writing, and speaking ability. I was excited that my results on the exam correlated perfectly to the level of Spanish I have been taking at Notre Dame. The structure of my school days roughly follows this structure.

8:00- 8:50 a.m. – My alarm goes off and I get ready for my day. I visit the cafeteria for coffee, orange juice, and a traditional Spanish-style tostada. Then, I walk 5 minutes to class at the Center for Modern Languages.

9:00-11:00 a.m – I participate in a two-hour class that is focused primarily on Spanish grammar. We have been doing some review for the first few class periods, so we have focused primarily on the preterite perfect, imperfect, and indefinite form. The class is taught in a Socratic style meaning that we are conversing for a majority of the class period and the professor occasionally stops to point out common grammatical errors and introduce new vocabulary.

11:10-1:00 p.m. – My second Spanish class is also two hours long, but this class focuses primarily on introducing new vocabulary and learning necessary skills for conversation. We spent the first class discussing common Spanish idioms that include body parts. The classes build on each other, so the grammar rules that I learn in the morning class are expected to be implemented into our conversation for the second class and vice versa.

After class, I grab lunch and participate in siesta time. Although I don’t always take a nap, I usually rest in my room, do some homework, review the day’s class content, and prepare for the evening festivities, which don’t begin until after 5:00 p.m. Dinner is not served until 8:30 p.m., but my friends and I have had a lot of fun exploring the Albaicín, watching free flamenco in the center of the city, eating tapas, hiking in the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, and practicing Spanish outside of university spaces. In addition to discovering Granada, my program has also taken us to Malaga for a historic tour of the coastal city. This last week, class was canceled on Thursday and Friday for the celebration of Corpus Christi. Granada has hosted a week-long fair, flamenco performances, religious parades, and parades for children to celebrate the transubstantiation of Jesus as taught by the Catholic Church. The two weeks I have spent in Granada have been linguistically challenging at times, but I look forward to being able to look back at this time and measure my improvement in comparison to where I began.

La Alhambra
El Centro de Lenguas Modernas
View from my room in the residency
El Colegio Mayor Santa Cruz la Real
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Pre-Departure

Marhaban!

My name is John McCarthy, and I’m preparing to travel to Amman, Jordan to study Arabic at the Qasid Institute. As I pack my belongings, the reality of what I’m about to embark on is sinking in. I will be moving to a completely different part of the world, where I have few connections. With my backpack, suitcase, and a year of Arabic language study behind me, I am eager to delve into the intricacies of this challenging language and fully immerse myself in the vibrant culture that surrounds me. As someone who lacks a strong cultural identity, I’m particularly thrilled to engage with individuals who possess a deep connection to a heritage steeped in history.

I am filled with excitement as I venture into the unknown, unsure of what lies ahead. Nevertheless, I embrace this uncertainty. I am prepared to confront any discomfort that arises, as it will serve as a catalyst for personal growth, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of myself, the people around me, and the culture I will be experiencing. While there are many aspects of the language that I am unfamiliar with, I hope to employ problem-solving skills in Arabic to enhance my language proficiency.

The journey itself will be quite long, approximately two days. Along the way, I will have layovers in Dublin and Frankfurt, providing me with the opportunity to explore these cities and immerse myself in their unique cultures. Additionally, I have planned a few trips within Jordan and outside of the country for the summer. I am fully aware that this summer will be transformative, and I eagerly anticipate the learning opportunities and unforgettable memories that lie ahead. I am tremendously excited about this trip and deeply grateful for the Summer Language Abroad grant, as well as the support of the CSLC which has made this experience possible.

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Leaving Soon!

Although I’ve been planning and packing for my time in Germany for several weeks now, it’s so strange to think that next week I’ll finally be there. I’ve never been the kind of person to be afraid of leaving home or going somewhere new but going to another country by myself feels completely different. I know these weeks in Germany are going to improve my foundational understanding of the language and I look forward to the challenge of immersing myself in both German language and culture this summer.

I imagine day-to-day tasks will become easier as my language skills progress. My goal for my time in Germany is to speak as little English as I can. Given that I’ll be in a smaller town, I hope that people will be less likely to switch to English when speaking with me. I’m excited to be learning German in Radolfzell rather than a big city.

My greatest worry for the weeks ahead is how difficult communication might be for me when I first arrive. I’ll be learning German intensively in Radolfzell and anticipate my German will improve over the eight weeks I am there, but the idea of not being able to express myself in the same way English allows me to makes me nervous. I understand that these difficulties are part of learning a language, and I’m excited to see what this summer will bring!