Bridgett Figueroa
University of California, Santa Barbara
France
Lyon, France Immersion Year
2016-2017
I had no idea what to expect before departing for France. It had always been my dream to go to France and add the truly valuable component of immersion to all the years I had spent studying the language in school. It is certainly one thing to study the language, the grammar, and the culture in a book and another to be fully immersed in the environment and be constantly hearing it, reading it, speaking it, and writing it. I feel that it is without a doubt the absolute best way to learn a language. As a result of having had this experience, I would say that I have really expanded my vocabulary and found different ways of expressing myself-- especially in a colloquial and familiar setting. The memories I have of my time in Lyon, France and Europe in general will always be something I hold close to my heart.
I remember sitting in my seat as we descended over Lyon’s airport and seeing a variety of open fields. I remember wondering to myself if this was actually the city I was studying in. Prior to being in Lyon, I had very little knowledge of how to travel or even how airports functioned--that is an indirect skill I now feel more comfortable in. The first night was a bit nerve-wrecking, however once our group took a stroll to one of the two rivers that make up Lyon, I knew that I was truly in a magical place. I remember the reflection of the lights on the river and all the bridges and passerelles. I thoroughly enjoyed the liveliness of people spending time together along the banks of the Rhone, with baguettes, cheese, and wine in hand. It may be stereotypical, but there is something so special about the simplicity of enjoying each other’s company over simple, affordable, and delicious food. For the first time in my life I was constantly being spoken to in French and forced to speak it everywhere I went. That is one thing I really love about the French language--there is no “stereotypical” way that a French speaker looks like. It is such a diverse language that truly anyone can speak it, and that is what I found on the streets of Lyon.
Living with my host family was a very unique and memorable experience, as well. They were so kind and took me on a trip to their house in the countryside for the first weekend. My host parents and I spent a few hours talking about everything and anything in French over dinner and wine in the backyard garden. It was then that I was first introduced to how the French truly value food and especially dinner time as the time of the day to come together and connect. In addition, food in French society is something that is highly valued not just at the dinner table, but as whole. This means that the abundance of food isn’t as important as the quality of it. I realized that as a result, most French people are healthier.
I loved being able to learn a lot from my host family and also teach them new words or concepts in English, especially when neither of us knew what the direct translation of a word was in the other language. I still have the fresh memory of my host mother pulling out her large dictionary and flipping through pages, resulting in us working together to usually find a better translation. In fact, through the courses I took in Lyon I realized that translation isn’t just a direct translation. Instead, the art of translation derives from truly translating the sense and intention of a sentence or word. It was a privilege to be able to take these translation courses, along with UCEAP sponsored courses, as they allowed me to learn things I hadn’t had the opportunity to at my home campus. Moreover, I was able to apply what I was constantly learning outside the classroom to my studies at Lyon 2 and my overall French studies.
Lyon is a wonderful city with incredible architecture and hundreds of streets you can happily get lost in. My favorite quartiers were the 5th arrondissement, also known as Vieux Lyon, and the 4th, known as the Croix Rousse. The Croix Rousse was filled with a myriad of colorful little cafés, patisseries, and boulangeries. While the most tourist filled quartier, Vieux Lyon held a lot of Lyon’s history, my favorite and world-known Miniature museum, the best organic ice cream shop I’ve ever been to, La Terre Adelice, and the Cathedrale Saint Jean. The Cathedrale Saint Jean is the cathedral on which the most impressive and unforgettable light expositions I have ever seen was displayed on during the annual and world-renowned Fete des Lumieres. Lyon is a beautiful city colored with a collection of charming stores and cafes, book and farmer markets with delicious fresh food, immaculate murals scattered throughout the city that look as if they were real, all surrounded by the flowing Saone and Rhone rivers.
I feel fortunate to have visited a variety of French cities I had always wanted to be in. I learned how different slang and even accents differed depending on what region in France you were in. I was exposed to the concept of effective public transportation and learned how to navigate through many different forms of it in many places. I think a couple of my most memorable experiences were when I traveled by myself to Lille and saw one of my favorite French singers, Joyce Jonathan, live in concert. Afterwards, I was able to meet her, get her autograph, and take a picture with her-- which I have included in this report! And of course, navigating the streets and metros of Paris was another accomplishment I achieved by myself. I will never forget standing on a bridge overlooking the Seine and waiting for the clock to strike on the hour to watch the Eiffel Tower light up and sparkle right in front of me for the first time. It’s a sight that took my breath away and made me tear up in awe. It is a sight that never loses its magic.
I feel that I have truly expanded my knowledge on French culture and adapted so many more words, phrases, idioms, and knowledge of spoken French. I am happy to have built upon and expanded the foundational academic French I learned at UC Santa Barbara. However, spoken French is just as important and truly requires exposure and constant interaction with native speakers and an immersed environment to be really learned and built upon. Due to this experience I feel have I have expanded my knowledge on not just spoken French, but the filler words, expressions, and mannerisms that are the glue to spoken French. Additionally, I have learned how to travel and figure out getting from point a to point b, in a way that doesn’t intimidate me anymore. I have opened up my own bank, phone service, and rented my own apartment in the French language. I have made memories with friends from all over the world that I could never forget. Most importantly, I realized that my love for the French language isn’t one that I can simply leave behind as something I studied in college-- it is something that I want to continue pursuing and look forward to teaching to more students. I look forward to continue working towards this goal as I prepare to move to New York to work in a French dual language immersion program for kids. Ideally, I hope to be able to work as a French teacher during the school year and teach English in Francophone countries and regions during the summers. I want to again take the time to thank UCEAP for granting me this scholarship to enrich my studies and love for the French language.
Comments