Strong connections which will be difficult to leave behind
July 21, 2015
My year abroad is sadly now drawing to a close – at the time of writing it’s the start of the two week Easter holidays and when I return to school I only have one week of teaching left. Reflecting on the past 7 months, I feel really happy with the new friendships and connections …
Making connections as a flatmate and as an European
The strongest connections I’ve made in terms of relationships this year has undoubtedly been with my flatmates. I live with 3 other assistants in a flat rented to us by the ESPE (like a primary teacher training college) in the Académie of Nice. Together we are four girls from four different countries – Engand, Ireland, …
Doing things the French way
April 28, 2015
As silly as it sounds, one of the main challenges my fellow assistants and I have found is the different pace of life here in France. During the summer I experienced 5 weeks of living in a very traditional, French rural village and knew it was the norm for shops and café’s to have short …
I was born to be a Varoise
April 27, 2015
The subject of this blog, Cultural Challenges, is problematic because me and the culture of the South of France rub along very nicely together. The main cultural aspect for France is, of course, the food. I have an Irish flatmate who desperately misses potatoes (honestly, I’m not making it up), but I on the other …
Integrating into French culture
My year abroad so far has not only opened my eyes to cultural differences with France and Spain, but also many other countries all over the world thanks to the people I have met. I can honestly say that, during the time I have spent in North West France, I have encountered few cultural challenges. …
Seeing noticeable differences in fluency and comprehension
April 24, 2015
After three months of living and working in France I’m currently back in the UK for a week or so to catch up with friends and family over the Christmas period. This has also allowed me some time to reflect on how much I’ve done and just how far I’ve come in terms of improving …
I can access a whole other culture
During my first few months in France I was happy enough just to make myself understood. I was massively pleased with the relative easiness of setting up my rent, bank account and social security and I surprised myself in being able to get what I wanted from teachers/shop staff/the CAF officers. After nine years of …
Throw yourself out of your comfort zone
It was quite a daunting thought at the start of my year abroad that I was left totally responsible for my language learning for a full academic year. No assessments or weekly oral classes to check my progress. This is my sole chance to immerse myself in the local language and become as confident as …
Confidence is key!
My time in France so far has been a fantastic experience which has given me an invaluable opportunity to expose myself to everyday spoken French. However, when it comes to the immediate fluency that we all hope for, perhaps this is a little bit of an unrealistic goal for within the first few months. I …
Has your French actually improved?
One of the questions friends and family often ask regarding my year abroad is: “Has your French actually improved?” Ever since starting to learn the language back in secondary school, I have never been the strongest when it comes to speaking and listening in French. Even at uni, I struggled in oral classes and thought …
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