Major: French and Francophone Studies
Minor: Psychology
Hometown: Seneca, NY

How did you learn about this opportunity?

I learned about this enrichment experience from my educational advisor. She informed me that the program would help me fulfill credits for my major while also giving me a lot of experience that would allow me to progress in my major.

Tell us a little bit about your experience.

Throughout the program I had the opportunity to travel to different cities in France where I was able to practice my French language and conversational skills. I was able to experience cities in both northern and southern France, allowing me to experience firsthand the regional differences in not only the language but also the culture. Living with a host family and having classes with native French teachers allowed me to gain a better sense of the true way that French people speak. My host mom made traditional French dishes and discussed with me cultural differences between the French and Americans, allowing me to better understand how people of different backgrounds can lead very different lives and have different perspectives.

Because the program and the chance to interact with native French people helped me flourish in my conversational skills, I believe the experience had a direct impact on my abilities needed for my future career goals.

How did this experience impact you academically?

This experience impacted me immensely academically because it allowed me to further progress in my knowledge of the French language. Being in an environment where everyone around me spoke the language helped the language to more easily come to thought, which allowed me to more easily progress in my conversational and speaking skills in the language. I have found that I progressed much more in the language during this program than ever before because of my interactions with native French speakers. Both my host mom and instructors at the university in Besancon taught me a plethora of slang and idiomatic expressions used by the French people on a day to day basis. Since slang and expressions are important in conversation in French just as they are in English, information like this is useful in speaking to real French people and truly an experience I think cannot be learned from a textbook.

What are your career goals and plans?  How did this experience impact them?

My goals and plans for after graduation are centered on my knowledge of the French language and my ability to use the language to properly converse and communicate with other French speakers. Therefore, because the program and the chance to interact with native French people helped me flourish in my conversational skills, I believe the experience had a direct impact on my abilities needed for my future career goals. I hope to work for a business that has ties to France and French speakers and therefore will need to be able to communicate thoughts and ideas effectively with French speakers.

Would you recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students?

I would definitely recommend this experience to other Liberal Arts students, especially for French majors. I thought the instructors of the program were very helpful, and the opportunity to stay in an environment of a language you are studying helps you to flourish in the language. Besancon is also a very lovely little town that is very welcoming to foreign students and gives you a true French experience.