Dear Reader,
My first blog post served as a way to introduce myself and share some experiences I have had connecting with my group members, thus far. For this post, I will discuss, further, my expectations and goals for my trip, why I chose Abbey Road, along with what I plan to do with my French-speaking skills in the future.
First, I have one silly yet puzzling question for the people at Abbey Road. I know we should speak French and only French, but when do we start? The group meets at JFK airport where we have several hours to get to know one another before the flight. We have even more bonding time during the flight before we finally land in France. Do we get to know one another in English and then start speaking French when we reach our destination or do we speak French the moment we meet at the airport? I can't help but giggle at the idea of someone saying, "Okay, start speaking French right..............NOW"!
As I venture across the globe, I expect to be nervous, but a good kind of nervous. You know the feeling that overcomes you just before you go onstage? Your stomach ties in knots, the adrenalin pulses throughout your shaking body, and your heart races like crazy as you await the moment when the curtains are drawn and you are transported to a new world upon the stage. That nervous anticipation and excitement is exactly how I feel right now. I cannot wait to venture out of my comfort zone, not only speaking the French language but living the French culture.
You don't have to know me well to know that I am obsessed with all things French. I want to speak and "live" French as soon as possible! About a year ago, I became interested in doing a French immersion program. My French teacher referred me to the Abbey Road Program. When my parents and I visited the website, we were all very impressed. The program was everything I was looking for: 5 weeks in France (not too long, not too short) consisting of cultural experiences and daily French classes. The online photographs portrayed students having the time of their lives. The moment my parents approved, I knew my dream of going to France was coming true.
Five weeks is a long time to be away from home. But is it long enough to become proficient in a language? I want to make the most I can out of these five weeks. From what I have heard from my fellow group members, everyone seems very serious about the program, wanting to speak French the entire time. As a source of motivation, I have made a list of goals to accomplish by the end of the five weeks. I wish to be able to read a newspaper or novel in French with ease, to understand a French film without English subtitles, to accidentally write one of my blog posts in French instead of English, and to be borderline conversational/fluent.
So how do I plan on using French in my life? This next year, when I am a high school senior, I will take French 5. In college, I will major in International Relations. Regardless of where life takes me, I will have a job that requires frequent use of French. For this reason, I am so grateful for the opportunity to learn French now and get a head start on my plans for the future.
Until next time,
Elizabeth
