Overall Experience

This France trip was a learning experience in more than the cultural way. I realized that I knew the language much more than I expected. I always thought that I spoke well because my teachers told me so, but I never thought that I was good enough for people to be surprised that I studied in the United States. In France people did not speak English to me and asked where I was from and complemented me on my skills. This trip gave me confidence in myself that I am a good speaker and that I can relate to other cultures. I found out that if I chose to live in France I could get along well. This trip also reinforced my love for languages and reminded me once again that languages are what I was made to do. I am glad that I changed my major to French and that I am getting a chance to do a French Master degree as well. Even though the course load was hard and at times I was frustrated with school, I feel that the learning that I did both inside and outside the classroom helped my overall cultural and language skills. I am looking forward to returning to France both as a student and as a professional.