Through a stipend from my Arrupe Fellowship, I embarked on a language immersion journey this summer to improve my ability to speak French. For two months, I lived in Lyon, France, where I attended daily classes at Alliance Française Lyon while living with a French host. Before arriving in France, I had basic French skills, but living in Lyon significantly improved my ability to speak and understand the language. I was fortunate to learn alongside a diverse group of students from all over the world and teachers who had decades of experience.
I was privileged to have this experience as it will support my immediate post-IPED goal to apply for the Catholic Relief Services International Development Fellows Program. With CRS’s extensive programming in French-speaking countries in Africa, having the ability to speak the French language can improve my chances of earning this fellowship. In the long term, I hope to use the language in French-speaking developing countries in international development, particularly in areas in crisis.
Aside from language immersion, the opportunity to live in France had been very beneficial as an international political economy student. It allowed me to witness major changes in the political landscape in Europe and to hear firsthand the perspective of ordinary French citizens about current events in their country.
