This summer semester, I opted to exchange my final co-op semester for a study abroad experience in Caen, Normandy led by Dr. Anne-Marie Jézéquel in the UC French Department. I have been studying French for over nine years and wanted to polish my language skills in a way that can only be achieved by complete immersion, so when I found out about this program, I knew it was exactly what I needed. In addition, I worked independently on a project relating to Norman literature and how it characterized the people who lived there during different time periods, which (if you can speak French) you can read here.
The program began with a three-day trip to Paris which allowed us to acclimate to French language and culture while getting to know the other students in the class. After that, we headed to Caen in Lower Normandy, where we remained for the next six weeks. The program was divided into two sessions of three weeks each. Our typical schedule consisted of language instruction by University of Caen faculty in the mornings, a lunch break, and then an afternoon session of language, culture, history, or an excursion relating to the coursework. Once a week, we also spent about an hour in the pronunciation lab closely working on our speaking skills. Some of the places we went during the afternoon excursions included several D-Day landing beaches and related museums, art museums, and buildings of architectural and historical significance in the region. After that, there were usually other activities hosted by the university, such as a French movie night, laser tag, and learning to play pétanque. Over the weekends, there were full-day excursion to see some of the most popular destinations in the region. On those days, we went to Mont Saint-Michel, Saint Malo, Honfleur, Etretat, Giverny, and Rouen. With Dr. Jézéquel we also visited Falaise, the home of William the Conqueror. At the end of the course, we had the opportunity to take the DELF exam, which serves as an internationally-recognized certification of a student's French language ability.
This experience gave me everything I thought it would and more. I was able to practice my language skills on a daily basis in a small classroom setting which provided the extra attention I needed to help me reach the next level with my speaking. The DELF exam serves as concrete proof of my skills, which I can now use to apply for jobs or go study at a French institution. My goal before I left was to achieve an ease and fluidity of speaking so that I could hold a conversation with confidence, and in the very last days of the experience, I think I did. At the goodbye party with the students and professors of the program, my professor from the previous session came up to my table to say hi, and I was surprised at how easily I was just able to chat with her. Even though I may still confuse some grammar or miss some vocabulary here or there, I feel I have reached a level of independence and fluency, which has been my goal since I took my first French class in the 7th grade. The only thing that disappointed me about this experience was the possibility that I might not have been immersed enough in French life. Because of the nature of UC's program and the fact that we did things separately from the main group, it made sense for us to live in the dorms where we would be together and near the university, the meeting point for all excursions. But I still wish that I would have been able to live with a host family like some of the other students in the program. I would have loved to make those kinds of personal connections and practice my language skills all day. As it was, I was surprised at just how little French I was speaking on a daily basis because I was always with other UC students and we always spoke in English together, and the history class as well as many tours were taught in English--something I was not expecting.
This experience has reminded me how much I enjoy speaking foreign languages and learning about history, art, and culture--subjects I haven't been able to study much while pursuing a highly technical degree. It has taught me to always seek balance in life and that a change in pace can be intimidating but rewarding. I'm now thinking of career possibilities I would not have thought about before, and trying to find ways to integrate my capacity for language acquisition with a technical discipline. So far, I only have vague ideas about what this means, but I'm willing to explore my options to see what's next. But I think what surprised me the most about this trip was how easily I adjusted to living in France. I really felt at home, though perhaps that has something to do with the fact that, being Italian, I've grown up knowing a very similar culture. It has opened me up to the idea of actually going to live abroad for a while, something I had always had in mind but didn't think I'd have the courage to do.
The program began with a three-day trip to Paris which allowed us to acclimate to French language and culture while getting to know the other students in the class. After that, we headed to Caen in Lower Normandy, where we remained for the next six weeks. The program was divided into two sessions of three weeks each. Our typical schedule consisted of language instruction by University of Caen faculty in the mornings, a lunch break, and then an afternoon session of language, culture, history, or an excursion relating to the coursework. Once a week, we also spent about an hour in the pronunciation lab closely working on our speaking skills. Some of the places we went during the afternoon excursions included several D-Day landing beaches and related museums, art museums, and buildings of architectural and historical significance in the region. After that, there were usually other activities hosted by the university, such as a French movie night, laser tag, and learning to play pétanque. Over the weekends, there were full-day excursion to see some of the most popular destinations in the region. On those days, we went to Mont Saint-Michel, Saint Malo, Honfleur, Etretat, Giverny, and Rouen. With Dr. Jézéquel we also visited Falaise, the home of William the Conqueror. At the end of the course, we had the opportunity to take the DELF exam, which serves as an internationally-recognized certification of a student's French language ability.
This experience gave me everything I thought it would and more. I was able to practice my language skills on a daily basis in a small classroom setting which provided the extra attention I needed to help me reach the next level with my speaking. The DELF exam serves as concrete proof of my skills, which I can now use to apply for jobs or go study at a French institution. My goal before I left was to achieve an ease and fluidity of speaking so that I could hold a conversation with confidence, and in the very last days of the experience, I think I did. At the goodbye party with the students and professors of the program, my professor from the previous session came up to my table to say hi, and I was surprised at how easily I was just able to chat with her. Even though I may still confuse some grammar or miss some vocabulary here or there, I feel I have reached a level of independence and fluency, which has been my goal since I took my first French class in the 7th grade. The only thing that disappointed me about this experience was the possibility that I might not have been immersed enough in French life. Because of the nature of UC's program and the fact that we did things separately from the main group, it made sense for us to live in the dorms where we would be together and near the university, the meeting point for all excursions. But I still wish that I would have been able to live with a host family like some of the other students in the program. I would have loved to make those kinds of personal connections and practice my language skills all day. As it was, I was surprised at just how little French I was speaking on a daily basis because I was always with other UC students and we always spoke in English together, and the history class as well as many tours were taught in English--something I was not expecting.
This experience has reminded me how much I enjoy speaking foreign languages and learning about history, art, and culture--subjects I haven't been able to study much while pursuing a highly technical degree. It has taught me to always seek balance in life and that a change in pace can be intimidating but rewarding. I'm now thinking of career possibilities I would not have thought about before, and trying to find ways to integrate my capacity for language acquisition with a technical discipline. So far, I only have vague ideas about what this means, but I'm willing to explore my options to see what's next. But I think what surprised me the most about this trip was how easily I adjusted to living in France. I really felt at home, though perhaps that has something to do with the fact that, being Italian, I've grown up knowing a very similar culture. It has opened me up to the idea of actually going to live abroad for a while, something I had always had in mind but didn't think I'd have the courage to do.
This photo gallery highlights some of my experiences from this trip. Many show major monuments from various excursions, such as the ones taken on Omaha Beach, where we learned about the events leading up to the D-Day landings and stories of the Battle of Normandy. We learned about history and architecture by visiting cathedrals. We studied culture with a visit to a Calvados distillery, where we learned about how it is made and then had the opportunity to taste two different kinds on site. I chose each of these pictures because they show a significant place or moment during the experience, and also because they show the work I did to practice another skill I'm passionate about (but is not necessarily related to this experience): photography.