I don’t speak French. No, I am not one of those people that say that they don’t speak a language but are secretly fluent and just feeling like lying to you so that you have low expectations before they awe you with their amazing language talent.
No, sadly, that is not I.
I have taken French for 3 years and on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being nothing, and 10 being you have lived in France all of your life) I would give myself a solid 3. Or 4. Lets go with 4.
My name is Zaria, I live in Alameda, California and go to Alameda High School. I speak English (and a 4 level of French). You may or may not know that I will be journeying to Vannes, France as exchange student with the study abroad program AYUSA for several months of my junior year of high school in the fall of 2012. AYUSA has set me up with a class to help prepare me for my overseas voyage. This program suggests that I set up some sort of blog to document the 3 stages of my journey:
1. Before I embark on my adventure
2. While in I am in France
3. And after I return home
So that is what you will get here, the complete experience!
Several summers ago I traveled to Europe with my family. We journeyed to Paris, London, Berlin, and Prague. I fell in love with France and their culture and language. I cannot wait to return and experience that love again!
For some unexplainable reason I hardly have any fears about going abroad. I think that my excitement is so overwhelming that I hardly have any time to be scared. I, of course, do have those standard anxious feelings that everyone holds when going somewhere new- “What if nobody likes me?” “What happens when I get homesick?” And some new feelings that come with going to a foreign country- “What if I can’t understand anything?” “What if I get stereotyped for a stupid American?” I am trying unbelievably hard not to think so in depth about these things (save that for later) and just trying to enjoy my excitement as I am still trying to comprehend “Is this really happening?!”
During my study abroad experience, I hope to learn a great deal about French language and culture. I also want to become a more mature person while studying abroad. When I return home, I hope to have had the experience of a lifetime and met people and had gone through things that I will never forget, all while trying to bring that French 4 up to a 7 or 8.
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