Margaret

Travel Study Program: Verlaine Langue, Cours Elémentaires I et II

Why I decided to study abroad: I was going to be in Paris again and I was still uncomfortable speaking French. My only previous class was a six-week session in 1963.

How I prepared: My preparation was travel to France—I had come in 1963 and in 1969, then began making yearly trips in 1999. Plus studying French on my own at home. Reading about France, past and present.

My experience at this program: Terrific. Claudine, my teacher, was positive, informal, buoyant, always willing to repeat a sentence or answer questions. Everyone in class received personal attention. That was possible because a class never has more than six students and because Claudine is like that. I loved meeting the other students. All ages, outlooks, life experiences. I loved learning their stories, either in class or afterwards, when we would continue to talk (in French) over coffee, as a group or in pairs.

My biggest challenge: For me, the hardest part of learning French is hearing with understanding.

My biggest surprise: How much I learned in four weeks. I can now speak elementary French.

My tips for readers who want to study in France: Focus on what you are learning, not on your mistakes. Immerse yourself in the French language.

Cultural differences I faced in France: In France there are, proportionally, more small, human-scale businesses. Greater encouragement of community life. Nice parks everywhere, well used by people of all ages. Great public transportation—métro, buses, now bikes [10,000, soon to be 20,000, that you can pick up and ride to your destination and drop off]. Fathers taking care of under-three-year-olds. The French attitude of questioning authority, unlike the American attitude of uncritically accepting it. The difference is that in France, the government is afraid of the people; in the United States, the people are afraid of the government. I appreciate the cultural differences in France.

What to expect from a study experience in France: To receive as much as you are open for.