Comments from Current French Students
Experiences in France
My experience in France was an eye opening one. I remember sitting in the classroom in my high school and learning about the French culture and their ways. Learning about all of the chateaux and how rich France is with history. Once I arrived in France, all of my stereotypic impressions went out of the window. I found that a lot of what American people think French people are like is false. Of all of those who don’t think that French people wear deodorant, that is most definitely false: they do. If I had to say what was the most fascinating item about France, that would be when I got to see what I had been learning in the classroom and all my life. For a long time I had learned about the Mona Lisa, and Venus de Milo, and when I went to the Louvre in France, I finally got to see them, and it was exciting. Then when I got to see the French chateaux that I had learned about in the books, it was equally as exciting. In conclusion the time that I spent in France was fascinating and fun filled and was a great experience, one that I will always treasure, and I encourage that if anyone wants to really learn about a culture to go there because there is nothing like it.
Heath
Experiences in Teaching Elementary School
I first learned about this program through the Carthage newsletter as a prospective student. Upon entering college and speaking with my professors, I quickly became enveloped by all the opportunity had to offer me. The first meeting with Pascal Rollet had made my decision immediately. The chance to get into a classroom, as a freshman, is almost unheard of and rarely taken seriously. The first time I entered the fourth grade classroom I was filled with a mixture of anxiety and excitement. Teaching has allowed me to express myself unrestrained by rules and standards. Each week, though having to wake up early on a very hectic Tuesday, the wonder within the children’s eyes keeps me coming back for more. The time spent preparing is not even comparable to what I have given to the kids and what they, in return, have given me, the chance to inspire. Foreign languages, for me, are my passion; it is refreshing to know I have the ability to instill this passion in others.
Stephanie Coulis
French Teacher for Roosevelt Elementary
Freshman-May 2005
