France: Eleanor Somsakhein
Program: Institut de Touraine French Language, Summer
Eleanor’s Major: Mathematics & Data Science
What is the moment you are most proud of?
My proudest moment happened after my first long walk with my host grandfather. We had initially gone out to take old bottles to recycle, which is only five minutes by foot. He asked me all about myself, and I answered to the best of my ability, asking him in return with phrases that I thought to be choppy and poorly formed. After we took the recycling out, he told me that he could show me around different parts of the neighborhood and some of his favorite street art. I enthusiastically agreed, and for a little over an hour, we walked through narrow streets, small gardens, and old plazas that had become housing. I found myself, although circling around words I didn’t have the translation for and stopping to think every time I needed to use a less common grammatical structure, enjoying conversation and expressing my thoughts more freely than I ever had before in French. When the sun had set, right before turning onto the road where we lived, my host grandfather told me that it seemed to him I had studied the language with dedication, and that I had very little trouble expressing myself at all. Hearing that felt like all of my efforts were paying off, and that it wouldn’t be difficult at all to further improve and socialize in French. Taking the recycling out and going for walks together after dinner became part of our routine, and I have so many great memories of sunsets and fantastic conversation.
Not only did I learn a great deal of household French living with my host family, but conversations often stretched far beyond dishes, laundry, and everyday life. It gave me an opportunity to foster a connection speaking only French and drastically improved my ability to express myself.
What challenges or barriers did you face as you prepared to go abroad and/or during your time abroad? How did you work through them?
The biggest challenge I faced was the preparation. I was extremely nervous to live in an unfamiliar place without anyone I knew, and that I’d have difficulty connecting with people in French. However; by the end of the first week, my doubts completely vanished. My host “grandparents”, a retired couple who has been living in Tours for over twenty years, were some of the most encouraging and kind people I have ever met. My classmates were all as eager to practice the language and make new friends as I was, and the professors gave helpful feedback and great advice. I truly believe that the hardest part of going abroad is getting over the initial fear. Living in another place and another language is far more beautiful and interesting than it is difficult or confusing. The logistics can be confusing, like they would be anywhere, but the people I’ve met and the language I’ve learned will stay with me forever, whereas my fears faded away a little more with each passing week.
What is your advice for someone considering your program?
My best piece of advice for anyone considering studying abroad over the summer here in Tours would be to request a host family. The Institut is a language school, so naturally all of my classmates were also learning French. This is great for practicing, since the possibility of making an error is less nerve-racking when speaking with somebody at one’s own level, but it’s also important to have conversations with native speakers. Not only did I learn a great deal of household French living with my host family, but conversations often stretched far beyond dishes, laundry, and everyday life. It gave me an opportunity to foster a connection speaking only French and drastically improved my ability to express myself. My second piece of advice is to say yes to everything, especially when it comes to your host family. Whenever my calendar was tight, I always prioritized time with my host family, which was without a doubt the best thing I could’ve done for my experience. Living with a family means connecting with people entirely different from yourself, but I was definitely surprised to find out how much I had in common with a retired French couple. Whether it’s waking up at six in the morning on a Saturday to go to the market, going to the homes the family’s friends/relatives for a meal, going on long walks after dinner, or just watching cable, spend as much time with them as possible. Language skills and connection are two of the biggest parts of study abroad, and this is the easiest way to ensure you improve both as much as possible!
What is a custom, food or tradition from your host country that you are taking forward?
I will be using food as a means to relax and connect more often. Here in France, meals are served in courses (even when just cooking at home) over conversation. People often enjoy their coffee and beverages after the meal rather than with it, inviting more conversation and more time at the table. I felt I connected with my host family very quickly since we ate this way, and I noticed I began to take more time in my meals with friends as well. I was communicating in my second language, but the practice of just sitting down, enjoying food, and taking my time brought me a sense of comfort and closeness with others, closing the distance that any difficulty with expressing myself in French or understanding it created.