Submitted by Elizabeth Mitchell the 2024 Spring program in Paris, France…
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to London, England to visit a few of my friends from UD who are studying there. This was an amazing experience as London has an amazing atmosphere, endless amounts of markets, and a vast variety of food from many different cultures. Despite London having so much to offer, I found the most surprising thing for me in London was the language. After living in Paris for a little over a month now, I have become adjusted to the French language, and it was almost strange to hear everyone speak to me in English again. While I am not fluent in French, it is my minor, and I have been using this opportunity in Paris to further my French speaking abilities. Everywhere I go in Paris, people are always speaking French and I have become so adjusted to hearing French instead of English. I found it almost hard to walk into a cafe in London and not say “bonjour” or “merci” after they took my order. While it was nice to have a break from French for the weekend, I almost missed speaking the language. Spending a weekend in an English speaking country made me more grateful for the opportunity I have right now. The opportunity to wake up every morning and practice the language I have been learning for eight years is such a blessing. Even though most days I struggle finding the right word, or understanding what people are saying to me, it is all helping me become a better French speaker. Part of living in France is immersing myself into the French culture and language. While it was scary and overwhelming at first, I have learned it is only going to help me grow as a person. After only one month of living here, I can already tell my French, and my confidence in speaking French has improved immensely. I cannot wait to see how much my French skills grow after living here for four months. While some days it is still scary and overwhelming, it has been such a growing opportunity to be in a country that is so different from my own. (Submitted on February 15, 2024)