What once was a school obligation can become something more
Upon fifth grade graduation, I had to choose what language I wanted to learn in middle school. It was a requirement to learn one at least through middle school, and it was recommended to be continued for at least two years in high school. My dad wanted me to take Spanish, but my sister was taking French, and I’d heard stories from her and her friends detailing their crazy, but really fun, teacher. So naturally, I had to follow in her footsteps. At the time, I was thinking it would be more exciting; there wasn’t much thought put into it. Little did I know, though, that this requirement would turn into a full-blown adoration for the French language and culture.
Now, let me tell you, my middle school French teacher truly was a character, but in the best possible way. We would spend classes learning a bit of the language, but mostly just messing around. During the winter season, we would color holiday lights with sharpies. On Halloween, we’d hear about old French ghost stories. More often than not, though, we’d watch an old 2000s piece of French television or media that I would’ve otherwise never heard about, but has stuck with me for years since then.
It’s safe to say that I didn’t learn much of the actual French language in that class. In fact, when I got to high school, where a few of our district middle schools combined, the French teachers knew that kids that went to my middle school were going to be a bit behind. However, one thing that it certainly did do was solidify my love for French class, even if it wasn’t in the traditional sense.
Freshman year of high school consisted of my teacher explaining to me and my fellow classmates the most basic, but important, tenses and concepts which, to no surprise to her, we barely knew. By sophomore year, we were learning advanced tenses, and I was definitely struggling. But the reason I kept going was because, frankly, it was fun.
The people in the class became a community; many chose to drop just after freshman year, despite being advised against it. As the semesters went on, fewer and fewer kids continued, until the final group of us became tight-knit. Our teacher knew each and every student: our skillsets, our personalities, our classes outside of French. It truly was a full-blown community by my junior year of high school, and I loved every minute of it.
I quickly noticed that I was improving; not to say I was good (I definitely wouldn’t say that…), but I was better than what I was before. I felt comfortable trying and failing in that class because I knew we were all in the same position. Everyone was a bit scared, at least, to speak in a foreign language at the risk of messing it up; honestly, we all bonded over that.
At that point, I was pretty invested. I applied and was accepted to attend our high school’s French exchange program. I would be hosting a student for about two weeks in October, and I would then travel to France in late March to live with her. Every single day I am thankful that I was given this opportunity, and I can surely say the same about the majority of my peers in attendance. It was truly the most incredible experience, to be fully immersed in the language around fluent speakers and consistently exercise our skills for the first time. I felt myself wanting to become better; being around native French speakers made me realize that I was not even close. But it did, however, give me the determination to do so myself.
The time I spent in France with my exchange student is something I’ll cherish forever. It’s been almost a year since, and I wish I could go back practically every day. Being in the country I’d studied for years felt like a moment of clarity, like I was seeing my work come to fruition. Every time I was mistaken for a native Parisian, I was so honored. I mean, I was really trying.
The opportunity to experience France and French culture up close like that solidified for me my interest in continuing the language in college. My parents were kinda confused, though. I didn’t have to take any more French if I wanted to, and it’s not exactly related to my major. For me, though, that didn’t even matter. I’d invested so much time and effort into learning the language, and I’d become fond of it; why stop now?
Through the French language, I’ve grown so much as a person. It’s so important to challenge yourself and learn about the world that exists outside of your own. I truly believe that learning a language is so valuable for that exact reason. It’s also really rewarding, too. To watch yourself improve, to form a community, to learn more about other people and places, it’s refreshing. Honestly, it’s just really cool to speak another language, too. You feel so proud of yourself when you start to pick it up. So, this is my shameless plug for you to learn a new language, and if you already have started, to keep going. It’s not easy, that’s for sure. But, it is so, so incredibly worth it.