In the spring of 2023, I studied abroad in Montpellier, France for a semester and truly immersed myself into French culture. It was an experience I will never forget where I challenged myself, grew in so many ways, and made a lot of friends along the way.

 

The program was offered through the University of Minnesota in coordination with Université Paul Valéry in Montpellier. My coursework consisted of 18 credit hours which included Grammar and Methodology, Phonetics, French Cinema, Medieval Literature, Civilization of the South of France, and Internship, all of which were instructed in French. In Grammar and Methodology, I improved my French writing skills, which was tested at the end of the semester with an in-class essay. In Phonetics, I learned proper pronunciation of French sounds as well as the phonetic alphabet. I learned a lot about French movie stars in Cinema class, such as Brigitte Bardot and Jean Marais, as well as popular film genres. Medieval Literature explored the story of Lancelot through Chrétien de Troyes's novel Le Chevalier de la Charrette. In Civilization of the South of France, I learned about the history and conquests of the city I was living in, Montpellier, and the regions surrounding it. Finally, in Internship class, I learned about cultural differences in the workplace between France and the United States. Through these classes I was able to explore French culture more in depth, learn about the rich history of France, as well as improve my French technical skills in speaking and in writing. 

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One of the most rewarding experience I had in Montpellier was living with a host grandmother. She spoke little English which really helped me improve my French, more than any of the classes I took. The French-English dictionary was our best friend for the first couple of weeks! We would have dinners together where she taught me more about cooking and explored regions of France through signature dishes. My favorites were her ratatouille and raclette, a popular cheesy dish. I loved spending time with her family, and her daughters and grandsons would come over often. It was so fun bonding with the grandsons, who were so intrigued by American culture and loved listening to Eminem and Imagine Dragons. It was very comforting to live with a host grandma and she made me feel like I was really a part of her family. She really helped me get through the adjustment period of moving abroad and was so excited to share the love of her culture with me. 

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One of the biggest cultural differences I noticed while living in Montpellier was the food culture. The main focus on food in France was for dinner, with very small breakfasts and lunches each day. I began my day with a small brioche to-go from my host grandma's house. I would usually pack a snack or something small for lunch because I had classes all day. Most restaurants and cafés were closed from 2-5pm, which is prime lunch time in the U.S. Dinner is also eaten much later in France, with apéritifs around 5 or 6pm, and dinner between 8:30 and 9pm.  Whether I was eating out for dinner or with my host grandma, meals lasted much longer in France. We would sit and talk for hours before leaving the restaurant or table. Eating is much more of an activity and something to enjoy rather than trying to eat quickly to get along with your day. Waiters and waitresses are not rushing you out of the restaurant and providing you with the bill for "when you're ready." Instead, you have to ask for the bill and are in no rush to leave. Eating in France is something to enjoy with friends or family, and it was nice to be able to pause my day and sit down and actually enjoy the food and company; and the fact that French food is delicious was a huge plus!

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Another thing that I loved about being in France was the opportunity to travel around Europe and explore other cultures. I was able to travel to many countries, including Spain, Portugal, and Italy. My favorite places I visited were Lisbon, Portugal, and Rome, Italy, where my love for ice cream grew even stronger. Everywhere I went was so beautiful and it was so mesmerizing to meet people from all over the world and learn a little bit of their languages.

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While some days abroad were hard, feeling frustrated about learning the language, it was an incredible first-hand experience and I would do every day all over again in a heartbeat. I challenged myself to truly learn French and make friends with locals to learn more about life in Montpellier. I tried many new foods and am no longer a picky eater! I lived in a new city with a new family and made so many friends. This experience truly changed my life for the better and I am so excited to share it with you all.