SAVANNAH HALL
Spring 2023- Montpellier, France
In the spring of 2023, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Montpellier, France, with the University of Minnesota! This experience was incredibly beneficial for me and I learned so much about France and French culture. You can read more about my experience below!
Studying abroad in Montpellier, France during the spring semester of 2023, not only enabled me to improve my French to a near fluent level, but it also further enabled me to open my horizons and have a deeper understanding and appreciation for France and French culture. Before studying abroad, I had the privilege of visiting France many times due to having family who live in Paris, however, after living and working in France for 4 months, I was able to not only further appreciate French culture but also recognize and work with the various challenges that come with living in a new country immersed in another language.
La Grotte de Clamouse
St. Guilhem le Désert, France
Marseille, France
As the daughter of a US diplomat, I lived much of my life overseas, in India, Argentina, and Brazil. From this experience, I learned to appreciate different cultures, traditions, and languages. Despite this, my academic goals and cultural expectations before I left to study abroad changed as I began the program in the spring of 2023 and became accustomed to this new culture. For example, while I was in Montpellier, I took a class at Université Paul Valéry as well as classes at the program center with the University of Minnesota. The class structure in the class I took in Paul Valéry was very different from what I was used to in the United States. In this course, as well as many others, there were two parts that were required for the course, a CM, the general lecture, and a TD, similar to a lab where a teaching assistant would go over a more specific section of the course material in more detail. Both sections of this course met once a week for 3 hours. In addition to this, the grading structure was very different from that of a typical American university's grading system. In this school, your grade heavily depended upon one cumulative test, taken at the end of the semester, graded on a scale of 20, with a score of 11.6-20 being an A, 10.1-11.5 a B, etc. This was a challenge for me as I was not used to only having one test, primarily based on topics that were meant to be studied outside of the classroom, to determine my grade. In the courses that I took at the program center, they were similar in structure to the courses I took in the United States; however, they were taught completely in French and were graded primarily through essay assignments. From this experience, I was able to adapt to a new academic environment while learning a new language and adapting to various cultural academic norms that I was not familiar with. I was able to overcome this challenge by managing my time outside of class and utilizing the resources that were available to me from the University of Minnesota. From this, I was able to become confident in my ability to navigate and succeed in new and rigorous academic environments while actively learning a new language.
Uzès, France
During the spring of 2023, France experienced a large number of strikes primarily due to the increase in the national age of retirement from 62 to 64. During these strikes, which happened almost every other week while I was studying there, many of the public transportation systems were shut down, and schools were blockaded, including Paul Valéry, which led to us doing a lot of work outside of the classroom to make up for that time lost. This experience, while inconvenient at times, was incredibly eye-opening and allowed me to experience French politics and strike culture from a first-hand perspective. I was able to manage these strikes by keeping up with French news and media, as well as talking to my host parents in order to figure out the best way to get to and from my classes/internship.
Blockade at Paul Valéry
While in France, I was able to witness firsthand the French people exhibiting their right to strike and protesting government actions that they were unhappy with. This was very different from what is considered "normal" in the United States, as we often do not strike due to a lack of laws and regulations protecting workers and giving them the right to strike to the same degree that France does. This unique experience helped broaden my global perspective as I was able to see French politics and civil liberties in action.
Protest in Marseille, France
In addition to the strikes, it was during my internship at l'École de la Deuxième Chance that I was really able to see how different the work culture and environments were in France compared to the United States. For instance, I was able to see one of Hofstede's cultural dimensions at work with the difference in the power distance between the professors, administrators, and students at this school. Many of the administration and staff were on the same level as the students, in that there was a small amount of distance in between the professors and students. The office environment at the school was open and focused on working together to accomplish various administrative tasks and student activities/evaluations. This was a very eye-opening experience and one that has enabled me to see what it would be like to work in France, an environment that is different from what I was accustomed to in the United States.
An award ceremony for the students
La Galette de Rois
Beyond my experience in the classroom and workplace, I was able to intimately interact one-on-one with the French people around me that helped me immensely in progressing in my abilities to speak French. While studying abroad, I chose to live with a host family, la Famille Taxi, about 45 minutes away from the downtown area of Montpellier in a small town called St. John de Vedas. While living with my host parents, I was encouraged to speak French daily and often had to as they did not speak English fluently. Of all of the things that helped me to become fluent in French, living and going on trips with my host family was the most beneficial for me as I was able to experience French culture first-hand. Living with my host family and speaking to them in French daily, helped me to think on my feet when I did not know how to say what I wanted to say in French and, with their guidance, I was able to learn the colloquial way of speech and common sayings/expression that I would not have been able to learn had I not had this experience. In addition to this, I was also able to experience what it was like to live with a traditional French family, which enabled me to learn many of the smaller cultural aspects that would have otherwise been lost if I had lived in an apartment or dorm in France. For example, at dinner, it was common to have bread and a variety of cheeses after completing your meal, and many French homes did not have central air conditioning. Further, by living with my host parents, I was able to be involved in their family gatherings and dinners, as well as experience various French traditions, such as la galette des rois, pictured on the left. I am very grateful for my host family’s generosity and kindness while I was studying in Montpellier. It is thanks to them that I could live and experience France as authentically as possible and make these valuable cross-cultural connections.
While in France, I had the opportunity to meet many local French people and make new friends. For example, while there I made a friend with a man named Gwen, who is from Strasbourg. It is through my friendship with him, my host family, and others that I was able to grow in my love and appreciation for French culture and the language. I also had the experience to make lifelong friends in my program from all over the United States, with whom I traveled all over France, Europe, surrounding countries, including : London, England; Barcelona, Spain; Budapest, Hungary; Vienna, Austria; Rome, Italy; Edinburgh, Scotland; and, Vis and Split, Croatia.
Jaden, Gwen, and Me
Budapest, Hungary
Living and working in Montpellier provided me with the opportunity to not only grow and learn about French culture through my experience with various challenges, such as the language barrier and strikes, but it also lit the fire for my love of France as a whole. This enriching time that I spent studying in Montpellier has inspired me to go back to France for my graduate studies and to seek full-time employment there or with a French speaking company.
Pézenas, France
La Porte du Peyrou