STEP Post Reflection

STEP Reflection

1. I went abroad to study French language in Quebec for five weeks. I specifically studied French phonetics, grammar, and oral expressions.
2. When I first got to Quebec and arrived at the university of Laval, I was given my French class placement. I tested into a much higher class than I was expecting to. I doubted that I would be able to pass my classes being at that high of a level because I doubted my abilities to speak French so fluently. I was also shocked by how little English was spoken when I first arrived in Quebec, and that frightened me too. I was expecting most people to be bilingual in French in English, but I found myself having to speak mostly French in order to communicate with others.

These two aspects of my study abroad trip frightened and worried me at the beginning because I did not believe myself capable of speaking French well enough to get by in this foreign region nor in my classes. However, I found that over time, I noticed my French speaking skills were quickly improving and speaking the language became more natural. I started feeling a lot more confident and secure speaking French. I realized that I was far more capable of getting by in a foreign country and speaking French than I had originally anticipated, and now I am more sure of myself when I go to speak in my French classes here at OSU.

3. The simplest interactions that are easily overlooked when in your home country, are the interactions that made the greatest difference for me in improving my French speaking abilities and in becoming more confident in my abilities. Everyday interactions such as going to the grocery and speaking with the cashier, or asking coherent questions in class, or directing a taxi cab driver originally were very difficult tasks for me.

As the five-week trip progressed, these interactions became significantly easier for me and I gained confidence when communicating with others in Quebec. These interactions may seem simple, and while they were in a way, what made them difficult was the fact that I would have to struggle to form coherent sentences and phrases when conversing with native, fluent speakers.

As I became more comfortable and confident speaking French, I began to feel like I fit in with the native Quebecois people. This also helped me develop a better understanding for the Quebecois culture because they have their own way of speaking French that is different from what I have learned in class previously. Therefore, on top of just learning the language, I was also learning how the language was spoken within the Quebecois culture.

This made my experience a bit more difficult, but also more rewarding as I have now learned how to use French lingo, slang, and common phrases that are used by native French speakers. This makes me feel more like a native French speaker, and like I have developed more of an understanding for the French and Quebecois culture.

4. Now that I have studied abroad, I am using the credits that I earned abroad at Ohio State to put towards what is now my second major, French. I was originally minoring in French language, but since returning from Quebec, I have now changed my minor to a major, and I aspire to get my bachelors in both French and in my second major, molecular genetics.