Student Journals: AIFS in Grenoble, France

Eric Larkin
St. Michael's College
University of Grenoble, France

October 28

Eric Larkin Since I last wrote I’ve had my first experience with visiting a country where I don’t speak the language and was it ever frustrating. We took a weekend trip to Venice the past 4 days and although the city is wonderful it is a completely different atmosphere and feel than France. Also, the language barrier was quite evident from time to time although luckily the advantage to being in such a tourist location is that most people speak English. It is worth noting how much the culture can change, even within a country, in such a small distance. Venice is only an hour flight from Grenoble or about the same distance from Dallas to Austin within Texas, but Grenoble and Venice are two completely different worlds. Granted some of this is due to the history of Venice, but the difference is still there. It was also difficult to navigate the city as its roads are not really on any sort of system mostly just mapped out for the leisurely stroll, which is sometimes a good thing. Seeing the sights within Venice such as San Marco and all the immense churches were well worth the visit alone. Not to mention the gelato!

In classes most students are taking their midterms, but for AIFS we are just beginning research on our final papers. It’s a daunting task to write a paper in French, but I have the approval of the professor and luckily enough time and help to complete it. Classes remain interesting with the topic in our language class ranging daily and varying enough to keep the vocabulary constantly changing but also always incorporating little bits of grammar. Sometimes I feel like my language is not taking the strides it should, but it’s to the point where I’m simply acquiring small bits of knowledge here and there to implement into conversation. I had an old friend ask me the other day if I had become fluent in the time that I’ve been here and while I’m not near fluent I’ve realized that you don’t have to be at all to be able to function in another culture. I feel confident that I can explain and work my way through almost any situation in French. If I need to have a philosophical discussion on Plato however, I may have some difficulty. Being confident in my working knowledge is all the same a great life skill, and I’m excited about being able to take this skill forward with me in life.

I have a few times recently where I miss all my friends and family back home, but I am very grateful that I have the capacity to contact them that I do with the internet. It’s really nice to be put out on my own, and being here and being able to manage has instilled in me a self-confidence that only an experience like this could have.

I’ve come past the halfway point in my time here in Grenoble and I can definitely say that I’m already trying to figure out how I’m going to make my way back someday.

A demain!

-Eric

October

Since I’ve last written it’s been almost two weeks and so much has happened in that time. I’ve almost reached the half-way point of the semester which is a scary thought. I can definitely tell that I’ve spent a good amount of time here in Grenoble because even though I don’t live right in the center of town I really have a good feel for the center of town and how things work, which includes the ever important question of when stores are open. Grenoble is also a really dynamic and exciting city as there is always, always something new going on. For example, this weekend alone we are in the midst of the food week, there is a car show, and the local wine and music festival called “Millésimes” starts this weekend. Even if there weren’t local events being put, on there’s enough to explore with the hikes around, local cafés to visit as well as the salons du thé where you can sit and relax with a pastry and a pot of tea.

I’m starting to really look forward to the family meal every day as it’s a chance to utilize all the French I’ve learned in class during the day as well as forge a family type relationship with my host mom. Obviously my parents back home can never be replaced, but my host mom, and I’ve heard the same from other students, has been incredibly welcoming to me and made me feel at home. Now that all the house rules are second nature, it’s really a good feeling to come home and talk with my host mom a little about how my day went. She has also been eager to help me plan things such as a hike I’m organizing this weekend with some friends.

My French has definitely improved immensely since I’ve been here, although I think it’s mostly due to a confidence level that I have instilled in myself by using it every day. I now feel comfortable striking up conversations with store owners and fellow French students alike. I know I’ll make mistakes, but I also know that if I don’t try, my language will never improve. Having language class 4 days a week really helps because that is another time I am forced to listen to and speak French constantly. It seems a little daunting at first, but it is absolutely essential to the comprehension of spoken language.

As for recent trips, I’ve made an AIFS trip to the region of Provence including cities such as Aix-En-Provence, Arles, Avignon, and sites like the Pont du Gard. I’ve also taken a trip with AIFS Paris to the region of Normandy to see the D-Day beaches and Mont St. Michel with a one night stay in the ocean town of Saint Malo. Seeing as much of France as I have has been incredible and really useful in understanding the regions of France. It’s remarkable to me how much a country smaller than the state of Texas can differ by region, and also how much history it can contain with monuments such as Mont St. Michel dating back to the 700’s!

I can’t wait to experience more of France! The only problem is how quickly it passes, but as they say, “time flies when you’re having fun!”

September

It is difficult to know exactly where to begin with explaining all the new experiences and feelings I’ve had since I arrived in Grenoble a few weeks ago, but for sure most of these experiences have come from speaking a new language, living with a new family, or attending a new university.

I met my host mother three weeks ago and although it was nerve-wracking at first to imagine how I would live with a different family I have quickly felt very welcomed and comfortable in my new home. My host mother is extremely nice, although adjusting to the house rules here has been interesting. It’s definitely much cleaner than a dorm at school that is shared with 7 other guys. I’ve had to get used to taking off my shoes at the door, always closing the door to the “toilettes,” which is in a different room than my shower, and other small things like that. It’s just a small adjustment that comes with the great advantage of constantly having a French teacher around. Although daunting at first, it’s really nice to be forced to speak French at home for dinner because it really is the only way to learn. I’ve definitely had my difficulties expressing myself during political discussions, but in trying I learn a new word here and there and hopefully carry that on to new discussions. Eating French meals has been phenomenal here, and I am going to miss the day when I don’t have cheese with dinner for every meal. There have been a few new dishes for me but I have enjoyed trying everything and have yet to find something I don’t like.

The language barrier in general has been a little difficult to traverse, but I have yet to encounter any serious problems. My only real problem came with numbers and times while trying to purchase train tickets. Not only did I have to translate the numbers to English, but from military time to a 12 hour clock. My classes however are very helpful and entertaining as well, mostly due to my animated professor who constantly finds a new topic to explore and explain. There’s a little bit of grammar here and there, but it’s mostly exploring new topics to discover the vocabulary about subjects such as eggs, which we spent the majority of a class on earlier in the semester.

Life at college, or as they call it université, has been a small adjustment, mostly because my schedule changes every day. Also, most courses only meet once a week as opposed to the normal two or three times. I have a core set of language classes which are complemented by my choice of seminars and a translation class. Translation class is the most difficult but also the most useful. In that class we learn not just the translation, but the translation into real French so that we can really develop a hold on the language.

After being in Grenoble for three weeks and spending my weekends exploring Nice, Geneva, Annecy, Chamonix-Mt Blanc, Cannes, Monaco, just to name a few, I have experienced a lot and I know there is much more to come.

Grenoble School of Management