Between France and Morocco: Diversity and Inclusion within the Francophone world

For my step signature project I did a study abroad program to France and Morocco. On this trip, we learned about the shared histories between France and Morocco and how they deal with diversity and inclusion in their countries. One thing that I learned from the trip is the value of knowing another language. In 7th grade I began taking French classes in school. I did this because my school made us take at least two years of a foreign language. I continued taking French classes past those two years since I knew taking at least four years of a foreign language is recommended for some of the colleges that I applied to. I also continued taking French classes because a lot of my close friends were in my class. Since French wasn’t that popular of a language chosen to learn in my school district, each year I would have mostly the same people in my classes and I enjoyed that. Quite frankly, I never thought French was that valuable of a language to learn since not many people in the United States speak French. I wasn’t taking French classes because I was genuinely interested in learning the language. I would passively learn French just to get a good grade. My senior year of high school I was enrolled in AP French and I realized that I really did not know French that well because I never put the effort in to learn it. So instead of struggling in that class and risk getting a bad grade I decided to drop it.
My freshman year of college I took a French class because I had to for a general education requirement. However, I really enjoyed this class since it wasn’t a basic French class in the sense that it was primarily a French history class that was taught in French. This was the first French class that I took that wasn’t all about learning that language. I did really well in the class that the professor asked me to consider minoring in it. Since I felt like I gave up on French in high school and I hate quitting, I decided to minor in it. However, I still didn’t see how practical it was to learn French. My view on French has completely changed now that I have completed my STEP signature project. I realized that I had a simple minded view of French because I never thought that I would have the opportunity to use it. This study abroad program gave me this opportunity. It has opened my eyes to a world outside the United States where the value of knowing French is huge. After seeing life outside the United States, I am eager to go to more places and experiences more cultures. Knowing a common language allows for you to experience the culture at a greater capacity. I now want to learn French for myself because I am genuinely interested in the language and I understand how knowing this language can allow me to reach a bigger world.
This transformation of thought occurred throughout my trip in France and Morocco. To help prepare for my study abroad program I decided to follow people on Twitter who speak French. I did this because I wanted to train my brain to think in French more often and to learn about the culture in France. I followed black people who lived in France and learned about some issues that they face in France. There was an incident where a famous France soccer player dressed himself in black face as a costume. Through following these French people I learned about some of the issues in their society, their stance on the matter, and how they dealt with it. This gave me greater insight into French society and was when I started to realize the value of knowing another language. I reached out to one of the people I followed and began talking to them in French to work on my French conversational skills as well as get to know him and French society. The friend I met is originally from Guadeloupe which is a French territory in the West Indies. He moved to Paris recently with his mother and brother for better work opportunities. When I was in Paris, I had to opportunity to meet up with him in person and work on my French skills. Had I not know French, I would not have had this interaction. This interaction was so positive that I wanted to have more of it with other people in Paris. One night when I was hanging out with some of the other people on the trip, I struck up a conversation with a guy from Senegal who immigrated Paris. This guy did not know any English and my French is not the greatest but we were able to have a conversation about his home country and what it is like in France. By knowing French I was able to make another great connection and learn about another culture.
Knowing the French language was extremely valuable when I was in Aix-en-Provence. In Aix we had home stays where I stayed with a mother who grew up in France. My host mom did not know any English so my French skills were necessary for family dinners and communicating about plans. During our family dinners we discussed the school systems, politics, sports and the beliefs of our countries. I learned a lot about the French culture through these conversations and she learned about the United States too. I remember talking with my host mom about softball which is the sport I grew up playing. In France, they do not play baseball or softball so it was a bit difficult to explain but it was a bonding experience as she learned about something new that I am passionate about. In Aix-en-Provence I also met three really cool girls who recently graduating from an international school nearby. These girls came from three different countries and I was able to talk with them and learn about their experience in France. I learned more about the French culture through talking with them and exchanged social media information so that I can continue to learn more. This desire to learn more about the French culture and French in general is what changed in me thanks to this study abroad program.
Finally, my view of French has changed after going to Morocco. In my study abroad class we discussed the power of the French language in Morocco. Morocco is a linguistically diverse country where French is one of the most prestigious languages to learn. Since France colonized Morocco, they forced their language onto them and now education and business tends to be conducted in this language. It is advantageous for people in Morocco to learn French so that they can do well economically in their country. Morocco has a lot of tourist and French is used as an universal language to communicate with them. Even though I did not know the mother tongues of the people of Morocco, I was still able to communicate with some of them. On our last day in Morocco we had the opportunity to meet local breakdancers and experience Iftar with them. A couple of the breakdancers did not know English very well but could speak French well. We used French as a common language to get to know each other and it was the coolest experience ever. After hanging with these Morocco guys I learned the true value of knowing another language. Language is a tool to reach a broader world. When I first started learning French, I never imagined having this opportunity to go abroad where knowing French would be so beneficial. It allowed me to have these amazing interactions with people from all over the world. This trip has fueled my eagerness to continue learning French.
This transformation is so valuable to me because there is this fire in me now. Throughout my time in college I have realized that a passion of mine is getting to know people. I love learning about their backgrounds. I work at Scott dining hall where there are a lot of international students who work there. I love learning about their countries and their culture. After going on this study abroad trip, I have connected this passion to the French language. By knowing this language, I can reach an even wider audience to get to know like I have done with my coworkers. The people that I have met over seas I am still in contact today. I want to continue learning French now for me so that I can have more meaningful conversations with them. So far I have been reading French books and watching French movies with subtitles. In doing so, I hope to get better at French for the next opportunity I get to go abroad to other French speaking countries.