Why French?

What first sparked your interest in French language and culture, and how has that interest grown or changed during your time in the French department?
I was drawn to study the French language because of my French-Canadian family heritage. My mother was born in Montreal, Quebec, and her family is Acadian. I grew up visiting my French speaking family in New Brunswick, Canada every summer and had the strong desire to one day become fluent. Studying French at Rutgers has allowed me to proudly claim that I am bilingual!

What has been the most challenging aspect of learning French, and how have you worked to overcome it?
One challenging aspect of learning French is maintaining your skills outside of the classroom. I make sure to listen to music in French all the time and I don't hesitate to practice speaking with French speakers that I come across!

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your time in the French department?
I am most proud of the fact that I have developed my writing skills in French. To have written essays in multiple languages throughout my college career is a fantastic accomplishment that I am so proud of.

How has your experience in the French department influenced your career goals or future plans?
All of the professors that I have had in the French department have been immensely supportive of my academic goals and future plans. My initial career plans were to continue studying French at a graduate level, but my path has changed and I am excited to now be pursuing speech and language pathology. I love how the French department is excited for me to build upon my love of language.

What advice would you give to incoming students who are interested in studying French?
My advice to students who are interested in studying French would be to not give up when it gets difficult. French is a very difficult language with its pronunciation and spelling! However, it is so rewarding after a lot of practice and dedication to feel competent in another language.

Do you plan to continue studying French in the future, and if so, how do you hope to use your language skills?
I do not plan on studying French in a classroom setting, but I will be maintaining my language skills by continuing to speak with my family members and people I meet along the way.

How has studying French language and culture impacted your overall education and personal growth?
Majoring in French has been an incredible journey. When I tell people that I'm a French major, a lot of the time people think that all world language majors do is learn the language and study its grammar. But it is so, so, so much more! I have studied literature, history, philosophy, social justice, feminist theory, and more- all while mastering a second language!

What have been some of your favorite activities or events in the French department, and what did you enjoy about them?
I really enjoyed writing for La Petite Gazette. It is a unique opportunity to gain experience writing in a journalistic/blog post style that we typically don't write in for class. It is a good way to get extra practice writing in French, and it also is a fun chance to dive deep into a niche topic of interest.

What French novel, poem, or films have had the biggest impact on you, and why?
Among many other works that I read in 391, I really enjoyed reading La Tragédie du Roi Christophe by Aimé Césaire. I had never read Aimé Césaire before that point and it helped to contextualize my knowledge of the history of French colonization, Caribbean history, and post-colonialism.

What were some of your favorite courses?
My senior seminar, L'animalité, with Prof Allamand was incredible. It might sound like an exaggeration, but I feel like it changed my life! For my final, I wrote a 9 page paper on vegetarianism that encompassed everything I learned about how we as humans approach and conceptualize other animals. I also loved taking 218 with Prof Piroux. It was my first time reading works by Moliere, and I felt so accomplished after reading all the texts in that course.