*Davidson College - France : Testimonials (Paris)
The following program testimonial responses have been selected for publication by Office of Education Abroad
Testimonial
What were the most rewarding/challenging aspects of the program?
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The most rewarding aspect of Davidson College in France was really immersing myself in the language and culture and not only getting to see so much of France through travels but also becoming fluent in the language. I would say the most challenging part was equally stepping out of my comfort zone to speak to complete strangers in a different language when I needed directions or was out with my friends and trying to meet new people. It was challenging to speak to people I didn't know and who might have had much different customs than my own, but it was equally rewarding to walk out of it with many, new, French friends.
— Fall, 2012 Participant |
Academically, what were the highlights?
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The biggest academic perk about Davidson College in France, as a French major here, was the ability to obtain 5 major credits from my semester in France and being practically done with my major as a second semester junior. Other academic highlights would include the actual classes I took while I was in France. I can honestly say I learned so much from my classes and my professors, despite the fact that the work load and amount of stress was nowhere near what it gets to be here at Davidson, which I would say is another perk. I experienced such a different style of teaching and learning, which for a semester abrod was nice because I really felt like I was away from Davidson and experiencing new things, even though I was on a Davidson program.
— Fall, 2012 Participant |
What did you personally gain from study abroad?
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I can finally say I am fluent in French, and I think my French accent really took some leaps and bounds. I feel so much more comfortable speaking in French now, even with native French speakers, than I did before my stay in France. My vocabulary also grew tremendously because not only was I studying French academically, I also learned a lot from my host family and French friends about the language that French people my age use on a daily basis outside of an academic setting. I gained a much greater appreciation for French culture than I already had as well as a greater appreciation and knowledge of their cuisine and wine. The list of things I gained from this experience could honestly go on and on.
— Fall, 2012 Participant |
If applicable, how did the home-stay impact your experience?
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My homestay oportunity impacted my experience because it was one of the primary places to speak French with native French speakers and be corrected for any grammatical errors I might have made, which really helped me while I was trying to master the language. It also impacted my experience to see first-hand how a French family lives, what their customs are, and how they may be different from or similar to my own family. Finally, my home-stay opportunity impacted my experience by allowing me to engage in cultural, political, and educational conversations with them and being able to see how our views differed based on the differences in our upbringings, for instance, the French education system is much different than the American education system, so in a conversation on that topic, it was interesting to compare my own thoughts and opinions on education to those of my host sister.
— Fall, 2012 Participant |