Here I am, at the halfway mark in my study abroad experience. And here you are, wondering what the hell has happened so far, as I never sit down to take the time to tell you. Bref:
School - IES is going well. The classes seem to be pretty easy, yet still interesting. The most important thing I have to say on this front is that I've noticed a huge increase in my comprehension thus far. At the beginning of my time here, I had to give every bit of my concentration just to focus. It was none of that half-assed daydream and still get an A kind of business. Now I've reached the point where focusing isn't quite so exhausting. I can tune in and out and still walk away having learned something, albeit accidentally. It's kind of cool. My university class, however, is still difficult because the teacher doesn't cater to my linguistic needs the way the IES teachers do. She still talks incredibly fast, but I'm even starting to get more out of that class, too.
Internship - I'm so glad I chose to do the English teaching internship. It's really opened my eyes in a lot of ways. For many of my students, I'm the first American they've ever encountered in real life. In a way it's a lot of pressure. They ask me many opinion-based questions, and I feel that I constantly have to remind them that I'm just ONE American; I can't give them the thoughts of the entire country. I'm surprised also at their language abilities, or, for many, the lack thereof. Many of these students have studied for at least 10 years, and they barely speak or understand English. There are a few exceptions, of course, but I think that, for the most part, France seems to have dropped the ball in this department. Hopefully I can do my best to change that, at least for the students with whom I work.
Life in France - I really love the French way of living. Everything seems to be more relaxed, and I find that it makes for a better quality of life. For instance, if you go into a restaurant, expect it to take about two hours. In America, this would be an insult, you'd surely refuse to leave a tip. Well, they don't have tips here. The waiter comes and asks you what you'd like, and you essentially never see him again. It's kind of nice, actually. The French really take their time eating, savoring each delicious meal. The other night I was invited to a neighborhood party that began at 8:00 (normal dinner time in France). We didn't even begin eating dessert until 11:00, and the party didn't end until about half past midnight. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.
Language - For me, this is the most important point of discussion. I go back and forth with how I feel about my French speaking skills every day. I've absolutely improved, yes. I have confidence to approach people, I'm not afraid to ask questions in class, or even to make errors - but I fear that I'm running out of time. I have officially been in France for two months and one day, and I only have about a month and a half left. I'm worried that as soon as French begins to come as second nature it will be time to leave. I'm also frustrated at the amount of English I speak. Since I take classes with other Americans, it's so easy to spend time with them speaking English constantly. I fear that I could have improved more had I secluded myself more, but I know that's not very realistic. I speak with my host family whenever I can, and I try to be amicable when I go out. I've gotten compliments on my speaking, and yet I still hear myself making the same mistakes over and over again. I try to think in French when I can, and I've had a few dreams in French recently, though I doubt their grammatical correctness. I'm hopeful, though. If I've gotten this far in only two months, I'm sure I will skyrocket in the remaining weeks.
Also, I miss Mexican food.
A prochaine fois!
